AU2002218936C1 - Method for establishing a binaural communication link and binaural hearing devices - Google Patents
Method for establishing a binaural communication link and binaural hearing devices Download PDFInfo
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- AU2002218936C1 AU2002218936C1 AU2002218936A AU2002218936A AU2002218936C1 AU 2002218936 C1 AU2002218936 C1 AU 2002218936C1 AU 2002218936 A AU2002218936 A AU 2002218936A AU 2002218936 A AU2002218936 A AU 2002218936A AU 2002218936 C1 AU2002218936 C1 AU 2002218936C1
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- 238000004891 communication Methods 0.000 title claims description 65
- 238000000034 method Methods 0.000 title claims description 36
- 230000005291 magnetic effect Effects 0.000 claims description 36
- 239000004020 conductor Substances 0.000 claims description 18
- 230000005236 sound signal Effects 0.000 claims description 16
- 239000011521 glass Substances 0.000 claims description 12
- 229920001940 conductive polymer Polymers 0.000 claims description 11
- 229910052751 metal Inorganic materials 0.000 claims description 7
- 239000002184 metal Substances 0.000 claims description 7
- 230000005294 ferromagnetic effect Effects 0.000 claims description 5
- 239000003989 dielectric material Substances 0.000 claims description 4
- 230000001225 therapeutic effect Effects 0.000 claims description 3
- 230000005540 biological transmission Effects 0.000 description 5
- RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N Copper Chemical compound [Cu] RYGMFSIKBFXOCR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229910052802 copper Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 239000010949 copper Substances 0.000 description 4
- 230000008878 coupling Effects 0.000 description 4
- 238000010168 coupling process Methods 0.000 description 4
- 238000005859 coupling reaction Methods 0.000 description 4
- PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N gold Chemical compound [Au] PCHJSUWPFVWCPO-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 4
- 229910052737 gold Inorganic materials 0.000 description 4
- 239000010931 gold Substances 0.000 description 4
- 239000003302 ferromagnetic material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 239000000463 material Substances 0.000 description 3
- 230000008054 signal transmission Effects 0.000 description 3
- 229910052782 aluminium Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N aluminium Chemical compound [Al] XAGFODPZIPBFFR-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 2
- 238000013459 approach Methods 0.000 description 2
- 239000003990 capacitor Substances 0.000 description 2
- 239000000696 magnetic material Substances 0.000 description 2
- 229910001220 stainless steel Inorganic materials 0.000 description 2
- 239000010935 stainless steel Substances 0.000 description 2
- 208000032041 Hearing impaired Diseases 0.000 description 1
- BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N Silver Chemical compound [Ag] BQCADISMDOOEFD-UHFFFAOYSA-N 0.000 description 1
- 230000002457 bidirectional effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000006835 compression Effects 0.000 description 1
- 238000007906 compression Methods 0.000 description 1
- 238000005260 corrosion Methods 0.000 description 1
- 230000007797 corrosion Effects 0.000 description 1
- 230000001771 impaired effect Effects 0.000 description 1
- 229910052709 silver Inorganic materials 0.000 description 1
- 239000004332 silver Substances 0.000 description 1
Classifications
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
- H04R25/55—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using an external connection, either wireless or wired
- H04R25/552—Binaural
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
- H04R2225/021—Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
- H04R25/55—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using an external connection, either wireless or wired
- H04R25/558—Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
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- H—ELECTRICITY
- H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
- H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
- H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
- H04R25/70—Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting
Landscapes
- Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
- Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
- Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
- Neurosurgery (AREA)
- Otolaryngology (AREA)
- Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
- Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
- Signal Processing (AREA)
- Near-Field Transmission Systems (AREA)
- Details Of Connecting Devices For Male And Female Coupling (AREA)
- Headphones And Earphones (AREA)
Description
WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 Method for establishing a binaural communication link and binaural hearing devices The present invention is directed on linking a pair of 5 hearing devices to form a set of binaural hearing devices. Such hearing devices may be therapeutic hearing aid devices for hearing impaired persons or may be hearing devices just for improving human hearing or for allowing listening to electronically converted audio signals as e.g. for 10 telephone ear-sets, ear-sets in airplanes or even noise protection hearing devices, thereby possibly for active noise cancellation. Today known binaural links between a pair of hearing devices are impaired by the severe requirements at hearing 15 devices and thereby especially at hearing aid devices with respect to electric power consumption. There has been proposed to establish such a binaural wireless communication link in the RF-frequency band or even in the microwave frequency band. Thereby satisfyingly small 20 receiving and transmission aerials may be used, but the power consumption for the transmitter and the receiver is considerable. A communication link approach at lower transmission frequencies necessitates, whenever audio signals shall be 25 transmitted via such link, relatively complex encoding and decoding procedures as e.g. MPEG-codec, so as to result in high compression of the data being transmitted. Such encoding procedures nevertheless have the drawback of significant signal delay normally in excess of 50 msec and - 2 are therefore not suited for binaural communication between hearing devices as here a real-time signal processing is important. 