EP1203508B1 - EINE METHODE ZUR REGELUNG DER RICHTWIRKUNG DER SCHALLEMPFANGSCHARAkTERISTIK EINES HÖRGERÄTES UND EIN HÖRGERÄT ZUR AUSFÜHRUNG DER METHODE - Google Patents

EINE METHODE ZUR REGELUNG DER RICHTWIRKUNG DER SCHALLEMPFANGSCHARAkTERISTIK EINES HÖRGERÄTES UND EIN HÖRGERÄT ZUR AUSFÜHRUNG DER METHODE Download PDF

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EP1203508B1
EP1203508B1 EP00938590A EP00938590A EP1203508B1 EP 1203508 B1 EP1203508 B1 EP 1203508B1 EP 00938590 A EP00938590 A EP 00938590A EP 00938590 A EP00938590 A EP 00938590A EP 1203508 B1 EP1203508 B1 EP 1203508B1
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signal
hearing aid
signals
microphone
omni
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French (fr)
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EP1203508A1 (de
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Lars Baekgaard Jensen
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Widex AS
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Widex AS
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Priority claimed from PCT/EP1999/004375 external-priority patent/WO2001001732A1/en
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  • the present invention relates to a method for controlling the directionality of the sound receiving characteristic of a hearing aid comprising spaced apart first and second sound receiving microphone means, a signal processor for processing signals supplied by said microphone means and an output transducer for emission of sound signals in response to output signals from the signal processor, said method comprising the steps of changing over said sound receiving characteristic between an omnidirectional characteristic and a directional characteristic and, when operating the hearing aid with said directional characteristic, combining the signals supplied by said first and second microphone means into an overall combined signal, which is supplied to the signal processor, an adjustable time or phase delay being imposed on at least one signal.
  • Hearing aids having a directional sound receiving characteristic are useful to improve speech perception in noisy environments, where human speech may be received simultaneously from different directions, as is the case e.g. in the noise environment frequently referred to as cocktail party noise.
  • a directional sound receiving characteristic e.g. in the shape of a cardioid or super cardioid characteristic
  • the speech perception in a hearing aid is improved by reduced reception of sound coming from the back of the user, while maintaining the level of sound coming from the area in front of the user.
  • the hearing aid user will normal prefer an omnidirectional or spherical sound receiving characteristic offering the same perception of sound irrespective of the direction, from which it arrives.
  • phase or arrival times change differently in the two hearing aids this will degrade or deteriorate the user's ability to locate the various sound sources in the surrounding space and the advantage of a binaural hearing aid system will be degraded.
  • phase and time relationship in a hearing aid degrades the quality of the sound perceived by the user. It may sound like the result of a Doppler-effect.
  • the amplitude characteristic will change during transition between the omnidirectional and a directional characteristic, e.g. from a flat response to a response in which the amplitudes of higher frequencies will be increased. This increase may be in the area of 6 dB/octave. This results in the serious problem, that hearing aids of this type can not be perfectly fitted with an optimum transfer characteristic for both the omnidirectional and the directional characteristic.
  • the object of the present invention to provide a method of the kind defined, in which the deficiencies of the prior art hearing aid are remedied by effecting a smooth change-over between the omnidirectional characteristic and any directional characteristic substantially without changing the phase relationship or time delay and the amplitude characteristic of the signals.
  • the change-over between the omnidirectional characteristic and a directional characteristic and vice versa may be controllable or even automatic.
  • the invention further relates to a hearing aid with controllable directionality of its sound receiving characteristic, comprising spaced apart first and second sound receiving microphone means, a signal processor for processing signals supplied by said microphone means and an output transducer for emission of sound signals in response to output signals from the signal processor, and further comprising change-over control means for change over of the sound receiving characteristic between an omnidirectional characteristic and a directional characteristic and combining means for combination of the signal from the first and second microphone means to provide an overall combined signal supplied to the signal processor, when operating the hearing aid with said directional characteristic, and adjustable time or phase delay means being provided for producing a phase-delayed modification of at least one signal.
  • the prior art hearing aid shown in fig. 1 two non-directional microphone circuits including a front microphone MICF and a back microphone MICB. Whereas the output signal from the front microphone MICF is supplied directly to the hearing aid signal processor via a summing node SN, the signal from the back microphone is supplied to the summing node SN via an inverter, an adjustable phase delay circuit and an attenuator with adjustable gain only by closure of a manually operated switch SW, whereby the sound receiving characteristic of the hearing is changed from the omnidirectional characteristic of front microphone MICF to a directional characteristic of varying shape.
  • the graphic representations in figs. 2 and 3 illustrate the variation of the sound receiving characteristic of the hearing aid in figure 1 from the omnidirectional shape ND and various directional shapes D1 to D10 ranging from weak cardioid to super cardioid form for values of the adjustable parameter omni ranging from 0 to 1, measured at 1kHz and 100 Hz, respectively, whereas the graphic representations in figs. 4 and 5 show the variation in the amplitude characteristics of the signals received from the areas in front and back of the hearing aid, respectively, for correspondingly varying values of the parameter omni .
  • the change-over between the omnidirectional characteristic and the various shapes of directional characteristic results in this prior art hearing aid not only in the desired gradual reduction in gain or amplitude response for the signals received from the area behind the user, but is accompanied also by a significant change in gain or amplitude response for the signals received from the area in front of the user.
  • an adjustment or fitting of the hearing to compensate for a users specific hearing impairment for listening in quiet surroundings, where use of the omnidirectional characteristic is preferred will not provide an optimum compensation, when a change over is made to a directional characteristic, e.g. for use of the hearing aid in a more noisy sound environment, such as a party.
  • Fig. 6 shows, in principle, the front end of a first embodiment of a hearing aid according to the inventions including a change-over controller for controlling change of the directionality of sound receiving characteristic of the hearing aid from the omnidirectional characteristic to a directional characteristic and vice versa.
  • This change may be effected as a switch-over or as a gradual and smooth change-over.
  • the front end of the hearing aid comprises at least two microphone circuits, i.a. a front microphone Fmic and a back microphone Bmic and possibly optional preprocessing circuits for the electrical output signals from the microphones.
  • the distance between the two microphones may be as small as 1 mm or as wide as a few cm.
  • the front end further contains at least two controllable amplifiers or attenuators 1 and 2, at least one time or phase delay device 3 and at least three combining circuits 4, 5 and 6. It is to be understood that the combining circuits may contain positive as well as negative input terminals, so as to form adding or subtraction operations or combinations thereof.
  • the back microphone Bmic is connected to the controllable amplifier or attenuator 1 and to a first adding circuit 4.
  • the front microphone Fmic is connected directly to the controllable amplifier or attenuator 2 and to a second adding circuit 6.
  • the output of the controllable amplifier or attenuator 2 is further connected directly to a second input of the first adding circuit 4, whereas the output of the controllable amplifier 1 is directly connected to a positive input of a subtraction circuit 5.
  • a preferable controllable delay device 3 is included.
  • adding and subtracting circuits will generally be referred to as combining circuits.
  • sounds from the environment of the hearing aid is picked up both by the front microphone Fmic and the back microphone Bmic.
  • the distance between the two microphones may be as small as 1 mm and as wide as a few cm.
  • the output signal of the front microphone Fmic is supplied to the combining circuit 6.
  • the output signal of the back microphone Bmic is supplied to a first input of a combining circuit 4 and to the controllable attenuator or controllable amplifier 1, the gain of which may be controllably changed from zero to one, i.e. from no amplification to full amplifi- cation. This change-over may be effected as a switch-over or as a controlled gradual change. This means that any amplification between zero and one may be controllably achieved.
  • the output signal, if any, of the front microphone Fmic is also supplied to a controllable attenuator or amplifier 2, the amplification of which may controllably be changed from zero to one, i.e. from no amplification to full amplification. Also in this case the change-over may be effected as a switch-over or as a gradual controlled change. This means that any amplification between zero and one may be achieved.
  • the output signal, if any, of the controllable attenuator or amplifier 2 is supplied to a second input of the combining circuit 4.
  • the output signal, if any, of combining circuit 4 is supplied to the controllable delay device 3, the delay of which may be controlled from as small as 1 ⁇ s up to 1000 ⁇ s or more.
  • the output signal, if any, of delay device 3 is supplied to the negative input of combining circuit 5, the output of which is supplied to the second input of the combining circuit 6.
  • the output signal of the front microphone Fmic may be attenuated in attenuator or controllable amplifier 2 before it is added to the undelayed output signal of the back microphone Bmic in the combining circuit 4, the output signal of which is then delayed in delay device 3 before being supplied to the combining circuit 5.
