EP1530403B1 - Herstellungsverfahren für ein aktives Hörgerät und Anpassungssystem - Google Patents

Herstellungsverfahren für ein aktives Hörgerät und Anpassungssystem Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1530403B1
EP1530403B1 EP20040028312 EP04028312A EP1530403B1 EP 1530403 B1 EP1530403 B1 EP 1530403B1 EP 20040028312 EP20040028312 EP 20040028312 EP 04028312 A EP04028312 A EP 04028312A EP 1530403 B1 EP1530403 B1 EP 1530403B1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
signal
acoustic
individual
hearing device
selection
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Not-in-force
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EP20040028312
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English (en)
French (fr)
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EP1530403A1 (de
Inventor
Michael Boretzki
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Sonova Holding AG
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Phonak AG
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Priority to DE200460020566 priority Critical patent/DE602004020566D1/de
Priority to DK04028312T priority patent/DK1530403T3/da
Priority to EP20040028312 priority patent/EP1530403B1/de
Publication of EP1530403A1 publication Critical patent/EP1530403A1/de
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Publication of EP1530403B1 publication Critical patent/EP1530403B1/de
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    • 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
    • H04R25/70—Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Definitions

  • the present invention departs from the following problems:
  • a further problem which is more and more encountered in complex multi-transfer characteristics, i.e. multi-program digital hearing devices is that the fitter such as e.g. an audiologist has a difficult task to provide proper fitting of the hearing device to different acoustic test signals without influencing by one fitting adjustment operation at least some of the adjustment operations which have already been performed for other test signals. Often looping of fitting operations for different test signals is necessary.
  • an “active hearing device” a hearing device which is, on the output side, operatively connectable to the ear of an individual and provides there for hearing perception of signals as input.
  • the output signal is primarily a mechanical signal, namely an acoustic signal as output by a loudspeaker arrangement or a movement signal operating upon a mechanical transducer as implanted or applied to an individual's ear. Nevertheless, if we address such "output signal” this may also refer to an electric signal upstream electric/mechanical conversion.
  • the “active hearing device” receives either directly an acoustic signal which is then converted to an electric signal as by an acoustic/electric converter arrangement or an electric representation of such acoustic signal, whereby the latter is a result of remote and/or pre-performed acoustic to electric conversion.
  • the device is called “active”, because there is provided an electronic unit, thereby especially at least one digital signal processing unit, which operates upon the input signal with a prevailing transfer characteristic to provide the output signal.
  • an input signal to the active device it may be acoustic or electric.
  • an output signal of the hearing device it may be mechanical or electric.
  • One hearing device considered may have two or more transfer characteristics which are selectively activatable in the sense of different programs, so e.g. to perform signal transfer for different acoustic situations.
  • the one or more than one transfer characteristics are parameterized by adjustable parameters.
  • selection of adjustments such selection may comprise one or more than one transfer characteristics and adjustable parameters of one or more than one transfer characteristics.
  • a fitting operation may be a "default” fitting operation of the hearing device, during which a freshly manufactured device is first adjusted, so that the one or more than one transfer characteristics are parameterized on default behavior.
  • a fitting operation may also be a "preliminary" fitting operation, during which, departing from the just addressed default fitting adjustment, the hearing device is adjusted with respect to its one or more than one transfer characteristics to specific needs which are reported by a customer individual of a specific hearing device.
  • This "preliminary" fitting operation deals with data specific to that individual which is present in a prerecorded form, such as e.g. diagnostic data about the specific hearing ability of that individual.
  • a fitting operation may be "fine"-fitting of the hearing device to the specific customer individual, which is done in situ, i.e. during said individual wearing the hearing device. It is largely controlled by intense communication between the individual and a specialized operator.
  • fitting operation may be "user"-fitting, where the customer individual wears the hearing device and adjusts one or more than one parameters of one or more than one transfer characteristics of the hearing device in normal life acoustic environment.
  • Acoustic signal types may be e.g.: from daily life acoustic surrounding:
  • different "types" of acoustical signals or of their electric representations may be defined by different basic acoustical parameters as e.g. different level, different spectra, different time courses of spectral distribution or levels, etc.
  • Such "types” may be defined by different acoustic indicators of content, namely e.g. of music, speech, traffic noise, etc.
  • Still further “types” may be defined on the basis of different indicators of specific acoustic sources, as e.g. by specific talkers, specific music instruments, orchestras, spatial location, etc.
  • the addressed "types" may be defined on the basis of different indicators of probable hearing target being associated with an acoustic signal, as e.g. intelligibility, clarity, audibility, pleasantness, noisiness, etc.