5 Other approaches to such binaural communication are based on wire-bound transmission. This necessitates the appliance of at least two wires by mini plugs to both hearing devices of the pair. Handling of a cable with two wires and especially of respective mini-plugs at the 10 hearing devices is cumbersome for the individual, especially if such handling is performed as the hearing devices are already applied to the individual's ear. According to one aspect of the invention there is provided is a method of establishing a binaural communication link between two hearing devices at an individual by at least two electric conductors, wherein one conductor is established by the individual's body and the at least one second conductor by a wire.. 20 According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a binaural hearing device set comprising a pair of hearing devices and a communication link between said devices, said communication link comprising a body 25 electrode for electrically contacting the body of an individual carrying said set at both of said hearing devices.. Thus the individual body with the respective body 30 impedance is exploited as one of the said conductors so that there remains, in minimum, a single wire connection to be established between the hearing devices. Such a single wire N:\Melboume\Cases\Patent\4700.47999\P47572.AU\Specis\P47572 AU Specification 2007.1-30 doc 30/01/07 WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 -3 connection may very easily be handled and plugged in at the respective hearing devices by the individual. By such a communication link either control signals to and from the respective hearing devices, but audio signals too, 5 be it in analogue or in digital form, may be transmitted even bidirectionally. In a preferred embodiment there is thus proposed to bidirectionally transmit electrical signals between the hearing devices which are linked by the communication link according to the invention. 10 In a further preferred embodiment of the inventive method the hearing devices are not directly mutually linked by the said wire, but there is provided an electronic unit interconnected between the hearing devices by the communication link. 15 In a further preferred embodiment the electronic unit interconnected between the two hearing devices by the communication link according to the present invention comprises a receiver-/transmitter unit for wireless communication. Thereby signals received by wireless 20 communication at such a unit are converted into signals which are transmitted via the said communication link with body-conductor to the hearing devices and/or by such an electronic unit signals received from the said two hearing devices by the said communication link with body-conductor 25 are converted into wirelessly transmitted signals. Thus such an electronic unit operates as a wireless receiver /transmit-unit to a remote transmitter-/receiver-unit by wireless communication for control signal transmission and/or for audio signal transmission. Such an electronic WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 -4 unit may be any RF-link as e.g. a Blue-tooth unit. Thereby the said receiver-/transmitter unit may be applied, in one embodiment to one of the hearing devices which is operated as a master device, the second hearing device as a slave. 5 In an other more preferred embodiment, the receiver /transmitter unit is provided between the two hearing devices, which are thus operated on equal level of control. In a most preferred embodiment the advantage of having only one wire to be connected either directly between the 10 hearing devices or from the respective hearing devices to an interconnected electronic unit is exploited by realising connection of the wire to the hearing devices and/or to such electronic unit by a magnetic attraction. This leads to most easily handable plugging. The wire with a 15 respective magnetic plug at one or at both of its ends may just be brought adjacent to the respective plug area at the hearing device or at the electronic unit. Connection will be practically automatically installed by that wire end being magnetically pulled onto said plug area at the 20 respective device. Thereby and in one preferred embodiment, by said magnetic attraction there is installed a conductive contact of the wire to an input tab at the at least one hearing device. Under a "conductive" material we understand a material with 25 ohmic current conductance. Thereby such conductive electric contact may be realised by at least one magnetic member or ferro-magnetic member itself which provides for plugging magnetic attraction too.
WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 -5 In a further preferred mode where for instance electro conductivity of a magnetic member or of a ferromagnetic member does not suffice for satisfying signal transmission, a conductive contacting is realised by the magnetic 5 attraction - possibly additionally by a magnetic or ferromagnetic member - by at least one non-magnetic, metallic contact member, e.g. of aluminum, of copper, silver, gold, or of stainless steel or copper coated with gold and/or by conductive polymer. 10 In a further preferred mode said at least one wire is applied to at least one of the hearing devices and/or the electronic unit - mechanically - by magnetic attraction and - electrically - via a dielectric layer. Thereby a capacitive coupling is realised. By applying the wire to 15 the at least one hearing device and/or electronic unit at both sides of the dielectric layer a conductive capacitance plate as e.g. of metal is established, thereby completing a capacitor structure. It is also possible to provide on both sides namely on the side of the hearing device or of the 20 electronic unit, if provided, as well as on the side of the wire a dielectric layer. When such layers are joint once the connection is established, they form a dielectric double-layer. With provision of such dielectric layer or layers cleanability of the contact area is significantly 25 improved e.g. on the side of the hearing device, where the dielectric layer may be part and be flush with the outer surface of the device's shell. Because by the method of binaural linking according to the present invention only AC signals within a frequency band WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 -6 above 10KHz are preferably to be transmitted, thereby especially digital signals, it is of no problem to transmit such signals via a series capacitance. Even if digital signals are thereby distorted they may easily be recovered 5 by respective signal processing. In a further preferred mode where the connection of the wire to at least one of the hearing devices and/or to the electronic unit, if provided, is established by magnetic attraction, this magnetic attraction is additionally 10 exploited to provide for self-positioning of the wire's contact area to the hearing device and/or to the unit. Thereby it becomes not even necessary that the individual manually and accurately positions the wire's contact area to the respective contact area of the hearing device or 15 electronic unit, magnetic attraction suffices to mutually attract such areas and to accurately pull the areas into mutual correct positioning. If necessary, by respective selection of polarities of magnets, on one hand on the hearing device or electronic 20 unit, and, on the other hand, on the side of the wire, one can prevent that the wrong wire side is applied to a respective hearing device or electronic unit contact area. If there is provided, as mentioned above, an electronic unit interconnected and communicating with the said two 25 hearing devices by the communication link according to the present invention, such electronic unit has preferably a body contact electrode.
WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 -7 Such body contact electrode may be conductive, preferably at lest one of metallic and of a conductive polymer, or may be capacitive. In a further preferred mode of realising the method 5 according to the present invention the two hearing devices are in-the-ear or outside-the-ear hearing devices, and/or are hearing aid devices for therapeutic appliances. In a still further preferred mode of the inventive method the wire connection and, if provided, also an electronic 10 unit to be interconnected between the hearing devices is integrated within a head-worn assembly, thereby preferably within glasses for the individual. By such assembly, especially by glasses an accurate positioning of the wire connection is established without being even visually 15 recognisable for other persons. In the above mentioned embodiment, especially where electric connection of the glasses-integrated wire is realised by magnetic attraction to the respective hearing devices, electric contact from the glasses-integrated wire may be established just by 20 putting on the glasses. An interconnected electronic unit even for wireless communication with a remote transmitter /receiver unit may also be integrated into the glasses with a respective transmission aerial. The present invention is now to be described with the help 25 of figures, which exemplify preferred embodiments of the method for establishing binaural communication links and of binaural hearing devices according to the present invention. The WO 01/39569 shall be incorporated into the present description by reference.
WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 -8 The figures show: Fig. 1 schematically,, the principle of the method of establishing a binaural communication link between hearing devices according to the present 5 invention and, accordingly, of a binaural hearing device set according to the present invention; Fig. 2 schematically and simplified, a set of binaural hearing devices according to a preferred form of the present invention and operating according to 10 the method of the present invention, thereby establishing bidirectional audio signal and/or control signal communication; Fig. 3 in a representation form in analogy to that of fig. 2 a set of binaural hearing devices 15 according to the present invention and operating according to the method of the present invention, whereat one of the hearing devices is operated as a master device, the other as a slave; Fig. 4 in a simplified representation of a preferred 20 plugging system for establishing to a wire part of the binaural communication link according to the present invention electric contact by magnetic attraction to a counterpart; Fig. 5 in a representation according to that of fig. 4 a 25 further preferred plugging system; Fig. 6 in a schematic form a further preferred wire contacting and/or body-contacting arrangement WO (12/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 -9 applied for establishing the communication link according to the present invention, and Fig. 7 preferred glasses with integrated communication link according to the present invention. 5 In fig. 1 there is shown, in a most generic and simplified representation form, the principle of the method according to the present invention and, accordingly, a set of binaurally operated hearing devices. At the left side -L and the right side -R- ear of an individual there is 10 applied a left-ear hearing device 1 L and respectively a right-ear device 1 R. Conce-ived as active hearing devices, each of these devices comprises an electrical to mechanical converter 3 L and 3 R being e.g. respective loudspeakers. These converters 3 L,R are operated by respective electronic 15 units 5 L and 5 R, which comprise, for digital hearing devices, customarily a digital processing unit DSP. There is further provided a communication link between the two hearing devices 1L and 1 R schematically. denoted in fig. 1 by the reference No. 7. This communication link is wire 20 bound and therefore comprises at least two wires, which link the two hearing devices 1 L and 1 R and thereby especially their electronic units 5 L and 5 R According to the present invention one of these at least two wires forming the communication link 7 between the two 25 hearing devices 1L and la is formed by a body conductor 7 B, which is realized by the individual's body between a contact area 9 L, whereat a body electrode 1 1 L at hearing device lL contacts the individual's body and a contact area 9 R, whereat a body electrode 1 1 R at the hearing device 1
R
WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 10 contacts individual's body. The body conductor 7 B is shown in fig. 1 in dashed lines with the impedance ZB representing the individual's body impedance between the said two contact areas 9 L and 9R. Besides of this body 5 conductor 7 B there is provided at least one wire conductor 7 w completing the communication link 7. Clearly more than one communication link 7 may, if necessary, be provided between the hearing devices 1L and 1R, which leads to multiple wire conductors 7 w with commonly a body conductor 10 7B. As will be shown by examples, the communication link 7 may be operated to perform communication in a selected direction, e.g. from left to right, or and preferably to perform communication bidirectionally as shown in fig. 1 by 15 the double-arrow F. Further, the communication via the communication link 7 according to the present invention may be for audio signals converted into a respective electronic form, especially into digital form, and/or for control signals for the 20 respective electronic units 5 L and 5R. Thereby the communication link 7 may be established by providing the wire connector 7w directly interconnecting the two hearing devices IL and 1R, at another preferred'mode of realizing