Patent ID: 7319770

Claim:
In a hearing instrument, a method of converting an acoustic input signal into an output signal, comprising the steps of converting the acoustic input signal into a converted input signal, determining a converted signal power value from the converted input signal determining a room impulse attenuation value being a measure of a maximum negative slope of the logarithm of a converted signal power value as a function of time, carrying out a gain calculation based on said room impulse attenuation value, which calculation yields a gain, wherein said gain calculation comprises the steps of evaluating a signal power development value being a measure of the actual converted input signal power attenuation or signal power increase, of evaluating a signal-to-reverberation-noise ratio from the signal power development value and the room impulse attenuation value, and of calculating, based on a gain rule, said gain from said signal-to-reverberation-noise ratio, and applying said gain to the converted input signal to obtain the output signal.