EP1196009A2 - Hörhilfegerät mit adaptiver Anpassung von Eingangswandlern - Google Patents

Hörhilfegerät mit adaptiver Anpassung von Eingangswandlern Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1196009A2
EP1196009A2 EP01610048A EP01610048A EP1196009A2 EP 1196009 A2 EP1196009 A2 EP 1196009A2 EP 01610048 A EP01610048 A EP 01610048A EP 01610048 A EP01610048 A EP 01610048A EP 1196009 A2 EP1196009 A2 EP 1196009A2
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
signal
signals
hearing aid
input
transducer
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.)
Granted
Application number
EP01610048A
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English (en)
French (fr)
Other versions
EP1196009A3 (de
EP1196009B1 (de
Inventor
Lars Baekgaard Jensen
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.)
Widex AS
Original Assignee
Widex AS
Topholm and Westermann ApS
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 Widex AS, Topholm and Westermann ApS filed Critical Widex AS
Priority to US09/887,260 priority Critical patent/US6741714B2/en
Priority to CA002420583A priority patent/CA2420583C/en
Priority to AU2001293681A priority patent/AU2001293681B2/en
Priority to JP2002533404A priority patent/JP3986436B2/ja
Priority to AU9368101A priority patent/AU9368101A/xx
Priority to PCT/DK2001/000643 priority patent/WO2002030150A2/en
Publication of EP1196009A2 publication Critical patent/EP1196009A2/de
Publication of EP1196009A3 publication Critical patent/EP1196009A3/de
Application granted granted Critical
Publication of EP1196009B1 publication Critical patent/EP1196009B1/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
    • H04R25/407—Circuits for combining signals of 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
    • H04R29/00—Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements
    • H04R29/004—Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for microphones
    • H04R29/005—Microphone arrays
    • H04R29/006—Microphone matching
    • 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
    • H04R2410/07—Mechanical or electrical reduction of wind noise generated by wind passing a microphone