the present invention there may be provided a further 25 electronic unit as shown in dashed pointed lines in fig. 1 and denoted by the reference No. 13 being interconnected between the hearing devices 1 L and 1R and being electrically connected to at least one, preferably to both hearing devices 1L and 1R respectively with at least one WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 11 wire connector. An electronic unit is further connected by a further body contact electrode 1113 to the individual's body at a contact area 913. Thereby the electronic unit 13 may comprise (not shown) a 5 transmitter/receiver unit for wireless communication C with a remote receiver/transmitter unit (not shown) so as to receive in wireless communication audio signals and/or control signals to be transmitted to the hearing devices 1 L .and/or 1R. Additionally or alternatively such 10 transmitter/receiver unit at the electronic unit 13 may communicate control signals from and/or towards at least one of the hearing devices 1 L and 1 R towards and/or from a remote control unit. The electronic unit 13 may thus be conceived as any RF-link, e.g. as a Blue-tooth device. 15 In fig. 2 there is shown one specific embodiment of binaurally operated hearing devices with a communication link 7 according to the present invention. The two hearing devices 1 R and 1L concomitantly operate for specific beam forming. 20 It is known that by providing microphones at a predetermined mutual distance and respective treating of the electric output signals of such microphones, beam forming may be achieved based on the fact of mutual phase difference or time lag with which an acoustical signal from 25 an acoustical source impinges upon the two microphones. Such a beam forming is e.g. the well-known "delay and add" method According to fig. 2 both hearing devices have respective microphones 15L and 1 5 R, the outputs thereof being WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 12 operationally connected to respective analogue to digital converters 17L and 17R. At each of the hearing devices there is further provided, as schematically shown with the units 19L and 1 9 R, a 5 controlled time-multiplexer unit, which is operated by a respective time control unit 20 L and 2 0 R in synchronism. As schematically shown in fig. 2 in one first time frame '1' a digitalized output signal of microphone 15L is led, as an audio signal, via communication link 7 to the input of 10 digital processing unit DSPR simultaneously with a digitalized output signal of microphone 1 5 R. Vice versa, in a second time frame '2' the digitalized output signal of microphone 1 5 R is led to the input of digital processing unit DSPL altogether with the digitalized output signal of 15 microphone 15L. Thereby, staggered in time, the digital processing units DSP of both hearing devices receive at their respective inputs digitalized audio signals of both microphones. Synchronising of the time control units 20L and 2 0 R is also performed via the communication link 20 according to the present invention. Due to the fact that both digital processing units DSP receive audio information of both microphones, both may perform beam forming. Thereby, it becomes evident that it is absolutely possible 25 to only provide one of the two digital processing units DSPL or DSPR with digitalized audio signals of both microphones and thereby to perform beam forming only at one of the two hearing devices 1L or 1 R. In such case digitalized audio signals may be one-directionally led via WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 13 the communication link 7 according to the present invention from one hearing device to the other. One of the two hearing devices acts in such a case as the beam forming hearing device, which may be said with respect 5 to beam forming to act as a master hearing device, with respect to the second hearing device acting as a slave hearing device. In fig. 3 there is shown a further preferred embodiment of a set of binaurally operated hearing devices communicating 10 by the communication link 7 according to the present invention. Thereby this embodiment shows an example of one hearing device, namely device 1L acting as a master with respect to the second hearing device 1 R acting as a slave. According to fig. 3 only the hearing device 1 L has a 15 microphone or microphone arrangement 15L. Beam forming is performed after audio signal digitalisation (not shown in fig. 3) at the digital processing unit DSPL. Via the communication link 7 according to the present invention, a digitalized audio signal is communicated via link 7 to the 20 second hearing device 1R with appropriate phasing e.g. according to the mutual distance of the two hearing devices 1 L and 1 R at the individual, and this digitalized audio signal is directly electrically input to the digital processing unit DSPR of the hearing device 1R. Thus, 25 hearing device 1 L acts as master hearing device with respect to a slave hearing device 1 R. It is evident that further master/slave concepts via the communication link 7 according to the present invention may be realized also for control signals, one of the two WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 14 hearing devices receiving e.g. by wireless communication control signals and transmitting control signals to the slave hearing device. In inverse direction acknowledgement signals, also being considered as control signals, may be 5 retransmitted from the slave hearing device to the master hearing device. Departing from the main object of the present invention the communication link 7 according to the present invention has the tremendous advantage of necessitating only one wire 10 interconnecting, according to fig. 1, either directly or via a further electronic unit 13, the two hearing devices 1L and 1R. Thus, only one wire must be plugged to at