EP1827058A1 - Appareil acoustique avec une transition graduelle entre des modes d'opération d'une prothèse auditive - Google Patents

Appareil acoustique avec une transition graduelle entre des modes d'opération d'une prothèse auditive Download PDF

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Publication number
EP1827058A1
EP1827058A1 EP06110278A EP06110278A EP1827058A1 EP 1827058 A1 EP1827058 A1 EP 1827058A1 EP 06110278 A EP06110278 A EP 06110278A EP 06110278 A EP06110278 A EP 06110278A EP 1827058 A1 EP1827058 A1 EP 1827058A1
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EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
signal
directional
signals
specific
channel
Prior art date
Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
Withdrawn
Application number
EP06110278A
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German (de)
English (en)
Inventor
Christian C. BÜRGER
Thomas Kaulberg
Jakob Hager Rasmussen
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Oticon AS
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Oticon AS
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Publication date
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Priority to EP06110278A priority Critical patent/EP1827058A1/fr
Priority to PCT/EP2007/051159 priority patent/WO2007096247A1/fr
Publication of EP1827058A1 publication Critical patent/EP1827058A1/fr
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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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
    • H04R25/40—Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic
    • H04R25/407—Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/43—Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2225/00—Details of deaf aids covered by H04R25/00, not provided for in any of its subgroups
    • H04R2225/41—Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R2430/00—Signal processing covered by H04R, not provided for in its groups
    • H04R2430/03—Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing

Definitions

  • This invention relates to a hearing device and method for providing smooth transition between modes in a hearing aid.
  • this invention relates to a hearing device and a method incorporated therein for providing a smooth transition between an omni-directional and a directional mode.
  • a hearing device may be hearing aids, such as an in-the-ear (ITE), completely-in-canal (CIC) or behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aids, headphones, headsets, hearing protective gear, intelligent earplugs etc.
  • ITE in-the-ear
  • CIC completely-in-canal
  • BTE behind-the-ear
  • European patent application no. EP 1 192 838 discloses a hearing aid comprising a plurality of microphones generating input signals to an inverting and summing means establishing signals of 0 th to n th order. That is, 0 th order is omni-directional or non-differential, 1 st order is a directional signal established from the difference between two microphone signals from two spaced apart microphones, and 2 nd order is a directional signal established from the difference between two 1 st order directional signals.
  • the hearing aid device further comprises a filterbank receiving the omni-directional and directional signals and dampens said signals in accordance with frequency and order. Thus each of said signals is processed in accordance with an independent transfer function before being summed in a speaker driving unit.
  • the hearing aid device achieves a greater directionality in the high frequency spectrum by adding 2 nd order directional signals to 1 st order directional signals when the sound environment recorded by the microphones comprises high frequency components.
  • a particular advantage of the present invention is the provision of a frequency independent omni-directional to directional mode switch.
  • a particular feature of the present invention is the provision of a linear transformation between the omni-directional and directional modes.
  • the plurality of microphones according to the first aspect of the present invention may comprise a first and second microphone spaced apart so that the first microphone is affected by a first spatial sound pressure and the second microphone is affected by a second spatial sound pressure.
  • the electric sound signals from the first and second microphones may be used for generating an omni-directional signal and a directional signal.
  • Each of the plurality of microphones may be connected to a dedicated filterbank, which splits the electric sound signals into a number of frequency channels, such as in the range between 2 to 64, e.g. 16 or 32.
  • the filterbanks connected to each microphone may comprise predefined frequency boundaries such as 250Hz, 500Hz, 750Hz, and so on.
  • the individual bands of the filterbank may have the same bandwidth (uniform filterbank) or non-uniformly spaced bands (e.g. logarithmic spacing) or critical bands, which have bandwidths determined in accordance with an ears frequency sensitivity, i.e. the ear is more sensitive in some frequency areas compared with other frequency areas and therefore the individual bands of the filterbank may be divided in accordance with this sensitivity.
  • the frequency channel signals from a specific frequency channel of one filterbank corresponds to associated frequency channel signals from the same specific frequency channel of another filterbank.
  • the decision unit according to the first aspect of the present invention may be defined for a specific frequency channel of the filterbanks.
  • the number of frequency channels determines the number of decision units.
  • the series decision units may each comprise a communication unit connected to the mixing modules and adapted to communicate control parameters with one another and/or with a processor unit.
  • the decision units advantageously, may in the process of selecting an appropriate mode for a frequency channel consider the modes of the neighbouring decision units.
  • the summing module may comprise a first and second summing element connected to a specific frequency channel of each filterbank and performing a real and complex summation, respectively.
  • the first summing element generates an omni-directional signal constituting the first directional signal
  • the second summing element generates a directional signal constituting the second directional signal.
  • the control parameter according to the first aspect of the present invention may be in the range between 0 and 1, where "0" provides a fully directional signal and "1" provides a fully omni-directional signal.
  • the mixing module factorizes the first directional signal by the control parameter and the second directional signal by one minus the control parameter, which factorized first and second directional signals subsequently are mixed with one another.
  • a method for processing sound comprising converting a first and second spatial sound to a first and second electric sound signal, splitting said first and second electric sound signals individually into a first and second series of frequency channel signals, summing said first and second frequency channel signals of specific frequency channels thereby generating a first and second directional signal for each specific frequency channel, mixing said first and second directional signal according to content thereof, generating a channel-specific signal based on said mixing, merging said channel-specific signals into an output signal, and generating a processed sound from said output signal.
  • the features of the hearing device according to the first aspect of the present invention may be incorporated in the method according to the second aspect of the present invention.
  • a decision unit comprising a summing module connected to specific frequency channels of filterbanks and adapted to sum frequency channel signals of said specific frequency channels thereby generating a omni-directional and directional signal and a mixing module connected to said summing module and adapted to mix said omni-directional signal and directional signal according to content thereof and to generate a channel-specific output signal based thereon.
  • the hearing device 100 comprises a first microphone 102 measuring a sound pressure of a first spatial point and converting this sound pressure to a first electric sound signal.
  • the first microphone 102 is coupled to a first filterbank 104 for dividing first electric sound signal in one or more frequency channels, such as 2, 3, 4, 8, 16 or 32 frequency channels.
  • first filterbank 104 for dividing first electric sound signal in one or more frequency channels, such as 2, 3, 4, 8, 16 or 32 frequency channels.
  • the first sound signal is separated into a number of individual channel-specific first electric sound signals, such as a first channel covering the frequency band between 60 to 300 Hz, a second channel covering the frequency band between 301 to 1 KHz and so on until the frequency bandwidth of the first electric sound signal is covered.
  • the hearing device 100 further comprises a second microphone 106 spaced apart from the first microphone 102 and therefore measuring a sound pressure of a second spatial point.
  • the second microphone 106 converts this sound pressure to a second electric sound signal.
  • the second microphone 106 is coupled to a second filterbank 108 for dividing the second electric sound signal in one or more frequency channels corresponding to the frequency channels of the first filterbank 104. Hence as described with respect to the first sound signal the second sound signal is separated into a number of individual channel-specific second sound signals matching the channels defined for the first filterbank 104.
