JP2534209Y2 - Hearing aid compatible cordless telephone - Google Patents

Description

[Detailed description of the invention]

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cordless telephone set for hearing aids, and more particularly to a telephone system for making a hearing aid convenient for a hearing-impaired person by using the hearing aid as a handset of a slave unit.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, cordless telephones have been remarkably popularized, and one or more slaves are made to correspond to one master, and a destination can be freely called from a slave within a certain distance. Because of the convenience of being able to respond to an incoming call from any of the slave units to the master unit, there are many cases of installation in homes, offices, and the like.

[0003] On the other hand, a hearing-impaired person has conventionally used hearing aids to compensate for inconvenience in social life, and the hearing aids have been reduced in size and sound quality and sensitivity have been improved. In particular, in Japan, it is inevitable that the ratio of the population of the elderly to the total population will increase dramatically in the near future, and it is considered that the demand for hearing aids will inevitably increase significantly.

[0004]

By the way, in recent telephones, the volume of a ringing tone or a receiving tone at the time of an incoming call can be adjusted. However, the ringing tone is relatively low in consideration of the indoor environment. In many cases, the volume of sound output during a call is set within a range that can be heard by a person having normal hearing. Therefore, it is often difficult for a hearing-impaired person to confirm the incoming call,
In addition, if a hearing aid is worn during a call, the receiver is brought closer to the hearing aid to listen to the conversation of the other party, so that the position adjustment of the receiver becomes delicate and very troublesome. Further, in that case, the transmission efficiency of the voice is also reduced, so that it becomes very difficult to hear in a place where the surrounding noise is loud.

[0005] Focusing on the function of the hearing aid, a normal hearing aid comprises an earphone unit, a microphone unit, and an ear hook unit. The earphone unit serves as a receiving unit.
If a microphone unit is used as a transmitting unit, it can be used as a telephone handset. In addition, the cordless telephone handset can be made very small except for its transmission / reception section, and can be constructed in a size and weight that does not hinder carrying it in a pocket at all times.

Therefore, the present invention provides a hearing aid-compatible cordless telephone which can be used as a telephone handset as needed while wearing a hearing aid.
It was created for the purpose of overcoming the disadvantages of hearing-impaired persons.

[0007]

The present invention comprises an earphone unit, an ear hook unit, and a microphone unit connected to the ear hook unit via a telescopic mechanism, and has a switch setting between a hearing aid mode and a telephone mode. A hearing aid having a built-in hearing aid circuit, and a cordless handset unit excluding the handset part of the cordless parent-child telephone system, wherein the hearing aid circuit of the hearing aid and the sending / receiving circuit of the cordless handset unit have a transmission signal line and a reception signal. Are connected by a wire, and the slave unit is
Ringing means for generating a ringing signal by receiving an incoming call signal from the base unit, mode instructing means for inputting an instruction to switch between a hearing aid mode and a telephone mode, and normally connecting the transmission / reception circuit to the ringing means. Switch means for switching the transmission / reception circuit to a connection state with a modem when an instruction input of a telephone mode is received from the mode instruction means, and an instruction mode for receiving a switch instruction input from the mode instruction means. And a mode control means for outputting a control signal for switching a mode of the hearing aid circuit to a signal line in accordance with the above.

[0008]

According to the present invention, the earpiece and the microphone of the hearing aid are connected by a telescopic mechanism. This is because, when the hearing aid is used as a transmitter / receiver of a telephone, the microphone unit is moved to a position close to the mouth to collect transmitted voice efficiently.

A normal hearing aid circuit of a hearing aid has a circuit configuration for amplifying a sound collected by a microphone and outputting the amplified sound to an earphone. However, when used as a handset, it is necessary to prevent side sounds. Therefore, it is necessary to connect the circuit on the microphone section side and the circuit on the earphone section side to the sidetone prevention circuit independently. For this reason, the hearing aid circuit of the hearing aid of the present invention can change the connection state of the circuit between the hearing aid mode and the telephone mode, and forms a connection circuit as a hearing aid in the hearing aid mode. The circuit is connected to the reception signal line connected to the slave unit, and the circuit on the microphone side is connected to the transmission signal line. The switching of the mode is performed by a control signal input from the slave unit through the transmission signal line and / or the reception signal line.

