EP4117308A1 - Anpassungsverfahren für hörgerät und hörgerät mit solchen anpassungsverfahren - Google Patents

Anpassungsverfahren für hörgerät und hörgerät mit solchen anpassungsverfahren Download PDF

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Publication number
EP4117308A1
EP4117308A1 EP21020358.4A EP21020358A EP4117308A1 EP 4117308 A1 EP4117308 A1 EP 4117308A1 EP 21020358 A EP21020358 A EP 21020358A EP 4117308 A1 EP4117308 A1 EP 4117308A1
Authority
EP
European Patent Office
Prior art keywords
hearing aid
user
setting
volume control
controllable
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Withdrawn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
EP21020358.4A
Other languages
English (en)
French (fr)
Inventor
Hossein Jelveh
Christian Rossing Kraft
Bo Petersen
Current Assignee (The listed assignees may be inaccurate. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation or warranty as to the accuracy of the list.)
Audientes AS
Original Assignee
Audientes AS
Priority date (The priority date is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the date listed.)
Filing date
Publication date
Application filed by Audientes AS filed Critical Audientes AS
Priority to EP21020358.4A priority Critical patent/EP4117308A1/de
Priority to PCT/DK2022/000158 priority patent/WO2023280359A1/en
Publication of EP4117308A1 publication Critical patent/EP4117308A1/de
Withdrawn legal-status Critical Current

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Classifications

    • H—ELECTRICITY
    • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
    • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; DEAF-AID SETS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
    • H04R25/00—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception
    • H04R25/35—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using translation techniques
    • H04R25/356—Amplitude, e.g. amplitude shift or compression
    • 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
    • H04R25/55—Deaf-aid sets, i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception using an external connection, either wireless or wired
    • H04R25/558—Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
    • 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
    • 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
    • H04R2430/01—Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
    • 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

