TECHNICAL FIELD
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The present application relates to the field of hearing aids
SUMMARY
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In an aspect of the present disclosure a hearing aid is provided. The hearing aid may comprise a non-volatile random-access memory, NVRAM, storing one or more hearing aid parameters, a random-access memory, RAM, and a processor. The processor may be configured to initialize the RAM with the one or more hearing aid parameters from the NVRAM, update the one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM during a first operating mode of the hearing aid, and write the updated one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM to the NVRAM if a condition is met.
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Consequently, a hearing aid is provided which allows writing onto the NVRAM to allow for faster convergence times of hearing aid parameters during initialization of the RAM, while at the same time keeping the number of writes onto the NVRAM low to avoid the corruption of data on the NVRAM.
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The hearing aid may be adapted to provide a frequency dependent gain and/or a level dependent compression and/or a transposition (with or without frequency compression) of one or more frequency ranges to one or more other frequency ranges, e.g. to compensate for a hearing impairment of a user. The hearing aid may comprise a processor for enhancing the input signals and providing a processed output signal.
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The hearing aid may comprise an output unit for providing a stimulus perceived by the user as an acoustic signal based on a processed electric signal. The output unit may be a vibrator of a bone conducting hearing aid. The output unit may comprise an output transducer. The output transducer may comprise a receiver (loudspeaker) for providing the stimulus as an acoustic signal to the user (e.g. in an acoustic (air conduction based) hearing aid). The output transducer may comprise a vibrator for providing the stimulus as mechanical vibration of a skull bone to the user (e.g. in a bone-attached or bone-anchored hearing aid). The output unit may (additionally or alternatively) comprise a (e.g. wireless) transmitter for transmitting sound picked up-by the hearing aid to another device, e.g. a far-end communication partner (e.g. via a network, e.g. in a telephone mode of operation).
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The hearing aid may comprise an input unit for providing an electric input signal representing sound. The input unit may comprise an input transducer, e.g. a microphone, for converting an input sound to an electric input signal. The input unit may comprise a wireless receiver for receiving a wireless signal comprising or representing sound and for providing an electric input signal representing said sound.
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The wireless receiver and/or transmitter may e.g. be configured to receive and/or transmit an electromagnetic signal in the radio frequency range (3 kHz to 300 GHz). The wireless receiver and/or transmitter may e.g. be configured to receive and/or transmit an electromagnetic signal in a frequency range of light (e.g. infrared light 300 GHz to 430 THz, or visible light, e.g. 430 THz to 770 THz).
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The hearing aid may comprise a directional microphone system adapted to spatially filter sounds from the environment and thereby enhance a target acoustic source among a multitude of acoustic sources in the local environment of the user wearing the hearing aid. The directional system may be adapted to detect (such as adaptively detect) from which direction a particular part of the microphone signal originates. This can be achieved in various ways, e.g. described in the prior art. In hearing aids, a microphone array beamformer is often used for spatially attenuating background noise sources. The beamformer may comprise a linear constraint minimum variance (LCMV) beamformer. Many beamformer variants can be found in literature. The minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer is widely used in microphone array signal processing. Ideally the MVDR beamformer keeps the signals from the target direction (also referred to as the look direction) unchanged, while attenuating sound signals from other directions maximally. The generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC) structure is an equivalent representation of the MVDR beamformer offering computational and numerical advantages over a direct implementation in its original form.
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The hearing aid may comprise antenna and transceiver circuitry allowing a wireless link to an entertainment device (e.g. a TV-set), a communication device (e.g. a telephone), a wireless microphone, a separate (external) processing device, or another hearing aid, etc. The hearing aid may thus be configured to wirelessly receive a direct electric input signal from another device. Likewise, the hearing aid may be configured to wirelessly transmit a direct electric output signal to another device. The direct electric input or output signal may represent or comprise an audio signal and/or a control signal and/or an information signal.
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In general, a wireless link established by antenna and transceiver circuitry of the hearing aid can be of any type. The wireless link may be a link based on near-field communication, e.g. an inductive link based on an inductive coupling between antenna coils of transmitter and receiver parts. The wireless link may be based on far-field, electromagnetic radiation. Preferably, frequencies used to establish a communication link between the hearing aid and the other device is below 70 GHz, e.g. located in a range from 50 MHz to 70 GHz, e.g. above 300 MHz, e.g. in an ISM range above 300 MHz, e.g. in the 900 MHz range or in the 2.4 GHz range or in the 5.8 GHz range or in the 60 GHz range (ISM=Industrial, Scientific and Medical, such standardized ranges being e.g. defined by the International Telecommunication Union, ITU). The wireless link may be based on a standardized or proprietary technology. The wireless link may be based on Bluetooth technology (e.g. Bluetooth Low-Energy technology, e.g. LE audio), or Ultra WideBand (UWB) technology.
