EP0499699B1 - Hörgerät mit wenigstens zwei Mikrofonen - Google Patents

Hörgerät mit wenigstens zwei Mikrofonen Download PDF

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Publication number
EP0499699B1
EP0499699B1 EP91120568A EP91120568A EP0499699B1 EP 0499699 B1 EP0499699 B1 EP 0499699B1 EP 91120568 A EP91120568 A EP 91120568A EP 91120568 A EP91120568 A EP 91120568A EP 0499699 B1 EP0499699 B1 EP 0499699B1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hearing aid
microphones
microphone
sound
switch
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.)
Expired - Lifetime
Application number
EP91120568A
Other languages
German (de)
English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP0499699A1 (de
Inventor
André Vonlanthen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Sonova Holding AG
Original Assignee
Phonak AG
Priority date (The priority date 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 date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Phonak AG filed Critical Phonak AG
Publication of EP0499699A1 publication Critical patent/EP0499699A1/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP0499699B1 publication Critical patent/EP0499699B1/de
Anticipated expiration legal-status Critical
Expired - Lifetime legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • H04R25/40—Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic
    • H04R25/405—Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic by combining a plurality of transducers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2410/00—Microphones
    • H04R2410/01—Noise reduction using microphones having different directional characteristics

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a hearing aid with an electronic amplifier arranged in the housing with recording and playback devices for sound amplification.
  • Such devices serve people with poor hearing as hearing aids in that all sounds are recorded via a microphone, electronically amplified and reproduced by means of a loudspeaker which has a tubular structure extending into the auditory canal of the wearer as an outlet opening.
  • the hearing aid housing is shaped such that it resp. can be worn around the ear. It follows that it is a relatively small device in which only miniaturized components can be used. Due to the small size as well as the positioning on the ear, volume controls and an M-T-O switch are conventionally attached to the hearing aid as control elements. Two operating modes can be selected with the M-T-O switch. Position “M” stands for microphone, position "T” for telephone (the signal is transmitted inductively); in position "O” the device is switched off.
  • mainly omnidirectional microphones are used as the recording device. These normally use a small opening in the hearing aid housing as a sound entry opening. As a result of the omnidirectional microphone characteristic, all noises are recorded and amplified to the same extent in a spherical manner around this opening. In particular, in conversations between a hearing aid wearer and a person at a distance from it, all surrounding sound sources interfere with understanding, since these are amplified as background noises as well as the speech source. This effect increases with increasing Hearing impairment and the resulting increased sound amplification increased. In order to do justice to these cases, a few hearing aids have microphones with directional (directional) characteristics. These microphones have two separate sound entry openings.
  • a hearing aid version is also already known in which the recording characteristic is switchable.
  • one of the two sound inlet openings is either covered or left open by means of a mechanically operable screen. If one of the two openings is covered with a directional microphone, an omnidirectional characteristic is achieved.
  • the screen which is very small, cannot be operated directly by the user when the hearing aid is worn, since there is no space for a correspondingly easy-to-use actuating element. Traditionally, this setting is therefore permanently preselected when fitting the hearing aid.
  • At least one microphone is preferably connected directly to the amplifier input and at least one microphone can optionally be connected in parallel with the directly connected microphones by means of the switch.
  • the object of the present invention was to enable the hearing aid wearer himself to change the recording characteristics of the hearing aid while wearing the hearing aid on the ear without changing the dimensions of the hearing aid.
  • a hearing device of the type defined in the introduction in which at least two microphones are provided as recording devices with sound entry openings arranged at a distance from one another in the hearing device and these can be connected to the amplifier either individually or in parallel, optionally by means of a switch, in that an electronic switch is provided as a switch, which can be controlled by the user by means of remote-controlled control electronics in the hearing aid.
  • a special embodiment of the invention provides that the microphones are omnidirectional microphones, each with a sound inlet opening.
  • a further preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the microphone used is at least one omnidirectional microphone with a sound inlet opening and at least one directional microphone with at least two separate sound inlet openings, or that the microphones are directional microphones with at least two separate sound inlet openings.
  • only one microphone can be connected to the amplifier input by means of the switch.
  • the recording characteristics can be electronically switched on or off. Switch off additional microphones with separate sound inlet openings by the user himself. Since such microphones are greatly miniaturized and electronic switches can be integrated into the existing amplifier circuit, practically no additional space in the hearing aid is required for this function.
  • the hearing aid wearer can change the recording characteristic himself at any time, which results in a considerable improvement in comfort.
  • a conventional hearing device essentially has a microphone 1 as a recording device, an amplifier 2 and a playback speaker 3, as shown in FIG. Under Under certain circumstances, an additional control element is provided for controlling the amplifier 2, with which the degree of amplification can be changed within a certain range.
  • the microphone 1 normally has an omnidirectional recording characteristic.
  • a hearing aid design As shown schematically in section in FIG. 2. Inside the hearing aid housing 5 there is a directional microphone 6 with two separate sound entry openings 7 and 8. The reproduction takes place by means of a loudspeaker 9, the exit opening 10 of which opens into a channel 11 to be inserted into the auditory canal.
  • a sliding diaphragm 12 with an opening 13 is attached to the hearing aid. In one end position of the diaphragm 12 (as shown in FIG. 2), the opening 13 lies just above the sound entry opening 8 of the microphone 6, which means that the microphone 6 has a directional, directional characteristic. In the other end position of the diaphragm 12, the sound inlet opening 8 is covered by it, and the microphone 6 has an omnidirectional characteristic.
  • the panel is very small and can only be operated with a suitable tool, i.e. be moved.
  • a preferred exemplary embodiment of the invention has two microphones 14 and 17 in the hearing device 5 (FIG. 3).
  • the one microphone is a directional microphone with two sound entry openings 15, 16 and the other microphone 17 is an omnidirectional microphone with a sound entry channel 18.
  • the microphone 14 or the microphone 17 is optionally connected to the amplifier with an electronic switch, whereby each the corresponding recording characteristic is achieved. Any other combinations of microphones are also conceivable.
  • two omnidirectional Microphones are switched in such a way that in one switch position only one microphone is connected to the amplifier and an omnidirectional recording characteristic is thus achieved. In a second switch position, both microphones can be connected in parallel, whereby a directional characteristic can be achieved due to the different position of the two sound inlet openings. If necessary, both microphones are connected to their own preamplifiers, which can be set to the correct phase position.
  • Remote-controlled control electronics are used to control the electronic switches, which allows this function to be operated conveniently by means of a remote control device.

