EP1432282B1 - Method for adapting a hearing aid to a momentary acoustic environment situation and hearing aid system - Google Patents

Description

The invention relates to a method for adapting a hearing device to a momentary acoustic environment situation according to the preamble of claim 1 and to a hearing device system according to the preamble of claim 9.

A method and a hearing aid system of this type are known from WO-A-01/20965 or the corresponding US-A-2002/0037087 known. In this known solution, the instantaneous acoustic environment situation is identified in the hearing device of the hearing aid system and, based on this identified environmental situation, the corresponding hearing program, ie the corresponding parameter set stored in the hearing device, is set automatically. In order to give the hearing device user the option of switching off the automatic detection of the environmental situation and the automatic selection of the hearing program associated therewith on request, an input unit, eg a switch on the hearing device or a remote control, is present, which can be actuated by the hearing device wearer.

In addition, hearing aids are also known in which the hearing aid wearer has to make the selection of the suitable hearing program manually from a number of hearing programs stored in the hearing aid, specifically via a remote control or via a switch on the hearing aid. For many users, however, switching between different programs is annoying or difficult, especially when many programs are available.

Next is from the WO 02/28143 A2 a binaural hearing aid system with at least two hearing aid devices is known in which "sound field characteristics" are exchanged between the hearing aid devices in order to adapt the signal processing to different listening situations. Thus, in each hearing aid device of the hearing aid system, all available data for the evaluation of the existing sound field are available, so that the signal processing units in the respective hearing aid devices can be equally adapted to the sound field and operated in the same hearing program.

Furthermore, from the US 6,035,050 or the EP 0 814 634 A1 a hearing aid system is known in which the parameter setting of the hearing aid device assigned to each hearing situation is not already specified during the adaptation by the hearing aid acoustician, but initially for each hearing situation several experimental parameter sets are provided. In an optimization phase, the hearing aid wearer can then determine which parameter set is most suitable for him individually in the individual hearing situations. This parameter set is finally assigned to the hearing situation.

The present invention is based on the object to provide a method or a hearing aid system of the type mentioned, in which the belonging to the respective acoustic environment situation hearing program is set manually or automatically, the hearing aid wearer can bring his personal listening desire optimally.

This object is achieved according to the invention with a method having the features of claim 1 and with a hearing aid system having the features of claim 9.

The hearing aid wearer can influence the hearing aid program which is set manually or automatically in the hearing device of the hearing aid system, ie. on the parameter set belonging to the latter, by adjusting the parameters of this parameter set according to predetermined rules stored in the hearing aid by means of an input part which is easy to operate. Thus, the hearing aid wearer is enabled, in any environment situation, to easily adapt the hearing program that has been set to this particular environmental situation to his listening desire, e.g. in the sense of "better understanding" or "more pleasant hearing".

Preferably, the parameters of the set parameter set are adjusted starting from a set nominal value within a predetermined control range according to predetermined rules in each case in one of two opposite directions.

Preferred further developments of the method according to the invention and the hearing aid system according to the invention form the subject of the dependent claims.

Fig. 1

ein Blockschaltbild eines erfindungsgemässen Hörgerätesystems,

Fig. 2

eine Ausführungsform eines zum Hörgerätesystem gemäss Fig. 1 gehörenden Eingabeteils, und

Fig. 3

eine Darstellung eines Parametersatzes.

In the following the invention will be explained in more detail with reference to drawings. It shows purely schematically:

Fig. 1

a block diagram of a hearing aid system according to the invention,

Fig. 2

an embodiment of the hearing aid system according to Fig. 1 belonging input part, and

Fig. 3

a representation of a parameter set.

For in the Fig. 1 Hearing aid system shown as a block diagram includes a hearing aid 1, the electroacoustic transducer, namely at least one microphone, but preferably as shown two microphones 2 a, 2 b, and a handset 3 (speaker) having. The microphones 2a, 2b are connected via an analog / digital converter 4 to the input of an adjustable in their transmission characteristics transmission unit 5, which is connected on the output side via a digital / analog converter 6 to the handset 3. The transmission unit 5 stores a number of different parameter sets, each of which is assigned to a specific acoustic environment situation and determines a transmission characteristic of the transmission unit 5. Such a parameter set 7 is in the Fig. 3 shown schematically. In addition, the hearing aid 1 includes a signal processing part 8, which is connected by a signal analysis unit 9 and a connected thereto Signal identification unit 10 is formed. The signal analysis unit 9 is connected to the output of the analog / digital converter 4 and the input side of the input signal of the transmission unit 5 is applied. The output of the signal identification unit 10 is connected to the transmission unit 5, to which further an input part 11 is operatively connected. This input part 11 is formed in the embodiment shown as a remote from the hearing aid remote unit 12, which is wirelessly in communication with the hearing aid 1. This in Fig. 2 purely schematically illustrated remote control unit 12 has a housing 13 in which the required electronic components not shown are housed, and two buttons 14 and 15, which are easily identified identifiable for the hearing aid wearer, in the illustrated embodiment with "+" (eg "better understanding") and "-" (eg means "more comfortable listening").

But it is also possible to integrate the input part 11 - instead of as a remote control unit 12 - to integrate into the hearing aid 1 and to provide two selection keys on this.

The input part 11 can also be designed so that the input can be made voice-controlled by the hearing aid wearer.

The identification of the instantaneous acoustic environment situation and the automatic setting of the hearing program or parameter set belonging to the identified environment situation takes place in principle in those already mentioned WO-A-01/20965 and US-A-2002/0037087 explained way. Therefore, for a detailed description of the automatic adjustment of the appropriate hearing program to these publications, the contents of which are hereby incorporated into this description, referenced. In summary, the automatic hearing program setting is as follows:

In the signal analysis unit 9 characteristic, auditory-based features and possibly additionally technically-based features are extracted from the output signals of the analog / digital converter 4. Due to the features extracted in the signal analysis unit 9, the instantaneous acoustic ambient situation is determined in the signal identification unit 10 by recognition of the same or similar pattern of the extracted features, and a corresponding output signal is generated. This output signal, which contains information about the acoustic environment situation, is supplied to the transmission unit 5, in which the, the current transmission characteristic of the transmission unit 5-determining parameter set is set, which is assigned to the identified acoustic environment situation.

A comparison with the embodiment according to Fig. 1 simplified example, which does not fall under the scope of the claims, is that not necessarily a signal processing part 8 is present or at least that the above-described function of the signal processing part 8 can be disabled. In such a simplified example, a hearing program from the hearing aid wearer can be manually applied to the hearing aid itself or via the remote control unit 12 to get voted. Nevertheless, according to the invention, the set of parameters belonging to the selected hearing program is adjusted via the input part according to predetermined rules stored in the hearing aid.

The hearing aid wearer thus has the option of influencing the parameter set, which is selected automatically or manually as described, ie the set hearing program. For this purpose, the input part 11, which, as already mentioned, is operatively connected to the transmission unit 5. How this influence takes place is described below with reference to Fig. 3 explained in more detail.

It is believed in the Fig. 3 Let the set of parameters 7 set in the hearing aid be shown and this parameter set 7 consist of the parameters P1-Pn. The nominal value set for each parameter and stored in the transmission unit 5 is represented by a narrow hatched bar and denoted by N. By operating the keys 14, 15, the parameters P1-Pn can be calculated from this nominal value N in two opposite directions C, D between two end values, which in the Fig. 3 A and B are designated and define a control range to be changed. However, not every parameter P1-Pn can be adjusted individually, which would be very confusing and unmanageable for the hearing aid wearer. Rather, when the keys 14, 15 of the remote control unit 12 are actuated, the parameters P1-Pn for all parameters are changed simultaneously and jointly according to predetermined rules or rule sets stored in the hearing aid 1. For different acoustic environment situations can thereby different rules or rule sets are used. In this case, the individual parameters of the set parameter set can be changed by a different amount, ie individual parameters can undergo significant changes, while other parameters are little or not changed. This will now be with reference to the Fig. 3 explained in more detail.

In one case, it is assumed that the hearing aid user has adjusted the parameters in the direction of the arrow C by operating the key 15 (adjustment in the sense of "more pleasant hearing"). The parameters are now set to the value indicated by X. In the other case, by operating the key 14 (adjustment in the sense of "better understanding"), the hearing aid wearer has changed the parameters in the direction of the arrow D, so that the parameters are now set to the value designated by Y. In this case, the parameter P3 has not been changed in the example shown.

The adjustment of the parameters may be in steps or stepless as well as either soft, i. inaudible, or hard, i. audible, done.

Thanks to the method according to the invention and to the hearing aid system 1 according to the invention, the hearing aid wearer is able to bring in or further introduce his personal listening request in the case of automatic but also manual selection of the hearing program belonging to the current environment situation. This will be illustrated by an example.

The hearing aid wearer is in a restaurant. In the background is music. At the same table sit other people who are having a conversation. The hearing aid automatically or manually adjusts to the given instantaneous acoustic environment situation in the manner described. The hearing aid wearer may now wish to be able to better follow the conversation at the table or to be able to listen more to the music. If he wants to follow the conversation better, he presses the key 14 and adjusts the parameters P1-Pn in the direction of arrow D in the sense of "better understanding, selective hearing or more speech intelligibility". However, if the hearing aid user wants to hear the music better, he actuates the other key 15 and adjusts the parameters P1-Pn in the direction of the arrow C in the sense of "more pleasant hearing and improved all-round listening".

The hearing aid can store a large number of different hearing programs, ie the corresponding parameter sets. In particular, in the case of a large number of different hearing programs, the best hearing program for the current acoustic environment situation is automatically selected. The hearing device wearer can easily implement his listening desire, which can change from one acoustic environment situation to the next, but also within a given environment situation, namely by pressing a key on a keyboard. The latter comes with two buttons, but can also have more than two buttons. Thus, the inventive concept allows the creation of a user-friendly hearing aid that automatically, possibly also manually, on the current acoustic Setting the environment situation and is also able to take into account the respective hearing request of the hearing aid wearer.

The described hearing device 1 can be designed so that the corrected parameter sets, which have been changed by the hearing aid wearer according to his desire to hear as described above, are stored in the hearing aid. Does it appear that in a certain acoustic environment situation the hearing aid wearer alters the originally stored parameter set associated with this environmental situation repeatedly in the same way, i. always in the same direction and by the same measure, this originally stored parameter set can be replaced by the changed, corrected parameter set. The corrected parameter set is then used as the default setting.

This replacement of the originally stored parameter set with the corrected parameter set can be automatically learned by the hearing aid itself, e.g. by a neural network, or by a hearing care professional or the hearing aid user himself.

As has already been explained in detail, when the keys 14, 15 of the remote control unit 12 are actuated, the parameters P1-Pn are changed simultaneously for all parameters and according to predetermined rules or rule sets stored in the hearing aid 1, ie for different acoustic environmental situations different rules or rule sets are used. In particular, these explanations also mean that information is provided by the Remote unit 12 in the transmission unit 5 on the basis of information from the signal processing part 8, in particular information of the signal identification unit 10, ie information on the current acoustic environment situation, interpreted. From the user's point of view, this means that the buttons 14, 15 of the remote control unit 12 are automatically assigned different functions, ie, depending on a current environmental situation.

Here are a few examples with different acoustic environment situations and the associated setting options:

In a quiet environment, the keys 14, 15, for example, the control of the volume transmitted.