On the other hand, the slave unit functions as follows. First, the switch means normally connects the ringing means to the transmission / reception circuit. When an incoming call signal is received from the master unit, the ringing means generates a ringing signal and transmits the signal from the transmission / reception circuit. Output to the hearing aid via the signal line. At this stage, the hearing aid circuit of the hearing aid is in the hearing aid mode, but the ringing signal is output to the earphone unit to notify of the incoming call.

When the wearer of the hearing aid gives an instruction input from the mode instructing means by confirming the incoming call by the ringing sound in the earphone section, the switch means switches to a connection state between the transmission / reception circuit and the modem, and the mode control means makes the connection. A mode switching signal is output to the hearing aid via the signal line,
Switch the hearing aid circuit of the hearing aid to telephone mode. Also, by confirming the incoming call, the wearer of the hearing aid extends the microphone section from the ear hook section and moves the microphone section to a position close to the mouth.

As a result, it is possible to make a call in which the hearing aid is used as a substitute for the handset, and the handset unit has a built-in sidetone prevention circuit, so that a normal call can be made. The switching between the telephone mode and the hearing aid mode is not limited to the above-described incoming call, and can be performed at any time by performing the switching instruction from the mode instructing means to execute the switching of the switching means and the output of the mode control signal. is there.

[0013]

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS One embodiment of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. First, FIG. 1 is an external view showing a configuration in which a handset unit except for a handset portion of a hearing aid and a cordless telephone is connected by a signal line coated with insulation. In the figure, 1
Indicates a hearing aid, 2 indicates a slave unit, 3 indicates a signal line, and the hearing aid 1 has a configuration including an earphone unit 11, an ear hook unit 12, and a microphone unit 13.
Has a built-in system circuit in a case large enough to be inserted into a pocket, and has a numeric keypad 21, a power button 22 and a call / ringer switch button 23 on its operation surface.
And a part of the volume adjustment dial 24 is projected from the side surface. And the mechanical feature of this hearing aid-compatible cordless telephone is that the microphone part 13 of the hearing aid 1 is not integrated with the ear hook part 12 as it is, as shown in FIG. A point that can expand and contract
And that the slave unit 2 is connected to the hearing aid 1 via the signal line 3 without the transmission / reception section, and is provided with a call / linger switching button 23.

The details of the mechanism of the hearing aid 1 are shown in FIGS. 2 and 3. FIG. 3A is a side view of the hearing aid 1, and FIG.
(B) shows a front view thereof, and the hatched portion in FIG. 3 (B) corresponds to a partial cross section taken along the line XX in FIG. 3 (A). In this hearing aid 1, the ear cover 12 is divided into an upper part 12a and a lower part 12b, and the upper part 12a
The two stainless steel plates 14 also serving as connection lines to the microphone unit 13 are buried substantially in parallel along the longitudinal direction, and each of the plate materials 14 is 3 to 3 mm from the end face of the upper part 12a.
It is extended about 4cm. Each extension is inserted into two guide grooves 15 formed in the lower part 12b in parallel with each other in the longitudinal direction, and the end of each extension and the terminal of the microphone 13 are connected to three to three. They are connected by thin flexible leads 16 of about 4 cm. The end of each plate member 14 is formed wider than the other portions, and the end portion engages with the entrance portion of each guide groove 15 in a state where the lower portion 12b is maximally separated from the upper portion 12a, and the stopper function is performed. Working, conversely upper 12a and lower 1
In a state where the opposed end faces of 2b are joined, the small protrusion 17 formed on each plate member 14 and the concave portion (not shown) formed in the guide groove 15 of the lower portion 12b are elastically fitted, and the lower portion 12b is Each plate 1
It is designed to be locked at 4.