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The hearing aid may be configured to operate in different modes, e.g. a normal mode and one or more specific modes, e.g. selectable by a user, or automatically selectable. A mode of operation may be optimized to a specific acoustic situation or environment, e.g. a communication mode, such as a telephone mode. A mode of operation may include a low-power mode, where functionality of the hearing aid is reduced (e.g. to save power), e.g. to disable wireless communication, and/or to disable specific features of the hearing aid.
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The hearing aid may comprise a hearing instrument, e.g. a hearing instrument adapted for being located at the ear or fully or partially in the ear canal of a user.
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The processor may be an electronic device, or a plurality of electronic devices designed to execute instructions and perform operations on data. The processor may comprise a central processing unit (CPU) that interprets and executes program instructions, manages data flow within the system, and coordinates the activities of other hardware components.
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The RAM may be a type of volatile memory used to store data temporarily. The RAM may allow data to be read from and written to memory cells facilitating access to data by the processor. The RAM may be implemented using various technologies, including dynamic RAM (DRAM) and static RAM (SRAM).
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The NVRAM may be a type of memory that retains stored data even when the power supply is interrupted or turned off. The memory cells in the NVRAM may be designed to maintain their state without requiring a continuous power supply, ensuring data persistence. The NVRAM may be implemented using various technologies, including but not limited to, resistive RAM (RRAM), phase-change memory (PCM), and magneto resistive RAM (MRAM). These technologies leverage different physical mechanisms to achieve non-volatility, such as changes in resistance, phase states, or magnetic states.
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The initialization of the RAM refers to the process of setting the initial state of the memory cells. Initialization of the RAM may involve loading predefined values into the memory cells to ensure the system operates correctly from the beginning. The initialization of the RAM may be a process carried out as part of the booting process of the hearing aid, e.g., the hearing aid going from being charged to being used by a hearing aid user. The parameters with which the RAM is initialized with may be used for initial processing of in-coming signals obtained by the hearing aid, such in-coming signals may be signals received from devices communicatively connected to the hearing aid, or audio signals obtained by an input transducer of the hearing aid. The values used for initializing the RAM may be read from the NVRAM.
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The hearing aid parameters with which the RAM have been initialized may be updated during usage of the hearing aid. Updating of the hearing aid parameters may occur during processing of in-coming signals, e.g. during audio processing of an audio signal, new filter coefficients, or beamforming weights may be determined by the processor. Updating of the hearing aid parameters may occur in response to a user interaction, e.g. a user of the hearing aid changing the volume or hearing aid program via an APP on a smart phone or via a user interface on the hearing aid.
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The first operating mode may be understood as a mode of operation where the hearing aid is actively used by a hearing aid user, e.g., by wearing the hearing aid and using it to compensate for a hearing impairment.
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The condition in the present disclosure may be understood as one or more circumstances which need to be fulfilled before parameters of the RAM is written to the NVRAM. The condition may be understood as a situation which must occur for the updated hearing aid parameters to be written to the NVRAM from the RAM.
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In an embodiment the condition comprises the hearing aid going into a charging mode.
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Consequently, the hearing aid may be configured to write to the NVRAM from the RAM in response to be charged, thus, any hearing aid parameters converged upon during prior usage of the hearing aid may be used for initializing the RAM when the hearing aid is taken out of charging.
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The charging mode may be understood as the hearing aid being set to wireless charging, or being put into a charging cradle.
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In an embodiment the condition comprises the hearing aid being shut down.
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Thus, when booting the hearing aid again after having it shut down the hearing aid may be initialized with the same parameters as used during the last session. Consequently, a faster convergence to a suitable set of hearing aid parameters may be achieved.
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The hearing aid being shut down may be understood as the hearing aid being powered down or the hearing aid going into a low power mode, e.g., a standby mode where the hearing aid is configured to not compensate for a hearing impairment.
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In an embodiment the processor is configured to determine a difference between the one or more updated hearing aid parameters and the one or more hearing aid parameters, and wherein the condition comprises a difference being determined between the one or more updated hearing aid parameters and the one or more hearing aid parameters.