In a noisy environment, such as is found in a restaurant, the keys 14, 15, for example, the control of the sound balance and / or transmitted via parameters of a Mehrmikrophonsystems used. If the sound balance is controlled by the two keys 14, 15, by pressing the key 14 or 15, high-frequency signal components can be raised and / or low-frequency signal components are lowered, or vice versa. Further information on the sound balance can be found in the publication of Harvey Dillon entitled "Hearing Aids" (Boomerang Press, 2001, ISBN 1-58890-052-5), in particular its chapter 11.1.6 subtitled "Tonal quality" (page 308 ). For more information on multi-microphone systems will be on Chapter 7.1 subtitled "Multi-Microphone and Other Directional Hearing Aids "(pages 188 to 195 ) of the same publication.

The acoustic environment in a vehicle can be characterized by stationary noise or by low-frequency stationary background noise. According to the statements in Chapter 7.2 with the subtitle "Single-Microphone Noise Reduction" in the mentioned publication (pages 195 to 198 ), the keys 14, 15 can be assigned the parameters according to a low-pass filter or according to a working at low frequencies compressor.

Finally, in the case of an acoustic environment situation with music, it is possible to assign to the keys 14, 15, on the one hand, the amplification (volume) and, on the other hand, the compression, with the aim of amplifying high frequencies and, at the same time, the widest possible bandwidth.

In application of the above statements on the setting options of a hearing aid in ambient noise with music settings can be generated in industrial ambient noise, such as those produced by production machines, or in other environmental situations.

Regardless of the detected acoustic environment situation, it is possible in a further embodiment of the invention that the settings which have been effected by the hearing aid wearer by operating the remote control unit 12 are recorded in the hearing aid. Especially if such manual overrides by the hearing aid wearer are carried out repeatedly in the same or similar manner, is provided according to a further embodiment of the invention to permanently store the manual settings in order to set them automatically when the respective acoustic environment situation occurs, virtually as an initial setting.

Conceivable in this context is an embodiment of the invention in which the mentioned automatic adjustability is specified by the acoustician, i. The Acoustician will determine with the hearing aid wearer if manual changes made several times are to be automatically added to the initial setting after a certain time, or if the changes are merely recorded and may be added to the initial adjustment by the hearing care professional after the hearing aid is next adjusted ,

With regard to the recording possibilities of parameters and other information in the hearing aid, the sake of completeness is based on the European patent application with the publication number EP-1 320 282 directed.

The hearing device system described above is used in the sense of a hearing aid for correcting a damaged hearing of a person. However, the method according to the invention and the hearing aid concept according to the invention can also be applied analogously to other acoustic systems Communication systems, such as in radios, applied or used. Furthermore, the invention is particularly applicable to binaural hearing aids, it being conceivable that information in one of the two hearing aids or in both hearing aids are recorded. If information is only recorded in one of the two hearing aids, a first embodiment consists in recording information from both hearing aids. A second and thus simplified embodiment is to record information from a hearing aid alone.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1

hearing Aid

2a, 2b

microphone

3

Handset (loudspeaker)

4

Analog / digital converter

5

transmission unit

6

Digital / analog converter

7

parameter set

8th

Signal processing part

9

Signal analysis unit

10

Signal identification unit

11

input part

12

remote Control unit

13

casing

14, 15

button

Claims (17)