Therefore, the hearing aid 1 has a telescopic mechanism provided between the ear hook portion 12 and the microphone portion 13, and as shown in FIG. Can be extended in the extension direction
By pushing back 12b in the direction of the plate member 14, the ear hook portion 12 in a normal form can be formed. As a result, the hearing aid 1 can be locked to the ear in a state where the lower portion 12a of the ear hook portion 12 is contracted during normal wearing. Conversely, when the lower portion 12a is stretched from the worn state, FIG. The microphone unit 13 can be moved to a position close to the mouth as shown in FIG.

On the other hand, a system circuit diagram of the hearing aid 1 and the slave unit 2 is shown in FIG. The hearing aid 1 has the earphone unit 11 and the microphone unit 13 as described above, and further includes a hearing aid circuit 31 including an amplifier and a mode switching circuit, a volume 32 for controlling the output of the earphone unit 11, and a power supply battery 33. And a jack 34 to which a connection line 3 (a reception signal line La, a transmission signal line Lb, a GND line) to the slave unit 2 is connected.

The handset unit 2 is not equipped with a handset as in a normal unit, but has a handset circuit 41 including a sidetone prevention circuit and an amplifier circuit, and a volume for controlling the output of the handset unit. 42 (operated by the volume adjusting dial 24 in FIG. 1), a modem 43, a receiving section 44 and a transmitting section 45 corresponding to a high frequency section, a microcomputer circuit (hereinafter, referred to as a “microcomputer circuit”) 46, and an output of the modem 43. A / D converter 47 for A / D converting and inputting to the microcomputer circuit 46, a D / A converter 48 for D / A converting the output of the microcomputer circuit 46 to output to the main circuit, and the numeric keypad 21 (see FIG. 1) ), Necessary circuits such as an input I / F 49 for inputting the output of the numeric keypad 21 and the like to the microcomputer circuit 46, a power supply battery 50, and a power supply switch 22 (see FIG. 1) are built in.
Further, with respect to the slave unit 2, the reception signal line La and the transmission signal line Lb of the transmission / reception circuit 41 are connected to the hearing aid 2 as a connection line 3 which is shielded by a GND line.
A ringing circuit 51 which is turned on / off by 46 is provided, and a switch circuit 52 is interposed in a main circuit connecting the modem 43 and the transmission / reception circuit 41, and an input from a call / ringer switching button 23 provided on an operation surface is provided. In response to this, the microcomputer circuit 46 controls the switch circuit 52 to switch and connect the transmission / reception circuit 41 to the ringing circuit 51 or the modem 43. The antenna line 53 connected to the high-frequency units 44 and 45 of the slave unit 2 is wired along the connection line 3 described above.

Next, the operation of the hearing aid-compatible cordless telephone will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in the state where the hearing aid 1 is worn, the hearing aid circuit 31
Is set to the hearing aid mode (S1). When there is an incoming call to the master unit (not shown) through the public line, the master unit transmits an incoming call code signal from its transmission unit, but the slave unit 2 transmits the incoming code signal to the antenna line. The signal is received by the receiving unit 44 via 53, and the modem 43 demodulates the signal (S2).

The demodulated signal is subjected to A / D conversion by an A / D converter 47.
After being converted and taken into the microcomputer circuit 46, the microcomputer circuit 46 sets the ringing circuit 51 to ON immediately after confirming that the signal is an incoming call code (S3). At this stage, the switch circuit 52 is in a state in which the transmission / reception circuit 41 and the ringing circuit 51 are connected (YR connection state), and the ringing signal output from the ringing circuit 51 is connected to the connection line 3 via the transmission / reception circuit 41. The signal is output to the reception signal line La and input to the hearing aid circuit 31 of the hearing aid 1. On the other hand, the hearing aid circuit 31 is a reception signal line.
A connection circuit that always outputs the La signal to the earphone unit 11 is configured, and the earphone unit 11 outputs a ringing sound by a ringing signal.

When a ringing tone is output from the earphone unit 11, the wearer of the hearing aid 1 can confirm that there is an incoming call to the base unit, and if the user himself / herself intends to make a call,
Press the call / ringer switch button 23 to turn it on,
As shown in FIG. 4, the lower part 12b of the ear hook part 12 is pulled out, and the microphone part 13 is moved to a position close to the mouth. When there is an ON setting from the call / linger switching button 23, the setting signal is taken into the microcomputer circuit 46 via the I / F 49, and the microcomputer circuit 46 immediately switches the switch circuit 52 based on the signal. And the connection state of the modem 43 (YM connection state), and turns off the ringing circuit 51 to stop the output of the ringing signal (S5).

The microcomputer circuit 46 outputs a telephone mode setting signal and a pseudo off-hook code to the D / A converter 48. The output telephone mode setting signal is input from the transmission / reception circuit 41 to the hearing aid circuit 31 of the hearing aid 1 through the reception signal line La of the connection line 3, and the hearing aid circuit 31 receives the signal to switch from the hearing aid mode to the telephone mode. (S6, S
7). That is, the hearing aid circuit 31 constitutes a circuit for connecting the output of the microphone unit 13 to the built-in amplifier and outputting the output to the earphone unit 11 in the hearing aid mode. The circuit configuration is switched to La to connect the microphone unit 13 to the transmission signal line Lb. As the telephone mode setting means, for example, a voltage value much higher than a normal voltage value input to the hearing aid circuit 31 is set to the D / A converter 48, while the hearing aid circuit 31 side May be provided with a detection circuit for the voltage value, and means for switching the mode when the detection circuit detects a signal exceeding the voltage threshold.

Further, the microcomputer circuit 46 outputs a pseudo off-hook code to the D / A converter 48, and the code signal is output to the modem 43 via the switch circuit 52.
After the modulation by the modem 43, the transmitting unit 45 causes the antenna line 53 to transmit (S8). The off-hook code signal is received by the master unit, and the master unit outputs the off-hook signal to the public line to connect the line.

As a result, the hearing aid 1 can be used as a handset of the handset unit 2, and while the sidetone prevention circuit incorporated in the handset unit 41 of the handset unit 2 functions effectively, It becomes possible to talk to the caller via the unit (S9). In this case, since the microphone unit 13 of the hearing aid 1 is moved near the mouth of the wearer as described above, it is possible to collect the transmitted voice in the same manner as a normal receiver, and the received sound is changed to the earphone unit 11. Since the user can listen to the sound through the speaker, the user is not bothered by ambient noise. When the reception sound is low, the volume 42 of the slave unit 2 can be adjusted to increase the volume.

On the other hand, when the call is completed, it is sufficient to turn ON the call / ringer switching button 23 of the slave unit 2 again. That is, when the ON signal is input again from the call / linger switching button 23, the microcomputer circuit 46 executes the reverse of the above-described procedure, causes the D / A converter 48 to output a pseudo on-hook code, and The code is output to the machine unit side, the switch circuit 52 is reset to the state where the transmission / reception circuit 41 and the ringing circuit 51 are connected (YR connection state), and the hearing aid mode setting signal is output to the D / A converter 48 To reset the hearing aid circuit 31 of the hearing aid 1 to the hearing aid mode
(S10-S13). As a result, the master unit outputs an on-hook signal to the public line to disconnect the line, the hearing aid 1 returns to the hearing aid mode, and the slave unit 2 returns to the incoming call waiting state. Then, the wearer of the hearing aid 1 compresses the lower portion 12b of the ear hook portion 12 to return to the original state, and uses the hearing aid 1 with a normal hearing aid function.