  • categorizing of an acoustic signal to be applied as a fitting signal and performing the determination of the proposed selection of preferred adjustments allows to use momentarily prevailing daily signals for fitting.
  • Such signals are categorized automatically, i.e. "online” or, if prerecorded e.g. selected by an audiologist, are pre-categorized.
  • artificial standard test signals may be used for fitting, which are accordingly categorized in advance.
  • all kinds of momentarily prevailing or of prerecorded acoustic signals may be used as fitting test signals and the automatic determination of a proposed selection for preferred adjustments to be acted upon allows acting upon those adjustments which are specific to the test signals.
  • Such proposed selection will e.g. influence significantly less the transfer of other signals, which has possibly already been optimized, than that of the just selected signal.
  • categorizing an acoustic signal to be applied as a fitting signal is performed by analyzing said acoustic signal as prevailing.
  • momentarily prevailing acoustic signals may be analyzed and categorized, leading to the ability that an individual wearing the hearing device in situ gets information about preferred adjustments to be acted upon for the prevailing acoustic situation.
  • automatically a selection of preferred adjustments is determined as a proposal, which significantly facilitates the customarily not specialized individual to perform a fitting adjustment in the prevailing acoustic surrounding.
  • Such most flexible in situ fitting option allows the end user individual to user fit his hearing device whenever felt necessary.
  • the result of signal analyzing just addressed is compared with predetermined values which concomitantly define for pre-established types of acoustic signals and thereby the prevailing acoustic signal is assigned to one of these types.
  • the selection of preferred adjustments as determined comprises one or more than one adjustment parameters of one or more than one transfer characteristics of the device as well as the indication of the respective transfer characteristic or transfer characteristics.
  • the acoustic signal to be applied is prerecorded.
  • a specialized person such as e.g. an audiologist may prerecord natural acoustic signals he considers well suited for hearing device fitting and the type of such prerecorded signal is either predetermined before a fitting operation is performed and then such predetermined type information is just entered to the fitting system for automatically displaying a proposed selection of adjustments to be acted upon.
  • such prerecorded signal may be subjected to automatic categorizing as by the addressed analyzing.
  • the present invention makes use of categorizing an acoustic signal to be applied as a fitting signal as being one of several pre-established types of signals. Thereby, and especially with an eye on default fitting, it is not necessary that such an acoustic signal be in fact applied to the hearing device during fitting. Once for an acoustic signal which is suited as a fitting signal, the type has been found by categorizing, it may be sufficient just to automatically determine the selection proposal of preferred adjustments for that specific suited signal and then to act upon such proposed adjustment without really presenting the respective acoustic signal to the hearing device.
  • a default fitter may just subsequently enter different type information to the automatic determination of a respectively proposed selection and may, following up such proposal, perform adjustments upon the hearing device without the respective acoustic signal being presented.
  • Such a fitting without presenting acoustic signals during fitting may also be performed possibly for preliminary fitting, i.e. during all fitting operations, where a customer individual needs not yet be considered with respect to his individual in situ hearing perception.
  • acoustic signal to be applied or which is suited to be applied is in fact applied to the hearing device and/or to categorizing, in one embodiment this is performed via an acoustic to electrical conversion.
  • the acoustic signal to be applied as a fitting signal is presented to an acoustic to electric converter arrangement of the hearing device. This is especially done whenever a fitting operation is performed, whereat the perception of a customer individual is considered in situ.
  • a signal which depends on the output signal of the hearing device is displayed, e.g. on a display screen, and the automatically determined proposed selection of preferred adjustments as well.
  • An individual which perceives the displayed information acts upon at least one of the adjustments as proposed by the displayed selection.
  • This embodiment is e.g. practiced by a specialized person such as by an audiologist. Because the displayed selection does not contain information about quantitative adjustment or variation of the respective parameters, generically a specialized person will be necessary to properly select how much and which of the selected adjustment options shall be varied. To do so the addressed individual should know the target of such an adjustment.
  • the addressed individual is provided with target information for said output signal and the individual performs acting upon an adjustment
  • the desired output signal is electronically provided for the acoustic signal which is applied.
  • a deviation signal between the output signal of the hearing device and the desired output signal.
  • the deviation signal is fed to an individual. Further, there is fed to the addressed individual information about the proposed selection of preferred adjustments and it is this individual who performs acting upon at least one adjustment as a function of the addressed information about the preferred selection and of the addressed deviation.
