AU2007202465A1 - Hearing system with inductive transmission and wideband transmission - Google Patents
Hearing system with inductive transmission and wideband transmission Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- AU2007202465A1 AU2007202465A1 AU2007202465A AU2007202465A AU2007202465A1 AU 2007202465 A1 AU2007202465 A1 AU 2007202465A1 AU 2007202465 A AU2007202465 A AU 2007202465A AU 2007202465 A AU2007202465 A AU 2007202465A AU 2007202465 A1 AU2007202465 A1 AU 2007202465A1
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- AU
- Australia
- Prior art keywords
- hearing
- units
- hearing system
- communication
- wideband
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
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Classifications
-
- 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
- H04R25/554—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 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
-
- 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
Description
S&F Ref: 810802
AUSTRALIA
PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address of Applicant Actual Inventor(s): Address for Service: Invention Title: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH, of Gebbertstrasse 125, 91058, Erlangen, Germany Peter Nikles Ulrich Schatzle Spruson Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Hearing system with inductive transmission and wideband transmission The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us:- 5845c(807853_1) HEARING SYSTEM WITH INDUCTIVE TRANSMISSION
AND
WIDEBAND TRANSMISSION The present invention relates to a hearing system with at least two hearing units designed for wireless communication with one another, and a communication station, by means of which messages can be transmitted between the hearing units.
Hearing units here refers not only to hearing aids, but also to headsets, headphones, etc.
It is known for audio signals for hearing aids to be transmitted in analog fashion in the baseband via inductively coupled coils. For example, so-called telephone coils are used to transmit voice signals when telephoning. In addition, induction loops are used in museums, churches, etc. to send signals to hearing aids. As well as this, coils are also used to transmit signals from one hearing aid to another in the case of a cross system (where the hearing aid wearer is wearing two hearing aids) The analog transmission of audio signals typically takes place using a modulated carrier. To this end, the hearing aids have corresponding AM/FM receivers. In the cross system the behind-the-ear hearing aids also have AM/FM transmitters.
Besides the wireless transmission of signals, wired transmission between the hearing aids is also possible. In addition, wired transmission is possible from an external audio device to a hearing aid via an audio shoe plug.
The article "An Ultra-Wideband Transceiver Architecture for Low Power, Low Rate, Wireless Systems", IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON VEHICULAR TECHNOLOGY, VOL. 54, NO. 5, SEPTEMBER 2005, pages 1623 to 1631 describes a wideband pulse transmission technique for wireless systems. The transmission technique is characterized by low power consumption. The data transmission rate is comparatively high in hearing aid terms.
Printed patent specification US 5 751 820 A discloses a communication system for hearing aids for wireless transmission. The hearing aid accommodates a transceiver which communicates bidirectionally with a remote processing unit.
Publication DE 602 02 618 T2 further describes a cellular system for asymmetric wireless communication with a carrier wave for the downlink direction and ultra-wideband for the uplink direction. A mobile communication unit has a carrierwave-based receiver and an ultra-wideband transmitter. Since less power is needed for an ultra-wideband transmission than for a carrier wave transmission, the mobile communication unit benefits from this power saving. On the other hand, communication from the base station communication unit to the mobile communication unit is by way of a carrier wave transmission.
Thus, a need exists to provide a hearing unit enabling wireless communication at low power consumption and increased data transmission rate. A further need exists to provide a corresponding hearing system, in which a plurality of hearing units communicate in the aforementioned way.
According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a hearing system having at least two spatially separated hearing units designed for wireless communication with one another, wherein each hearing unit is fitted with a transceiver having an inductive reception device and a digital wideband pulse transmitter, and a communication station which is structurally separate from the hearing units, and with which a message can be transmitted from one of the hearing units to another of the hearing units, wherein the communication station has an inductive transmission device to transmit to the hearing units and a wideband reception device for receiving from the hearing units.
Digitally modulated magnetic field signals can preferably be transmitted between the hearing units, thereby enabling secure transmission with little hardware requirement.
The bandwidth of each of the wideband pulse transmitters is 1o at least 100 MHz. This means a comparatively high data rate can be achieved.
Each of the wideband pulse transmitters is connected to a miniaturized electrical antenna, the maximum dimension of which is preferably between 8 and 20 mm, enabling the size of the hearing units and especially of the hearing aids to be reduced.
According to a preferred embodiment, bidirectional, quasisimultaneous communication can be conducted between the hearing units via the communication station. To this end, it can be advantageous if control information is also transmitted from the communication station during communication. This quasi-simultaneous, bidirectional communication is possible because communication takes place in one time window in one direction and in a subsequent time window in the other direction. As a result, the transceivers can be implemented with little effort.
In addition, the communication station can have a bidirectional interface to an external configuration device.
It is especially favorable if configuration data can be transmitted from the configuration device to one of the hearing units via the communication station. The communication station thus acquires the dual function of transmitting signals between the hearing units as well as signals from a configuration device to a hearing unit.
The present invention will now be explained in greater detail on the basis of the enclosed drawing, which shows a basic sketch of an inventive system having two hearing aids.
The exemplary embodiments outlined in greater detail below represent preferred embodiments of the present invention.
