Method for operating a hearing aid and corresponding hearing aid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247352-B2
Application number	US-201013816078-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 9, 2010
Priority date	Aug 9, 2010
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A hearing aid and a method for operating a hearing aid to improve the quality of the hearing aid, in particular depending on the situation, include a hearing aid component that can be worn in a human auditory canal and a balloon, the size of which can be changed and which at least partially encloses the hearing aid component. During the operation of the hearing aid, a value specific to the current hearing situation is detected by the hearing aid. The size of the balloon is then set according to the determined value.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating a hearing aid, the method comprising the following steps:
providing a hearing aid having a hearing aid component configured to be worn in a human auditory canal and a balloon having a variable size and at least partially enclosing the hearing aid component;
detecting a value specific to a current hearing situation with the hearing aid during operation of the hearing aid;
relating the specific value to a presence of a voice of a wearer of the hearing aid;
setting the size of the balloon as a function of the detected value; making the balloon smaller when the wearer of the hearing aid is speaking; and
automatically learning, with the hearing aid, at what time or at what specific value the balloon is made smaller, before a feedback effect occurs above a predetermined threshold.

2. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises relating the specific value to an interference noise and changing the size of the balloon accordingly.

3. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises determining the specific value by a classifier of the hearing aid.

4. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises determining the specific value by a signal-to-noise ratio measurement.

5. The method according to claim 1 , which further comprises supplying the specific value by an audio receiving unit of the hearing aid.

6. A method for operating a hearing aid, the method comprising the following steps:
providing a hearing aid having a hearing aid component configured to be worn in a human auditory canal and a balloon having a variable size, at least partially enclosing the hearing aid component and determining a vent size;
detecting a value specific to a current hearing situation with the hearing aid during operation of the hearing aid;
supplying the specific value by a feedback detector of the hearing aid;
reducing the vent size when a feedback situation is detected by the feedback detector; and
automatically learning, with the hearing aid, at what time or at what specific value the balloon is made smaller, before a feedback effect occurs above a predetermined threshold.

7. A hearing aid, comprising:
a hearing aid component configured to be worn in a human auditory canal;
a balloon having a variable size and at least partially enclosing said hearing aid component;
a detection device configured to detect a value specific to a current hearing situation during operation of the hearing aid and to relate the specific value to a presence of a voice of a wearer of the hearing aid, and automatically learning, with the hearing aid, at what time or at what specific value the balloon is made smaller, before a feedback effect occurs above a predetermined threshold; and
a pump device communicating with said detection device and said balloon and configured to set the size of said balloon according to the detected value and to make said balloon smaller when the wearer of the hearing aid is speaking.

Assignees

• Puder Henning
• Steinbuss Andre
• Sivantos Pte Ltd

Inventors

• Puder Henning
• Steinbuss Andre

Classifications

• H04R2460/11

  Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion · CPC title

• H04R2460/05

  Electronic compensation of the occlusion effect · CPC title

• H04R25/554

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

• H04R25/456 Primary

  mechanically · CPC title

• H04R25/48 Primary

  using constructional means for obtaining a desired frequency response (H04R25/652 takes precedence) · CPC title