  • the addressed individual e.g. an audiologist
  • automatically calculated deviation information i.e. the deviation between the output signal as it should be (target) and the output signal as it really is.
  • Due to the proposed selection such individual may now easily adjust the hearing device by acting upon one or more than one of the proposed adjustments, which is especially important if at the hearing device a huge number of different adjustments is available.
  • the hearing device is applied to an individual.
  • the information about the proposed selection of preferred adjustment is displayed to such individual, and it is this individual acting upon the at least one adjustment of the displayed selection of adjustments.
  • the individual may especially be the customer individual and does thereby apply "user" fitting.
  • the information about the proposed selection of preferred adjustments is transmitted to the individual in one further embodiment by an automatically generated acoustic speech signal.
  • At least the automatic determining is performed within the hearing device.
  • the individual is provided with voice information about the proposed selection of preferred adjustments via the output electric to mechanical converter of the worn hearing device.
  • the user customer may user fit easily the worn hearing device in normal acoustic surrounding, especially if categorizing the prevailing acoustic signals is also performed within the hearing device as by the addressed analyzing.
  • the acoustic signal to be applied is in fact applied to a first individual via the hearing device which is worn by this first individual.
  • the information of the proposed selection of preferred adjustments is provided or displayed to a second individual. Further, information about hearing perception of the first individual is transmitted to the second individual, who performs acting upon at least one adjustment out of said proposed selection.
  • "operationally connecting" the addressed signal source to the addressed unit may be done, as became clear from the explanations already given above, via a categorizing unit which determines the type of acoustic signal prevailing or may, most indirectly, be done just by entering information about a pre-established type of acoustic signal so as to generate by the cited unit the addressed selection of preferred adjustments which should be acted upon.
  • the addressed unit is integrated into a hearing device, thereby defining for a hearing device with such unit.
  • the present invention is especially preferred for appliances where an individual is involved in fitting adjustment.
  • FIG. 1 there is shown by means of a signal flow/functional block diagram most generically a fitting system according to the present invention and operating according to the present invention so as to manufacture active hearing devices which are fitted towards the needs of an individual.
  • an acoustic signal AS is operatively applied as an input signal I 1 to an active hearing device 1.
  • An electronic unit 3 within the hearing device customarily comprising one or more than one digital signal processing units (DSP) for digitally treating the input signal applied at I 1 , provides via a prevailing transfer characteristic for the output signal A 1 of the hearing device.
  • DSP digital signal processing units
  • one or more than one parameters of one or more than one transfer characteristics may be adjusted which is, generically, performed by an actuation at an input at I A to the hearing device 1 and the electronic unit 3.
  • the adjustment input at I A may be a manual input or may be an electric input which actuates such adjustment.
  • the acoustic signal AS is operationally connected to an input I 5 for "type" categorizing as by a unit 5.
  • Type determination provides for an output signal S TYP which is indicative of a specific type of a specific acoustic signal AS out of several such "types".
  • categorizing criteria are preset. Categorizing may be performed at a categorizing unit 5, which, as will be explained later, may be omitted if the "type" of acoustic signal AS is known, such as e.g. having been predetermined.
  • the categorizing unit 5 represents generically a function resulting in the knowledge of the "type" of acoustic signal AS suited for fitting device 1.
  • the categorizing unit 5 thus provides at a generalized output A 5 a signal S TYP indicative for the "type" of acoustic signal to be used as a fitting test signal.
  • This "type" information in S TYP is applied to an input I 7 of a signal type to adjustment selection advice conversion unit 7 called ST/ASA conversion unit.
  • This ST/ASA conversion unit 7 may e.g. incorporate a lookup table, each "type" of acoustic signal defining for a proposed selection of adjustments to be possibly acted upon at the electronic unit 3.
  • an indication signal S ASA is generated.
  • the ST/ASA conversion unit 7 may e.g. output an indication that for influencing the transfer characteristic of the device 1 for such an acoustic signal, predominantly transfer characteristic No. X - program No. X - should be adjustably acted upon and within such transfer characteristic No. X, the parameters A, B, C out of parameters A, B, C, D, E should be varied.
  • an adjustment-performing member 9 which on one hand receives the indication of S ASA from conversion unit 7 and, on the other hand, performs according to such advice contained in S ASA received from conversion unit 7, the respective adjustment or adjustments at the electronic unit 3 of device 1, thereby acting on I A .