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Hence, it may assure the processor only writes to the NVRAM if an actual change in parameters has been determined, thus, avoiding unnecessarily writing to the NVRAM and risking corrupting the NVRAM.
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In an embodiment the condition comprises a difference between the updated one or more hearing aid parameters and the one or more hearing aid parameters exceeding a threshold.
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Thus, only meaningful changes to the hearing aid parameters are written to the NVRAM and not just any small adjustment. The threshold may be set by an audio engineer. The threshold may be based on empirical testing, i.e., to determine when a change is large enough for it to be meaningful to write to the NVRAM.
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In an embodiment the condition comprises a minimum elapsed time.
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Thus, the processor does not need to continuously check whether the hearing aid parameters have undergone a change.
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The minimum elapsed time may be a minimum elapsed time since initializing the RAM with the one or more hearing aid parameters. The minimum elapsed time may be a minimum elapsed time since last writing to the NVRAM. The minimum elapsed time may be based on specific times during the day.
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In an embodiment the condition comprises a user interaction.
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The user interaction may comprise interacting with a user interface of the hearing aid such as one or more buttons of the hearing aid. The user interaction may comprise interacting with the hearing aid via an auxiliary device communicatively connected to the hearing aid, e.g., via a smartphone paired to the hearing aid. For example, a user of the hearing aid may be a personalized hearing aid profile on their smartphone, in response to changing one or more settings of the personalized hearing aid profile the user may instruct the hearing aid to write to the NVRAM.
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In an embodiment the one or more hearing aid parameters comprise one or more microphone parameters.
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In an embodiment the one or more microphone parameters comprise one or more microphone matching parameters.
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The microphone matching parameters may comprise a microphone level difference,
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In an embodiment the one or more hearing aid parameters comprise one or more audio processing parameters.
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In an embodiment the one or more hearing aid parameters may comprise one or more trained parameters of a neural network. The one or more training parameters may be personalized parameters trained to suit a user of the hearing aid. The trained parameters may be the result of an on-the-fly training of the neural network. The on-the-fly training of the neural network may be part of a fitting process where a hearing aid is adapted to the user of the hearing aid.
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The one or more audio processing parameters may be a filter coefficient. The one or more audio processing parameters may be a beamforming weight.
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In an embodiment the one or more one or more audio processing parameters comprise one or more beamforming parameters.
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In an embodiment the one or more hearing aid parameters comprise one or more settings of the hearing aid.
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In an embodiment the one or more one or more settings of the hearing aid comprises a hearing aid program and/or a hearing aid volume.
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In an embodiment the processor is configured to overwrite the one or more hearing aid parameters of the NVRAM with the updated one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM if the condition is met.
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Thus, storage space on the NVRAM may be saved by overwriting the one or more updated hearing aid parameters over the original hearing aid parameters.
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In an embodiment the processor is configured to, after writing the updated one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM to the NVRAM, initialize the RAM with the updated one or more hearing aid parameters from the NVRAM.
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In an aspect of the present disclosure a method for operating a hearing aid is provided. The method may comprise initializing a random-access memory, RAM, of the hearing aid with one or more hearing aid parameters from a non-volatile random-access memory, NVRAM, of the hearing aid, updating the one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM during a first operating mode of the hearing aid, and writing the updated one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM to the NVRAM if a condition is met.
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It is intended that some or all the structural features of the device described above, in the 'detailed description of embodiments' or in the claims can be combined with the method, when appropriately substituted by a corresponding process and vice versa. Embodiments of the method have the same advantages as the corresponding devices.
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In an aspect of the present disclosure a hearing aid system is provided. The hearing aid system comprising a hearing aid and an auxiliary device. The hearing aid comprising a wireless interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals, a memory for storing one or more hearing aid parameters, and a processor configured to update the one or more hearing aid parameters during a first operating mode of the hearing aid. The auxiliary device comprising an auxiliary wireless interface for transmitting and receiving wireless signals, an auxiliary memory for storing one or more hearing aid parameters. The hearing aid may be configured to transmit the one or more updated hearing aid parameters to the auxiliary device for storage in the auxiliary device if a condition is met.
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The hearing system may be adapted to establish a communication link between the hearing aid and the auxiliary device to provide that information (e.g. control and status signals, possibly audio signals) can be exchanged or forwarded from the hearing aid to the auxiliary device.
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The auxiliary device may comprise a remote control, a smartphone, or other portable or wearable electronic device, such as a smartwatch or the like.