Definitions

  • the present invention relates to a hearing aid with a directional characteristic, comprising at least two spaced apart input transducers.
  • Hearing aids comprising two input transducers and having a directional characteristic are well known in the art.
  • a sound wave that impinges on a hearing aid of this type at a specific angle is received by the two input transducers with an arrival time difference defined by the distance between the input transducers, the velocity of sound, and the impinging angle.
  • the output signals of the two input transducers are combined to form the directional characteristic of the hearing aid.
  • the output signal of the input transducer receiving the sound wave first is delayed by an amount that is equal to the arrival time difference of the corresponding sound wave and subtracted from the output signal of the other input transducer, the two output signals will cancel each other.
  • a notch is created in the directional characteristic of the hearing aid at the receiving angle in question.
  • the frequency response of subtracted signals originating from a sound source in the surroundings of the hearing aid i.e. the transducer signals are correlated signals
  • low frequencies are attenuated for correlated signals while this is not the case for non-correlated signals, i.e. neither transducer noise nor wind noise is attenuated. Therefore, the signal to noise ratio is reduced in a prior art directional hearing aid compared to an omnidirectional hearing aid.
  • Notch formation requires that the two input transducers are identical, i.e. they have identical parameters, such as sensitivities and phase responses.
  • identically manufactured input transducers exhibit sensitivity differences of the order of 6 dB and phase differences of the order of 10°.
  • Directional characteristics can not be formed with input transducers with phase and sensitivity differences of this magnitude.
  • Selection of paired input transducers may reduce the sensitivity differences to 0.5 dB and phase differences to 2° which may still not lead to notch formation in the directional characteristic. Further, ageing may increase these differences over time.
  • a hearing aid with adaptive matching of input transducers is disclosed. According to the disclosure, differences in sensitivity and phase response are compensated utilising specific circuitry continuously determining the differences and compensating for them.
  • the differences are determined based on the sound signals received by the input transducers. No additional signals are needed. Selection of input transducers is eliminated and differences between circuitry processing each of the respective input transducer signals and differences created by ageing or other influences are automatically compensated.
  • the output signals from the respective input transducers may not be generated from the same sound source.
  • each of the input transducer signals contains only noise generated by the respective input transducer itself.
  • the output signals are generated by independent and thus, non-correlated signal sources, namely the individual input transducers.
  • signals generated by the two input transducers in response to wind, i.e. wind noise are not correlated since air flow at the hearing aid is turbulent.
  • the output signals are generated by independent signal sources.
  • the input transducer signals are clipped at high input levels by the A/D converters converting the input transducer signals to digital signals.
  • signals are clipped at different signal levels because of different input transducer sensitivities and, thus, clipped signals may also be non-correlated and appear to have been generated by independent signal sources.
  • the above-mentioned prior art input transducer matching technique falls apart since, typically, the determined phase and sensitivity differences will be dominated by differences in the generated signals and will not be related to differences in input transducer parameters.
  • a hearing aid with a directional characteristic wherein transducer signal type, such as transducer noise, wind noise, sound emitted from a sound source located in the surroundings of the hearing aid, distorted signals, such as clipped signals, slew rate limited signals, etc, etc, is determined, and wherein signal processing in the hearing aid, such as transducer matching, filtering, signal combination, etc, is adapted according to the determined signal type.
  • the directional characteristic may be switched to an omnidirectional characteristic when at least one of the input transducer signals is dominated by noise or distortion, and/or adaptive matching of input transducers may be put on hold while at least one of the input transducer signals is dominated by noise or distortion.
  • a hearing aid comprising a first and a second input transducer for transforming an acoustic input signal into respective first and second input transducer signals, a first signal processor having a first input that is connected to the first input transducer signal and a second input that is connected to the second input transducer signal for generation of a third electrical signal by processing and combining the input signals, an output transducer for transforming the third electrical signal into an acoustic output signal, a correlation detector for detection of non-correlated first and second processor input signals and for generation of one or more control signals including a first control signal in response to the detection so that transducer signal processing can be adapted according to the detection.
  • the hearing aid may further comprise an adaptive matching circuit with first and second inputs that are connected with the respective first and second input transducer signals and first and second outputs that are connected to the respective first and second processor inputs for modification of amplitude and phase responses of the first and second output signals in response to determinations of difference in the amplitude and phase responses so that the resulting amplitude and phase responses of the first and second output signals are adjusted to be substantially identical, and wherein the correlation detector generates a second control signal that is connected to the adaptive matching circuit for inhibition of adaptive matching upon detection of non-correlated signals.
  • the first and second control signals may be identical signals.
  • transducer differences such as differences in sensitivities, phase responses, etc
  • transducer signals are continuously determined when the transducer signals are correlated, e.g. when the transducer signals are generated in response to a sound source located in the surroundings of the hearing aid so that in this case the hearing aid continuously adapts to changes in transducer parameters.
  • non-correlated signals are detected, e.g. when the transducer signals are dominated by non-correlated signals, such as when at least one transducer signal is dominated by, e.g. transducer noise, wind noise, signal clipping, etc
  • updating of determined values of differences in transducer parameters is not performed rather, for example, the transducer parameter compensating circuitry remains set according to the latest updated values of the differences.
  • the correlation detector may comprise one or more signal level detectors for detection of respective input transducer signal levels.
  • the first and the second control outputs may be set to a logic "1" when the detected signal level is greater than a predetermined threshold level such as 2 dB below the saturation level of the A/D converters for converting the input transducer signals to digital signals.
  • the first and the second control outputs may be reset to a logic "0" when the detected signal levels return to values below the predetermined thresholds.
  • the level detector may further have hysteresis so that the control outputs may be set when the detected signal level is above a first predetermined threshold level and reset when the detected signal level returns to a value below a second predetermined threshold level that is lower than the first threshold level.
  • the signal level may be an amplitude level, a root mean square level, a power level, etc, or the ratio between such levels and a corresponding reference quantity, e.g. in dB. Further, the level may be determined within a specific frequency range.
  • the signal level detectors may further comprise slew rate detectors for detection of rapid signal changes since slew rate limitations of circuitry that processes input transducer signals may distort these signals.