  • the present invention relates to the field of hearing aids, more specifically to self-fitting hearing aids, i.e. hearing aids that are configured such that a hearing-impaired user can adjust the hearing aid himself/herself without the aid of a trained audiologist and/or external equipment and nevertheless obtain a hearing aid adjustment that is close to optimal. Still more specifically, the invention relates to adaptation/acclimatization methods for such hearing aids and hearing aids that are configured to apply such methods.
  • Adaptation/acclimatization of hearing aids is essential since most users, when getting their first hearing aid, already have a certain hearing loss, and hence getting full hearing restored typically leads to frustration, stress and potentially to rejecting the use of the hearing aid.
  • volume keys in all known cases work in a "linear" way, reducing or amplifying all frequencies equally when turning down or up the volume.
  • the present invention provides according to a first aspect a method for user-administered adaptation/acclimatization to the use of a hearing aid, which hearing aid is provided with a user-operable volume control and means for setting an adaptation mode of the hearing aid comprising at least a non-adapted mode and a fully adapted mode, according to which method, when choosing the non-adapted mode, the insertion gain of the hearing aid depends on the frequency (f A ) and on the setting (Vol) of the user-operable volume control in such a manner that a given change ( ⁇ Vol) of the setting of the volume control results in a change of insertion gain ( ⁇ INSG(f A , HL)) at one or more of said given frequencies (f A ) that is a function (F(f A , HL) of the hearing loss at each respective of said frequencies (f A ) when said hearing loss is at or above a given level (dBHL) at that specific frequency (f A ).
  • the function (F(f A , HL)) is increasing with increasing hearing loss (HL).
  • the method comprises the steps of:
  • the change of insertion gain is obtained by in each of a predetermined number of frequency bands B(f A ), each comprising one of said frequencies f A , changing the gain of the hearing aid of that particular frequency band.
  • the change of insertion gain is obtained by providing a controllable compression means in each of the frequency bands, where the compression characteristics of each individual of the controllable compression means depend on the setting of the volume control.
  • the compression threshold of each of the individual compression means is a function of the volume control setting.
  • the input/output characteristic of each of the individual controllable compression means comprises more than one threshold, whereby different degrees of compression, i.e. different compression ratios, can be applied in different input ranges.
  • the one or more thresholds of the individual controllable compression means is controlled by the volume control setting
  • the compression ratio of each of said individual compression means is a function of the volume control setting.
  • the change of insertion gain at each of sid frequencies f A is obtained by in each of said predetermined number of frequency bands B(f A ) changing the gain of the hearing aid of that particular frequency band and by changing the compression characteristics in each of these frequency bands.
  • a method of switching between adaptation modes of a hearing aid based on the user's usage pattern of the hearing aid based on a determination of whether the user has been partly or totally adapted to the use of the hearing aid comprising:
  • hearing aid provided with means for user-administered adaptation/acclimatization to the use of the hearing aid, which hearing aid is provided with:
  • control unit provides, when the adaptation mode setting unit is set to adaptation, each respective of the controllable insertion gain determining units with a respective control signal such that a given change of the volume control setting ( ⁇ Vol) results in a corresponding change of insertion gain ( ⁇ INSG) of each of the controllable insertion gain units that is greater, the higher the user's hearing loss in the respective frequency band is, when the hearing loss is above a predefined frequency dependent threshold, and constant when the hearing loss is below this threshold.
  • ⁇ Vol volume control setting
  • ⁇ INSG change of insertion gain
  • controllable insertion gain determining units are controllable gain units.
  • controllable insertion gain determining units are controllable compression units.
  • the compression threshold of each respective compression unit depends on the setting of the volume control.
  • the compression ratio of each respective compression unit depends on the setting of the volume control.
  • the input/output characteristic of each of the individual controllable compression means comprises more than one threshold, whereby different degrees of compression, i.e. different compression ratios, can be applied in different input ranges.
  • the one or more thresholds of the individual controllable compression means is controlled by the volume control setting.
  • controllable insertion gain determining units are a combination of controllable gain units and controllable compression units configured such that for any given of said frequency bands either solely a controllable insertion gain unit is used or solely a controllable compression unit is used, or a combination of a controllable insertion gain unit and a controllable compression unit is used.
  • FIG. 1 With reference to figure 1 there is shown a plot of insertion gain at four frequencies: 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz.
  • the solid line shows A-REIG relating to a rather severely hearing-impaired user who has the highest hearing loss at 4kHz.
  • the volume control (which in the present embodiment may comprise a number of discrete steps) is functioning a non-linear manner between the A-REIG and the N-REIG thereby reducing/amplifying the sounds more per step at the frequencies where the user has a higher hearing loss, while working in a linear manner above and below A-REIG and N-REIG.
  • volume control above A-REIG and below N-REIG is suggested in one embodiment of the invention to be linear, but since N-REIG (and even A-REIG) are based on a chosen prescription method (such as the half-gain rule or a NAL fitting rule) they may not necessarily apply to all users, and the volume control may alternatively vary the insertion gain in a nonlinear/percentagewise manner as a function of the user's hearing loss also above A-REIG and below N-REIG.
  • a chosen prescription method such as the half-gain rule or a NAL fitting rule
  • the percentage change of 5% used in the implementation shown in figure 1 can be changed if necessary according to the specific circumstances such as hearing loss and user preferences.
  • the change should and could depend on the users hearing loss at the "worst" frequency and based on a general rule that a change of less than 2dB is not possible to hear (for any person).
  • the change of insertion gain for each press of the volume key or step of a volume control could be 2dB at the frequency with the largest hearing loss and could for other frequencies be less than 2dB, depending on the hearing loss at each frequency and percentage wise to the frequency with the worst hearing loss.