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The auxiliary device may comprise a remote control for controlling functionality and operation of the hearing aid(s). The function of a remote control may be implemented in a smartphone, the smartphone possibly running an APP allowing to control the functionality of the audio processing device via the smartphone (the hearing aid(s) comprising an appropriate wireless interface to the smartphone, e.g. based on Bluetooth or some other standardized or proprietary scheme).
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The auxiliary device may comprise an audio gateway device adapted for receiving a multitude of audio signals (e.g. from an entertainment device, e.g. a TV or a music player, a telephone apparatus, e.g. a mobile telephone or a computer, e.g. a PC, a wireless microphone, etc.) and adapted for selecting and/or combining an appropriate one of the received audio signals (or combination of signals) for transmission to the hearing aid.
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The auxiliary device may comprise another hearing aid. The hearing system may comprise two hearing aids adapted to implement a binaural hearing system, e.g. a binaural hearing aid system.
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In the present context, a hearing aid, e.g. a hearing instrument, refers to a device, which is adapted to improve, augment and/or protect the hearing capability of a user by receiving acoustic signals from the user's surroundings, generating corresponding audio signals, possibly modifying the audio signals and providing the possibly modified audio signals as audible signals to at least one of the user's ears. Such audible signals may e.g. be provided in the form of acoustic signals radiated into the user's outer ears and/or acoustic signals transferred as mechanical vibrations to the user's inner ears through the bone structure of the user's head and/or through parts of the middle ear.
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The hearing aid may be configured to be worn in any known way, e.g. as a unit arranged behind the ear with a tube leading radiated acoustic signals into the ear canal or with an output transducer, e.g. a loudspeaker, arranged close to or in the ear canal, as a unit entirely or partly arranged in the pinna and/or in the ear canal, as a unit, e.g. a vibrator, attached to a fixture implanted into the skull bone, etc. The hearing aid may comprise a single unit or several units communicating (e.g. acoustically, electrically or optically) with each other. The loudspeaker may be arranged in a housing together with other components of the hearing aid or may be an external unit (possibly in combination with a flexible guiding element, e.g. a dome-like element).
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A hearing aid may be adapted to a particular user's needs, e.g. a hearing impairment. A configurable signal processing circuit of the hearing aid may be adapted to apply a frequency and level dependent compressive amplification of an input signal. A customized frequency and level dependent gain (amplification or compression) may be determined in a fitting process by a fitting system based on a user's hearing data, e.g. an audiogram, using a fitting rationale (e.g. adapted to speech). The frequency and level dependent gain may e.g. be embodied in processing parameters, e.g. uploaded to the hearing aid via an interface to a programming device (fitting system) and used by a processing algorithm executed by the configurable signal processing circuit of the hearing aid.
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A 'hearing system' may refer to a system comprising one or two hearing aids, and a 'binaural hearing system' may refer to a system comprising two hearing aids and being adapted to cooperatively provide audible signals to both user's ears. Hearing systems or binaural hearing systems may further comprise one or more 'auxiliary devices', which communicate with the hearing aid(s) and affect and/or benefit from the function of the hearing aid(s). Such auxiliary devices may include at least one of a remote control, a remote microphone, an audio gateway device, an entertainment device, e.g. a music player, a wireless communication device, e.g. a mobile phone (such as a smartphone) or a tablet or another device, e.g. comprising a graphical interface. Hearing aids, hearing systems or binaural hearing systems may e.g. be used for compensating for a hearing-impaired person's loss of hearing capability, augmenting or protecting a normal-hearing person's hearing capability and/or conveying electronic audio signals to a person. Hearing aids or hearing systems may e.g. form part of or interact with public-address systems, active ear protection systems, handsfree telephone systems, car audio systems, entertainment (e.g. TV, music playing or karaoke) systems, teleconferencing systems, classroom amplification systems, etc.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
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The aspects of the disclosure may be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying figures. The figures are schematic and simplified for clarity, and they just show details to improve the understanding of the claims, while other details are left out. Throughout, the same reference numerals are used for identical or corresponding parts. The individual features of each aspect may each be combined with any or all features of the other aspects. These and other aspects, features and/or technical effect will be apparent from and elucidated with reference to the illustrations described hereinafter in which:
- FIG. 1 shows a schematic block diagram of a hearing aid according to the present disclosure.
- FIG. 2a shows RAM of a hearing aid being initialized with hearing aid parameters stored on the NVRAM,
- FIG. 2a shows updated hearing parameters on the RAM being written to the NVRAM
- FIG 3 shows a schematic block diagram of a hearing aid system according to the present disclosure, and
- FIG 4 shows a flow diagram of a method for operating a hearing aid according to the present disclosure.
