Binaural hearing system having two hearing instruments to be worn in or on the ear of the user, and method of operating such a hearing system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11601766-B2
Application number	US-202117190680-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 3, 2021
Priority date	Mar 3, 2020
Publication date	Mar 7, 2023
Grant date	Mar 7, 2023

Abstract

A binaural hearing system for assisting a hearing of a user includes two hearing instruments each to be worn in or on an ear of the user. An audio signal is modified in each of the two hearing instruments by way of a programmable signal processor of the respective hearing instrument by executing a plurality of software modules of firmware of the hearing system and is output by an output transducer of the respective hearing instrument. The executed software modules of the firmware are distributed asymmetrically on the two hearing instruments, so that at least one of the software modules of the firmware is selectively executed in one of the two hearing instruments.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of operating a binaural hearing system, the hearing system having two hearing instruments to be worn in or on a respective ear of the user, the method comprising:
distributing multiple software modules of firmware for respective selective execution on the two hearing instruments of the hearing system in such a way that a demand for processing power and/or operating memory space for the software modules respectively executed on the two hearing instruments are equal to one another;
modifying an audio signal in each of the two hearing instruments by way of a programmable signal processor of the respective hearing instrument by executing a plurality of software modules of the firmware of the hearing system and outputting a modified signal by way of an output transducer of the respective hearing instrument;
asymmetrically distributing the execution of the software modules of the firmware onto the two hearing instruments, to thereby selectively execute at least one of the software modules of the firmware in one of the two hearing instruments;
dynamically selecting upon a start or during an operation of the hearing system one of the two hearing instruments on which at least one of the software modules of the firmware is to be executed; and
selectively executing the at least one software module on the selected hearing instrument.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises transmitting operation results and/or states of the at least one software module to the respectively other hearing instrument.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of dynamically selecting one of the two hearing instruments comprises selectively executing the at least one software module of the firmware as a function of a respective battery charge.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which comprises distributing multiple software modules of the firmware for respective selective execution on the two hearing instruments of the hearing system in such a way that remaining operating times of the two hearing instruments until an exhaustion of a respective battery charge are equal to one another.

5. A binaural hearing system, comprising:
two hearing instruments each to be worn in or on an ear of a user;
each of said two hearing instruments having a programmable signal processor for modifying an audio signal, an output transducer connected with said signal processor for outputting a modified audio signal, and a transceiver for data exchange with the respectively other hearing instrument;
firmware having a plurality of software modules installed in the hearing system;
wherein the software modules are executable in said signal processors of said two hearing instruments;
wherein the software modules of the firmware are distributed or distributable asymmetrically on the two hearing instruments, so that in operation of the hearing system at least one of the software modules of the firmware is selectively executed in one of said two hearing instruments; and
a distribution unit configured, upon a start or in operation of the hearing system, to dynamically select at least one of the software modules of the firmware on which of said two hearing instruments the at least one software module is to be executed and to cause the selective execution of the at least one software module on the selected hearing instrument, and
wherein said distribution unit is configured to distribute multiple software modules of the firmware for respective selective execution on said two hearing instruments of the hearing system in such a way that a demand for processing power and/or operating memory space for the software modules respectively executed on said two hearing instruments is equal to one another.

6. The binaural hearing system according to claim 5 , wherein the software modules are configured to transmit operation results and/or states by way of said transceiver to the respectively other hearing instrument.

7. The binaural hearing system according to claim 5 , wherein said distribution unit is configured to dynamically select one of said two hearing instruments for the selective execution of at least one software module of the firmware as a function of a respective battery charge.

8. The binaural hearing system according to claim 5 , wherein said distribution unit is configured to distribute multiple software modules of the firmware for respective selective execution on said two hearing instruments of the hearing system in such a way that remaining operating times of said two hearing instruments before an exhaustion of the respective battery charge are equal to one another.

9. The binaural hearing system according to claim 5 , wherein said signal processors of said two hearing instruments are structurally equivalent or mirror symmetrical to one another.

10. The binaural hearing system according to claim 9 , wherein all hardware components of said two hearing instruments are structurally equivalent or mirror symmetrical to one another.

Assignees

• Sivantos Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Hofer Wanja
• Suberviola Ion
• Wurzbacher Tobias

Classifications

• H04R2460/03

  Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices · CPC title

• H04R25/35 Primary

  using translation techniques · CPC title

• H04R2225/61

  Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning · CPC title

• H04R25/505

  using digital signal processing · CPC title

• H04R25/554

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