  • the adjustment member 9 which, under the most generic aspect of the present invention, may be an individual - preferred - or an electronic unit, shall perform an adjustment of a transfer characteristic at unit 3 towards a desired target characteristics in the sense that a prevailing input signal at I 1 shall result in a desired output signal at A 1 , then - as shown in fig. 1 - the adjusting member 9 additionally receives target output signal information on one hand and on the other hand prevailing output signal information, i.e. information about the prevailing output at A 1 .
  • acoustic signals AS are input to a categorizing unit 5a. There, in a first stage 11 the input signal is analyzed. Thereby, the acoustic signals may be analyzed on at least one of the following criteria:
  • the analysis result e.g. spectral power distribution of the input signal
  • categorizing criteria are pre-established, input and stored in determination unit 5 a as via a set input I W .
  • the determination unit 5 a outputs, at output A 5a the signal S TYP indicative for the "type" of prevailing signal at I 5a .
  • This signal is applied to input I 7 of ST/ASA conversion unit 7.
  • the respective "type" field is addressed in conversion stage 15 which is assigned to a specific selection of preferred adjustments ASA.
  • a "type 1" signal is the result of categorizing in unit 5a there is generated an ASA signal at the output A 7 indicating that for fitting the electronic unit 3 of device 1 predominantly adjustments I, e.g. parameter A of transfer characteristics I should be acted upon. Accordingly and as shown fitting for a "type 2" input signal is advised to be performed by acting at characteristic II on parameters A and B.
  • a two- or more-dimensional lookup table may in fact be implemented assigning to one specific "type" of signal input at I 7 and dependent on additional parameters input to unit 7 (not shown) selectively different selections of respectively preferred adjustments to be acted upon at the device 1 of fig. 1 .
  • fig. 1 Whenever the acoustic signals to be exploited for fitting the hearing device 1 as of fig. 1 are known such as e.g. pre-recorded, there may be no need to perform an online signal type analysis as is in fact necessary for in situ exploiting daily surrounding signals for user fitting.
  • the categorizing unit 5 of fig. 1 such as a hardware unit may be omitted. This is shown schematically and simplified in fig. 3 .
  • a pre-established acoustic signal to be used or which is suited as a fitting test signal for the active device 1 is pre-recorded.
  • the "type" of such signal is also known. E.g. it may have been found by previous signal analysis and categorizing.
  • the signal as well as its "type” may be pre-recorded e.g. on a player unit 17, a CD player, a chip, etc.
  • a known and pre-recorded acoustic signal or its electric representation such as e.g. on the unit 17, the "type" of the selected signal is also known.
  • the information of "type" of the signal selected is entered to input I 7 e.g. by an audiologist.
  • this "type" information may automatically be input to the conversion unit 7 from the player unit 17, at which the respective signal is selected.
  • the ST/ASA conversion unit 7 may be construed in analogy to that which was exemplified with the help of fig. 2 , i.e. by selecting and inputting manually or automatically the respective "type" of acoustic signals - and possibly of additional parameters as was addressed - a respective selection of preferred adjustments is output at A 7 .
  • acoustic signals or electric signals representing such acoustic signals suited for fitting the active hearing device 1 may be prevailing or may be recorded.
  • a signal type analysis is performed so as to categorize such signals into signal types.
  • prerecorded signals their type may be pre-established.
  • the acoustic signal AS as of fig. 1 is picked up by a microphone arrangement 20, the electric output of which being led to both the electric input I 1 of active hearing device 1 as well as to the electric input I 5a of the categorizing unit 5 a .
  • a processing unit 22 in the interconnection between the output of the microphone arrangement 20 and the electric input I 1 there might be provided a processing unit 22.
  • an additional processing unit such as unit 22 may be provided to first appropriately tailor the respective electric signals.
  • the electric signals which represent the prevailing acoustic signal AS may also directly be derived from an electric signal source, such as from a player unit 21, whereat prerecorded signals are selected.
  • an electric signal source such as from a player unit 21, whereat prerecorded signals are selected.
  • a prevailing acoustic signal AS is fed to the categorizing unit 5 a as well as to the hearing device 1 as an electric signal.
  • the embodiment of fig. 4b is similar to that of fig. 4a . It shows the simplified embodiment if known acoustic signals AS are used, wherefrom the "type" too is known. As a difference to the embodiment of fig. 4a and as was already addressed the conversion unit 5 a may be omitted and the "type" of prevailing acoustic signal AS is directly entered to the ST/ASA conversion unit 7. Entering the sound "type” at unit 7 may thereby be performed manually or automatically. Latter is especially realized whenever, as shown in dashed lines, the known acoustic signals are recorded together with their "type" information, as in a recording unit 21.