Conversely, when a destination is called from the hearing aid-compatible cordless telephone, the call / ringer switch button 23 of the slave unit 2 is pressed to be turned on, and the same mode and circuit as in the above-described call are performed. And dial the destination dial number from the numeric keypad 21. In that case, the microcomputer circuit 46 outputs the input dial data to the D / A converter 48, and outputs the dial data to the master unit from the antenna line 53 via the switch circuit 52, the modem 43, and the transmission unit 45. Then, the master unit calls the destination, and if there is a line connection, the state shifts to a call state similar to the above.

In this embodiment, the antenna wire 53 is wired along the connection line 3 between the hearing aid 1 and the slave unit 2. In the cordless telephone handset unit, the rod antenna is made to protrude from the side of the housing. The transmission / reception sensitivity can be increased, and the slave unit 2 itself can be reduced in size and weight.

[0027]

According to the present invention, the cordless telephone of the present invention has the following effects. According to the invention of claim 1, the hearing aid is used as a handset of a cordless telephone, so that the wearer of the hearing aid can surely confirm the incoming call, and a call is made while using the hearing aid as a handset with a very simple operation. This makes it possible to rationally eliminate the inconvenience of a hearing-impaired person using a telephone, which is the most common communication means. The invention according to claim 2 enables the antenna line of the slave unit to be long wired along the connection line between the hearing aid and the slave unit, thereby improving the transmission / reception sensitivity when communicating with the master unit.
Also, the size and weight of the slave unit can be reduced.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is an external view showing a configuration in which a hearing aid and a cordless handset unit of a hearing aid-compatible cordless telephone according to an embodiment are connected by signal lines.

FIG. 2 is an external view of a hearing aid showing a state in which an ear hook portion having a built-in microphone portion expands and contracts.

FIG. 3 is a diagram corresponding to a side view and a front view (including a cross section of a main part) showing a telescopic mechanism of the hearing aid.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating a state in which the wearer of the hearing aid has pulled out the microphone unit near the mouth (communication state).

FIG. 5 is a system circuit diagram of a hearing aid and a slave unit.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure of the hearing aid-compatible cordless telephone when receiving a call, talking, and returning.

[Explanation of symbols]

1 ... hearing aid, 2 ... slave unit, 3 ... connection line, 11 ... earphone part, 12 ... ear hook part, 12a ... upper part of ear hook part, 12b ... lower part of ear hook part, 13 ... microphone part, 14 ... board material , 15 ...
Guide groove, 16 lead wire, 17 small projection, 21 numeric keypad,
23 ... call / linger switching button, 31 ... hearing aid circuit, 41 ... transmission / reception circuit, 43 ... modem, 44 ... reception unit, 45 ... transmission unit, 46 ...
Microcomputer circuit, 47 A / D converter, 48 D / A converter, 49 input I / F, 51 ringing circuit, 52 switch circuit, 53 antenna line, La reception signal line, Lb … Transmission signal line.

Claims (2)

(57) [Scope of request for utility model registration] 1. A hearing aid comprising an earphone unit, an ear hook unit, and a microphone unit connected to the ear hook unit via a telescopic mechanism, and having a built-in hearing aid circuit capable of setting switching between hearing aid mode and telephone mode. And a handset unit excluding the handset part of the cordless parent-child phone system, wherein the hearing aid circuit of the hearing aid and the handset transmission / reception circuit of the handset unit are connected by a transmission signal line and a reception signal line, and The slave unit includes a ringing unit that generates a ringing signal by receiving an incoming call signal from the master unit, a mode instruction unit that inputs an instruction to switch between a hearing aid mode and a telephone mode, and normally includes the transmission / reception circuit. Connected to the ringing means, and connected to the modem when the mode instruction means inputs a telephone mode instruction. Switch means for switching to a state,
A hearing aid which is provided with mode control means for outputting a control signal for switching a mode of the hearing aid circuit to a signal line in accordance with the instruction mode when the mode instruction means receives a switching instruction input; Type cordless telephone. 2. The hearing aid-compatible cordless telephone according to claim 1, wherein an antenna line of the slave unit is arranged along a signal line connecting the hearing aid and the slave unit.