  • the signal level detector may for example comprise a slew rate threshold so that the first control output is set e.g. to logic "1" if an increase in absolute value of the difference between one sample and the next is greater than or equal to the slew rate threshold.
  • wind noise generates transducer signals at very high levels even at low wind speeds thus, wind noise will typically be detected utilising a signal level detector as described above.
  • the hearing aid may further comprise a frequency analyser for determination of the frequency content of input transducer signals, e.g. for discrimination between signal type. For example, wind noise and clipped signals may be distinguished based on their frequency content, and signal processing may be adapted accordingly.
  • the signal level detectors may be used for detection of the level of a noise signal whereby wind noise may be distinguished from transducer noise since, typically, transducer noise is a low level signal while wind noise is a high level signal.
  • At least three types of signals may be identified, i.e. transducer noise signals, wind noise signals, and signals from sound sources located in the surroundings of the hearing aid.
  • distorted signal types such as clipped signals, slew rate limited signals, etc, may be identified.
  • transducer signals dominated by transducer noise, wind noise, and/or signal distortion are not correlated since the signal sources are substantially independent of each other.
  • transducer signals generated in response to a specific sound source located in the surroundings of the hearing aid differ only by the arrival time difference caused by the distance between the transducers and by differences caused by transducer differences, i.e. such signals are highly correlated.
  • signals of this type may be distinguished by calculation of cross-correlation values of input transducer signals.
  • the correlation detector comprises a second signal processor that is adapted to calculate a cross-correlation value of signals derived from the transducer signals. Output transducer signals with a cross-correlation value within a predetermined range of cross-correlation values are treated as correlated signals.
  • the correlation value r 0 is calculated from a particularly simple approximation to the equation wherein the signals X and Y are digitised in one bit words, i.e. the sign of the signals X and Y are inserted in the equation.
  • the first signal processor is adapted to process the first and second electrical signals for formation of an omnidirectional characteristic upon detection of non-correlated signals, e.g. by signal level detection, by cross-correlation calculation, etc.
  • the omnidirectional characteristic may be formed by selecting the first or the second electrical signal as the third electrical signal whereby signal to noise ration is improved compared to a directional characteristic, or, the omnidirectional characteristic may be formed by averaging the first and second electrical signals whereby signal to noise ratio may be further improved and clipping or slew rate distortion reduced if, for example, only one of the signals is clipped or slew rate limited.
  • the circuits shown in the drawing may be realised using digital or analogue circuitry or any combination hereof.
  • digital signal processing is employed and thus, the signal processing circuits comprise digital signal processing circuits.
  • the A/D and D/A converters are not shown in the drawing.
  • all the digital circuitry of the hearing aid may be provided on a single digital signal processing chip or, the circuitry may be distributed on a plurality of integrated circuit chips in any appropriate way.
  • Fig. 1 shows a blocked schematic of a hearing aid 10 comprising a first input transducer 12 and a second input transducer 14 for transforming an acoustic input signal into respective first and second input transducer signals 16, 18.
  • the input transducer signals 16, 18 are converted to digital signals by A/D converters (not shown).
  • a first signal processor 20 has a first input 22 that is connected to the first input transducer signal 16 and a second input 24 that is connected to the second input transducer signal 18 via an adaptive matching circuit 26.
  • the processor 20 processes and combines the processor input signals 28, 30 for generation of a third electrical signal 32.
  • An output transducer 34 transforms the third electrical signal 32 into an acoustic output signal.
  • the adaptive matching circuit 26 has first and second inputs 36, 38 that are connected with the respective first and second input transducer signals 16, 18 and first and second outputs 40, 42 that are connected to the respective first and second processor inputs 22, 24.
  • the circuit 26 modifies amplitude and phase responses of the first and second output signals 28, 30 in response to determinations of differences in the amplitude and phase responses so that the amplitude and phase responses of the first and second output signals 28, 30 are adjusted to be substantially identical.
  • a correlation detector 44 is connected to the input transducer signals 16, 18 and detects presence of non-correlated signals and generates first and second control signals 46, 48 in response to the detection so that signal processing in the hearing aid can be adapted according to the detection.
  • the first control signal 46 is connected to the first signal processor 20 for controlling the way in which the first signal processor combines the first and second processor input signals 28, 30, e.g. by combining the first and second processor input signals 28, 30 for omnidirectional sound reception upon detection of non-correlated transducer signals.
  • the second control signal 48 is connected to the adaptive matching circuit 26 for inhibition of adaptive matching upon detection of non-correlated signals.
  • the adaptive matching circuit 26 has an inverter 50 connected in series with an adjustable gain amplifier 52 that is connected in series with an adjustable delay 54.
  • the nominal delay of adjustable delay 54 equals the distance between the first and second input transducer 12, 14 divided by the velocity of sound so that, nominally, the directional characteristic of the hearing aid contains a notch in the direction of a line extending from the first input transducer 12 to the second input transducer 14.
  • a matching controller 37 determines differences in amplitude and phase of the input transducer signals 16, 18 and adjusts the amplifier 52 and the delay 54 in response to the determinations so that the amplitude and phase responses of the first and second output signals 28, 30 are adjusted to be substantially identical.
  • Fig. 2 shows a blocked schematic of a second signal processor 100 according to the present invention and included in the correlation detector 44 wherein the correlation value r is calculated as a running mean value.
  • the signals X, Y may be the input transducer signals 16, 18 or band pass filtered versions of the signals 16, 18.
  • Fig. 3 shows a blocked schematic of a signal level detector 200 included in the correlation detector 44, comprising a first signal level detector 202 that is connected to the first input transducer signal 16 and a second signal level detector 204 that is connected to the second input transducer signal 18.
  • the level detector 200 sets a control output 46 to a logic "1" if one of the processor input signals 28, 30 is more than approximately 2.5 dB from the saturation level (clipping level) of the A/D converters (not shown).
  • the A/D converters are sigma delta converters having a slew rate of 0.5 for successive samples (theoretical limit: ⁇ 1). Therefore, the control output 46 is also set to a logic "1" if the increase in absolute value of the difference between one sample and the next is 0.375 or higher.
  • Fig. 4 shows an input circuit 400 of the first signal processor 20.
  • the control signal 46 is a logic "1"
  • the counter 402 is incremented from 0 to one in 32 clock cycles, i.e. in 1 ms, and when the control signal 46 goes low, the counter 402 is decremented form one to 0 in 512 clock cycles, i.e. in 16 ms.
  • the signals 28', 30' are summed into the third electrical signal 32. It will be appreciated that when the counter output 404 is equal to 1, the circuitry 406 simulates that an acoustic signal corresponding to the average of signals 28, 30 impinges on the hearing aid from a frontal direction whereby an omnidirectional characteristic is obtained.
  • the directional characteristic of the hearing aid is controlled by adjustment of an attenuation control parameter as disclosed in WO 01/01731.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Circuit For Audible Band Transducer (AREA)
EP01610048.9A 2000-10-04 2001-05-10 Hörhilfegerät mit adaptiver Anpassung von Eingangswandlern Expired - Lifetime EP1196009B1 (de)

