IP Library Granted Patent US 7,680,291
Granted Patent B2
US 7,680,291 · App. 11/210,175 · Granted Mar 16, 2010

Method for operating a hearing device and a hearing device

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,680,291
App. No.
11/210,175
Granted
Mar 16, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

For a method to operate a hearing device, a signal is recorded by at least one of several source units (S 1 , . . . , Sn). Furthermore, at least one of the recorded signals is classified into one or several predefined sound classes, characteristics of the source unit (S 1 , . . . , Sn), which records the signal, being taken into account during the classification. Finally, a hearing program is selected in the hearing device according to the classification result.

Claims (17)

1. A method to operate a hearing device, the method comprising the steps of:

recording a signal by at least one of several source units,

classifying at least one of the recorded signals in one or several predefined sound classes, characteristics of the source unit recording the signal being considered for the classification, the source unit recording the signal being selected from the several source units, and

selecting a hearing program according to the result of the classification, wherein the hearing program is selected based on the selected source unit.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source unit or source units that recorded a signal or signals are manually selected.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the source unit or source units that records or record the signal or signals, respectively, are automatically selected.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the automatic selection of the source unit or source units is made based on a best signal to noise ratio of the several source units.

5. The method of claim 3 , wherein the automatic selection of the source unit or source units is made based on signal features in the time and/or frequency domain.

6. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising the steps of:

providing at least one specific hearing program for each selectable source unit, and

selecting a hearing program in accordance with the selected source unit.

7. The Method according to claim 1 , wherein a hearing program change from a first to a second hearing program is performed in such a manner that an output signal generated according to the first hearing program is smoothly turned into an output signal generated by the second hearing program.

8. A hearing device comprising at least two source units, a signal processing unit and a classification unit, the at least two source units being operationally connected to the signal processing unit, on the one hand, and to the classification unit on the other hand, and the classification unit being operationally connected to the signal processing unit, wherein a selection unit is provided that is operationally connected to the classification unit in order to transmit information regarding the selected source unit, wherein a hearing program of the signal processing unit is selected based on the information regarding the selected source unit.

9. The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein an input unit is operationally connected to the selection unit.

10. The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the signal processing unit is operationally connected to the selection unit for the automatic selection of a source unit.

11. The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the hearing program is a predefined hearing program that is selectable by selecting one of the source units.

12. The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein a hearing program change from a first to a second hearing program is selectable in such a manner that an output signal generated according to a first hearing program smoothly turns into an output signal generated by the second hearing program.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Sep 24, 2015
From: PHONAK AG
To: SONOVA AG
Reel/Frame 036674/0492 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2005
From: FRIEDING, JAN
To: PHONAK AG
Reel/Frame 016941/0261 →