  • the controllable delay of delay device 3 will usually have the same value as the acoustical delay between the arrival times of sounds at the front microphone Fmic and at the back microphone Bmic. Preferably this delay is also adjustable and/or controllable.
  • the output signal of the attenuator or controllable amplifier 1 is supplied to the positive input of the combining circuit 5.
  • the delayed output signal of delay device 3 is subtracted from the attenuated output signal of amplifier or attenuator 1.
  • the output signal of the combining circuit 5 is supplied, as a processed signal to the combining circuit 6.
  • the output signal of the combining circuit 6 is then used as an input signal for further processing in the remaining components of the hearing aid such as the signal processor, which need not to be described here.
  • the remaining parts of the hearing aid may. as known in the art, comprise more than one signal processing channel having, and with such a structure either a common change-over controller or a separate controller for each channel may be provided.
  • the output signals of both microphones Fmic and Bmic may advantageously be converted into a digital representation before being supplied to the change-over controller with its components 1 to 6.
  • the signal transfer of the controllable attenuators 1 and 2 is set at zero, i.e. no signal is transferred.
  • the output signal of the front microphone Fmic is directly supplied to the second adding circuit 6.
  • the output signal of the back microphone Bmic is supplied via the first adding circuit 4 and delay device 3 to the negative input of the subtraction circuit 5, where the signal changes its polarity.
  • the output signal of the subtraction circuit 5 is then supplied to a second input of the second adding circuit 6.
  • the delayed signal from the back microphone Bmic is subtracted from the undelayed output signal of the front microphone Fmic.
  • the directional front characteristic may then be created by adjusting the delay T of the delay device to be the same as the acoustical delay A between the back microphone Bmic and the front microphone Fmic. With this delay the signals, that are first received at the back microphone Bmic and are later received at the front microphone Fmic, are then suppressed in the adding circuit 6, where the delayed signal of the back microphone is subtracted from the output signal of the front microphone.
  • This mode of operation results in an output signal from adding circuit 6, which is the result of the subtraction of the delayed output signal of the back microphone Bmic from the output signal of the front microphone Fmic, thus cancelling sound coming directly from the back of the user.
  • both attenuators 1 and 2 are set for a full signal transfer.
  • the output signals from the front microphone Fmic and the back microphone Bmic are supplied to the first adding circuit 4, where they are combined and supplied via delay device 3 to the subtraction circuit 5, where the combined and delayed signal is subtracted from the output signal of the back microphone Bmic.
  • the output signal of the subtraction circuit 5 is then supplied to the second adding circuit 6, where it is combined with the undelayed output signal of the front microphone Fmic.
  • the addition of these signals creates the omnidirectional characteristic.
  • This mode of operation results in an output signal from the adding circuit 6, which is generated by the addition of the signals from the front and back microphones from which the delayed front and back microphone signals are subtracted.
  • the sound signals received at the two microphones differ with respect to their arrival time at the respective microphones from a source, the distance of which is different for the two respective microphones.
  • X back X front *e -j ⁇ A , where e -j ⁇ A is the acoustical delay for the actual direction to the sound source.
  • the parameter omni should preferably be substantially the same for both attenuators 1 and 2.
  • the delay T is selected equal to the delay A directly from the back microphone to the front microphone in the directional mode of operation, then the part of the sound signal X coming directly from the back of the user is suppressed to the maximum extent and a directional characteristic known as a cardioid characteristic is achieved.
  • the signal process described so far is preferably performed as a digital process in the time or frequency domain. If processing in the frequency domain is employed, it is advantageous to use microphone circuits, omni which are capable of generating a delayed microphone output signal in combination with a non-delayed microphone output signal. Such microphone circuits are described in applicants' copending International Patent Application PCT/EP/99/00767.
  • Figs. 7 to 10 are graphic representations of sound receiving characteristics and amplitude response of a hearing aid embodying the front end part shown in fig.1 and corresponding to the representations in figs. 2 to 5 and using the same reference designations as in these figures, As will appear from figs. 7 and 8 the part of the sound receiving characteristic representing the area in front of the user is unaffected by the change over between the omnidirectional characteristic ND and the various directional shapes D1 to D10 and as illustrated by fig. 9 the amplitude response of signals received from the area in front of the user is unaffected by the change over and remains the same irrespective of change of the sound receiving characteristic to suppress sounds coming from the area behind the user.