  • a further embodiment is shown in fig. 4c .
  • the prevailing acoustic signal AS is fed to the active hearing device 1 as an acoustic signal and, accordingly, input I 1 as of fig. 1 is an acoustic input.
  • the acoustic/electric conversion is performed by means of an acoustic/electric converter arrangement 24 integrated in the device 1, i.e. a microphone arrangement 24.
  • the acoustic signal AS is converted to its electric representation by a microphone arrangement 26, the output thereof being operationally connected to the electric input I 5a of the categorizing unit 5 a .
  • I 1 is an acoustic input
  • I 5 is an electric input
  • a known acoustic signal AS is input to the acoustic input I 1 of the device 1, whereby in analogy to fig. 4b the "type" of signal is input either manually or automatically directly to the conversion unit 7.
  • the use of a player unit 21 is shown in this embodiment, whereby the acoustic signal AS is generated via a loudspeaker to input I 1 and "type" setting may be performed automatically by the player unit 21.
  • the acoustic signal AS is input to the acoustic input I 1 of the device 1.
  • the microphone arrangement 24 inherent to the device 1 is also used for acoustic/electric conversion of the acoustic signal AS to be input to the input I 5a of categorizing unit 5 a . Therefore, there is provided at the hearing device 1 an electric output A 1a from which the acoustic/electrically converted signal is led to the input I 5a .
  • the unit 7 outputs an indication about which adjustments shall preferably be acted on for fitting the hearing device at least with respect to a specific type of acoustic signal.
  • the indication of which adjustment shall be acted on may thereby comprise one or more than one transfer characteristics or programs of the device 1 and thereby specific adjustable parameters of such characteristics or programs.
  • the unit 7 does not provide for a quantitative indication, namely of the extent to which such adjustment is to be performed, i.e. how much parameters have to be varied. This because such quantitative adjustment may mostly be accurately performed only based on the knowledge of a target which latter is finally only defined by a consumer individual.
  • the adjusting member 9 most generically will perform the quantitative adjustment at electronic unit 3 on one hand based on the ASA-information, i.e. about which program and parameter is to be acted upon, further based on the information of how the prevailing transfer characteristic behaves and thirdly based on the information of how the transfer characteristic should be optimized still for a specific acoustic test signal.
  • the embodiments are different dependent on how adjusting member 9 as generically shown in fig. 1 is put into practice.
  • the adjustment selection advice S ASA from the conversion unit 7 is fed to a machine/man interface such as e.g. to a display unit 27.
  • a machine/man interface such as e.g. to a display unit 27.
  • the output signal A 1 as of fig. 1 of the active hearing device 1 is also fed to a machine/man interface such as to a display unit 28.
  • the signal A 1 exploited here to be displayed at the display 28 may directly be the electric signal output from the electronic unit 3 or may be, as shown in dashed lines, provided by sensing the mechanical output signal of the device 1 such as e.g. the acoustic output of an output electric/acoustic converter of the device 1. Be it by reconverting the signal from the mechanical output A 1 or be it directly by exploiting the signal at the electric output A 1 of device 1 in any case there is displayed at the interface 28 a prevailing result dependent on the prevailing transfer characteristic of electronic unit 3 upon the prevailing acoustic signal AS as of fig. 1 .
  • an individual ID1 has present the result of the prevailing transfer characteristic - INFO PREV. - and further the information - INFO ADJ. - about which adjustments are preferably and predominantly to be acted upon at unit 3 if the prevailing characteristic's result is not satisfying.
  • the individual ID1 further knows as shown in fig. 5a schematically by INFO DES the desired transfer characteristic's result and will, based on the difference of the prevailing information INFO PREV and the information about the desired result, INFO DES, act on those adjustment facilities, programs and parameters which are proposed by the INFO ADJ.
  • one part of the task to be performed by the individual ID1 as of fig. 5a is automated, i.e. machine performed.
  • a difference ⁇ between the result of the prevailing transfer characteristic at device 1 and a desired result there is formed at a comparison unit 29 a difference ⁇ between the result of the prevailing transfer characteristic at device 1 and a desired result.
  • a modelling unit 31 As an example, there is provided a modelling unit 31. A signal which represents the prevailing acoustic signal AS as of fig. 1 is applied to the input I 31 of the modeling unit 31 and the information about the "type" of prevailing acoustic signal is derived from the input side of the conversion unit 7 and also applied to the modeling unit 31. On the basis of "type" information in the modeling unit 31 there is selected in unit 31 a desired transfer characteristic which has been experienced as optimum for that type of acoustic signal.
