Granted Patent B2

US 12,728,265 · App. 18/005,091 · Granted Sep 8, 2026

Inventor: Harish Krishnamoorthi (Englewood, CO)

Assignee: Cochlear Limited

A61N1/36038A61N1/0541H04R25/50H04R25/606H04R2225/67

Abstract

Claims (60)

1 . A method, comprising:

receiving a first set of sound signals at one or more sound input devices of a first hearing device located at a first ear of a recipient, wherein the first hearing device is configured to convert the first set of sound signals into acoustic stimulation signals for delivery to the first ear of the recipient;

receiving a second set of sound signals at one or more sound input devices of a second hearing device located at a second ear of the recipient, wherein the second hearing device is configured to convert the second set of sound signals into electrical stimulation signals for delivery to the second ear of the recipient;

determining at least one target loudness ratio for the acoustic stimulation signals and the electrical stimulation signals based on the first set of sound signals and the second set of sound signals;

determining at least one inter-aural loudness ratio for the acoustic stimulation signals and the electrical stimulation signals; and

matching the at least one inter-aural loudness ratio to the at least one target loudness ratio by adjusting operation of at least one of the first hearing device or the second hearing device.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the at least one target loudness ratio comprises:

determining an acoustic loudness of the first set of sound signals;

determining an acoustic loudness of the second set of sound signals; and

calculating the at least one target loudness ratio based on a ratio of the acoustic loudness of the first set of sound signals and the acoustic loudness of the second set of sound signals.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the acoustic loudness of the second set of sound signals comprises:

determining the acoustic loudness of the second set of sound signals based on an Inter-aural Level Difference (ILD) between the first set of sound signals and the second set of sound signals.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining the at least one inter-aural loudness ratio for the acoustic stimulation signals and the electrical stimulation signals comprises:

determining an estimated acoustic output loudness of the acoustic stimulation signals with an acoustic loudness model;

determining an estimated electric output loudness of the electrical stimulation signals with an electric loudness model; and

calculating the at least one inter-aural loudness ratio based on a ratio of the estimated acoustic output loudness and the estimated electric output loudness.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting operation of at least one of the first hearing device or the second hearing device comprises:

adjusting one or more gain settings at one or more of the first hearing device or the second hearing device.

6 . The method of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the one or more gain settings at one or more of the first hearing device or the second hearing device comprises:

adjusting at least one broadband gain setting at one or more of the first hearing device or the second hearing device.

7 . The method of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the one or more gain settings at one or more of the first hearing device or the second hearing device comprises:

adjusting at least one narrowband gain setting adjustment at one or more of the first hearing device or the second hearing device.

8 . The method of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the one or more gain settings at one or more of the first hearing device or the second hearing device further comprises:

adjusting the one or more gain settings based on a dynamic range of at least one of the first hearing device or the second hearing device.

9 . The method of claim 5 , wherein adjusting the one or more gain settings at one or more of the first hearing device or the second hearing device further comprises:

adjusting the one or more gain settings based on one or more user inputs.

10 . One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, are operable to:

calculate a target loudness ratio of acoustic stimulation signals relative to electrical stimulation signals based on a loudness of input signals received at each of a first hearing device and a second hearing device of a bimodal hearing system;

calculate an instantaneous loudness ratio of acoustic stimulation signals relative to electrical stimulation signals based on a loudness of output signals generated at each of the first hearing device and the second hearing device; and

match the instantaneous loudness ratio to the target loudness ratio by adjusting a gain used to generate output signals at either the first hearing device or the second hearing device.

11 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein the instructions operable to calculate the target loudness ratio comprise instructions operable to:

determine an acoustic loudness of input signals received at the first hearing device;

determine an acoustic loudness of input signals received at the second hearing device; and

calculate the target loudness ratio as a ratio of the acoustic loudness of the input signals received at the first hearing device and the acoustic loudness of the input signals received at the second hearing device.

12 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 11 , wherein the instructions operable to determine the acoustic loudness of the input signals received at the second hearing device comprise instructions operable to:

determine the acoustic loudness of the input signals received at the second hearing device based on an Inter-aural Level Difference (ILD) between the input signals received at the first hearing device and the input signals received at the second hearing device.

13 . The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 10 , wherein the instructions operable to calculate the instantaneous loudness ratio comprise instructions operable to:

determine, with an acoustic loudness model, an estimated acoustic output loudness of the output signals generated by the first hearing device;

determine, with an electric loudness model, an estimated electric output loudness of the output signals generated by the second hearing device; and

calculate the instantaneous loudness ratio based on a ratio of the estimated acoustic output loudness and the estimated electric output loudness.

14 . A first hearing prosthesis configured to operate with a second hearing prosthesis in a bimodal hearing system, the first hearing prosthesis comprising:

one or more sound input devices configured to receive a first set of sound signals; and

one or more processors configured to:

convert the first set of sound signals into stimulation signals for delivery to a first ear of a recipient,

calculate a target loudness ratio based on a loudness of the first set of sound signals and a loudness of a second set of sound signals received at the second hearing prosthesis,

calculate an inter-aural loudness ratio based on a loudness of the stimulation signals for delivery to a first ear of the recipient and a loudness of stimulation signals generated by the second hearing prosthesis for delivery to a second ear of the recipient, and

substantially match the inter-aural loudness ratio to the target loudness ratio by adjusting a gain setting for use in generating subsequent stimulation signals for delivery to the first ear of the recipient.

15 . The first hearing prosthesis of claim 14 , wherein the adjusted gain setting will cause the inter-aural loudness ratio to be within a predetermined range of the target loudness ratio.

16 . The first hearing prosthesis of claim 14 , wherein to calculate the target loudness ratio, the one or more processors are configured to:

determine an acoustic loudness of the first set of sound signals;

determine an acoustic loudness of the second set of sound signals; and

calculate the target loudness ratio based on a ratio of the acoustic loudness of the first set of sound signals and acoustic loudness of the second set of sound signals.

17 . The first hearing prosthesis of claim 14 , wherein the first hearing prosthesis is a hearing prosthesis configured to deliver one of acoustic stimulation signals or mechanical stimulation signals to the first ear of the recipient, and wherein to calculate the inter-aural loudness ratio, the one or more processors are configured to:

determine, with an acoustic loudness model, an estimated acoustic output loudness of the acoustic stimulation signals or mechanical stimulation signals for delivery to the first ear of the recipient;

determine, with an electric loudness model, an estimated electric output loudness of the stimulation signals for delivery to the second ear of the recipient; and

calculate the inter-aural loudness ratio based on a ratio of the estimated acoustic output loudness and the estimated electric output loudness.

18 . The first hearing prosthesis of claim 14 , wherein the first hearing prosthesis is a hearing prosthesis configured to deliver electrical stimulation signals to the first ear of the recipient, and wherein to calculate the inter-aural loudness ratio, the one or more processors are configured to:

determine, with an electric loudness model, an estimated electric output loudness of the stimulation signals for delivery to the first ear of the recipient;

determine, with an acoustic loudness model, an estimated acoustic output loudness of the stimulation signals for delivery to the second ear of the recipient; and

calculate the inter-aural loudness ratio based on a ratio of the estimated acoustic output loudness and the estimated electric output loudness.

Assignments (1)

Continuity (2)

References Cited (32)