  • An example of the effect of volume control changes that is different from that of figure 1 is shown in the table in figure 2 .
  • FIG 3 With reference to figure 3 there is shown a surface plot of insertion gain (dB) as a function of frequency and volume control setting relating to still another embodiment of the invention.
  • the maximum insertion gain of 40 dB is obtained at 6 kHz and the insertion gain surface shows an insertion gain that would typically be used to compensate for a typical age-related sensory-neural hearing loss.
  • the first three figures relate to the first aspect of the invention, in which only a non-linear gain is applied.
  • Embodiments relating to the second aspect of the invention in which compression is used to reduce loudness to facilitate adaptation/acclimatization to the use of a hearing aid shown in figure 4 .
  • the volume control can be set between maximum (10 equal to 100%) and minimum (0 equal to 0%).
  • the three volume control settings that are shown in figure 4 correspond to: 8 (80%), 7 (70%) and 6 (60%) and the tables are limited to frequencies of 4000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 1000 Hz. Of cause, compression could also be applied at other frequencies if desired.
  • the compression effect that is shown in the shaded cells of the tables is in this embodiment obtained by varying the compression threshold and maintaining the compression ratio, but it would also be possible to vary any of the other parameters that characterize audio compression such as compression ratio or attack and release time.
  • a novel (un-adapted) user of a hearing aid may require a prescribed insertion gain at 4 kHz of 30 dB, at 3 kHz of 25 dB, at 2 kHz of 20 dB and at 1 kHz of 15 dB.
  • This insertion gain as a function of frequency is obtained with the volume control set to position 8 as shown in figure 4a . With this setting of the volume control, no compression is applied.
  • the hearing aid is now set in adaptation mode and the user tries the hearing in his normal acoustic environments during an adaptation period.
  • the compressor With this setting of the volume control, the compressor becomes active about a certain frequency-dependent threshold (for instance at an input level of between 50 and 55 dBSPL at 4 kHz) and thereby limits the loudness of input levels in excess of 50 to 55 dBSPL at 4 kHz.
  • the user finds that he/she would actually prefer a volume control setting at 7, as the loudness at this setting is no longer annoying and the sound quality and speech intelligibility is actually improved by this increased volume control setting.
  • the user finds that the initial volume control setting of 8 (that corresponded to the prescribed setting) is in fact the best, as the loudness is no longer annoying, and the quality of the sound provided by the hearing aid is better at this setting than at the lower settings of the volume control.
  • the user is now fully adapted to the hearing aid according to this embodiment of the invention, and the hearing aid is set to the fully adapted mode.
  • FIG 5 there is shown a non-limiting example of the effect of the setting of the volume control on insertion gain of an embodiment of a hearing aid according to the invention.
  • the dependency of insertion gain (dB) on volume control setting is shown at the frequencies 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, 5000 Hz and 6000 Hz for a change of volume control setting from maximum (10) to minimum (0).
  • the method according to the invention can be implemented in a hearing aid according to the invention of instance as set out below. It is understood that other implementations of the adaptation method according to the invention can also be contemplated without deviating from the scope of the invention as fined by the claims.
  • FIG 6 there is shown a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a hearing aid applying non-linear gain as a function of frequency and volume control setting according to the principles of the invention.
  • the hearing aid that is generally indicated by reference numeral 1 comprises a microphone 2 the output signal S 1 of which id provided to an amplifier 3 that provides an amplified version of the microphone signal S 1 to a filter bank that in the shown - non-limiting - embodiment comprises four bandpass filters 4, 5, 6, 7 having passbands at 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz. It is understood that fewer or more filter bands could alternatively have been used for instance corresponding to all standard audiometry frequencies and that the bandwidths of the filters can be chosen as desired.
  • the respective bandpass filters provide filtered output signals S 2 , S 3 , S 4 and S 5 respectively.
  • the filtered output signals are provided to respective controllable gain units 8, 9, 10,11, the gains of which can be controlled by control signals C 1 , C 2 , C 3 , C 4 provided by a control unit 12.
  • the respective output signals S 6 , S 7 , S 8 , Sg from the controllable gain units 8, 9, 10, 11 are combined in a combination unit 15 thereby providing a combined output signal S 10 that is used to drive a hearing aid output transducer 17 (called loudspeaker or telephone).
  • the output amplified 16 may not necessarily be needed if the combined output signal S10 is powerful enough to drive the output transducer 17.
  • the control signals C 1 , C 2 , C 3 , C 4 are provided by the control unit 12 based on the setting of the adaptation mode setting unit 22 and the setting of the volume control 13.
  • the adaptation setting unit there can be chosen at least between an adaptation mode in which the adaptation method of the invention is applied by the hearing aid and a fully adapted mode as described in the disclosure of the invention.
  • FIG 7 there is shown a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a hearing aid applying frequency and volume control setting dependent compression according to the principles of the invention.
  • the hearing aid comprises a microphone 2 a microphone amplifier 3 and a filter bank 4, 5, 6, 7 that may be identical to the one used in the embodiment shown in figure 6 or configured otherwise as desired.
  • controllable gain units 8', 9'. 10', 11' may be connected to the respective outputs from the filter bank, although these gain units can also form an integral part of each respective controllable compressor units 18, 19, 20, 21.
  • control signals C5, C6, C7 and C8 which are provided by the control unit 12 based on signals from the adaptation mode unit 22 and the setting of the volume control 13.
  • line 14 indicates that, when the hearing aid is in the fully adapted mode, the output of the hearing aid can simply be controlled by the user by varying the gain of the output amplifier 16. Furthermore, line 14' indicates that also the input amplifier 3 can optionally be controlled by the control unit 12 for instance based on the setting to the volume control 13.
  • the embodiments of the hearing aid according to the invention are shown as simple block diagrams that for instance could be implemented as analog circuits, in practical implementations at least a number of these functional blocks may be implemented digitally and executed by appropriate software incorporated in the hearing aid.
  • the block diagrams shown in figures 6 and 7 primarily serve to illustrate the functional contents of the hearing aid according to the invention.