  • the modeling unit 31 establishes for a model of optimally fitted hearing device 1 at least for specific acoustic signals.
  • the signal input to I 31 is acted upon by the type-dependently selected optimum transfer characteristic so that at the output A 31 a signal is generated which represents the desired result to be established at the hearing device 1.
  • the signal ⁇ which represents the deviation of the prevailing characteristic result of device 1 from such desired characteristic result.
  • ⁇ is displayed at a machine/man interface such as e.g. the display 33.
  • the adjustment advice at the output A 7 of conversion unit 7 is again displayed e.g. at the display unit 35.
  • the individual ID1 is informed on one hand of the preferred adjustment to be acted upon by INFO ADJ as well as by the quantitative information INFO ⁇ about the difference of prevailing result and desired result. It is still up to the individual ID1 to more or less accurately adjust the electronic unit 3 of device 1 so as to reduce the deviation ⁇ .
  • a further embodiment consists of directly acting with the deviation ⁇ upon the adjustment facilities of the electronic unit 3.
  • the output signals of the device 1 is either exploited as an electric signal or, if exploited as a mechanical output signal, is reconverted to an electric signal which may also be done in the embodiment of fig. 5b . Therefore, these embodiments are primarily suited for fitting the respective active hearing device 1 ex situ, which is done predominantly for default and preliminary fitting. For individual fitting and for user fitting of the device 1 to specific needs of an individual which wears such device 1, this individual is to be integrated in the quantitative adjustment proceeding downstream of the conversion unit 7 as of fig. 1 . An embodiment applied for in situ fitting to an individual is shown in fig. 5c . Thereby, an individual ID2 wears the hearing device 1, which thus acts by its output electric/mechanical converter arrangement 35 upon individual ID2.
  • the individual ID2 to which, in situ, the hearing device 1 is to be fitted does evaluate from listening to the prevailing acoustic signal AS as of fig. 1 the deviation ⁇ ' of the perceived signal to his individual perception needs.
  • the individual ID2 and according to the embodiment of fig. 5c e.g. orally transmits that information INFO ⁇ ' to the fitting individual ID1 who receives the adjustment advice information INFO ADJ e.g. as was explained in context with the fig. 5a embodiment.
  • INFO ADJ adjustment advice information
  • INFO ADJ adjustment advice information
  • INFO ADJ adjustment advice information
  • the individual ID2 which is wearing the device 1 is simultaneously the fitting individual as of ID1 of the embodiment of fig. 5c .
  • the adjustment advice is displayed in a most easily understandable manner.
  • this is e.g. performed by transmitting the adjustment advice S ASA to the hearing device wearing individual ID2 by a speech advice, via an output speaker 40 at the output of conversion unit 7.
  • the adjustment facilities which are operable by the individual ID2 are also reduced and are easily to be operated. They may be e.g. program selection ability and loudness control.
  • the speech advice will be restricted e.g. to the advice as to which program, i.e. transfer characteristic, to be selected by the individual ID2 and, once selected at the hearing device 1, the individual may just vary the loudness.
  • the categorizing unit 5 as of fig. 1 as well as ST/ASA conversion unit 7 are integrated within the hearing device 1.
  • the prevailing acoustic signal of acoustic surrounding to the individual ID2 wearing the hearing device 1 is analyzed with respect to its "type" and from the output of conversion unit 7 a speech signal of adjustment advice S ASA is transmitted via the electric/mechanical output converter of the device 1 to the individual ID2 in situ.
  • the advice e.g.
  • the individual ID2 may easily and in its actual acoustic surrounding, switch the hearing device to the respective program which is predominant for processing the prevailing type of acoustic signal and may there adjust the volume up to perceiving the prevailing acoustic signal according to his proper instantaneous needs.
  • This fitting accords with user fitting as defined above.
  • a fitting method and respective apparatus is realized that is sensitive for real-life hearing experience optimization in an improved manner.
  • Real-life sounds are getting easily exploitable for fitting the hearing device, be it within a specialized office such as of an audiologist or be it for continued fitting by the individual wearing the specific device in situ and in real-life. With an eye on user fitting in real-life there is no need for a specialized person accompanying the individual wearing the hearing device, which would make real-life fitting impracticable.
