AU2007240218B2

AU2007240218B2 - Hearing apparatus including transponder detection and corresponding control method

Info

Publication number: AU2007240218B2
Application number: AU2007240218A
Authority: AU
Inventors: Uwe Rass
Original assignee: Sivantos GmbH
Current assignee: Sivantos GmbH
Priority date: 2006-12-11
Filing date: 2007-12-10
Publication date: 2009-08-13
Anticipated expiration: 2027-12-10
Also published as: DE102006058318B4; CN101203070A; DE102006058318A1; AU2007240218A1; EP1933594A1; JP2008148318A; JP4863981B2

Description

S&F Ref: 837231 AUSTRALIA PATENTS ACT 1990 COMPLETE SPECIFICATION FOR A STANDARD PATENT Name and Address Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH, of Gebbertstrasse of Applicant : 125, 91058, Erlangen, Germany Actual Inventor(s): Uwe Rass Address for Service: Spruson & Ferguson St Martins Tower Level 35 31 Market Street Sydney NSW 2000 (CCN 3710000177) Invention Title: Hearing apparatus including transponder detection and corresponding control method The following statement is a full description of this invention, including the best method of performing it known to me/us: 5845c(10565341 ) -1 HEARING APPARATUS INCLUDING TRANSPONDER DETECTION AND CORRESPONDING CONTROL METHOD The present invention relates to a hearing apparatus having a signal processing unit for 5 processing an input signal into an output signal that is to be reproduced acoustically. The present invention further relates to a method for controlling a hearing apparatus. The term "hearing apparatus" is understood in this context to mean in particular a hearing device, but also includes a headset, earphones, etc. 1o Hearing devices are portable hearing apparatuses which are used to provide hearing assistance to the hearing-impaired. In order to accommodate the multiplicity of individual requirements, different designs of hearing devices are provided, including behind-the-ear hearing devices (BTE), in-the-ear hearing devices (ITE) and full-shell/half-shell (concha) hearing devices. The hearing devices cited by way of example are worn on the outer ear or 15 in the auditory canal. In addition to these, however, bone conduction hearing aids as well as implantable or vibrotactile hearing aids are also available on the market. The damaged hearing is herewith stimulated either mechanically or electrically. Essential components of the hearing devices include in principle an input transducer, an 20 amplifier and an output transducer. The input transducer is typically a receiving transducer, e.g., a microphone and/or an electromagnetic receiver, e.g., an induction coil. The output transducer is mostly realized as an electroacoustic converter, e.g., a miniature loudspeaker, or as an electromechanical converter, e.g. a bone conduction receiver. The amplifier is usually integrated into a signal processing unit. This basic configuration is 25 shown in FIG 1 by way of the example of a behind-the-ear hearing device. One or more microphones 2 for recording the ambient sound are incorporated in a hearing device housing I that is designed to be worn behind the ear. A signal processing unit 3, which is likewise integrated into the hearing device housing 1, processes the microphone signals and amplifies them. The output signal of the signal processing unit 3 is transmitted to a 30 loudspeaker and/or receiver 4, which outputs an acoustic signal. In certain cases the sound is transmitted to the ear drum of the hearing device wearer via a sound tube which is secured in the auditory canal by means of an otoplastic. The hearing device and in -2 particular the signal processing unit 3 are supplied with power by means of a battery 5 which is likewise integrated into the hearing device housing 1. When wearing hearing devices and other hearing apparatuses, the individual user can find 5 himself or herself in different hearing situations. For example, he or she can find himself or herself in the hearing situation "quiet environment", "environment with background noise", "concert hall", "telephoning" etc. The detection of the hearing situation "telephoning" is particularly desirable, since it occurs relatively frequently and in this case the hearing device should be adjusted fundamentally differently compared to standard 10 hearing situations. When a telephone call is made, namely, an inductive input signal can generally be used and acoustically incoming ambient noises can be greatly attenuated. For the user it is particularly advantageous if the hearing situation "telephoning" is detected automatically by the hearing device or the respective hearing apparatus so that a telephone call can be conducted satisfactorily from the outset. 15 For automatic detection of the hearing situation "telephoning", a widespread practice at the present time is to attach a magnet to the telephone, said magnet actuating a reed contact in the hearing device when the telephone is brought close to the hearing device. The positioning of the magnet in relation to the reed contact is critical. Moreover, the 20 proximity of the strong magnetic field is detrimental to the hearing device receiver, the reason being that a strong magnetic field can not only lead to temporary interference, but also result in the destruction of the receiver or loudspeaker. Furthermore, the reed contact can also easily be triggered by other magnets not attached to the telephone and consequently cause an incorrect control action or program selection. 25 A wirelessly programmable hearing aid device is known from the publication EP 1 389 035 A2. Said device has a transponder by means of which it can receive programming signals from a programming device and send back specific response signals. For this purpose the transponder has an electric coil. 30 Thus, a need exists to enable automatic control of a hearing apparatus from an external point to be performed more reliably.

