公开(公告)号：US11671767B2

公开(公告)日：2023-06-06

申请号：US17560611

申请日：2021-12-23

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Bernhard Kuenzle ,  Martin Kuriger ,  Meng Guo

IPC: H04R25/00 ,  H04R3/02

CPC classification number: H04R25/453 ,  H04R3/02 ,  H04R25/505 ,  H04R2225/43 ,  H04R2430/03

Abstract: A hearing aid includes a feedback control system for handling external feedback from an output transducer to an input transducer. The feedback control system includes an open loop gain estimator for providing an instant open loop gain estimate; an adaptive filter configured to provide a current estimate of the feedback path transfer function; a feedback change estimator configured to provide an instant estimate of the feedback path transfer function in dependence of the forward path transfer function, the instant open loop gain estimate; and an adaptive filter controller for providing an update transfer function estimate for the adaptive filter in dependence of the instant estimate of the feedback path transfer function. The hearing aid is configured to use the update transfer function estimate in the adaptive filter to update the current estimate of the feedback path transfer function. A method of detecting a sudden change in a feedback/echo path is further disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US11516600B2

公开(公告)日：2022-11-29

申请号：US17397439

申请日：2021-08-09

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Meng Guo ,  Bernhard Kuenzle

IPC: H04R25/00

Abstract: A hearing aid is configured to be worn in and/or at an ear of a user, and comprises a) an input transducer for converting an input sound to an electric input signal representing sound, b) an output transducer for converting a processed electric output signal to an output sound, c) a signal processor operationally coupled to the input and output transducers and configured to apply a forward gain to the electric input signal or a signal originating therefrom, wherein the input transducer, the signal processor and the output transducer forming part of a forward path of the hearing aid. The hearing aid further comprises d) a feedback control system for compensating for acoustic or mechanical feedback of an external feedback path from the output transducer to the input transducer, wherein the feedback control system comprises i) a feedback estimation unit for providing a feedback estimate signal of said external feedback path, ii) a combination unit located in the forward path for combining the electric input signal or a signal derived therefrom and the feedback signal detected by said estimation unit, to provide a resulting feedback corrected signal, iii) a correlation detection unit configured to determine a correlation measure between said feedback corrected signal and said output signal, said correlation detection unit further configured to provide a processed version of said correlation measure.

公开(公告)号：US10687152B2

公开(公告)日：2020-06-16

申请号：US16176862

申请日：2018-10-31

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Martin Kuriger ,  Bernhard Kuenzle ,  Meng Guo

IPC: H04R25/00 ,  H04R3/02

Abstract: A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises an input transducer for providing an electric input signal representative of a sound in the environment of the hearing device, an output transducer for providing an output sound representative of said electric input signal, a signal processor operationally connected to the input and output transducers, and forming part of an electric forward path for processing said electric input signal and providing a processed electric output signal, and a feedback detector for providing first and second indications of current feedback in an external—acoustic and/or mechanical—feedback path from said output transducer to said input transducer. The feedback detector is configured to determine the first and second indications of current feedback, respectively, based on said electric input signal or a processed version thereof and—optionally—on a current open loop magnitude of a feedback loop defined by said forward path and said external feedback path. The first and second indications of current feedback are generated with first and second time constants, respectively, where the first time constant is larger than the second time constant. The application further relates to a method of estimating feedback in a hearing device.

公开(公告)号：US10057692B2

公开(公告)日：2018-08-21

申请号：US15264835

申请日：2016-09-14

Applicant: Oticon A/S ,  Bernafon AG

Inventor： Bernhard Künzle ,  Meng Guo

IPC: H04R25/00

CPC classification number: H04R25/453 ,  H04R25/353

Abstract: A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, comprises a forward path comprising an input transducer providing an electric input signal, a combination unit, a signal processing unit configured to apply a forward gain to signal of the forward path and to provide a processed electric output signal, a frequency shifting unit for de-correlating the processed electric output signal and the electric input signal, and an output transducer. The hearing device further comprises an adaptive filter for providing an estimate of an external feedback path, and located in the forward path. The feedback estimation unit provides a resulting feedback estimate signal, which is combined with the electric input signal in the combination unit to provide a resulting feedback corrected signal, and a correction unit for influencing said estimate of the feedback path by diminishing a residual bias, being a result of the frequency shift, in said resulting feedback estimate signal.

公开(公告)号：US12114133B2

公开(公告)日：2024-10-08

申请号：US17968186

申请日：2022-10-18

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Meng Guo ,  Mojtaba Farmani ,  Anders Meng ,  Thomas Kaulberg ,  Peter Sommer

IPC: H04R25/00

CPC classification number: H04R25/453 ,  H04R25/305 ,  H04R25/505 ,  H04R25/603 ,  H04R25/604

Abstract: A hearing aid adapted for being worn by a user at or in an ear of the user comprises a) at least one input transducer for converting sound in an environment around the user to at least one electric input signal representing said sound; b) an output transducer for converting a processed output signal provided in dependence of said at least one electric input signal to stimuli perceivable to the user as sound; c) a feedback control system comprising an adaptive filer, the feedback control system being configured to provide an adaptively determined estimate (h*(n)) of a current feedback path (h(n)) from said output transducer to said at least one input transducer in dependence of c1) said at least one electric input signal, c2) said processed output signal, and c3) an adaptive algorithm. The hearing aid further comprises d) a database comprising a multitude (M) of previously determined candidate feedback paths (hm); and e) a controller configured to identify a change in the current feedback path (h(n)) based on the adaptively determined estimate (h*(n)) of the current feedback path and at least one of said multitude of previously determined candidate feedback paths (hm). A method of operating a hearing aid is further disclosed. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids, e.g. binaural hearing aid systems or headsets, or speakerphones, or combinations thereof.