  • the ST/ASA conversion unit By inventively providing, within the fitting system, the ST/ASA conversion unit it becomes also possible e.g. for an audiologist, to record in normal life acoustic signals he feels representative for his customer's normal acoustic surrounding such as e.g. speech of a certain language and to present such acoustic signal as pre-established and recorded acoustic signals of pre-established type or to have such signals flexibly analyzed and categorized in "types" online by a categorizing unit as was described.
  • an audiologist to record in normal life acoustic signals he feels representative for his customer's normal acoustic surrounding such as e.g. speech of a certain language and to present such acoustic signal as pre-established and recorded acoustic signals of pre-established type or to have such signals flexibly analyzed and categorized in "types" online by a categorizing unit as was described.
  • the audiologist or more generically the person fitting the device may select a respective audio signal and receives as a significant help information, information about which transfer characteristic and thereat which parameters to vary so as to cope with customer's problem at that specific acoustic situation and without affecting and possibly negatively affecting the behavior of the active hearing device in other acoustic situations.
  • the generic aspect of the present invention namely to provide for a signal-type to adjustment selection advice conversion, facilitates default fitting, preliminary fitting, as well as individual fitting and further in fact renders user fitting practicable.

Claims (21)

  1. Verfahren zur Herstellung eines aktiven Hörgerätes, welches an die Bedürfnisse eines individuellen Trägers angepasst ist, gekennzeichnet durch
    - die Herstellung eines aktiven Hörgerätes mit mindestens einer einstellbaren Transfercharakteristik zwischen einem akustischen Eingangssignal und einem mechanischen Ausgangssignal;
    - Klassierung eines als Anpasssignal zu verwendenden akustischen Signals als eines einer Anzahl voreingestellter Signaltypen;
    - automatische Festlegung beim genannten einen Signaltyp einer Auswahl von bevorzugten Einstellungen welche dazu vorgesehen sind auf das Gerät einzuwirken;
    - Einschalten wenigstens einer der ausgewählten Einstellungen aus der Auswahl.
  2. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Klassierung die Analyse des vorherrschenden akustischen Signals enthält.
  3. Verfahren nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Klassierung zudem den Vergleich eines Resultates der Analyse mit vorbestimmten, die voreingestellten akustischen Signaltypen definierenden Werten umfasst.
  4. Verfahren nach Anspruch 2, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Analyse die Spektralanalyse des vorherrschenden akustischen Signals mittels einer der nachstehenden Methoden umfasst:
    - die Analyse von akustischen Basisparametern;
    - die Analyse von akustischen Indikatoren inhaltlicher Art von akustischen Signalen;
    - die Analyse von akustischen Indikatoren aus spezifischer akustischer Quelle;
    - die Analyse von akustischen Indikatoren des wahrscheinlichen Hörziels in Verbindung mit dem akustischen Signal.
  5. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Auswahl bevorzugter Einstellungen die Anzeige von einem oder mehr als einem Einstellparameter von einer oder mehr als einer Transfercharakteristik des Hörgerätes und eine Anzeige der entsprechenden Transfercharakteristik umfasst.
  6. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Auswahl bevorzugter Einstellungen zusätzlich von einem oder mehr als einem der folgenden Faktoren abhängt:
    - den vorliegenden Einstellungen des Hörgerätes;
    - dem individuellen Hörverlust des Hörgerätbenutzers;
    - den individuellen Höranforderungen des Hörgerätbenutzers;
    - der Abweichung der vorliegenden Einstellungen des Hörgerätes von einem voreingestellten Ausgangsziel für das akustische Signal;
    - vorangehend ausgewählte Einstellungen für dasselbe oder für andere akustische Signaltypen;
    - dem Resultat von vorangehenden Einstellungen für dasselbe oder für andere akustische Signaltypen.
  7. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das zu verwendende akustische Signal vorgemerkt wird.
  8. Verfahren nach Anspruch 7, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das vorgemerkte akustische Signal vorklassiert wird.
  9. Verfahren nach Anspruch 8, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die automatische Festlegung aufgrund des Resultates der Vorklassierung durchgeführt wird.
  10. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass der Einsatz des zu verwendenden akustischen Signals mittels des Resultates einer akustisch/elektrischen Umwandlung an das Hörgerät und/oder den Klassierungsvorgang erfolgt.
  11. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das zu verwendende akustische Signal einem akustisch/elektrischen Konverter des Hörgerätes zugeführt wird.
  12. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass ein vom Ausgangssignal des Gerätes abhängiges Signal aufgezeigt wird und dass die Auswahl von bevorzugten Einstellungen einer Person aufgezeigt wird und letztere auf die genannte wenigstens eine Einstellung einwirkt.
