Patent ID: 8085961

Claim:
A hearing device comprising: a housing; an audio input unit and an audio output unit contained in said housing, and a signal processor connected in said housing between said audio input unit and said audio output unit, said signal processor being configured to operate according to a plurality of processing parameters, each of said processing parameters having a setting within a setting range; a manually-operable operating element mounted to and manually accessible from an exterior of said housing, said manually operable operating element, upon manual operation thereof, adjusting one of said parameters to a current setting, from among a plurality of settings in said setting range, to set a sound level at said audio output unit; a level measuring unit connected in said housing to said audio input unit that measures an ambient sound level, detected by said audio input unit, in the vicinity of the housing; an analysis unit in said housing that compares the current setting, manually made via the operating element, with a current, measured ambient sound level measured by said level measuring unit, to obtain a comparison result, and that generates a control signal, dependent on the comparison result, and supplies said control signal to said signal processor; and said signal processor being configured to automatically re-adjust the setting range of said one of said parameters when said comparison result indicates said current setting is at a boundary of said setting range.