-3 According to one aspect of the present disclosure, there is provided a hearing aid having a signal processing unit for processing an input signal into an output signal that is to be reproduced acoustically, and a transponder detection unit for detecting a transponder and providing a corresponding detection signal, wherein the processing is s carried out by the signal processing unit as a function of the detection signal. Accordingly, also provided, according to a second aspect of the present disclosure, is a hearing system comprising a hearing aid of said kind and an external device with respect to the hearing aid, said external device being physically joined to a io transponder. Also provided, according to a third aspect of the present disclosure, is a method for controlling a hearing aid by processing an input signal into an output signal that is to be reproduced acoustically, and detecting a transponder as well as providing a is corresponding detection signal, wherein the processing is controlled as a function of the detection signal. The hearing aid and more particularly the hearing device can therefore be controlled in a reliable manner by means of a transponder (tag) which is brought within range of 20 the hearing aid. On the hearing apparatus side, this requires no additional mechanical or electrical components if the hearing apparatus already possesses an electromagnetic transmission system. In particular, therefore, it is possible to dispense with reed 25 contacts, GMR sensors etc. for detecting the telephone situation. This means that the hearing apparatuses or hearing devices can be built smaller. Moreover, the reliability of the detection is increased according to the invention, since the magnetic field coupling via an extended coil in the transponder is superior to that via a reed contact and a permanent magnet. Furthermore, the transponder is totally inactive 30 magnetically, i.e., it cannot interfere with either the receiver or other sensitive components. This makes transporting it in sensitive environments (e.g., in an aircraft) much less problematical. 2160639_1 IRN: 837231 -4 The transponder detection unit of the hearing apparatus is able to detect a transponder on the basis of an energy loss. Thus, for example, the oscillation amplitude of a resonance circuit can be checked with very little additional investment of effort. In this case it is 5 favorable if the transponder detection unit cyclically analyzes its own transmission energy for detecting the transponder. The transponder detection unit may also be able to detect a transponder on the basis of a change in frequency. Accordingly, for example, a defined detuning of the frequency of a 10 resonant circuit can be an unequivocal sign of the presence of a transponder. Furthermore, the transponder detection unit may be able to detect a transponder on the basis of a pulse response. In this case use can advantageously be made of the fact that a transponder can respond to a transmission pulse in a characteristic manner. 15 According to a further embodiment, the transponder detection unit uses a plurality of frequencies for the purpose of detection. In this case it can be provided, for example, that a predefined frequency range will be scanned by the transponder detection unit. Toward that end, the frequencies can be varied for example by sweeping or by switching, both of which 20 are very easy to implement. On the transponder side it is particularly favorable if the transponder consists solely of an LC resonant circuit. A transponder of this kind can be manufactured conveniently and in a very small design. 25 The present invention is explained in more detail with reference to the attached drawings, in which: FIG 1 shows the basic structure of a hearing device according to the prior art, and 30 FIG 2 shows a schematic diagram illustrating the detection of a transponder by means of a hearing device.

-5 The exemplary embodiments described in greater detail below represent preferred embodiments of the present invention. s According to the example shown in FIG 2, a hearing device 10 has what is termed a wireless system 11 by means of which it is able to set up a wireless connection to an external device. In the present case, an LC resonant circuit comprising a capacitor C1 and a coil LI is used for the electromagnetic transmission by the wireless system 11. The resonant circuit is controlled or driven by means of a driver VI. An alternating magnetic 10 field 12 is generated by means of the coil Li of the hearing device 10. The hearing device is now expected to detect that a telephone or another device has been brought within its range in order to switch into the corresponding hearing device program, in this case a telephone program. A remote control of a television set or a radio, for 15 example, can also be brought close to the hearing device in order to effect a corresponding switch into a television hearing device program or radio hearing device program. The hearing device 10 itself can, of course, also be brought into the vicinity of the respective external device. 20 To ensure that the hearing device 10 detects the external device (telephone, remote control, etc.), a transponder is attached to said external device. In the example shown in Fig. 2, the transponder 13 is fixed to a telephone 14. A coil L2 in combination with a capacitor C2 forms a resonant circuit of the transponder 25 13. The two components L2, C2 form a simple RFID transponder. An RFID transponder is also known for example from the publication DE 20 2006 006 921 U1. The coil L2 of the transponder 13 acts as an antenna and interacts with the magnetic field 12. The energy requirement of the wireless system 11 of the hearing device is therefore 30 affected during operation by the presence of the transponder 13 or, as the case may be, of its resonant circuit L2, C2. This principle is known from RFID technology.