  13. Verfahren nach Anspruch 12, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das vom Ausgangssignal abhängige Signal einen oder eine Kombination der in Anspruch 4 angegebenen akustischen Indikatoren umfasst.
  14. Verfahren nach Anspruch 12, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass für die genannte Person Informationen über ein Ziel des Ausgangssignals abgegeben werden, wobei die Person in Abhängigkeit vom aufgezeigten Ausgangssignal von der Auswahl der aufgezeigten bevorzugten Einstellungen und von der Zielinformation auf die Einstellung einwirkt.
  15. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass für das zu verwendende akustische Signal ein gewünschtes Ausgangssignal des Hörgerätes auf elektronischem Weg erzeugt wird, ein Abweichsignal zwischen dem Ausgangssignal des Hörgerätes und dem gewünschten Ausgangssignal elektronisch gebildet wird, sowohl Informationen über das Abweichsignal als auch über die Auswahl bevorzugter Einstellungen einer Person zugeführt werden, wobei diese Person auf wenigstens eine Einstellung einwirkt und zwar in Abhängigkeit von der Information über die Auswahl der bevorzugten Einstellungen und der Information über die genannte Abweichung.
  16. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass das Hörgerät an einem individuellen Träger eingesetzt wird, die Information über die Auswahl der bevorzugten Einstellungen dem Träger aufgezeigt wird und der Träger auf zumindest eine Einstellung der Auswahl einwirkt.
  17. Verfahren nach Anspruch 16, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die Information über die Auswahl der bevorzugten Einstellungen an den individuellen Träger durch ein automatisch generiertes akustisches Sprachsignal übertragen wird.
  18. Verfahren nach Anspruch 17, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass zumindest die genannte automatische Festlegung im Hörgerät und die Abgabe der Information über die Auswahl der bevorzugten Einstellungen an den individuellen Träger über einen Ausgang des elektrisch/mechanischen Konverters des Hörgerätes erfolgt.
  19. Verfahren nach Anspruch 1, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass
    - das einzusetzende akustische Signal einer ersten individuellen Person über das von dieser getragene Hörgerät zugeführt wird;
    - Informationen über die Auswahl von bevorzugten Einstellungen einer zweiten individuellen Person zugeführt werden;
    - Informationen über das Hörempfinden der ersten Person an die zweite Person weitergegeben werden und das Einwirken auf wenigstens eine Einstellung ausserhalb der genannten Auswahl erfolgt.
  20. Anpassungseinrichtung für ein Hörgerät, gekennzeichnet durch eine Einheit mit einem Eingang welcher an eine akustische Signalquelle angeschlossen ist und an einem Ausgang ein Signal erzeugt, welches eine Auswahl von bevorzugten Einstellungen beinhaltet welche zum Einwirken auf ein Hörgerät vorgesehen sind um dieses bezüglich eines spezifischen Signals anzupassen.
  21. Einrichtung nach Anspruch 20, dadurch gekennzeichnet, dass die genannte Einheit in ein Hörgerät integriert ist.
EP20040028312 2004-11-30 2004-11-30 Herstellungsverfahren für ein aktives Hörgerät und Anpassungssystem Not-in-force EP1530403B1 (de)

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DK04028312T DK1530403T3 (da) 2004-11-30 2004-11-30 Fremgangsmåde til fremstilling af en aktiv höreanordning samt et tilpasningssystem
EP20040028312 EP1530403B1 (de) 2004-11-30 2004-11-30 Herstellungsverfahren für ein aktives Hörgerät und Anpassungssystem

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EP1657958B1 (de) 2005-06-27 2012-06-13 Phonak Ag Kommunikationssystem und Hörgerät
DK2081405T3 (da) 2008-01-21 2012-08-20 Bernafon Ag Høreapparat tilpasset til en bestemt stemmetype i et akustisk miljø samt fremgangsmåde og anvendelse

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EP0917397A1 (de) * 1997-10-14 1999-05-19 Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH Verfahren zum Bestimmen eines Parametersatzes eines Hörgerätes
ATE309685T1 (de) * 2001-09-28 2005-11-15 Oticon As Verfahren zum anpassen eines hörgeräts an die bedürfnisse eines hörgerätebenutzers und hilfswerkzeug zur verwendung bei der anpassung eines hörgeräts an einen hörgerätebenutzer
DK1453356T3 (da) * 2003-02-27 2013-02-11 Siemens Audiologische Technik Fremgangsmåde til indstilling af et høresystem og et tilsvarende høresystem

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