1. Method of adjusting a hearing device (1) to a current acoustic surrounding situation, wherein a parameter set (7) stored in the hearing device (1) and belonging to the current surrounding situation is set in the hearing device (1), and wherein the current acoustic surrounding situation is automatically identified, preferably in the hearing device, characterised in that parameters (P1-Pn) of the set parameter set (7) are adjusted starting from a set nominal value (N) with the aid of an input means (11, 12) operable by the wearer of the hearing device according to the listening preference of the wearer of the hearing device, wherein different functions are assigned to the input means (11, 12) dependent on the current acoustic surrounding situation.
2. Method according to claim 1, characterised in that the parameters (P1-Pn) of the set parameter set (7) are adjusted for the given situation in one of two opposing directions (C, D) within a predetermined adjustment range (A-B).
3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, characterised in that the parameters (P1-Pn) of the parameter set (7) are adjusted concurrently and jointly according to predefined rules or sets of rules.
4. Method according to claim 3, characterised in that different rules or sets of rules are applied in different acoustic surrounding situations.
5. Method according to one of claims 1 to 4, characterised in that the parameter sets adjusted according to the hearing preference of the wearer of the hearing device are stored.
6. Method according to claim 5, characterised in that an originally stored parameter set (7) assigned to a certain acoustic surrounding situation is replaced by the parameter set adjusted and accordingly corrected by the wearer of the hearing device, if for a certain acoustic surrounding situation the originally stored parameter set (7) has been changed by the wearer of the hearing device in the same way multiple times.
7. Method according to one of claims 1 to 6, characterised in that characteristic features are first extracted in the hearing device (1) from signals which are picked up from the current acoustic surrounding situation and then the current acoustic surrounding situation is determined based on the extracted features.
8. Method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterised in that a selection of the parameters (P1-Pn) to be adjusted and/or the change of parameter values takes place dependent on the current acoustic surrounding situation.
9. Hearing device system with a hearing device (1), comprising a transfer unit (5) and a signal processing part (8) to which the input signal of the transfer unit (5) is applicable, wherein the transfer unit (5) is operationally connected to at least one microphone (2a, 2b) at its input side and with a receiver (6) at its output side, and whose transfer properties are adjustable to various transfer characteristics determined by stored parameter sets (7), and wherein the particular current acoustic surrounding situation is identifiable in the signal processing part (8), and an adjustment of the parameter set (7) belonging to the identified surrounding situation is achievable in the transfer unit (5), and with an input means (11, 12) which is operable by the wearer of the hearing device and operationally connected to the transfer unit (5), characterised in that Parameters (P1-Pn) of the set parameter set (7) determining the current transfer characteristic of the transfer unit (5) are adjustable with the aid of the input means (11, 12) starting from a set nominal value (N) according to the hearing preference of the wearer of the hearing device, wherein different functions are assignable to the input means (11, 12) dependent on the current acoustic surrounding situation.
10. Hearing device system according to claim 9, characterised in that the parameters (P1-Pn) of the set parameter set (7) are adjustable with the aid of the input means (11, 12) within a predetermined adjustment range (A-B) for the given situation in one of two opposing directions (C, D), wherein the adjustment of the parameters (P1-Pn) of the parameter set (7) preferably takes place concurrently and jointly according to predefined rules or sets of rules stored in the hearing device (1).
11. Hearing device system according to claim 10, characterised in that different rules or sets of rules are applicable for different acoustic surrounding situations.
12. Hearing device system according to one of claims 9 to 11, characterised in that the signal processing part (8) features a signal analysis unit (9) operationally connected to the at least one microphone (2a, 2b), which signal analysis unit extracts characteristic features from signals of the acoustic surrounding situation picked up with the at least one microphone (2a, 2b), and a signal identification unit (10) connected to the output of the signal analysis unit (9), in which signal identification unit (10) the current acoustic surrounding situation is determined based on the extracted features and which is connected on the output side to the transfer unit (5).
13. Hearing device system according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterised in that the input means (11, 12) is adapted for a manual input with the aid of a keypad (14, 15).
14. Hearing device system according to one of claims 9 to 12, characterised in that the input means (11, 12) is adapted for a voice controlled input.
15. Hearing device system according to one of claims 9 to 14, characterised in that the input means (11) is implemented separately from the hearing device as a remote control unit (12) wirelessly connected to the transfer unit (5).
16. Hearing device system according to one of claims 9 to 15, characterised in that the input means (11) is integrated into the hearing device (1).
17. Hearing device system according to claim 13 and one of claims 10 or 11, characterised in that the keypad of the input means (11, 12) features two buttons (14, 15) which each serve to adjust the parameters (P1-Pn) of the parameter set (7) in one of the two opposing directions (C, D).

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