least one of the two hearing devices 1L and lR according to fig. 1, at tap 2 2 L and/or at tap 2 2 R. Although and with respect 15 to handling plugging-in a hearing device communication link cable at one or at both of the hearing devices, it is evident that plugging-in one wire cable is already significantly easier than plugging-in a multiple wire cable, a further improvement thereabout is reached by 20 providing, as will now be exemplified, plugging-in of the one-wire conductor at at least one or, preferably, at both hearing devices by magnetic attraction. Fig. 4 schematically shows a plugging area 2 2 LR according to fig. 1. If an electronic unit 13 is provided, such 25 plugging-in system may also be provided to contact unit 13 as is shown in fig. 1 at 2213 by the communication link wires 7 w. Thereby at least one end of wire 7w and/or the respective contact area at one or both of the hearing devices 1 L, 1
R
WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 15 and/or at unit 13 are provided with a magnet arrangement. According to fig. 4 and as an example the end of the wire 7 w is provided with a magnet arrangement 24. The counterpart mechanical contact pad 26 may thereby be of 5 ferromagnetic material or may be as well a magnet arrangement. Thereby, mechanically, the end of wire 7 w needs only to be brought adjacent to the mechanical contact area 26 to be attracted and positioned in intimate contact therewith by 10 permanent magnet action. Nevertheless, this contacting by magnet/magnet contact or by magnet/ferromagnetic material contact needs not directly establish the electric contact. In some instances electro conductivity and mutual contacting of magnet/magnet or 15 magnet/ferromagnetic material contacts may not suffice for electric communication purposes. An accordingly conceived plug-in arrangement is shown in fig. 5 in the same schematic representation form as that of fig. 3. The difference to the embodiment of fig. 4 is that 20 the magnetic arrangements and counterparts 24/26 are only provided for mechanical attraction purposes, whereas electric contacting of the wire 7 w to the hearing device or, respectively, the electronic unit 13 is performed by non-magnetic contact pads 2 4 e and 2 6 e, e.g. of aluminum, 25 copper, gold or of stainless steel or copper coated with gold and/or by a conductive polymer member. So as to further improve ease of plugging-in the wire conductor 7 w making part of the communication link 7 according to the present invention and by magnetic WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 16 attraction, there may be installed automatic self positioning of the contact pads 24e, 26e as shown in fig. 5 e.g. by providing guidance surfaces 28 so as to properly and automatically position the wire end contact 24, 24e. 5 This might especially be important in the case where, according to fig. 5 a pair of locally distinct electric contact pads 24e and 26e is provided having to be properly mutually positioned one upon the other. As will now be shown with the help of fig. 6, electrical 10 signal transmission from the wire 7w to at least one of the hearing devices 1L and 1 R and possibly even to the electronic unit 13 as of fig. 1 and/or from the respective unit (hearing devices and/or unit 13) to individual's body via the contact area 9 as of fig. 1 needs not necessarily 15 be established by a conductive contact e.g. by a metallic/metallic or metallic/electrolytic contact (in case of body electrodes), but may be established capacitively, especially for transmitting digital signals representing audio signals or being control signals. 20 According to fig. 6 one end of the wire 7w making part of the communication link according to the present invention is formed by a conductive plate as by a metal or conductive polymer layer 30 embedded in an isolating plugging arrangement 32 as schematically shown. On the opposite 25 side, thus be it on one or both of the hearing devices or on the electronic unit 13, there is provided a second conductive plate as by a metal or conductive polymer layer 34, which is covered towards the outside by dielectric material, e.g. by a layer 36 of dielectric material. This WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 17 layer may be unitarily formed theshell or housing of the hearing device considered or of the electronic unit 13. By bringing the conductive plate 30 in intimate contact with the surface of the dielectric layer 36, conductive plate or 5 layer 30, dielectric layer 36 and conductive plate or layer 34 form or establish a capacitor in series with wire 7 w and operationally connected, as schematically shown, e.g. to a preamplifier stage 38 at the hearing device or at the unit 13. Especially for transmitting digital signals, even if 10 such digital signals are distorted by the capacitive 30/36/34- electric link, it is of no problem to recover the digital signal e.g. at the preamplifier stage 38. As further shown in fig. 6 additionally or instead of capacitively coupling the wire 7 w to the electronic unit at 15 unit 13 and/or to at least one of the hearing devices 1L, 1 R also the respective body contact electrode as of 11 of fig. 1 may be conceived as a series capacitance electrode. Thereby, at electronic unit 13 or at at least one of the hearing devices 1 L, 1 R the body contact electrode comprises 20 a conductive plate as a metallic layer or a layer of conductive polymer 40 electrically connected to the respective electronic unit, as according to fig. 5 to preamplifier stage 38. The conductive plate or layer 40 is covered by a dielectric layer 42 in analogy to the 25 explanations given with respect to dielectric covering of conductive plate or layer 34. By contacting the electrolytic conductance body BO of the individual so as to establish the body conductor 7 B of fig. 1, there is again formed a series capacitance 40/42/BO.
WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 -18 Providing the dielectric material layers 36 and/or 42 additionally improves cleanability and prevents electrode corrosion. It is perfectly clear to the skilled artisan that a 5 capacitive signal coupling as shown in fig. 6 may also be realised by covering the other conductive plate 30 by a dielectric layer or by covering both conductive plates 30 and 34 by such dielectric layers, thereby establishing a double-layer dielectricum. Thereby, as a very intimate 10 contact of the surfaces establishing a series capacitance coupling should be realized, an electroconductive gel may be applied between these surfaces to be contacted, e.g. a gel as is used or applied to cardiographic electrodes. Bringing the parts to be contacted into mutual intimate 15 contact so as to establish the series capacitance may be realized in any known way, as by clip-fixation, bayonet fixation etc. Nevertheless, in a most preferred embodiment, this contacting is realized, as shown in fig. 6, by magnetic attraction too. 20 In fig. 6 both parts to be contacted are provided with respective magnet arrangements 24a and 24b. If both these parts are provided with permanent magnets, as shown in fig. 6, by selection of the respective direction of polarity P one may prevent that the wire 7 w may be brought into 25 contact at a predetermined contact area, be it of a hearing device and/or of the electronic unit. With the direction of polarities P selected according to fig. 6 the two parts are attracted, whereas if the polarity P e.g. at the plug 32 of wire 7w is inverted as shown in dashed lines, it will not WO 02/074011 PCT/CH02/00033 - 19 be possible to contact the plug 32 to the area as shown in fig. 6 due to magnetic repulsion. Instead of establishing a capacitive contact to the individual's body BO as was explained before a conductive 5 contact member may directly be applied and thereby e.g. for improving comfort to the individual especially a conductive member of conductive plastic material, especially of conductive polymer. In a further preferred embodiment of the present invention 10 and according to fig. 7 the wire 7w is integrated into glasses. Thereby, the wire 7w is contacted with the respective right-hand and left-hand hearing devices (not shown in fig. 6) at schematically shown contact areas 45, which preferably are realized for establishing contact by 15 magnetic attraction, as shown in the figs. 4 to 6. If provided, an electronic unit 13 may also be integrated into the glasses. Thus, by simply applying the glasses, the communication link 7 according to the present invention between the- binaurally operated hearing devices is 20 established, which is largely facilitated by conceiving contacting at the areas 45 to the respective hearing devices, as was described, by magnetic attraction. 25 - 20 It is to be understood that, if any prior art publication is referred to herein, such reference does not constitute an admission that the publication forms a part of the common general knowledge in the art, in Australia or any 5 other country. In the claims which follow and in the preceding description, except where the context requires otherwise due to express language or necessary implication, the word 10 "comprise" or variations such as "comprises" or "comprising" is used in an inclusive sense, i.e. to specify the presence of the stated features but not to preclude the presence or addition of further features in various embodiments of the invention. N -\elboume\Cases\Patent\47000-47999\P47572 AU\Specis\P47572 AU Specificaion 2007-1-30 doc 30/01/07
Claims (33)
1. A method of establishing a binaural communication link between two hearing devices at an individual by at least two electric conductors, wherein one conductor is established by the individual's body and the at least one second conductor by a wire.
2. The method of claim 1, and bi-directionally transmitting electrical signals between said hearing devices.
3. The method of claim 1 or claim 2, and transmitting at least one of control signals and of audio signals via said communication link.
4. The method of any one of claims 1 to 3, and providing an electronic unit for communicating by said link with said devices.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein said unit comprising a receiver-/transmitter-unit for wireless communication and establishing communication.
6. The method of any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein one of said two hearing devices is a master and a second of said hearing devices is a slave.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said transmitter /receiver unit is provided between said two hearing devices.
8. The method of any one of claims 1 to 7, and applying said wire to at least one of said hearing devices by magnetic attraction.
9. The method of claim 8, and establishing by said magnetic attraction an electric conduction contact of said wire to an input tab of said at least one hearing device.
10. The method of claim 9, and establishing said conduction contact by at least one of a magnetic and of a ferromagnetic member.
11. The method of claim 9, and establishing said conduction contact with at least one of a non-magnetic metal contact member, a conductive polymer contact member.
12. The method of claim 8, and establishing by said magnetic attraction a capacitive electric contact of said wire to an input of said at least one hearing device.
13. The method of any one of claims 1 to 12, and establishing electric contact to said individual's body from said devices by a conduction body electrode comprising at least one of a metallic and of a conductive polymer body electrode.
14. The method of any one of claims 1 to 11, and establishing electric contact to said individual's body by a series capacitance electrode from said hearing devices.
15. The method of claim 8, and establishing a predetermined relative positioning of a contact area at said wire and a contact area at said at least one hearing device, by said magnetic attraction.