公开(公告)号：US11825269B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-21

申请号：US17704828

申请日：2022-03-25

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Meng Guo ,  Bernhard Kuenzle ,  Anders Meng ,  Martin Kuriger ,  Mojtaba Farmani ,  Mikkel Grønbech ,  Sudershan Yalgalwadi Sreepadarao ,  Kim Tilgaard Petersen

IPC: H04R25/00

CPC classification number: H04R25/453 ,  H04R25/505

Abstract: A hearing aid includes an input unit, an output unit, a signal processing unit connected to the input unit and output unit, where the input unit, the signal processing unit and the output unit form part of a forward path of the hearing aid, where the signal processing unit is configured to apply a forward gain to the at least one electric input signal or a signal originating therefrom. The hearing aid further includes a feedback reduction unit configured to reduce risk of howl due to acoustic, electrical, and/or mechanical feedback of an external feedback path from the output unit to the input unit. The feedback reduction unit is configured to modulate the forward gain in time to provide that the forward gain exhibits an increased or unchanged forward gain in one or more first time periods and a reduced forward gain in one or more second time periods.

公开(公告)号：US11812224B2

公开(公告)日：2023-11-07

申请号：US17687191

申请日：2022-03-04

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Bernhard Kuenzle ,  Meng Guo

IPC: H04R25/00

CPC classification number: H04R25/505 ,  H04R25/407 ,  H04R25/453

Abstract: A hearing device includes a feedback control system that applies an adaptive filtering algorithm. The adaptive algorithm provides a filter control signal to adaptively control filter coefficients based on first and second algorithm input signals of a forward path. The feedback control system further includes first and second transform units for transforming the first and second algorithm input signals to the transform domain, and an inverse transform unit to convert an estimate of the current feedback path in the transformed domain to a time domain estimate, and a combination unit in the forward path to subtract the estimate of the current feedback signal from a signal of the forward path to provide a feedback corrected signal.

公开(公告)号：US11785404B2

公开(公告)日：2023-10-10

申请号：US17708467

申请日：2022-03-30

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Meng Guo ,  Bernhard Kuenzle

IPC: H04R25/00

CPC classification number: H04R25/70 ,  H04R25/453 ,  H04R25/505 ,  H04R2225/55

Abstract: In a method of fitting of a hearing device having an input transducer and an output transducer, the method includes executing a fitting application on a graphical user interface of an external device in communication with the hearing device, detecting by measuring reactions of the user to picked-up sound, performing acoustic feedback measurements as a background process without a user's involvement, assessing the probability of a correct physical fit based on the position of the inserted hearing device, assessing feedback risk based on the correct physical fit assessment and the acoustic feedback measurements, and fine tuning fitting parameter of the hearing device based on the result of at least one of the detected reactions of the user, acoustic feedback measurements and saved, within the fitting application, personal information of the user.

公开(公告)号：US20220210581A1

公开(公告)日：2022-06-30

申请号：US17560611

申请日：2021-12-23

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Bernhard Kuenzle ,  Martin Kuriger ,  Meng Guo

IPC: H04R25/00 ,  H04R3/02

Abstract: A hearing aid includes a feedback control system for handling external feedback from an output transducer to an input transducer. The feedback control system includes an open loop gain estimator for providing an instant open loop gain estimate; an adaptive filter configured to provide a current estimate of the feedback path transfer function; a feedback change estimator configured to provide an instant estimate of the feedback path transfer function in dependence of the forward path transfer function, the instant open loop gain estimate; and an adaptive filter controller for providing an update transfer function estimate for the adaptive filter in dependence of the instant estimate of the feedback path transfer function. The hearing aid is configured to use the update transfer function estimate in the adaptive filter to update the current estimate of the feedback path transfer function. A method of detecting a sudden change in a feedback/echo path is further disclosed.

公开(公告)号：US10206048B2

公开(公告)日：2019-02-12

申请号：US15386976

申请日：2016-12-21

Applicant: Oticon A/S

Inventor： Svend Oscar Petersen ,  Anders Thule ,  Meng Guo

IPC: H04R25/00

Abstract: The application relates to a hearing device comprising a) first and second input transducers for picking up sound signals from the environment and providing first and second electric input signals, b) a first and signal strength detectors for providing signal strength estimates of the first and second electric input signal, the first input transducer being located at or behind an ear of the user, and the second input transducer being located at or in an ear canal of the user. The hearing device further comprises c) a signal processing unit providing a processed signal based on the first and second electric input signals, and d) an output unit comprising an output transducer for converting the processed signal or a signal originating therefrom to a stimulus perceivable by said user as sound. The hearing device further comprises e) a feedback detector comprising e1) a comparison unit operationally coupled to the first and second signal strength detectors and configured to compare the signal strength estimates of the first and second electric input signals and to provide a signal strength comparison measure indicative of the difference between the signal strength estimates, and e2) a decision unit for providing a feedback measure indicative of current acoustic feedback from the output transducer to the first and/or second input transducers based on the comparison measure. In an embodiment, the feedback measure is used to control processing in the signal processing unit, e.g. a beamformer unit and/or a feedback cancellation system, and/or an amplification unit. The invention may e.g. be used in hearing aids, in particular hearing aids comprising an ITE-part adapted for being located at or in an ear canal of a user and a BTE-part adapted for being located at or behind an ear or the user.