-6 Since the resonant circuit transponder 13 is attached to the telephone receiver or the telephone 14 or the corresponding other external device, the coil L2 and the capacity C2 should be implemented in a very low-profile design. In such an arrangement the surface area encompassed by the coil L2 is essentially freely selectable. The surface area is 5 nonetheless important for the detection rate, since the field density of the receiving coil L2 determines the induced voltage. The approaching of the transponder 13 is determined by cyclical polling of the transmission energy in the hearing device 10. According to the example of FIG 2, a io voltage is tapped off for this purpose at the transmitting resonant circuit Li, C1, amplified by means of an amplifier V2 and made available to the hearing device signal processing function as a detection signal 15. In contrast to the solution using a magnet attached to the telephone receiver, in this case the hearing device 10 actively searches for the transponder 13. 15 The frequencies at which the hearing device 10 searches for the transponder 13 are varied over a small range in order to compensate for manufacturing tolerances of the transponder 13. At the same time the frequencies can be varied continuously by sweeping or intermittently by switching. 20 The reliability of telephone detection can be increased in the case of binaural hearing assistance to a hearing device wearer if the two hearing devices are coupled to each other wirelessly or in a wired manner. In this case the telephone detection function preferably operates only if the transmission energy at the resonance frequency is increased on one 25 side and not on the other side.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising: a signal processing unit for processing an input signal into an output signal s that is to be reproduced acoustically; and a transponder detection unit for detecting a transponder and providing a corresponding detection signal; wherein the processing is performed by the signal processing unit as a function of the detection signal. 10

2. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transponder detection unit is able to detect a transponder on the basis of an energy loss.

3. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 2, wherein the transponder detection unit 15 cyclically analyzes its own transmission energy for the purpose of detecting the transponder.

4. The hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transponder detection unit is able to detect a transponder on the basis of a change in 20 frequency.

5. The hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transponder detection unit is able to detect a transponder on the basis of a pulse response. 25

6. The hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the transponder detection unit uses a plurality of frequencies for the purpose of detection.

7. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 6, wherein a predefined frequency range is 30 scanned by the transponder detection unit. 2160639_1 IRN: 837231

8. A hearing system comprising: a hearing aid as claimed in any one of the preceding claims; and an external device with respect to the hearing aid, said external device being physically joined to a transponder. 5

9. The hearing system as claimed in claim 8, wherein the transponder consists solely of an LC resonant circuit.

10. A method for controlling a hearing aid, comprising the steps of: 10 processing an input signal into an output signal that is to be reproduced acoustically; and detecting a transponder and providing a corresponding detection signal; wherein the processing is controlled as a function of the detection signal. 15

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the transponder is detected on the basis of an energy loss.

12. The method as claimed in either one of claims 10 and 11, wherein the transponder is detected on the basis of a change in frequency. 20

13. The method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 12, wherein the transponder is detected on the basis of a pulse response.

14. The method as claimed in any one of claims 10 to 13, wherein the hearing aid 25 comprises two hearing devices for providing binaural hearing assistance and the transponder serves for detecting a telephone and wherein a telephone situation relevant to the processing is detected if a transmission energy at a predefined resonance frequency is increased in one of the hearing devices compared to a predefined normal value and is not increased in the other hearing device. 30

15. A hearing aid substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. 2160639 1 IRN: 837231 -9

16. A hearing system substantially as described herein with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings.

17. A method for controlling a hearing aid, said method being substantially as 5 described herein with reference to Fig. 2 of the accompanying drawings. DATED this twenty-second Day of June, 2009 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Patent Attorneys for the Applicant 10 SPRUSON & FERGUSON 2160639_1 IRN: 837231