IP Library Granted Patent US 7,783,064
Granted Patent B2
US 7,783,064 · App. 11/408,252 · Granted Aug 24, 2010

Hearing aid system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 7,783,064
App. No.
11/408,252
Granted
Aug 24, 2010
Kind
B2
Abstract

In the case of binaural coverage, the perception with one-sided sound reception should be improved. Provision is made for this purpose to transmit the receive signals of the hearing devices alternately and if necessary to generate a mono signal from the input signals with a specific weighting, said mono signal being presented at both ears. It is likewise conceivable to use only those spectral components of the input signals to generate the mono signal, said spectral portions having the higher level in each instance.

Claims (27)

1. A hearing aid system, comprising:

a left hearing aid having a first input signal for supplying the left ear of a hearing aid user; and

a right hearing aid having a second input signal for supplying the right ear of the hearing aid user, wherein the left and right hearing aids each include:

a transmission unit for transmitting the input signal of the respective hearing aid to the respective other hearing aid; and

a signal processing device for generating in the respective hearing aid a first and second acoustic mono signal from a side-selective weighed average of the first and second input signals, wherein

the first acoustic mono signal is generated in the left hearing aid by averaging the first and second input signals after significantly weighting the first input signal in the left hearing aid, and wherein

the second acoustic mono signal is generated in the right hearing aid by averaging the first and second input signals after significantly weighting the second input signal in the right hearing aid,

providing side-selectivity in each respective hearing aid such that the first acoustic mono signal lies closer to the first input signal for the left hearing aid and the second acoustic mono signal lies closer to the second input signal for the right hearing aid.

2. The hearing aid system according to claim 1 , wherein the input signal related to the respective hearing aid is weighted 2:1 relative to the input signal related to the respective other hearing aid.

3. The hearing aid system according to claim 1 , wherein each transmission unit is configured for wireless transmission.

4. A hearing aid system, comprising:

a left hearing aid having a first input signal for supplying the left ear of a hearing aid user; and

a right hearing aid having a second input signal for supplying the right ear of the hearing aid user, wherein the left and right hearing aids each include:

a transmission unit for transmitting the input signal of the respective hearing aid to the respective other hearing aid; and

a signal processing device for generating in the respective hearing aid a maximal acoustic mono signal from the first and second input signals, wherein each signal processing device is configured in each spectral region to:

compare respective signal levels of the first and second input signals; and

generate the maximal acoustic mono signal such that the respective input signal having a higher signal level than the corresponding respective other input signal is used for generating the acoustic maximal mono signal, wherein when the first input signal has the higher signal level, the first input signal becomes the acoustic maximal mono signal and when the second input signal has the higher signal level, the second input signal becomes the acoustic maximal mono signal.

5. The hearing aid system according to claim 4 , wherein each transmission unit is configured for wireless transmission.

6. A method for binaurally supplying a hearing aid user, comprising:

receiving a first input signal by a left hearing aid worn on or in the left ear of the hearing aid user;

receiving a second input signal by a right hearing aid worn on or in the right ear of the hearing aid user;

transmitting the first input signal to the right hearing aid and transmitting the second input signal to the left hearing aid; and

generating in each hearing aid a first and second acoustic mono signal from a side-selective weighed average of the first and second input signals, wherein

the first acoustic mono signal is generated in the left hearing aid by averaging the first and second input signals after significantly weighting the first input signal in the left hearing aid, and wherein

the second acoustic mono signal is generated in the right hearing aid by averaging the first and second input signals after significantly weighting the second input signal in the right hearing aid,

providing side-selectivity in each respective hearing aid such that the first acoustic mono signal lies closer to the first input signal for the left hearing aid and the second acoustic mono signal lies closer to the second input signal for the right hearing aid.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein the first and second input signals are wirelessly transmitted.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 10, 2015
From: SIEMENS AUDIOLOGISCHE TECHNIK GMBH
To: SIVANTOS GMBH
Reel/Frame 036090/0688 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 20, 2006
From: LAICH, MARKUS
To: SIEMENS AUDIOLOGISCHE TECHNIK GMBH
Reel/Frame 017797/0383 →