  • the adjustment or fitting of the hearing aid to compensate for the user's hearing impairment in quiet surroundings, where the omnidirectional characteristic is used will provide optimum listening performance also when the hearing aid is used in a more noisy environment using a directional shape of the sound receiving characteristic.
  • the circuit in fig. 11 is similar to the circuit in fig. 6 and includes a change-over controller with components 1 to 6. Similar components have been assigned the same reference numerals.
  • signal processing units 7 and 8 are placed at the outputs of the at least two microphones, i.e. the front microphone Fmic and the back microphone Bmic.
  • the processed output signals of the two signal processing units 7 and 8 are then supplied to the change-over controller with components 1 to 6.
  • the signal processing units 7 and 8 may perform an equalizing function on the two output signals of the two microphones and/or may contain various filters, e.g. band pass filters. With the use of band pass filters the microphone signals may be split up into several bands, each equipped with its own change-over controller.
  • the respective output signals from the adding circuits 6 in the various bands or channels may then be combined into a composite combined signal to be further processed in the remaining stages of the hearing aid.
  • Fig. 12 shows a similar circuit diagram of a third embodiment, so that for the same components the same reference numerals are used.
  • this circuit the time delay for the output signals of the two microphones Fmic and Bmic is effected in separate delay units 3a and 3b representing the delay device 3.
  • the function is similar to the function of the circuits of figs. 6 and 11.
  • a control unit 9 is shown, which may control the attenuation of the controllable attenuators 1 and 2 as well as the delays of delay units 3a and 3b.
  • This embodiment of the invention is of special advantage in combination with microphone input circuits, which are capable of supplying a delayed microphone signal together with an undelayed microphone signal for a hearing aid. Such a circuit has been disclosed and described in applicants' copending International Patent Application PCT/EP99/00767.
  • Fig. 13 schematically shows a further improvement of the front end circuit of a hearing aid including a change-over controller as described so far with reference to fig. 6. Similar components have been designated with the same reference numerals as before.
  • the resulting amplitude response of the output signals of the adding means 6 will - of course - in the relevant frequency range - rise with 6 dB per octave compared to the amplitude response of a single microphone.
  • the change-over controller of the present invention could also be adapted to perform this compensation filtering. Therefore there will be no need to add a filter at the output of the adding circuit 6.
  • an additional subtraction circuit 10 is arranged between the adding circuit 4 and the delay device 3, an the output signal of the adding circuit 6 is directly supplied to the negative input of adding means 10 in a feedback loop.
  • controllable amplifier or attenuator 11 into the feedback loop.
  • the output signal of the change-over controller is fed back from the adding circuit 6 via the controllable attenuator 11 to the negative input of subtraction circuit 10.
  • the output signal of attenuator 11 is subtracted in the subtraction circuit 10 from the output signal of adding circuit 4.
  • the resulting output signal of subtraction circuit 10 is supplied to the delay device 3 and hence to the negative input of the subtraction circuit 5, the positive input of which is connected to the output of the controllable attenuator 1.
  • subtraction circuit 5 and adding circuit 6 could also be combined into a single combining circuit, provided this has, in every respect, the same properties as the two separate adding means 5 and 6.
  • the gain factor of attenuator 11 should be one or unity for the filtering being able to perform the 6 dB per octave fall at very low frequencies. However, this would probably result in a loop gain of unity so that the circuit might become unstable. Therefore, it is preferred to have the gain of the amplifier or attenuator 11 set to a little less than one or unity.
  • the change-over means comprises a first adding circuit 12 connected with the front and back microphones Fmic and Bmic and a first subtraction circuit 13 having a positive input connected with the front microphone Fmic and a negative input connected with the back microphone Bmic.
  • First and second phase delay devices 14 and 15 are connected with the first subtraction and adding circuits 13 and 12, respectively.
  • a second adding circuit 16 is connected with the first subtraction circuit 13 and the first phase delay device 14 and a second subtracting circuit 17 has its positive input connected with the first adding circuit 12 and its negative input connected with second phase delay device 15.
  • a first controllable attenuator 18 acts on the signal from the second adding circuit 16 for attenuation of this signlal by a factor (1 - omni )/2 and a second controllable attenuator 19 acts on the signal from the second subtraction circuit 17 for attenuation of this signal by a factor (1 + omni )/2, whereas a third adding circuit 20 is connected with the first and second attenuators 18 and 19 for addition of the signals therefrom to provide the overall combined signal to be supplied to the signal processor.
  • the microphones used in the described embodiments are preferably omnidirectional microphones.
  • the noise signals N are random signals. Therefore, the resulting signal amplitude is less than twice the single amplitude. Thus, a 3 dB-noise reduction results.

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Claims (17)

  1. Verfahren zum Steuern der Richtungsabhängigkeit der Schallempfangscharakteristik eines Hörgeräts, umfassend voneinander beabstandete erste und zweite Schallempfangsmikrofonmittel (Fmic, Bmic), einen Signalprozessor zum Verarbeiten von durch die Mikrofonmittel bereitgestellten Signalen, sowie einen Ausgangswandler zum Aussenden von Schallsignalen in Antwort auf Ausgangssignale vom Signalprozessor, wobei das Verfahren die Schritte umfasst des Umstellens der Schallempfangscharakteristik zwischen einer omnidirektionalen Charakteristik und einer richtungsabhängigen Charakteristik, sowie, wenn das Hörgerät mit der richtungsabhängigen Charakteristik betrieben wird, des Kombinierens der von den ersten und den zweiten Mikrofonmitteln gelieferten Signale zu einem kombinierten Gesamtsignal, wobei wenigstens einem Signal eine einstellbare Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerung auferlegt wird, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Umstellen der Schallempfangscharakteristik von der omnidirektionalen Charakteristik zur richtungsabhängigen Charakteristik und umgekehrt durch gesteuertes Dämpfen und Zeit- oder Phasenverzögern von Signalen erfolgt, die von beiden Signalen (Xvorne, Xhinten) von den ersten und den zweiten Mikrofonmitteln abgeleitet sind, bevor das kombinierte Gesamtsignal (Y) gebildet wird, und zwar unter Verwendung eines einstellbaren Dämpfungssteuerparameters (omni) und einer Verzögerung (T), wobei das kombinierte Gesamtsignal (Y) bestimmt ist durch Y = Xvorne * (1 - omni * e-jωT) + Xhinten * (omni - e-jωT), um das Hörgerät zwischen der omnidirektionalen Charakteristik und einer gewünschten Form der richtungsabhängigen Charakteristik als ein Umschalten oder ein schrittweises und sanftes Umstellen im Wesentlichen ohne Beeinträchtigung der Phasenbeziehung, der Zeitverzögerung und der Amplitudencharakteristik des Hörgeräts umzustellen.
  2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das gedämpfte Signal vom ersten Mikrofonmittel (Fmic) einer einstellbaren Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerung und anschließendem Subtrahieren vom gedämpften Signal vom zweiten Mikrofonmittel (Bmic) unterworfen wird, und dass das kombinierte Gesamtsignal durch Kombination des Ergebnisses der Subtraktion mit dem direkt durch das erste Mikrofonmittel (Fmic) bereitgestellte Signal gebildet wird.
  3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das gedämpfte Signal vom ersten Mikrofonmittel (Fmic), bevor es der Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerung unterworfen wird, mit dem Signal vom zweiten Mikrofonmittel (Bmic) zu einem ersten kombinierten Signal kombiniert wird.
  4. Verfahren nach Anspruch 3, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das kombinierte Gesamtsignal vom ersten kombinierten Signal subtrahiert wird.
  5. Verfahren nach Anspruch 4, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das kombinierte Gesamtsignal vor dem Subtrahieren vom ersten kombinierten Signal gedämpft wird.
  6. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Signale vom ersten und vom zweiten Mikrofonmittel (Fmic, Bmic) Addier- ebenso wie Subtrahiermitteln bereitgestellt werden, wobei die durch die Addier- und Subtrahiermittel gelieferten Signale einer einstellbaren Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerung unterworfen werden, wobei das zeit- oder phasenverzögerte Signal von dem Subtrahiermittel addiert wird zu dem direkt vom Subtrahiermittel bereitgestellten Signal, worauf eine Dämpfung um einen Faktor (1- omni)/2 folgt, und wobei das zeit- oder phasenverzögerte Signal vom Addiermittel subtrahiert wird von dem direkt durch das Addiermittel bereitgestellten Signal, worauf eine Dämpfung um einen Faktor (1 + omni)/2 erfolgt, um erste und zweite gedämpfte Signale bereitzustellen, wobei die ersten und zweiten gedämpften Signale addiert werden, um das kombinierte Gesamtsignal zu liefern.
  7. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der einstellbare Parameter (omni) für die Dämpfung der abgeleiteten Signale im Wesentlichen der Gleiche ist.
