IP Library Granted Patent US 12689860
Granted Patent B2
US 12689860 · App. 18/607,767 · Granted Jul 21, 2026

Method for operating a hearing device, hearing device and computer program product

Inventors: Sascha Bilert (Erlangen, DE); Eghart Fischer (Erlangen, DE); Jens Hain (Erlangen, DE); Homayoun Kamkar-Parsi (Erlangen, DE); Cecil Wilson (Erlangen, DE)
Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd.
H04R25/30
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12689860
App. No.
18/607,767
Granted
Jul 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A method for operating a hearing device having an input transducer, a signal processing device and an output transducer includes using the input transducer to generate an input signal. The signal processing device has a quality checking unit used to take the input signal as a basis for determining a measure of a signal quality. The quality checking unit is configured for two operating modes, specifically a first operating mode and a second operating mode. The signal processing device has an own voice checking unit used to take the input signal as a basis for determining an activity of an own voice. The quality checking unit is operated in the first operating mode if no activity of an own voice is determined and in the second operating mode if an activity of the own voice is determined. A hearing device and a computer program product perform the method.

Claims (25)

1 . A method for operating a hearing device having an input transducer, a signal processing device and an output transducer, the method comprising:

using the input transducer to generate an input signal;

providing the signal processing device with a quality checking unit;

using the quality checking unit to determine a measure of a signal quality based on the input signal;

configuring the quality checking unit for a first operating mode and a second operating mode;

determining the measure of the signal quality only in the first operating mode and pausing determination of the measure of the signal quality in the second operating mode;

providing the signal processing device with an own voice checking unit;

using the own voice checking unit to determine an activity of an own voice based on the input signal; and

operating the quality checking unit in the first operating mode when no activity of an own voice is determined and in the second operating mode when an activity of the own voice is determined.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises determining the measure of the signal quality by using a first algorithm in the first operating mode and determining the measure of the signal quality by using a second algorithm in the second operating mode.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises using the own voice checking unit to generate a binary information signal and using the binary information signal to control a change between the first operating mode and the second operating mode.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises determining the measure of the signal quality as a signal/noise ratio.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

providing the signal processing device with a main unit;

using the main unit to take the input signal as a basis for generating an output signal for the output transducer; and

generating the output signal based on the measure of the signal quality.

6 . The method according to claim 5 , which further comprises using the main unit to realize a noise reduction and taking the measure of the signal quality as a basis for varying a strength of the noise reduction.

7 . The method according to claim 5 , which further comprises providing the main unit with a filter unit containing a filter for spatial separation and taking the measure of the signal quality as a basis for varying a filter parameter of the filter.

8 . A hearing device configured to perform the method according to claim 1 in at least one operating mode.

9 . A non-transitory computer program product containing a computer program that can be executed on a signal processing device of a hearing device and that, after being launched, automatically performs the method according to claim 1 .

10 . The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises:

providing the signal processing device with a main unit;

using the main unit to take the input signal as a basis for generating an output signal for the output transducer;

generating the output signal based on the measure of the signal quality; and

a current measure or a current value of the signal quality then being assumed for a duration of the second operating mode being a most recently determined measure or a most recently determined value determined before a change from the first operating mode to the second operating mode, causing the measure or value to then be effectively frozen until a next determination, which is until a next change to the first operating mode.