16. The method of claim 8, and enabling or disabling applying said wire to one of said two hearing devices by appropriately selecting magnetic polarities of respective magnetic arrangements at said at least one hearing device and said wire.
17. The method of any one of claims 1 to 16, and providing an electronic unit interconnected between said two hearing devices by said communication link and providing at said electronic unit an electrode to said individual's body comprising one of a conduction body electrode, preferably of at least one of a metal and of a conductive polymer and of a capacitive body electrode.
18. The method of any one of claims 1 to 17, wherein said hearing devices are one of in-the-ear and of outside-the-ear hearing devices.
19. The method of any one of claims 1 to 18, wherein said hearing devices are therapeutical hearing aid devices.
20. The method of any of claims 1 to 19, wherein said communication link is integrated into a head-worn assembly, preferably into glasses.
21. The method of claim 20, wherein said communication link is integrated into glasses and wherein electric connection of said wire to at least one of said hearing devices is established by a user putting on said glasses.
22. A binaural hearing device set comprising a pair of hearing devices and a communication link between said devices, said communication link comprising a body electrode for electrically contacting the body of an individual carrying said set at both of said hearing devices and wherein said communication link comprises at least one single wire.
23. The set of claim 22, wherein said communication link comprises an electronic unit and two single wires respectively connectable to said hearing devices on one side and to said electronic unit on the other side.
24. The set of claim 23, wherein said electronic unit comprises a wireless transmitter-/receiver-unit operationally connected to contact areas for said two wires.
25. The set of any one of claims 22 to 24, wherein a magnetic connection arrangement is provided between at least one end of said wire and at least one of said two hearing devices.
26. The set of claim 25, wherein said magnetic connection further comprises conductive contact members at said hearing device and at said one end respectively for establishing mutual galvanic contact between said wire and said hearing device.
27. The set of claim 26, wherein at least one of said conductive members comprises a magnet or being made of ferromagnetic metal.
28. The set of claim 26, wherein at least one of said conductive members comprises at least one of non-magnetic metal and of conductive polymer.
29. The set of claim 25, wherein said magnetic connection comprises a series capacitance, established by said magnetic connection.
30. The set of any one of claims 29, said body electrode being a conductive plate or a conductive plate covered with a dielectric material.
31. The set of any one of claims 30, wherein said wire is integrated into a head-worn assembly, preferably into glasses.
32. The set of any one of claims 31, wherein said hearing devices are in-the-ear or outside-the-ear hearing devices.
33. The set of any one of claims 22 to 32, wherein said hearing devices are hearing aid devices.
Applications Claiming Priority (3)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| AUPCT/CH2001/000156 | 2001-03-13 | ||
| PCT/CH2001/000156 WO2001039569A2 (en) | 2001-03-13 | 2001-03-13 | Method for establishing a detachable mechanical and/or electrical connection |
| PCT/CH2002/000033 WO2002074011A2 (en) | 2001-03-13 | 2002-01-22 | Method for establishing a binaural communication link and binaural hearing devices |
Publications (4)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2002218936A1 AU2002218936A1 (en) | 2002-09-24 |
| AU2002218936B2 AU2002218936B2 (en) | 2007-02-22 |
| AU2002218936B8 AU2002218936B8 (en) | 2007-04-05 |
| AU2002218936C1 true AU2002218936C1 (en) | 2010-05-13 |
Family
ID=4358184
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| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
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| AU3718801A Pending AU3718801A (en) | 2001-03-13 | 2001-03-13 | Method for establishing a detachable mechanical and/or electrical connection |
| AU2001237188A Ceased AU2001237188B2 (en) | 2001-03-13 | 2001-03-13 | Method for establishing a detachable mechanical and/or electrical connection |
| AU2002218936A Ceased AU2002218936C1 (en) | 2001-03-13 | 2002-01-22 | Method for establishing a binaural communication link and binaural hearing devices |
Family Applications Before (2)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU3718801A Pending AU3718801A (en) | 2001-03-13 | 2001-03-13 | Method for establishing a detachable mechanical and/or electrical connection |
| AU2001237188A Ceased AU2001237188B2 (en) | 2001-03-13 | 2001-03-13 | Method for establishing a detachable mechanical and/or electrical connection |
Country Status (7)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (2) | EP1368989A2 (en) |
| JP (2) | JP2004530310A (en) |
| AU (3) | AU3718801A (en) |
| CA (2) | CA2439445A1 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE60239319D1 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK1368991T3 (en) |
| WO (2) | WO2001039569A2 (en) |
Cited By (2)