  • first and second filterbank 104 and 108 comprise the same number of frequency channels having identical frequency boundaries.
  • plurality of outputs of the first and second filterbank 104 and 108 comprise the same number of individual channel-specific first and second signals, respectively.
  • the outputs of the frequency channels of the first filterbank 104 and the frequency channels of the second filterbank 108 are forwarded in pairs to a plurality of decision units 110 so that the output of the first frequency channel of the first filterbank 104 and the output of the first frequency channel of the second filterbank 108 are forwarded to a first 112 and second 114 input of a first decision unit 116 of the plurality of decision units 110.
  • each output of the frequency channels of the first and second filterbanks 104 and 108 are forwarded to the plurality of decision units 110.
  • the plurality of decision units 110 consists of identical decision units for each frequency channel defined by the filterbanks 104 and 108.
  • the below description of the decision unit 116 may be extended to any decision unit of the plurality of decision units 110.
  • the first input 112 of the decision unit 116 is coupled to a first summing element 118, which is adapted to perform a real (i.e. non-complex) summing operation, and is further coupled to a second summing element 120, which is adapted to perform a complex summing operation.
  • the second input 114 is both coupled to the first summing element 118 and to the second summing element 120.
  • the first summing element 118 performs a summation of the frequency channel-specific signal established by the first filterbank 104 and forwarded to the first input 112 and the corresponding frequency channel-specific signal established by the second filterbank 108 and forwarded to the second input 114 thereby generating an omni-directional signal.
  • the second summing element 120 performs a summation of the frequency channel-specific signal established by the first filterbank 104 and forwarded to the first input 112 and the corresponding frequency channel-specific signal established by the second filterbank 108 and forwarded to the second input 114 thereby generating a directional signal.
  • the decision unit 116 further comprises a detector element designated in entirety by reference numeral 122 and receiving the omni-directional signal from the first summing element 118 and the directional signal from the second summing element 120.
  • the detector element 122 generates a detector signal based on the omni-directional and directional signals, which is forwarded to a processor element 124.
  • the processor element 124 is configured to calculate a control parameter " ⁇ " having a value between zero and one and determining a mixture of the omni-directional signal and the directional signal.
  • the omni-directional signal is, in addition, forwarded to a first multiplication element 126 multiplying the omni-directional signal with the control parameter " ⁇ ".
  • the directional signal is, in addition, forwarded to a second multiplication element 128 multiplying the directional signal with a factor determined by one minus " ⁇ " (1- ⁇ ).
  • the omni-directional and directional signals are factorized by the control parameter " ⁇ ".
  • the factorized omni-directional and directional signals are forwarded to a third summing element 130, which sums the factorized omni-directional and directional signals and provides an output signal for the decision unit 116.
  • the output signals from the plurality of decision units 110 are summed in an output summing unit 132 providing an output electric signal to a sound processor and speaker driving unit 134 converting the output electric signal to a processed electric signal, which is output as processed sound by a speaker unit 136.
  • the detector element 122 comprises a pair of level detectors 136 and 138 for receiving the omni-directional and directional signals and which are activated in accordance with level of the omni-directional and directional signal, respectively. For example, if the level of the omni-directional signal is above a predetermined omni-directional mode threshold and the level of the directional signal is below a predetermined directional mode threshold, then the processor element 124 uses the level of the omni-directional and directional signals to determine a value of the control signal " ⁇ " so that a substantially linear transition between a full omni-directional mode (when the omni-directional signal is below the predetermined omni-directional mode threshold) and a full directional mode (when the directional signal is above the predetermined directional mode threshold) .
  • the detector element 122 comprises a pair of modulation index detectors 140 and 142 for receiving the omni-directional and directional signals and which are activated in accordance with modulation index of the omni-directional and directional signal, respectively.
  • modulation index is in this context to be construed as a ratio between speech signal and noise background.
  • the hearing device 100 in a further embodiment of the present invention may comprise a communicator 144 connecting to the processor element 124 for receiving the control signal " ⁇ " generated for the particular decision unit 116.
  • the communicator 144 communicates this control signal " ⁇ " to neighbouring communicators of decision units handling the neighbouring frequency channels.
  • the communicator 144 similarly, receives control signals " ⁇ "' from the neighbouring decision units and forwards these control signals " ⁇ '" to the processor element 124, which may utilise these control signals " ⁇ "' for further smoothing the value of " ⁇ " between the frequency channels.
  • FIG 3 shows a hearing device 300 according to a second embodiment of the present invention. Where the hearing device 300 comprises similar elements as described with reference to figure 1 the same reference numerals are used.
  • the hearing device 300 comprises a plurality of decision units 110 each receiving a frequency channel "fc 1 " to "fc N ", the decision units 110 each perform a summation by means of the first summing element 118 so as to generate an omni-directional signal “O 1 " to “O N " and a summation by means of the second summing element 120 so as to generate a directional signal "D 1 " to "D N " from the associated frequency channel signals.
  • Each of the decision units 116 1 to 116 N forwards the omni-directional and directional signals "O 1 " and “D 1 " to "O N “ and “D N “ to a processor unit 302 calculating a control signal " ⁇ " for each of the decision units from 116 1 to 116 N .
  • the processor unit 302 comprises a detector element 122 as described with reference to figure 1, which receives the omni-directional and directional signals from all of the decision units 116 1 to 116 N , and a processor element 124 generating control signals " ⁇ 1 " to " ⁇ N " based on the level and/or modulation index of the omni-directional and directional signals "O 1 " to “O N “ and "D 1 " to “D N “.
  • control signals " ⁇ 1 " to " ⁇ N " are communicated from the processor unit 302 to respective decision units 116 1 to 116 N .
  • Each decision unit 116 1 to 116 N comprises a calculation unit 302 for generating a signal having a value equal to one minus the control signal " ⁇ " (" ⁇ " being between zero and one).
  • the mixing of the omni-directional and directional signals are subsequently performed as described with reference to figure 1.

