# US 11,115,762 B2 · Hearing device for own voice detection and method of operating a hearing device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,115,762 B2 - Document ID: US11115762B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/832,134 - Filed: 2020-03-27 - Published: 2020-10-01 - Granted: 2021-09-07 - Earliest claimed: 2019-03-29 - Assignees: Sonova AG - Applicants: Sonova AG - Inventors: Ullrich Sigwanz; Nadim El Guindi; Daniel Lucas-Hirtz; Nina Stumpf - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11115762B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - H04R 25/505: {using digital signal processing} - G10L 25/51: for comparison or discrimination - G10L 25/78: Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) - H04R 25/40: {Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic} - H04R 25/604: {of acoustic or vibrational transducers} - H04R 1/406: {microphones} - H04R 25/405: {by combining a plurality of transducers} - H04R 2201/107: Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication - H04R 2460/05: Electronic compensation of the occlusion effect - H04R 2460/13: Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract A hearing device configured to be worn at a head of a user. The hearing device includes a vibration sensor to detect a vibration conducted through the user's head to the hearing device and to output a vibration signal including information about the vibration. At least part of the vibration can be caused by an own voice activity of the user. A method of operating the hearing device allows a reliable own voice detection at rather low processing effort. The processor determines a presence of an own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at a vibration frequency associated with the own voice characteristic and identifies the own voice activity based on an identification criterion including the presence of the own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated vibration frequency. The own voice characteristic indicative of part of the vibration can be caused by the own voice activity. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hearing device configured to be worn at least partially at a head of a user, the hearing device comprising: a vibration sensor configured to detect a vibration conducted through the user's head to the hearing device, at least a part of the vibration caused by an own voice activity of the user, and to output a vibration signal comprising information about said vibration; and a processor communicatively coupled to the vibration sensor; wherein the processor is configured to: determine a presence of a first own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at a first vibration frequency associated with the first own voice characteristic, said first associated vibration frequency being selected such that it comprises a harmonic frequency of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity and the first own voice characteristic being indicative of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity; determine a presence of a second own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at an associated second vibration frequency; and identify the own voice activity based on an identification criterion comprising said presence of the first own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated first vibration frequency, and said presence of the second own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated second vibration frequency. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor is configured to determine a temporal sequence of said presence of the first own voice characteristic and the second own voice characteristic in the vibration signal, wherein said identification criterion further comprises said presence of the first own voice characteristic temporally preceding said presence of the second own voice characteristic in the vibration signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the first own voice characteristic or the second own voice characteristic comprises a peak of the vibration signal at at least one of the first associated vibration frequency or the second associated vibration frequency. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, characterized a microphone configured to detect a sound conducted through an ambient environment of the user and to output an audio signal comprising information about said sound, the processor communicatively coupled to the microphone. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the processor is configured to determine a presence of an own voice characteristic in the audio signal at an audio frequency associated with the own voice characteristic, the own voice characteristic in the audio signal indicative of at least a part of said sound which is caused by the own voice activity, wherein said identification criterion further comprises said presence of the own voice characteristic in the audio signal at the associated audio frequency. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The device according to claim 5, characterized in that the processor is configured to: determine a signal feature of the vibration signal; determine a signal feature of the audio signal; and determine a similarity measure between the signal feature of the vibration signal and the signal feature of the audio signal, wherein at least one of said presence of at least one of the first own voice characteristic or the second own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at least one of the first associated vibration frequency or the second associated vibration frequency and said presence of the own voice characteristic in the audio signal at the associated audio frequency is determined based on the similarity measure. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The device according to claim 4, characterized in that the processor is configured to determine an intensity of the audio signal and to select said associated vibration frequency depending on said audio signal intensity. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the vibration sensor comprises an accelerometer. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that said vibration signal comprises first directional data indicative of a first direction of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity, and second directional data indicative of a second direction of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity, wherein the processor is configured to determine said presence of at least one of the first own voice characteristic or the second own voice characteristic in the first directional data and in the second directional data, wherein said identification criterion further comprises a coincidence of said presence of at least one of the first own voice characteristic or the second own voice characteristic in the first directional data and in the second directional data. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that at least one of the first associated vibration frequency or the second associated vibration frequency is selected such that it comprises an alias frequency of a frequency of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor is configured to evaluate the vibration signal at a sampling rate of at most 1 kHz. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The device according to claim 1, characterized in that the processor is configured to determine a signal feature of the vibration signal; classify, based on a pattern of own voice characteristics, the signal feature as at least one of the first own voice characteristic or the second own voice characteristic; and identify the vibration frequency associated with at least one of the first own voice characteristic or the second own voice characteristic. ### Claim 13 A method of operating a hearing device configured to be worn at least partially at a head of a user, the method comprising: detecting a vibration conducted through the user's head to the hearing device, at least a part of the vibration caused by an own voice activity of the user; providing a vibration signal comprising information about said vibration; determining a presence of a first own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at a first vibration frequency associated with the first own voice characteristic, said associated first vibration frequency being selected such that it comprises a harmonic frequency of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity and the first own voice characteristic being indicative of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity; determining a presence of a second own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at an associated second vibration frequency; and identifying the own voice activity based on an identification criterion comprising said determined presence of the first own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated vibration frequency and said presence of the second own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated second vibration frequency. ### Claim 14 A hearing device configured to be worn at least partially at a head of a user, the hearing device comprising: a vibration sensor configured to detect a vibration conducted through the user's head to the hearing device, at least a part of the vibration caused by an own voice activity of the user, and to output a vibration signal comprising information about said vibration; a processor communicatively coupled to the vibration sensor; a microphone configured to detect a sound conducted through an ambient environment of the user and to output an audio signal comprising information about said sound, the processor communicatively coupled to the microphone; wherein the processor is configured to: determine a presence of an own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at a vibration frequency associated with the own voice characteristic, said associated vibration frequency being selected such that it comprises a harmonic frequency of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity and the own voice characteristic being indicative of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity; determine a presence of the own voice characteristic in the audio signal at an audio frequency associated with the own voice characteristic, the own voice characteristic in the audio signal indicative of at least a part of said sound which is caused by the own voice activity; determine a signal feature of the vibration signal; determine a signal feature of the audio signal; determine a similarity measure between the signal feature of the vibration signal and the signal feature of the audio signal, wherein at least one of said presence of the own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated vibration frequency and said presence of the own voice characteristic in the audio signal at the associated audio frequency is determined based on the similarity measure; and to identify the own voice activity based on an identification criterion comprising said presence of the own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated, and said presence of the own voice characteristic in the audio signal at the associated audio frequency. ### Claim 15 A method of operating a hearing device configured to be worn at least partially at a head of a user, the method comprising: detecting a vibration conducted through the user's head to the hearing device, at least a part of the vibration caused by an own voice activity of the user; detecting a sound conducted through an ambient environment of the user; providing a vibration signal comprising information about said vibration; providing an audio signal comprising information about said sound; determining a presence of an own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at a vibration frequency associated with the own voice characteristic, said associated vibration frequency being selected such that it comprises a harmonic frequency of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity and the own voice characteristic being indicative of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity; determining a presence of an own voice characteristic in the audio signal at an audio frequency associated with the own voice characteristic, the own voice characteristic in the audio signal indicative of at least a part of said sound which is caused by the own voice activity; determining a signal feature of the vibration signal; determining a signal feature of the audio signal; determining a similarity measure between the signal feature of the vibration signal and the signal feature of the audio signal; determining at least one of said presence of the own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated vibration frequency and said presence of the own voice characteristic in the audio signal at the associated audio frequency is based on the similarity measure; and identifying the own voice activity based on an identification criterion comprising said determined presence of the own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated vibration frequency, and said determined presence of the own voice characteristic in the audio signal at the associated audio frequency. ### Claim 16 A hearing device configured to be worn at least partially at a head of a user, the hearing device comprising: a vibration sensor configured to detect a vibration conducted through the user's head to the hearing device, at least a part of the vibration caused by an own voice activity of the user, and to output a vibration signal comprising information about said vibration; a processor communicatively coupled to the vibration sensor; a microphone configured to detect a sound conducted through an ambient environment of the user and to output an audio signal comprising information about said sound, the processor communicatively coupled to the microphone; wherein the processor is configured to: determine an intensity of the audio signal; determine a presence of an own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at a vibration frequency associated with the own voice characteristic, said associated vibration frequency being selected such that it comprises a harmonic frequency of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity, the own voice characteristic being indicative of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity, and said audio signal intensity; and to identify the own voice activity based on an identification criterion comprising said presence of the own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated. ### Claim 17 A method of operating a hearing device configured to be worn at least partially at a head of a user, the method comprising: detecting a vibration conducted through the user's head to the hearing device, at least a part of the vibration caused by an own voice activity of the user; detecting a sound conducted through an ambient environment of the user; providing a vibration signal comprising information about said vibration; providing an audio signal comprising information about said sound; determining an intensity of the audio signal; determining a presence of an own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at a vibration frequency associated with the own voice characteristic, said associated vibration frequency being selected such that it comprises a harmonic frequency of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity, the own voice characteristic being indicative of said part of the vibration caused by the own voice activity, and said audio signal intensity; and identifying the own voice activity based on an identification criterion comprising said determined presence of the own voice characteristic in the vibration signal at the associated vibration frequency.