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| US8460746B2 (en) | 2009-09-09 | 2013-06-11 | Cochlear Limited | Method of forming insulated conductive element having a substantially continuous barrier layer formed via relative motion during deposition |
| US8726492B2 (en) | 2009-09-09 | 2014-05-20 | Cochlear Limited | Insulated conductive element having a substantially continuous barrier layer formed through multiple coatings |
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| CA2439445A1 (en) | 2001-03-13 | 2001-06-07 | Phonak Ag | Method for establishing a detachable mechanical and/or electrical connection |
| US7512448B2 (en) * | 2003-01-10 | 2009-03-31 | Phonak Ag | Electrode placement for wireless intrabody communication between components of a hearing system |
| US7392091B2 (en) | 2003-12-30 | 2008-06-24 | Cochlear Limited | Implanted antenna and radio communications link |
| WO2006045148A2 (en) | 2004-10-28 | 2006-05-04 | Cochlear Limited | Transcutaneous capacitive data link |
| DE102005020322A1 (en) * | 2005-05-02 | 2006-07-13 | Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh | Interface device for signal transmission between hearing aid and external device, has light-emitting diode and receiving diode for optical signal transmission between fixed and detachable transmission devices |
| DE102006019693B4 (en) * | 2006-04-27 | 2012-12-06 | Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh | Binaural hearing system with magnetic control |
| EP2119310B1 (en) | 2007-01-22 | 2016-12-14 | Sonova AG | System and method for providing hearing assistance to a user |
| US8934984B2 (en) | 2007-05-31 | 2015-01-13 | Cochlear Limited | Behind-the-ear (BTE) prosthetic device with antenna |
| US8634773B2 (en) | 2007-10-12 | 2014-01-21 | Cochlear Limited | Short range communications for body contacting devices |
| CN102301622B (en) * | 2009-01-28 | 2014-11-19 | 三星电子株式会社 | Portable terminal and sound detector, which both communicate using body area network, and data controlling method therefor |
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- 2001-03-13 WO PCT/CH2001/000156 patent/WO2001039569A2/en active IP Right Grant
- 2001-03-13 AU AU2001237188A patent/AU2001237188B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2001-03-13 JP JP2001541315A patent/JP2004530310A/en active Pending
- 2001-03-13 EP EP01909397A patent/EP1368989A2/en not_active Withdrawn
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2002
- 2002-01-22 DK DK02750507.2T patent/DK1368991T3/en active
- 2002-01-22 EP EP02750507A patent/EP1368991B1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-01-22 CA CA2407142A patent/CA2407142C/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
- 2002-01-22 DE DE60239319T patent/DE60239319D1/en not_active Expired - Lifetime
- 2002-01-22 JP JP2002571747A patent/JP2004526366A/en active Pending
- 2002-01-22 AU AU2002218936A patent/AU2002218936C1/en not_active Ceased
- 2002-01-22 WO PCT/CH2002/000033 patent/WO2002074011A2/en active Application Filing
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| US6084975A (en) * | 1998-05-19 | 2000-07-04 | Resound Corporation | Promontory transmitting coil and tympanic membrane magnet for hearing devices |
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| US8460746B2 (en) | 2009-09-09 | 2013-06-11 | Cochlear Limited | Method of forming insulated conductive element having a substantially continuous barrier layer formed via relative motion during deposition |
| US8726492B2 (en) | 2009-09-09 | 2014-05-20 | Cochlear Limited | Insulated conductive element having a substantially continuous barrier layer formed through multiple coatings |
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| WO2002074011A2 (en) | 2002-09-19 |
| AU2001237188B2 (en) | 2006-03-09 |
| EP1368991B1 (en) | 2011-03-02 |
| CA2439445A1 (en) | 2001-06-07 |
| DK1368991T3 (en) | 2011-06-20 |
| EP1368989A2 (en) | 2003-12-10 |
| AU3718801A (en) | 2001-06-12 |
| CA2407142A1 (en) | 2002-09-19 |
| AU2002218936B8 (en) | 2007-04-05 |
| DE60239319D1 (en) | 2011-04-14 |
| AU2002218936A1 (en) | 2002-09-24 |
| WO2002074011A3 (en) | 2003-07-24 |
| WO2001039569A2 (en) | 2001-06-07 |
| JP2004530310A (en) | 2004-09-30 |
| CA2407142C (en) | 2011-07-26 |
| AU2002218936B2 (en) | 2007-02-22 |
| WO2001039569A3 (en) | 2002-05-30 |
| JP2004526366A (en) | 2004-08-26 |
| EP1368991A2 (en) | 2003-12-10 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
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| TH | Corrigenda |
Free format text: IN VOL 21, NO 8, PAGE(S) 912 UNDER THE HEADING APPLICATIONS ACCEPTED - NAME INDEX UNDER THE NAME PHONAK AG, APPLICATION NO. 2002218936, UNDER INID (72), CORRECT THE INVENTOR NAME TO READ JAKOB, ANDREAS |
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| CB | Opposition filed |
Opponent name: COCHLEAR LIMITED |
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| DA2 | Applications for amendment section 104 |
Free format text: THE NATURE OF THE AMENDMENT IS AS SHOWN IN THE STATEMENT(S) FILED 13 OCT 2009. |
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| DA3 | Amendments made section 104 |
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| CH | Opposition withdrawn |
Opponent name: COCHLEAR LIMITED |
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| FGA | Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent) | ||
| MK14 | Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired |