Method of fitting a hearing device to a user's needs, a programming device, and a hearing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10966038-B2
Application number	US-201916270784-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 8, 2019
Priority date	Feb 9, 2018
Publication date	Mar 30, 2021
Grant date	Mar 30, 2021

Abstract

A method of conducting a fitting session for fitting a hearing device to a hearing device user's needs is provided. The method comprises
S 1 . providing an estimate of, a current feedback from said output transducer to said input transducer, while the hearing device is in an operational state; S 2 . evaluating said estimate of a current feedback and providing a value of a feedback risk indicator in dependence of said estimate of a current feedback; S 3 . determining whether said value of the feedback risk indicator fulfils a high-risk criterion; and S 4 . if said high-risk criterion is fulfilled providing at least one of a warning, a recommendation, and an action in relation to said feedback risk.

Steps S 1 to S 4 are configured to be automatically performed as background processes.
Thereby a simplified scheme for fitting a hearing device to a user's needs may be provided.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of conducting a fitting session for fitting a hearing device to a hearing device user's needs, the hearing device comprising an input transducer for picking up sound in the environment of the user and providing an electric input signal, and an output transducer for providing output stimuli perceivable to the user as sound based on a processed version of said electric input signal, the method comprising
S 1 . providing an estimate of a current feedback from said output transducer to said input transducer, while the hearing device is in an operational state;
S 2 . evaluating said estimate of a current feedback and providing a value of a feedback risk indicator in dependence of said estimate of a current feedback;
S 3 . determining whether said value of the feedback risk indicator fulfils a high-risk criterion, a fulfillment of said high-risk criterion being dependent of said estimate of the current feedback; and
S 4 . if said high-risk criterion is fulfilled, providing at least one of a warning and a recommendation to a hearing care professional and/or to the user in relation to said feedback risk;
wherein steps S 1 to S 4 are configured to be automatically performed as background processes, said background processes being executed by a computer without a user's active involvement, and wherein step S 3 of determining whether said value of the feedback risk indicator fulfils a high-risk criterion comprises one or more logical operations related to said estimate of the current feedback.

2. A method according to claim 1 wherein step S 2 comprises
S 2 ′ evaluating said estimate of a current feedback and providing a value of a feedback risk indicator in dependence of said estimate of a current feedback and a number of previous values of said feedback estimate.

3. A method according to claim 1 comprising
S 5 . repeating steps S 1 to S 4 over time.

4. A method according to claim 1 being automatically executed, at least during a part of the fitting session.

5. A method according to claim 1 wherein step S 3 of determining whether said value of the feedback risk indicator fulfils a high-risk criterion comprises one or more logical operations.

6. A method according to claim 1 wherein step S 4 of providing a warning in relation to said feedback risk comprises, a visual, an acoustic or a mechanical indication of fulfillment of said high-risk criterion.

7. A method according to claim 1 wherein step S 4 comprises that said high-risk criterion is configurable.

8. A method according to claim 1 wherein step S 4 comprises that the action in relation to said feedback risk is user configurable.

9. A method according to claim 1 wherein said high-risk criterion further depends on a current desired forward path gain.

10. A hearing system comprising a hearing device adapted for being programmed according to a specific hearing device user's needs, the hearing device comprising
an input transducer for picking up sound in the environment of the user and providing an electric input signal,
an output transducer for providing output stimuli perceivable to the user as sound based on a processed version of said electric input signal;
a configurable hearing device processor for processing said electric input signal and providing said processed version of said electric input signal, and

the hearing system further comprising
a user interface allowing a user to interact with the hearing system, wherein the hearing system is configured to execute the method of claim 1 .

11. A hearing system according to claim 10 comprising a programming device comprising a programming device processor for executing program code of a fitting system for the hearing device, and a programming interface between the hearing device and the programming device, wherein the programming interface is configured to allow the exchange of data between the hearing device and the programming device.

12. A hearing system according to claim 11 wherein said programming interface is configured to establish a wired or wireless communication link between the hearing device and the programming device, e.g. via a network.

13. A hearing system according to claim 10 wherein the hearing device comprises a feedback estimation unit configured to provide said estimate of a current feedback from the output transducer to the input transducer of the hearing device.

14. A hearing system according to claim 10 wherein the hearing device comprises a feedback cancellation system configured to reduce or eliminate feedback from the output transducer to the input transducer.

15. A hearing system according to claim 10 wherein the hearing device comprises an evaluation processor configured to evaluate said estimate of a current feedback in relation to said high-risk criterion.

16. A hearing system according to claim 11 wherein said programming device processor is configured to evaluate said estimate of a current feedback in relation to said high-risk criterion.

17. A hearing system according to claim 10 wherein the hearing system is configured to provide that said warning or said recommendation regarding appropriate actions to manage said feedback risk is/are provided via said user interface.

18. A hearing system according to claim 10 wherein said hearing device is constituted by or comprises a hearing aid.

19. A data processing system comprising a processor and program code means for causing the processor to perform the method of claim 1 .

20. A computer program comprising instructions which, when the program is executed by a computer, cause the computer to carry out the method of claim 1 .

21. A method according to claim 1 wherein, in order to determine whether said high risk criterion is fulfilled, c a current loop gain is compared to specific values, where loop gain (LG) is defined as
LG=G+H est ,

where G is the current desired forward path gain and H est is the current estimated feedback path gain in a logarithmic representation.

22. A method according to claim 1 wherein, during the fitting session, settings of a directional system of the hearing device are changed, the feedback risk indicator monitors the hearing device processing including the directional system as a background process, and if it detects an increased feedback risk, a notification or a recommendation is issued.

23. A method according to claim 1 wherein, during the fitting session,
settings of a feedback control system of the hearing device are changed, and
the feedback risk indicator monitors and detects an increased feedback risk as a background process, providing a notification or a recommendation in case the indicator fulfills the high-risk criterion.

24. A method according to claim 1 wherein the fitting session comprises a number of different fitting stages, which are not all directly related to feedback, but where the feedback risk detection is run as a background process in all these fitting stages, without being visible or noticeable to the health care professional and/or the user unless the feedback risk detection estimates a high feedback risk, in which case the hearing care professional and/or the user are made aware of the high feedback risk, and mitigation actions are recommended.

25. A method according to claim 1 wherein, during the fitting session, the hearing care professional and/or the user request more gain in the hearing de

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Callaway Susanna Løve
• Le Goff Nicolas
• Ives Terri
• Bogdanovski Nimrod
• Rasmussen Mikkel Bo
• Meng Anders
• Kuriger Martin
• Guo Meng
• Grønbech Mikkel
• Farmani Mojtaba
• Rohde Nels Hede
• Gram Stefan
• Sreepadarao Sudershan Yalgalwadi
• Kuenzle Bernhard

Classifications

• H04R2225/55

  Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange · CPC title

• H04R25/70 Primary

  Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting · CPC title

• H04R25/558

  Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency · CPC title

• H04R25/453

  electronically · CPC title

• H04R25/554

  using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils · CPC title