Landscapes

  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Circuit For Audible Band Transducer (AREA)
  • Headphones And Earphones (AREA)
  • Details Of Audible-Bandwidth Transducers (AREA)
EP91120568A 1991-02-20 1991-11-29 Hörgerät mit wenigstens zwei Mikrofonen Expired - Lifetime EP0499699B1 (de)

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
CH515/91A CH681411A5 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1991-02-20 1991-02-20
CH515/91 1991-02-20

Publications (2)

Publication Number Publication Date
EP0499699A1 EP0499699A1 (de) 1992-08-26
EP0499699B1 true EP0499699B1 (de) 1996-02-28

Family

ID=4188773

Family Applications (1)

Application Number Title Priority Date Filing Date
EP91120568A Expired - Lifetime EP0499699B1 (de) 1991-02-20 1991-11-29 Hörgerät mit wenigstens zwei Mikrofonen

Country Status (6)

Country Link
EP (1) EP0499699B1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
AT (1) ATE134814T1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
CH (1) CH681411A5 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
DE (1) DE59107476D1 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
DK (1) DK0499699T3 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)
ES (1) ES2085405T3 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html)

Cited By (4)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19635229A1 (de) * 1996-08-30 1998-03-12 Siemens Audiologische Technik Richtungsempfindliche Hörhilfe
DE19852758A1 (de) * 1998-11-16 2000-05-25 Siemens Audiologische Technik Hinter dem Ohr tragbares Hörhilfegerät
DE19948907A1 (de) * 1999-10-11 2001-02-01 Siemens Audiologische Technik Verfahren zur Signalverarbeitung in einer Hörhilfe sowie Hörhilfe
DE10260304B3 (de) * 2002-12-20 2004-07-08 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Hörgerätesystem mit seitenspezifisch ausgebildeten hinter den Ohren tragbaren Hörhilfegeräten

