IP Library › Granted Patent US 11,825,270
Granted Patent B2
US 11,825,270 · App. 17/512,125 · Granted Nov 21, 2023

Binaural hearing aid system and a hearing aid comprising own voice estimation

Inventors: Michael Syskind Pedersen (Smørum, DK); Jan M. De Haan (Smørum, DK); Justyna Walaszek (Smørum, DK); Anders Vinther Olsen (Frederiksberg, DK); Karsten Bonke (Smørum, DK); Matias Tofteby Bach (Smørum, DK); Sigurdur Sigurdsson (Smørum, DK); Mojtaba Farmani (Smørum, DK); Andreas Thelander Bertelsen (Smørum, DK); Angela Josupeit (Smørum, DK); Claus Forup Corlin Jespersgaard (Smørum, DK); Gusztáv Lõcsei (Smørum, DK)
Assignee: OTICON A/S
H04R25/505H04R25/405H04R25/407H04R25/552H04R25/604H04R25/609H04R2225/43H04R2225/55
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 11,825,270
App. No.
17/512,125
Granted
Nov 21, 2023
Kind
B2
Abstract

A binaural hearing aid system includes first and second hearing aids configured to be worn by a user at or in respective first and second ears of the user, each of the first and second hearing aids including: at least one input transducer configured to pick up a sound at the at least one input transducer and to convert the sound to at least one electric input signal representative of the sound, the sound at the at least one input transducer including a mixture of a target signal and noise; a controller for evaluating the sound at the at least one input transducer and providing a control signal indicative of a property of the sound; a transceiver configured to establish a communication link between the first and second hearing aids allowing the exchange of the control signal between the first and second hearing aids; a transmitter for establishing an audio link for transmitting the at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof, to another device. The controller is configured to: transmit the locally provided control signal to, and receive a corresponding remotely provided control signal from the opposite hearing aid via the communication link, and to compare the locally provided and the remotely provided control signals and to provide a comparison control signal in dependence thereof, and to transmit the at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof, to the another device via the audio link in dependence of the comparison control signal.

Claims (43)

1. A binaural hearing aid system comprising first and second hearing aids configured to be worn by a user at or in respective first and second ears of the user, each of the first and second hearing aids comprising

at least one input transducer configured to pick up a sound at said at least one input transducer and to convert the sound to at least one electric input signal representative of said sound, the sound at said at least one input transducer comprising a mixture of a target signal and noise,

a controller for evaluating said sound at said at least one input transducer and providing a control signal indicative of a property of said sound,

a transceiver configured to establish a communication link between the first and second hearing aids allowing the exchange of said control signal between the first and second hearing aids,

a transmitter for establishing an audio link for transmitting said at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof, to another device,

wherein said controller is configured to

transmit said locally provided control signal to, and

receive a corresponding remotely provided control signal from the opposite hearing aid via said communication link, and to

compare said locally provided and said remotely provided control signals and to provide a comparison control signal in dependence thereof, and to

transmit said at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof, to said another device via said audio link in dependence of said comparison control signal.

2. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 1 wherein said a least one input transducer comprises at least two input transducers providing at least two electric input signals.

3. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 2 the first and second hearing aids comprises a beamformer filter connected to said at least two input transducers.

4. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 3 wherein the beamformer filter comprises an own voice beamformer configured to provide an estimate of the user's own voice based on said at least two electric input signals.

5. A hearing binaural hearing aid system comprising according to claim 4 wherein the beamformer filter further comprises an environment beamformer configured to provide an estimate of a target signal in the environment.

6. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 4 , wherein the property of said sound comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

7. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 3 , wherein the property of said sound comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

8. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 3 , wherein the property of said sound comprises a noise level estimate, or a level estimate of the at least one electric input signal.

9. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 2 , wherein the property of said sound comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

10. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 2 , wherein the property of said sound comprises a noise level estimate, or a level estimate of the at least one electric input signal.

11. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim claim 1 , wherein the property of said sound comprises a signal-to-noise ratio.

12. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 1 wherein the property of said sound comprises a noise level estimate, or a level estimate of the at least one electric input signal.

13. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 1 wherein the property of said sound comprises a speech intelligibility estimate.

14. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 1 , wherein the property of said sound comprises a feedback estimate.

15. A binaural hearing aid system according to claim 1 wherein the first and second hearing aids each are constituted by or comprises an air-conduction type hearing aid, a bone-conduction type hearing aid, a cochlear implant type hearing aid, or a combination thereof.

16. A hearing aid configured to be worn by a user at or in an ear of the user, the hearing aid comprising

at least one input transducer configured to pick up a sound at said at least one input transducer and to convert the sound to at least one electric input signal representative of said sound, the sound at said at least one input transducer comprising a mixture of a target signal and noise,

a controller for evaluating said sound at said at least one input transducer and providing a control signal indicative of a property of said sound,

a transceiver configured to establish a communication link to a contra-lateral hearing aid of a binaural hearing aid system allowing the exchange of said control signal between the two hearing aids,

a transmitter for establishing an audio link for transmitting said at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof, to another device,

wherein said controller is configured to

transmit said locally provided control signal to, and

receive a corresponding remotely provided control signal from said contra-lateral hearing aid via said communication link, and to

compare said locally provided and said remotely provided control signals and to provide a comparison control signal in dependence thereof, and to

transmit said at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof, to said another device via said audio link in dependence of said comparison control signal.

17. Use of a hearing aid as claimed in claim 16 in a binaural hearing aid system.

18. A method of operating a hearing aid configured to be worn at or in an ear of a user, the method comprising

converting sound to at least one electric input signal representative of said sound, the sound at said at least one input transducer comprising a mixture of a target signal and noise;

evaluating said sound at said at least one input transducer and providing a control signal indicative of a property of said sound;

establishing a communication link to a contra-lateral hearing aid of a binaural hearing aid system allowing the exchange of said control signal between the two hearing aids;

establishing an audio link for transmitting said at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof, to another device;

transmitting said locally provide control signal to, and receiving a corresponding remotely provided control signal from said contra-lateral hearing aid via said communication link, and

comparing said locally provided and said remotely provided control signals and providing a comparison control signal in dependence thereof, and

transmitting said at least one electric input signal, or a processed version thereof, to said another device via said audio link in dependence of said comparison control signal.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 24, 2023
From: PEDERSEN, MICHAEL SYSKIND; DE HAAN, JAN M.; WALASZEK, JUSTYNA; OLSEN, ANDERS VINTHER; BONKE, KARSTEN; BACH, MATIAS TOFTEBY; SIGURDSSON, SIGURDUR; FARMANI, MOJTABA; BERTELSEN, ANDREAS THELANDER; JOSUPEIT, ANGELA; JESPERSGAARD, CLAUS FORUP CORLIN; LÕCSEI, GUSZTÁV
To: OTICON A/S
Reel/Frame 062797/0220 →
Priority Claims (1)
EP 20204405 · Oct 28, 2020 · regional
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220132252A1 · Apr 28, 2022