Priority Applications (6)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
US09/887,260 US6741714B2 (en) 2000-10-04 2001-06-25 Hearing aid with adaptive matching of input transducers
AU2001293681A AU2001293681B2 (en) 2000-10-04 2001-10-03 A hearing aid with adaptive matching of input transducers
JP2002533404A JP3986436B2 (ja) 2000-10-04 2001-10-03 入力トランスデューサの適応整合を有する補聴器
AU9368101A AU9368101A (en) 2000-10-04 2001-10-03 A hearing aid with adaptive matching of input transducers
CA002420583A CA2420583C (en) 2000-10-04 2001-10-03 A hearing aid with adaptive matching of input transducers
PCT/DK2001/000643 WO2002030150A2 (en) 2000-10-04 2001-10-03 A hearing aid with adaptive matching of input transducers

Applications Claiming Priority (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
DKPA200001475 2000-10-04
DK200001475 2000-10-04

Publications (3)

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EP1196009A2 true EP1196009A2 (de) 2002-04-10
EP1196009A3 EP1196009A3 (de) 2003-01-02
EP1196009B1 EP1196009B1 (de) 2016-09-28

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EP01610048.9A Expired - Lifetime EP1196009B1 (de) 2000-10-04 2001-05-10 Hörhilfegerät mit adaptiver Anpassung von Eingangswandlern

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EP (1) EP1196009B1 (de)
DK (1) DK1196009T3 (de)

Cited By (8)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003059010A1 (en) 2002-01-12 2003-07-17 Oticon A/S Wind noise insensitive hearing aid
WO2004008804A1 (en) * 2002-07-15 2004-01-22 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab Electronic devices, methods of operating the same, and computer program products for detecting noise in a signal based on a combination of spatial correlation and time correlation
WO2004103020A1 (en) * 2003-05-19 2004-11-25 Widex A/S A hearing aid
DE102005032292B3 (de) * 2005-07-11 2006-09-21 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Hörgerät mit reduzierter Windempfindlichkeit und entsprechendes Verfahren
WO2007096247A1 (en) * 2006-02-22 2007-08-30 Oticon A/S Hearing device providing smooth transition between operational modes of a hearing aid
CN102124758A (zh) * 2009-06-02 2011-07-13 松下电器产业株式会社 助听器、助听系统、步行检测方法和助听方法
EP2317778A3 (de) * 2006-03-03 2013-07-03 Widex A/S Hörgerät und Verfahren zur Verwendung von Verstärkungsbegrenzung in einem Hörgerät
EP3193512A1 (de) * 2005-08-26 2017-07-19 Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp. Verfahren und system zum ausgleichen einer fehlanpassung eines sensorarrays