Families Citing this family (11)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US5274111A (en) * 1992-04-07 1993-12-28 American Home Products Corporation Trifluoromethyl substituted 1H-pyrazoles and derivatives thereof
US5524056A (en) 1993-04-13 1996-06-04 Etymotic Research, Inc. Hearing aid having plural microphones and a microphone switching system
FR2711515B1 (fr) * 1993-10-21 1996-01-12 Boucobza Fabien Dispositif d'aide à l'audition.
US5410004A (en) † 1994-01-24 1995-04-25 Arizona Chemical Company Thermal polymerization of dicyclopentadiene
DK0847227T3 (da) 1998-03-02 2003-12-22 Phonak Ag Høreapparat
DE19810043A1 (de) 1998-03-09 1999-09-23 Siemens Audiologische Technik Hörgerät mit einem Richtmikrofon-System
EP1118248B1 (de) 1998-09-29 2005-03-23 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Hörgerät und verfahren zum verarbeiten von mikrofonsignalen in einem hörgerät
WO2000065873A1 (en) * 1999-04-28 2000-11-02 Gennum Corporation Programmable multi-mode, multi-microphone system
WO2001076319A2 (en) * 2000-03-31 2001-10-11 Clarity, L.L.C. Method and apparatus for voice signal extraction
CA2424828C (en) 2000-10-05 2009-11-24 Etymotic Research, Inc. Directional microphone assembly
US7832080B2 (en) 2007-10-11 2010-11-16 Etymotic Research, Inc. Directional microphone assembly

Family Cites Families (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE1938435B2 (de) * 1969-07-29 1974-05-02 Karl Dr.-Ing. 7500 Karlsruhe Schoeps Hörgerät
CH533408A (de) * 1972-02-02 1973-01-31 Bommer Ag Hörgerät
US3975599A (en) * 1975-09-17 1976-08-17 United States Surgical Corporation Directional/non-directional hearing aid
JPS57134740A (en) * 1981-02-13 1982-08-20 Toshiba Corp Keyboard input device
DE3900588A1 (de) * 1989-01-11 1990-07-19 Toepholm & Westermann Fernsteuerbares, programmierbares hoergeraetesystem
AT407815B (de) * 1990-07-13 2001-06-25 Viennatone Gmbh Hörgerät

Cited By (7)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE19635229A1 (de) * 1996-08-30 1998-03-12 Siemens Audiologische Technik Richtungsempfindliche Hörhilfe
US6069963A (en) * 1996-08-30 2000-05-30 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Hearing aid wherein the direction of incoming sound is determined by different transit times to multiple microphones in a sound channel
DE19635229C2 (de) * 1996-08-30 2001-04-26 Siemens Audiologische Technik Richtungsempfindliche Hörhilfe
DE19852758A1 (de) * 1998-11-16 2000-05-25 Siemens Audiologische Technik Hinter dem Ohr tragbares Hörhilfegerät
DE19852758C2 (de) * 1998-11-16 2001-05-23 Siemens Audiologische Technik Hinter dem Ohr tragbares Hörhilfegerät
DE19948907A1 (de) * 1999-10-11 2001-02-01 Siemens Audiologische Technik Verfahren zur Signalverarbeitung in einer Hörhilfe sowie Hörhilfe
DE10260304B3 (de) * 2002-12-20 2004-07-08 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Hörgerätesystem mit seitenspezifisch ausgebildeten hinter den Ohren tragbaren Hörhilfegeräten

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
DE59107476D1 (de) 1996-04-04
ES2085405T3 (es) 1996-06-01
EP0499699A1 (de) 1992-08-26
CH681411A5 (GUID-C5D7CC26-194C-43D0-91A1-9AE8C70A9BFF.html) 1993-03-15
DK0499699T3 (da) 1996-03-18
ATE134814T1 (de) 1996-03-15

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