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  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Circuit For Audible Band Transducer (AREA)
EP06110278A 2006-02-22 2006-02-22 Appareil acoustique avec une transition graduelle entre des modes d'opération d'une prothèse auditive Withdrawn EP1827058A1 (fr)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP06110278A EP1827058A1 (fr) 2006-02-22 2006-02-22 Appareil acoustique avec une transition graduelle entre des modes d'opération d'une prothèse auditive
PCT/EP2007/051159 WO2007096247A1 (fr) 2006-02-22 2007-02-07 Dispositif auditif assurant une transition douce entre des modes opérationnels d'une aide auditive

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP06110278A EP1827058A1 (fr) 2006-02-22 2006-02-22 Appareil acoustique avec une transition graduelle entre des modes d'opération d'une prothèse auditive

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EP1827058A1 true EP1827058A1 (fr) 2007-08-29

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EP (1) EP1827058A1 (fr)
WO (1) WO2007096247A1 (fr)

Cited By (5)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2200345A1 (fr) 2008-12-22 2010-06-23 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Procédé de sélection d'une direction préférentiel d'un microphone directionnel et dispositif auditif correspondant
EP2230860A1 (fr) * 2009-03-19 2010-09-22 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Procédé de réglage d'une caractéristique de guidage d'un dispositif auditif
EP2169984A3 (fr) * 2008-09-26 2012-05-30 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Prothèse auditive avec système de microphone directif et procédé de fonctionnement d'une telle prothèse auditive
US20130336507A1 (en) * 2009-12-29 2013-12-19 Gn Resound A/S Beamforming in hearing aids
EP2897386B1 (fr) 2006-03-03 2016-12-21 GN Resound A/S Commutation automatique entre des modes de microphone omnidirectionnels et directionnels dans une prothèse auditive

Families Citing this family (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DE102008022533B3 (de) * 2008-05-07 2009-10-08 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Verfahren zum Betrieb eines Hörgeräts und Mikrofonsystem für ein Hörgerät
DE102008064430B4 (de) 2008-12-22 2012-06-21 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Hörvorrichtung mit automatischer Algorithmenumschaltung
US9763016B2 (en) 2014-07-31 2017-09-12 Starkey Laboratories, Inc. Automatic directional switching algorithm for hearing aids

Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1251715A2 (fr) * 2001-04-18 2002-10-23 Gennum Corporation Prothèse auditive multicanaux avec communication entre les canaux
US20040258249A1 (en) * 2003-06-20 2004-12-23 Torsten Niederdrank Method for operating a hearing aid device and hearing aid device with a microphone system in which different directional characteristics can be set
US20050025325A1 (en) * 2003-06-20 2005-02-03 Eghart Fischer Hearing aid and operating method with switching among different directional characteristics

Family Cites Families (2)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
DK1196009T3 (en) * 2000-10-04 2016-11-28 Widex As Hearing aid with adaptive matching of input transducers
DE10331956C5 (de) * 2003-07-16 2010-11-18 Siemens Audiologische Technik Gmbh Hörhilfegerät sowie Verfahren zum Betrieb eines Hörhilfegerätes mit einem Mikrofonsystem, bei dem unterschiedliche Richtcharakteistiken einstellbar sind

Patent Citations (3)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP1251715A2 (fr) * 2001-04-18 2002-10-23 Gennum Corporation Prothèse auditive multicanaux avec communication entre les canaux
US20040258249A1 (en) * 2003-06-20 2004-12-23 Torsten Niederdrank Method for operating a hearing aid device and hearing aid device with a microphone system in which different directional characteristics can be set
US20050025325A1 (en) * 2003-06-20 2005-02-03 Eghart Fischer Hearing aid and operating method with switching among different directional characteristics

Cited By (9)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
EP2897386B1 (fr) 2006-03-03 2016-12-21 GN Resound A/S Commutation automatique entre des modes de microphone omnidirectionnels et directionnels dans une prothèse auditive
EP2897386B2 (fr) † 2006-03-03 2021-08-04 GN Hearing A/S Commutation automatique entre des modes de microphone omnidirectionnels et directionnels dans une prothèse auditive
EP2169984A3 (fr) * 2008-09-26 2012-05-30 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Prothèse auditive avec système de microphone directif et procédé de fonctionnement d'une telle prothèse auditive
EP2200345A1 (fr) 2008-12-22 2010-06-23 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Procédé de sélection d'une direction préférentiel d'un microphone directionnel et dispositif auditif correspondant
US9301058B2 (en) 2008-12-22 2016-03-29 Sivantos Pte. Ltd. Method for selecting a preferred direction of a directional microphone and corresponding hearing device
EP2230860A1 (fr) * 2009-03-19 2010-09-22 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Procédé de réglage d'une caractéristique de guidage d'un dispositif auditif
US20100239100A1 (en) * 2009-03-19 2010-09-23 Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd. Method for adjusting a directional characteristic and a hearing apparatus
US20130336507A1 (en) * 2009-12-29 2013-12-19 Gn Resound A/S Beamforming in hearing aids
US9282411B2 (en) * 2009-12-29 2016-03-08 Gn Resound A/S Beamforming in hearing aids

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