  8. Verfahren nach einem der vorhergehenden Ansprüche, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der einstellbare Parameter (omni) einen Wert im Bereich 0 ≤ omni ≤ 1 hat.
  9. Hörgerät mit steuerbarer Richtungsabhängigkeit seiner Schallempfangscharakteristik, umfassend voneinander beabstandete erste und zweite Schallempfangsmikrofonmittel (Fmic, Bmic), einen Signalprozessor zum Verarbeiten von durch die Mikrofonmittel bereitgestellten Signalen sowie einen Ausgangswandler um Aussenden von Schallsignalen in Antwort auf Ausgangssignale vom Signalprozessor, und ferner umfassend Umstellungssteuermittel zum Umstellen der Schallempfangscharakteristik zwischen einer omnidirektionalen Charakteristik und einer richtungsabhängigen Charakteristik sowie Kombiniermittel (4, 5, 6; 12, 13, 16, 17) zum Kombinieren der Signale von den ersten und zweiten Mikrofonmitteln (Fmic, Bmic), um ein kombiniertes Gesamtsignal zu liefern, das dem Signalprozessor bereitgestellt wird, wenn das Hörgerät mit der richtungsabhängigen Charakteristik betrieben wird, wobei einstellbare Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsmittel (3; 14, 15) zur Erzeugung einer phasenverzögerten Modifikation wenigstens eines Signals vorgesehen sind, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Umstellungssteuermittel steuerbare Dämpfungsmittel (2, 1; 18, 19) sowie steuerbarebare Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsmittel (3; 14, 15) umfassen, die auf Signale wirken, die aus den Signalen (Xvorne, Xhinten) von den ersten bzw. zweiten Mikrofonmitteln (Fmic, Bmic) wirken, wobei die Dämpfungs- und Phasenverzögerungsmittel (1-3; 14, 15, 18, 19) derart gesteuert sind, dass das kombinierte Gesamtsignal (Y) unter Verwendung eines einstellbaren Dämpfungssteuerparameters (omni) und einer Verzögerung (T) gebildet wird, wobei das kombinierte Gesamtsignal (Y) bestimmt ist als Y = Xvorne * (1 - omni * e-jωT) + Xhinten * (omni - e-jωT), um das Hörgerät umzustellen zwischen der omnidirektionalen Charakteristik und jeder gewünschten Form der richtungsabhängigen Charakteristik als ein Umschalten oder ein schrittweises und sanftes Umstellen im Wesentlichen ohne Beeinträchtigung der Phasenbeziehung, der Zeitverzögerung und der Amplitudencharakteristik des Hörgeräts.
  10. Hörgerät nach Anspruch 9, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Dämpfungsmittel erste und zweite Dämpfermittel (1, 2) umfassen, wobei der Ausgang der ersten Dämpfermittel (2) verbunden ist mit den Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsmitteln (3), wobei der Ausgang der Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsmittel (3) verbunden ist mit einem negativen Eingang von Subtrahiermitteln (5), deren positiver Eingang verbunden ist mit den zweiten Dämpfermitteln (1), wobei die Ausgangssignale der Subtrahiermittel (5) und die ersten Mikrofonmittel (Fmic) mit Kombiniermitteln (6) verbunden sind, um das kombinierte Gesamtsignal (Y) zu liefern.
  11. Hörgerät nach Anspruch 10, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Ausgang der ersten Dämpfermittel (2) verbunden ist mit einem ersten Eingang von Addiermitteln (4), deren zweiter Eingang verbunden ist mit den zweiten Mikrofonmitteln (Bmic), wobei der Ausgang der Addiermittel (4) verbunden ist mit den Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsmitteln (3).
  12. Hörgerät nach Anspruch 9 oder 10, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsmittel (3) erste und zweite Verzögerungseinheiten (3a, 3b) umfassen, die mit den ersten bzw. zweiten Mikrofonmitteln (Fmic, Bmic) verbunden sind, wobei die Dämpfungsmittel erste Dämpfermittel (2) umfassen, die zwischen der ersten Verzögerungseinheit (3a) und den Subtrahiermitteln (5) angeschlossen sind.
  13. Hörgerät nach Anspruch 11, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Ausgang der Kombiniermittel (6), die das kombinierte Gesamtsignal (Y) liefern, über eine Rückkopplungsschleife mit einem negativem Eingang von Subtrahiermitteln (10) verbunden ist, deren positiver Eingang mit dem Ausgang der Addiermittel (4) verbunden ist.