The FIG shows a hearing aid wearer with a left hearing aid io HG-L in his left ear and a right hearing aid HG-R in his right ear. Communication between both hearing aids is via a portable base device BG. The hearing aid wearer can for example wear the said base device BG in his breast pocket and it assumes the function of the communication station.
Is Digital receivers and transmitters for audio signals are installed separately in each of the hearing aids HG-R and HG-L. Both are adapted to the extreme demands on hearing aids as regards size and power required. If the called station in the communication is a portable base device BG with less critical demands, more complexity can be used for the transmitters and receivers incorporated therein, in order to offset the limitations in the hearing aids.
In a favorable embodiment, a miniaturized coil is used for the receiver in the hearing aids HG-R and HG-L. Its maximum dimension is preferably between 4 and 8 mm. Such coils are also used for example for remote operation of hearing aids.
The receiver coils of the hearing aids receive the digitally modulated magnetic field signal from a transmitter, which has a significantly larger and thus more effective transmission coil and which is incorporated into the base device BG. The signal path is symbolized in the FIG by arrows from the base device BG to the hearing aids HG-R and HG-L. The inductive transmitter is designated as TX in the FIG. It is controlled by a signal processing unit P having a memory and a communication interface C. The base device BG further has a battery B, as well as operating and display elements (not shown) s A likewise miniaturized electrical antenna is used for the transmitter in the hearing aids HG-R and HG-L, and emits wideband pulsed signals at low transmission field strength.
The technique of emitting wideband pulsed signals is known from the article already mentioned in the introduction "An Ultra-Wideband Transceiver Architecture for Low Power, Low Rate, Wireless Systems". This technology allows signals to be emitted by the transmitter using very little power. These signals are represented by arrows from the hearing aids HG-R and HG-L to the base device BG in the FIG.
So that the weak, wideband pulsed signals can be received in the base device BG with sufficient quality, a significantly larger and thus more effective electrical receive antenna is incorporated therein. Implementation of the receive circuit and the receiver RX likewise requires a great deal of effort in order to detect the weak signals reliably.
If a so-called cross system is necessary for the patient, the digital audio signal can be passed via the base device BG from one hearing aid HG-R to the opposite hearing aid HG-L or vice versa. In the base of a bi-cross system for the patient the digital audio signals can be passed via the base device BG from right to left and quasi-simultaneously from left to right. For this purpose, control signals are also transmitted from the base device BG to effect an alternating transmission of the wideband pulsed signals of the relevant hearing aids HG-R and HG-L.
To configure the base device BG, a bidirectional interface to a configuration device KG is optionally provided. The interface can either be a simple serial wired interface (e.g.
Universal Serial Bus) or a wireless interface (e.g.
Bluetooth, Zigbee, WLAN). In a further step, the bidirectional interface can also be used to reconfigure programmable hearing aids. In this case, program data is transmitted instead of the digitized audio data, and the base device works as a communication station from and to the configuration device. The configuration device can be a PC or a notebook on which the fitting software for the hearing aid acoustician is installed.
Thanks to the combination of the digital audio receiver method (inductive coupling), which is favorable for hearing aids, with the digital audio transmitter method (electrical wideband pulses), which is favorable for hearing aids, it becomes possible to make available a wireless transmitterreceiver (transceiver) strategy which saves considerable power and space. The expensive functions are implemented in a base device separate from the hearing units and the hearing aids, since it acts as a communication station and makes few demands on power consumption and space requirement.
When reconfiguring programmable hearing aids, the fast data rate of the hearing aids is of great benefit, since it enables all the data stored in the hearing aid to be read out very fast.
The high data rate for communication with a hearing aid further opens up the possibility of implementing new hearing aid strategies. Thus the publication DE 10228157 describes hearing aids with signal processing relocated to an external unit. Until now this has failed in practice as regards implementation of a fast data channel from the hearing aids to the external unit, but it is now possible with the inventive hearing units.
Claims (9)
1. A hearing system comprising: at least two spatially separated hearing units, designed for wireless communication with one another, wherein each hearing unit is fitted with a transceiver which has an induc- tive reception device and a digital wideband pulse transmit- ter, and a communication station which is structurally separate from the hearing units and with which a message can be trans- mitted from one of the hearing units to another of the hear- ing units, wherein the communication station has an inductive transmission device for transmitting to the hearing units and a wideband reception device for receiving from the hearing units.
2. The hearing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein digi- tally modulated magnetic field signals can be transmitted be- tween the hearing units.
3. The hearing system as claimed in either one of claims 1 and 2, wherein the bandwidth of each of the wideband pulse transmitters is at least 100 MHz.
4. The hearing system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the electrical antenna of each wideband pulse transmitter is smaller than 20 mm.
The hearing system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein bidirectional, quasi-simultaneous communication can be conducted between the hearing units via the communica- tion station.
6. The hearing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein con- trol information is also transmitted by the communication station during the communication.
7. The hearing system as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the communication station has a bidirectional in- terface to an external configuration device. s
8. The hearing system as claimed in claim 7, wherein the configuration data can be transmitted from the configuration device via the communication station to one of the hearing units.
9. A hearing system substantially as described herein with reference to the accompanying drawing. DATED this Twenty-ninth Day of May, 2007 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Patent Attorneys for the Applicant SPRUSON FERGUSON
Applications Claiming Priority (2)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| DE102006025147.4 | 2006-05-30 | ||
| DE102006025147A DE102006025147B3 (en) | 2006-05-30 | 2006-05-30 | Hearing system for use in e.g. museum, has hearing devices provided with transceiver, which includes digital broadband pulse transmitter, where bandwidth of pulse transmitter amounts to hundred megahertz |
Publications (2)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| AU2007202465A1 true AU2007202465A1 (en) | 2007-12-20 |
| AU2007202465B2 AU2007202465B2 (en) | 2009-02-12 |
Family
ID=38537070
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| AU2007202465A Ceased AU2007202465B2 (en) | 2006-05-30 | 2007-05-29 | Hearing system with inductive transmission and wideband transmission |
Country Status (6)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| EP (1) | EP1865747B1 (en) |
| JP (1) | JP4708390B2 (en) |
| CN (1) | CN101179869A (en) |
| AU (1) | AU2007202465B2 (en) |
| DE (1) | DE102006025147B3 (en) |
| DK (1) | DK1865747T3 (en) |
Families Citing this family (2)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DE102008046041A1 (en) | 2008-09-05 | 2009-10-08 | Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. | Hearing system, has hearing device and external unit, where test signal is released in preferred direction by transmitting antenna of hearing device and is evaluated by external unit for determining preferred direction |
| EP3324644B1 (en) * | 2016-11-17 | 2020-11-04 | Oticon A/s | A wireless hearing device with stabilizing guide unit between tragus and antitragus |
Family Cites Families (12)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5721783A (en) * | 1995-06-07 | 1998-02-24 | Anderson; James C. | Hearing aid with wireless remote processor |
| US5751820A (en) * | 1997-04-02 | 1998-05-12 | Resound Corporation | Integrated circuit design for a personal use wireless communication system utilizing reflection |
| DE50003048D1 (en) * | 2000-01-13 | 2003-08-28 | Phonak Ag Staefa | HEARING AID REMOTE CONTROL AND HEARING AID WITH SUCH A |
| ATE309683T1 (en) * | 2000-07-14 | 2005-11-15 | Gn Resound As | SYNCHRONIZED BINAURAL HEARING SYSTEM |
| DE10048354A1 (en) * | 2000-09-29 | 2002-05-08 | Siemens Audiologische Technik | Method for operating a hearing aid system and hearing aid system |
| EP1250026A1 (en) * | 2001-04-11 | 2002-10-16 | Phonic Ear, Inc. | Short range data transfer for communication devices |
| US6853835B2 (en) * | 2001-08-13 | 2005-02-08 | Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. | Asymmetric wireless communication system using two different radio technologies |
| JP4597663B2 (en) * | 2002-05-31 | 2010-12-15 | メド−エル・エレクトロメディツィニシェ・ゲラーテ・ゲーエムベーハー | Low power transmission |
| DE10304648B3 (en) * | 2003-02-05 | 2004-08-19 | Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh | Device and method for communicating hearing aids |
| US7257372B2 (en) * | 2003-09-30 | 2007-08-14 | Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab | Bluetooth enabled hearing aid |
| EP1531650A3 (en) * | 2003-11-12 | 2008-07-09 | Gennum Corporation | Hearing instrument having a wireless base unit |
| JP4333424B2 (en) * | 2004-03-17 | 2009-09-16 | ブラザー工業株式会社 | Transponder, interrogator, and pulse signal transmission / reception system |
-
2006
- 2006-05-30 DE DE102006025147A patent/DE102006025147B3/en active Active
-
2007
- 2007-05-11 EP EP07107987.5A patent/EP1865747B1/en active Active
- 2007-05-11 DK DK07107987.5T patent/DK1865747T3/en active
- 2007-05-28 JP JP2007140113A patent/JP4708390B2/en active Active
- 2007-05-29 AU AU2007202465A patent/AU2007202465B2/en not_active Ceased
- 2007-05-30 CN CNA2007101527375A patent/CN101179869A/en active Pending
Also Published As
| Publication number | Publication date |
|---|---|
| DK1865747T3 (en) | 2017-07-03 |
| EP1865747A2 (en) | 2007-12-12 |
| JP4708390B2 (en) | 2011-06-22 |
| EP1865747A3 (en) | 2013-01-23 |
| DE102006025147B3 (en) | 2007-10-25 |
| CN101179869A (en) | 2008-05-14 |
| AU2007202465B2 (en) | 2009-02-12 |
| EP1865747B1 (en) | 2017-03-15 |
| JP2007325258A (en) | 2007-12-13 |
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Legal Events
| Date | Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| FGA | Letters patent sealed or granted (standard patent) | ||
| HB | Alteration of name in register |
Owner name: SIVANTOS GMBH Free format text: FORMER NAME(S): SIEMENS AUDIOLOGISCHE TECHNIK GMBH |
|
| MK14 | Patent ceased section 143(a) (annual fees not paid) or expired |