IP Library › Granted Patent US 12666208

Granted Patent B2

US 12666208 · App. 18/622,291 · Granted Jun 23, 2026

Systems and methods for inducing modulation of user's voice level by a hearing device

Inventors: Sofie Jansen (Zürich, CH); Robert Baur (Männedorf, CH); Stefan Pislak (Stäfa, CH); Ullrich Sigwanz (Hombrechtikon, CH)

Assignee: Sonova AG

H04R25/505 H04R2225/41 H04R2225/43 H04R2430/01

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Quick Facts

Patent No.: US 12666208
App. No.: 18/622,291
Granted: Jun 23, 2026
Kind: B2

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Abstract

An exemplary method includes a hearing system determining an own voice sound level representative of a sound level of a voice of a user of a hearing device, determining an environmental sound level representative of a sound level of an environment of the user while the user uses the hearing device, and adjusting, based on the own voice sound level and the environmental sound level at least one of a streaming sound level representative of a sound level of streamed audio being streamed to the hearing device from a source device communicatively coupled to the hearing device, or a presented environmental sound level representative of a sound level of environmental sound being presented, in addition to the streamed audio, by the hearing device to the user.

Claims (64)

1 . A method comprising:

determining, by a processor, an own voice sound level representative of a sound level of a voice of a user of a hearing device;

determining, by the processor, an environmental sound level representative of a sound level of an environment of the user while the user uses the hearing device;

determining, by the processor and based on a comparing of the environmental sound level and the own voice sound level, that the own voice sound level is too high or too low for a conversation with a conversation partner; and

adjusting, by the processor and based on the determining that the own voice sound level is too high or too low, at least one of:

a streaming sound level representative of a sound level of streamed audio being streamed to the hearing device from a source device communicatively coupled to the hearing device, or

a presented environmental sound level representative of a sound level of environmental sound being presented, in addition to the streamed audio, by the hearing device to the user.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining that the own voice sound level is too high or too low is based on a difference between the own voice sound level and the environmental sound level exceeding a threshold difference level.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining that the own voice sound level is too high or too low is based on a ratio between the own voice sound level and the environmental sound level exceeding a threshold ratio level.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the adjusting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level comprises decreasing, based on the determining that the own voice sound level is too high, the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the adjusting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level comprises increasing, based on the determining that the own voice sound level is too low, the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the environment sound level comprises a speech sound level of speech directed toward the user.

7 . The method of claim 6 , further comprising:

detecting the speech directed toward the user; and

additionally adjusting, based on the speech sound level, the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:

the adjusting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level comprises setting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level at a first sound level while the own voice sound level is above a first threshold sound level; and

the additionally adjusting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level comprises setting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level at a second sound level while the speech sound level is above a second threshold sound level.

9 . The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the adjusting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level further comprises setting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level at a second sound level while the own voice sound level is below a second threshold sound level.

10 . A computer program product embodied in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium and comprising computer instructions for performing a process comprising:

determining an own voice sound level representative of a sound level of a voice of a user of a hearing device;

determining an environmental sound level representative of a sound level of an environment of the user while the user uses the hearing device;

determining, based on a comparing of the environmental sound level and the own voice sound level, that the own voice sound level is too high or too low for a conversation with a conversation partner; and

adjusting, based on the determining that the own voice sound level is too high or too low, at least one of:

a streaming sound level representative of a sound level of streamed audio being streamed to the hearing device from a source device communicatively coupled to the hearing device, or

a presented environmental sound level representative of a sound level of environmental sound being presented, in addition to the streamed audio, by the hearing device to the user.

11 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the determining that the own voice sound level is too high or too low is based on a difference between the own voice sound level and the environmental sound level exceeding a threshold difference level.

12 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein;

13 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein;

14 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein:

the process further comprises:

detecting speech directed toward the user, and

determining a speech sound level of the speech; and

the adjusting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level is further based on the speech sound level.

15 . The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein:

16 . A system comprising:

a memory that stores instructions; and

a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and configured to execute the instructions to perform a process comprising:

determining an own voice sound level representative of a sound level of a voice of a user of a hearing device;

determining an environmental sound level representative of a sound level of an environment of the user while the user uses the hearing device;

adjusting, based on the determining that the own voice sound level is too high or too low, at least one of:

a streaming sound level representative of a sound level of streamed audio being streamed to the hearing device from a source device communicatively coupled to the hearing device, or

a presented environmental sound level representative of a sound level of environmental sound being presented, in addition to the streamed audio, by the hearing device to the user.

17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein:

18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein;

19 . The system of claim 17 , wherein:

the process further comprises:

detecting speech directed toward the user, and

determining a speech sound level of the speech; and

the adjusting the streaming sound level or the presented environmental sound level is further based on the speech sound level.

20 . The system of claim 17 , wherein: