# US 2019/0174236 A1 · Hearing device and method with flexible control of beamforming > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0174236 A1 - Document ID: US20190174236A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/213,869 - Filed: 2018-12-07 - Published: 2019-06-06 - Earliest claimed: 2017-12-05 - Assignees: GN Hearing A/S - Applicants: Gn Hearing A/S - Inventors: Changxue Ma; Rob De Vries; Andrew Dittberner - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190174236A1 ## CPC - H04R 25/407: {Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers} - H04R 25/405: {by combining a plurality of transducers} - H04R 25/552: {Binaural} - H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils} - H04R 2225/51: Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids - 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) ## Abstract A hearing device of a binaural hearing system is disclosed, the binaural hearing system comprising the hearing device and a contralateral hearing device. The hearing device comprises: a transceiver module for communication with the contralateral hearing device of the binaural system, the transceiver module configured for provision of a contralateral signal received from the contralateral hearing device; and a set of microphones comprising a first microphone and a second microphone for provision of a first microphone input signal and a second microphone input signal, respectively. The hearing device comprises: a beamforming module connected to the first microphone and the second microphone for processing the first microphone input signal, the second microphone input signal and the contralateral signal, the beamforming module configured to provide a first beamformed input signal. The hearing device comprises a beamforming controller connected to the beamforming module and the transceiver module. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hearing device of a binaural hearing system comprising the hearing device and a contralateral hearing device, the hearing device comprising a transceiver module for communication with the contralateral hearing device of the binaural system, the transceiver module configured for provision of a contralateral signal received from the contralateral hearing device; a set of microphones comprising a first microphone and a second microphone for provision of a first microphone input signal and a second microphone input signal, respectively; a beamforming module connected to the first microphone and the second microphone for processing the first microphone input signal, the second microphone input signal, and the contralateral signal, wherein the beamforming module is configured to provide a first beamformed input signal; a processing unit configured to provide an electrical output signal based on the first beamformed input signal; a receiver configured to provide an audio output signal based on the electrical output signal; and a beamforming controller connected to the beamforming module and the transceiver module; wherein the beamforming controller is configured to control the beamforming module to apply at least a part of a set of coefficients adaptively based on a flexible control criterion. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the beamforming controller is configured to determine whether the flexible control criterion is satisfied. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the beamforming controller is configured to determine whether a target set of coefficients satisfies the flexible control criterion. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein one of coefficients in the target set of coefficients is different from one of the coefficients in the set of coefficients. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The hearing device according to claim 3, wherein the beamforming controller is configured to control the beamforming module to apply the at least a part of the set of coefficients if the target set of coefficients satisfies the flexible control criterion. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible control criterion is based on a perception parameter. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The hearing device according to claim 6, wherein the perception parameter is based on one or more user preferences. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the flexible control criterion is based on a step parameter. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hearing device according to claim 8, wherein the step parameter is selected from a range. ### Claim 10 A hearing device of a binaural hearing system comprising the hearing device and a contralateral hearing device, the hearing device comprising a transceiver module for communication with the contralateral hearing device of the binaural system, the transceiver module configured for provision of a contralateral signal received from the contralateral hearing device; a set of microphones comprising a first microphone and a second microphone for provision of a first microphone input signal and a second microphone input signal, respectively; a beamforming module connected to the first microphone and the second microphone for processing the first microphone input signal, the second microphone input signal, and the contralateral signal, wherein the beamforming module is configured to provide a first beamformed input signal; a processing unit configured to provide an electrical output signal based on the first beamformed input signal; a receiver configured to provide an audio output signal based on the electrical output signal; and a beamforming controller connected to the beamforming module and the transceiver module; wherein the beamforming controller is configured to: determine a set of coefficients based on one or more coefficients in a previously determined set of coefficients, and based on one or more coefficients in a target set of coefficients; and control the beamforming module to apply at least a part of the set of coefficients. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The hearing device according to claim 10, wherein the beamforming controller is also configured to control the beamforming module to apply at least a part of the target set of coefficients. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The hearing device according to claim 10, wherein the beamforming controller is also configured to control the beamforming module to apply at least a part of the previously determined set of coefficients. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The hearing device according to claim 10, wherein the set of coefficients is normalized. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The hearing device according to claim 10, wherein the beamforming controller is configured to determine the target set of coefficients based on an acoustic environment parameter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The hearing device according to claim 10, wherein the beamforming controller is configured to determine the target set of coefficients for the beamforming module by optimizing a cost function of the previously determined set of coefficients based on a statistical expectation. ### Claim 16 (depends on 10) The hearing device according to claim 10, wherein the beamforming controller is configured to determine an other set of coefficients; and wherein the beamforming controller is configured to control the beamforming module to apply at least a part of the set of coefficients and at least a part of the other set of coefficients. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The hearing device according to claim 16, wherein the beam forming controller is configured to control the beamforming module to apply at least a part of the target set of coefficients after the at least a part of the set of coefficients and the at least a part of the other set of coefficients are applied. ### Claim 18 (depends on 10) The hearing device according to claim 10, wherein the beamforming controller is configured to control the beamforming module to apply the at least a part of the set of coefficients adaptively based on a flexible control criterion.