Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Thomas Scheller

Jeffrey Paul Solum

Justin R Burwinkel

David Alan Fabry

Christopher Larry Howes

Peter J Tetrick

Kyle Walsh

Joel N Erdman

Brian Thomas Dahl

Zac Jensen

Ryan Chester

An ear-worn electronic device comprises a housing configured to be supported by, at, in or on an ear of a wearer. Electronic circuitry is disposed in the housing and comprises a processor. A power source and a receiver or a speaker are respectively disposed in or on the housing. A microphone array is disposed in or on the housing and operatively coupled to the electronic circuitry. The microphone array comprises a plurality of microphones. The processor is configured to operate a set of two or more of the microphones in a directional mode, detect degradation in performance of any microphone of the microphone set, and switch microphone operation from the directional mode to a safe mode using at least one non-degraded microphone of the microphone set in response to detecting the microphone performance degradation.

Ear-worn electronic device incorporating microphone fault reduction system and method

Embodiments herein relate to assistive listening devices and systems for providing audio streams to device wearers within sound fields. In an embodiment an assistive listening device is included having a control circuit, an electroacoustic transducer for generating sound in electrical communication with the control circuit, a power supply circuit in electrical communication with the control circuit, and a communications circuit in electrical communication with the control circuit. The control circuit can be configured to issue a communication to an audio communication device or audio provisioning device including at least one of a language preference, a set of hearing requirements, data regarding a presentation delay, and an authorization status identifier, digital code, digital token, or digital key specific to a wearer of the assistive listening device. Other embodiments are also included herein.

Assistive listening device systems, devices and methods for providing audio streams within sound fields

To address the technical problem of varying gain applied to different hearing impaired (HI) patients, a technical solution described herein includes application of a patient-specific noise reduction algorithm based on a patient-specific signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) loss function. HI patients vary in their ability to extract information in a given signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) environment. However, noise reduction algorithms often include a single noise reduction function for all SNR loss functions. For a HI patient with significant SNR-loss, they will receive little noise reduction in SNR conditions where the patient gains no benefit from the sound. Technical solutions described herein includes determining a HI patient's ability to extract information for various SNR values, and then using specific NR algorithm attenuation for specific SNR values according to the HI patient's determined ability to extract information.

SNR profile adaptive hearing assistance attenuation

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for spatially differentiated noise reduction for hearing device applications. A method includes sensing sound signals with a hearing device. A front-facing directional beam and a rear-facing directional beam are produced using the sensed sound signals, and the front-facing directional beam and the rear-facing directional beam are combined to obtain an output directional beam. The front-facing directional beam or the output directional beam is compared to the rear-facing directional beam to determine a front-rear differential. Responsive to a determination that the front-rear differential indicates that the rear-facing directional beam is dominant, the amount of noise reduction of the output directional beam is increased. Responsive to a determination that the front-rear differential indicates that the rear-facing directional beam is not dominant, an amount of noise reduction of the output directional beam is reduced.

Spatially differentiated noise reduction for hearing devices

A computing system comprising one or more electronic computing devices receives data from a hearing-assistance device. The computing system determines, based on the data received from the hearing-assistance device, a cognitive benefit measure for a wearer of the hearing-assistance device. The cognitive benefit measure being an indication of a change of a cognitive benefit of the wearer of the hearing-assistance device attributable to use of the hearing-assistance device by the wearer of the hearing-assistance device. The computing device outputs an indication of the cognitive benefit measure.

Cognitive benefit measure related to hearing-assistance device use

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for detection of special environments for hearing assistance devices. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method of operating a hearing assistance device for a user. A signal is received from a mobile device, such as a cellular telephone, representative of an environmental parameter sensed by the mobile device. In various embodiments, an acoustic environment about the mobile device is identified based on the received signal using a signal processor. An operational mode of the hearing assistance device is adjusted using the signal processor based on the identified acoustic environment, according to various embodiments.

System for detection of special environments for hearing assistance devices

A method and device for compensating sensorineural hearing loss in a manner that allows dysfunction of the inner and outer hair cells to be separately compensated is described. The disclosed techniques involve providing separately adjustable compression pathways for the received sound.

Growing community of inventors

Eden Prairie, MN, United States of America

Thomas Scheller