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1993020668A1 (en) * 1992-03-31 1993-10-14 Gn Danavox A/S Hearing aid compensating for acoustic feedback
JPH06233389A (ja) * 1993-02-05 1994-08-19 Sony Corp 補聴器
EP1017253A2 (de) * 1998-12-30 2000-07-05 Siemens Corporate Research, Inc. Blind-Trennung von Quellenfür Hörhilfegeräte

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1993020668A1 (en) * 1992-03-31 1993-10-14 Gn Danavox A/S Hearing aid compensating for acoustic feedback
JPH06233389A (ja) * 1993-02-05 1994-08-19 Sony Corp 補聴器
EP1017253A2 (de) * 1998-12-30 2000-07-05 Siemens Corporate Research, Inc. Blind-Trennung von Quellenfür Hörhilfegeräte

Non-Patent Citations (1)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Title
PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 018, no. 608 (E-1633), 18 November 1994 (1994-11-18) -& JP 06 233389 A (SONY CORP), 19 August 1994 (1994-08-19) *

Cited By (17)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO2003059010A1 (en) 2002-01-12 2003-07-17 Oticon A/S Wind noise insensitive hearing aid
US7181030B2 (en) 2002-01-12 2007-02-20 Oticon A/S Wind noise insensitive hearing aid
CN1669356B (zh) * 2002-07-15 2010-09-08 索尼爱立信移动通讯股份有限公司 根据空间相关与时间相关的组合来检测信号中的噪声的电子设备、运行电子设备的方法、和计算机程序产品
WO2004008804A1 (en) * 2002-07-15 2004-01-22 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab Electronic devices, methods of operating the same, and computer program products for detecting noise in a signal based on a combination of spatial correlation and time correlation
US7082204B2 (en) 2002-07-15 2006-07-25 Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications Ab Electronic devices, methods of operating the same, and computer program products for detecting noise in a signal based on a combination of spatial correlation and time correlation
WO2004103020A1 (en) * 2003-05-19 2004-11-25 Widex A/S A hearing aid
US8150084B2 (en) 2003-05-19 2012-04-03 Widex A/S Hearing aid and a method of processing a sound signal in a hearing aid
DE102005032292B3 (de) * 2005-07-11 2006-09-21 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Hörgerät mit reduzierter Windempfindlichkeit und entsprechendes Verfahren
EP1744591A3 (de) * 2005-07-11 2007-11-07 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Hörgerät mit reduzierter Windempfindlichkeit und entsprechendes Verfahren
US7813517B2 (en) 2005-07-11 2010-10-12 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Hearing aid with reduced wind sensitivity and corresponding method
EP1744591A2 (de) 2005-07-11 2007-01-17 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Hörgerät mit reduzierter Windempfindlichkeit und entsprechendes Verfahren
EP3193512A1 (de) * 2005-08-26 2017-07-19 Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corp. Verfahren und system zum ausgleichen einer fehlanpassung eines sensorarrays
USRE47535E1 (en) 2005-08-26 2019-07-23 Dolby Laboratories Licensing Corporation Method and apparatus for accommodating device and/or signal mismatch in a sensor array
WO2007096247A1 (en) * 2006-02-22 2007-08-30 Oticon A/S Hearing device providing smooth transition between operational modes of a hearing aid
EP2317778A3 (de) * 2006-03-03 2013-07-03 Widex A/S Hörgerät und Verfahren zur Verwendung von Verstärkungsbegrenzung in einem Hörgerät
CN102124758A (zh) * 2009-06-02 2011-07-13 松下电器产业株式会社 助听器、助听系统、步行检测方法和助听方法
CN102124758B (zh) * 2009-06-02 2014-03-12 松下电器产业株式会社 助听器、助听系统、步行检测方法和助听方法

Also Published As

Publication number Publication date
EP1196009A3 (de) 2003-01-02
DK1196009T3 (en) 2016-11-28
EP1196009B1 (de) 2016-09-28

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