  14. Hörgerät nach Anspruch 13, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass dritte Dämpfermittel (11) in der Rückkopplungsschleife enthalten sind.
  15. Hörgerät nach Anspruch 9, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Umstellungsmittel eine erste Addierschaltung (12) umfassen, die verbunden ist mit den ersten und zweiten Mikrofonmitteln (Fmic, Bmic), sowie eine erste Subtrahierschaltung (13), deren positiver Eingang verbunden ist mit den ersten Mikrofonmitteln (Fmic), und deren negativer Eingang verbunden ist mit den zweiten Mikrofonmitteln (Bmic), sowie erste und zweite Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsvorrichtungen (14, 15), die verbunden sind mit den ersten Subtrahier- bzw. Addierschaltungen (13, 12), sowie eine zweite Addierschaltung (16) zum Addieren der durch die erste Subtrahierschaltung (13) und die erste Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsvorrichtung (14) bereitgestellten Signale, und eine zweite Subtrahierschaltung (17) mit einem positiven Eingang, der mit der ersten Addierschaltung (12) verbunden ist, und mit einem negativen Eingang, der mit der zweiten Zeit- oder Phasenverzögerungsvorrichtung (15) verbunden ist, wobei ein erstes steuerbares Dämpfungsglied (18) das Signal von der zweiten Addierschaltung (16) einer Dämpfung um einen Faktor (1 - omni)/2 unterwirft, wobei ein zweites steuerbares Dämpfungsglied (19) das Signal von der zweiten Subtrahierschaltung (17) einer Dämpfung um einen Faktor (1 + omni)/2 unterwirft, und ferner eine dritte Addierschaltung (20) umfasst zum Addieren der Signale von den ersten und zweiten Dämpfungsgliedern (18, 19), um das kombinierte Gesamtsignal zu liefern.
  16. Hörgerät nach einem der Ansprüche 9 bis 15, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der einstellbare Parameter (omni) für die Dämpfung der abgeleiteten Signale im Wesentlichen der Gleiche ist.
  17. Hörgerät nach einem der Ansprüche 9 bis 16, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der einstellbare Parameter (omni) einen Wert im Bereich 0 ≤ omni ≤ 1 hat.
EP00938590A 1999-06-24 2000-06-23 EINE METHODE ZUR REGELUNG DER RICHTWIRKUNG DER SCHALLEMPFANGSCHARAkTERISTIK EINES HÖRGERÄTES UND EIN HÖRGERÄT ZUR AUSFÜHRUNG DER METHODE Expired - Lifetime EP1203508B1 (de)

Priority Applications (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP00938590A EP1203508B1 (de) 1999-06-24 2000-06-23 EINE METHODE ZUR REGELUNG DER RICHTWIRKUNG DER SCHALLEMPFANGSCHARAkTERISTIK EINES HÖRGERÄTES UND EIN HÖRGERÄT ZUR AUSFÜHRUNG DER METHODE

Applications Claiming Priority (4)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
WOPCT/EP99/04375 1999-06-24
PCT/EP1999/004375 WO2001001732A1 (en) 1999-06-24 1999-06-24 Hearing aid with controllable directional characteristics
EP00938590A EP1203508B1 (de) 1999-06-24 2000-06-23 EINE METHODE ZUR REGELUNG DER RICHTWIRKUNG DER SCHALLEMPFANGSCHARAkTERISTIK EINES HÖRGERÄTES UND EIN HÖRGERÄT ZUR AUSFÜHRUNG DER METHODE
PCT/DK2000/000339 WO2001001731A1 (en) 1999-06-24 2000-06-23 A method for controlling the directionality of the sound receiving characteristic of a hearing aid and a hearing aid for carrying out the method

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EP1203508A1 EP1203508A1 (de) 2002-05-08
EP1203508B1 true EP1203508B1 (de) 2003-08-27

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Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7957548B2 (en) 2006-05-16 2011-06-07 Phonak Ag Hearing device with transfer function adjusted according to predetermined acoustic environments
US8483416B2 (en) 2006-07-12 2013-07-09 Phonak Ag Methods for manufacturing audible signals

Cited By (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
US7957548B2 (en) 2006-05-16 2011-06-07 Phonak Ag Hearing device with transfer function adjusted according to predetermined acoustic environments
US8483416B2 (en) 2006-07-12 2013-07-09 Phonak Ag Methods for manufacturing audible signals

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