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  • Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
  • Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
  • Neurosurgery (AREA)
  • Otolaryngology (AREA)
  • Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
  • Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
  • Signal Processing (AREA)
  • Computer Networks & Wireless Communication (AREA)
  • Tone Control, Compression And Expansion, Limiting Amplitude (AREA)
EP21020358.4A 2021-07-08 2021-07-08 Anpassungsverfahren für hörgerät und hörgerät mit solchen anpassungsverfahren Withdrawn EP4117308A1 (de)

Priority Applications (2)

Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP21020358.4A EP4117308A1 (de) 2021-07-08 2021-07-08 Anpassungsverfahren für hörgerät und hörgerät mit solchen anpassungsverfahren
PCT/DK2022/000158 WO2023280359A1 (en) 2021-07-08 2022-07-05 Adaptation methods for hearing aid and hearing aid incorporating such adaptation methods

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Application Number Priority Date Filing Date Title
EP21020358.4A EP4117308A1 (de) 2021-07-08 2021-07-08 Anpassungsverfahren für hörgerät und hörgerät mit solchen anpassungsverfahren

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EP4117308A1 true EP4117308A1 (de) 2023-01-11

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EP21020358.4A Withdrawn EP4117308A1 (de) 2021-07-08 2021-07-08 Anpassungsverfahren für hörgerät und hörgerät mit solchen anpassungsverfahren

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Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998031193A1 (en) * 1997-01-10 1998-07-16 Resound Corporation Open ear canal hearing aid system
EP3614380A1 (de) * 2018-08-22 2020-02-26 Mimi Hearing Technologies GmbH Systeme und verfahren zur soundverbesserung in audiosystemen
DE102020114026A1 (de) * 2019-06-01 2020-12-03 Apple Inc. Mediensystem und verfahren zur berücksichtigung eines hörverlustes
US20200413206A1 (en) * 2016-04-11 2020-12-31 Enrique Gajstut Audio amplification electronic device with independent pitch and bass response adjustment
EP3783918A1 (de) * 2019-08-22 2021-02-24 Sonova AG Steuerung der lautstärkendynamik eines hörgeräts
EP3783921A1 (de) * 2019-08-23 2021-02-24 Sonova AG Anpassung eines frequenzabhängigen verstärkers eines hörgeräts

Patent Citations (6)

* Cited by examiner, † Cited by third party
Publication number Priority date Publication date Assignee Title
WO1998031193A1 (en) * 1997-01-10 1998-07-16 Resound Corporation Open ear canal hearing aid system
US20200413206A1 (en) * 2016-04-11 2020-12-31 Enrique Gajstut Audio amplification electronic device with independent pitch and bass response adjustment
EP3614380A1 (de) * 2018-08-22 2020-02-26 Mimi Hearing Technologies GmbH Systeme und verfahren zur soundverbesserung in audiosystemen
DE102020114026A1 (de) * 2019-06-01 2020-12-03 Apple Inc. Mediensystem und verfahren zur berücksichtigung eines hörverlustes
EP3783918A1 (de) * 2019-08-22 2021-02-24 Sonova AG Steuerung der lautstärkendynamik eines hörgeräts
EP3783921A1 (de) * 2019-08-23 2021-02-24 Sonova AG Anpassung eines frequenzabhängigen verstärkers eines hörgeräts

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