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The figures are schematic and simplified for clarity, and they just show details which are essential to the understanding of the disclosure, while other details are left out. Throughout, the same reference signs are used for identical or corresponding parts.
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Further scope of applicability of the present disclosure will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the disclosure, are given by way of illustration only. Other embodiments may become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS
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The detailed description set forth below in connection with the appended drawings is intended as a description of various configurations. The detailed description includes specific details for the purpose of providing a thorough understanding of various concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be practiced without these specific details. Several aspects of the apparatus and methods are described by various blocks, functional units, modules, components, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). Depending upon application, design constraints or other reasons, these elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer program, or any combination thereof.
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The electronic hardware may include micro-electronic-mechanical systems (MEMS), integrated circuits (e.g. application specific), microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, printed circuit boards (PCB) (e.g. flexible PCBs), and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functionality described throughout this disclosure, e.g. sensors, e.g. for sensing and/or registering physical properties of the environment, the device, the user, etc. Computer programs shall be construed broadly to mean instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subprograms, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, procedures, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or otherwise.
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When booting a hearing aid, several parameters need to be initialized. Many of the parameters are persistent, taking the same value every time the instrument is initialized, where other parameters are semi-persistent as they may change slowly while the hearing instrument is used, and it may thus be an advantage to update such parameters during daily use, as it otherwise may take a while before the initial value has converged after reboot.
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The present disclosure discloses a hearing aid comprising NVRAM storing one or more hearing aid parameters, and RAM which are configured to, during booting of the hearing aid, being initialized with the one or more hearing aid parameters from the NVRAM. During operation of the hearing aid, one or more hearing aid parameters used for initializing the RAM may be updated, these updated one or more hearing aid parameters may then be written to the NVRAM if a condition is met.
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A condition according to the present disclosure may be one or more of the following: the hearing aid going into a charging mode, the hearing aid being shut-down, the difference between the initial value from the NVRAM and the updated initial value in the RAM is above a threshold, after a certain amount of time, interaction from the user, or in connection with a calibration routine.
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The updated hearing aid parameters written to the NVRAM may be microphone-specific parameters, e.g. microphone matching parameters such as microphone level differences, individually calibrated or estimated directional beamformer weights, the current hearing aid program or a preferred program, and/or the current volume.
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Referring to Fig. 1 showing a schematic block diagram of a hearing aid 1 according to the present disclosure. The hearing aid 1 comprises a non-volatile random-access memory 10, NVRAM, storing one or more hearing aid parameters. The hearing aid 1 comprises a random-access memory 11, RAM. The hearing aid 1 comprises a processor 12. The processor 12 is configured to initialize the RAM 11 with the one or more hearing aid parameters from the NVRAM 10. The processor 12 is configured to update the one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM 11 during a first operating mode of the hearing aid 1. The processor 12 is configured to write the updated one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM 11 to the NVRAM 10 if a condition is met. The condition may comprise the hearing aid 1 going into a charging mode. The condition may comprise the hearing aid 1 being shut down. The processor 12 may be configured to determine a difference between the one or more updated hearing aid parameters and the one or more hearing aid parameters. The condition may comprise a difference being determined between the one or more updated hearing aid parameters and the one or more hearing aid parameters. The condition may comprise a difference between the updated one or more hearing aid parameters and the one or more hearing aid parameters exceeding a threshold. The condition may comprise a minimum elapsed time. The condition may comprise a user interaction. The one or more hearing aid parameters may comprise one or more microphone parameters. The one or more microphone parameters may comprise one or more microphone matching parameters. The one or more hearing aid parameters may comprise one or more audio processing parameters. The one or more one or more audio processing parameters may comprise one or more beamforming parameters. The one or more hearing aid parameters may comprise one or more settings of the hearing aid. The one or more one or more settings of the hearing aid may comprise a hearing aid program and/or a hearing aid volume. The processor may be configured to overwrite the one or more hearing aid parameters of the NVRAM with the updated one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM if the condition is met. The processor may be configured to, after writing the updated one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM to the NVRAM, initialize the RAM with the updated one or more hearing aid parameters from the NVRAM.
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Referring to Figs 2a and 2b showing RAM 11 of a hearing aid being initialized with hearing aid parameters stored on the NVRAM 10, and updated hearing parameters on the RAM 11 being written to the NVRAM 10. During boot, i.e. the hearing aid going into the first operating mode, hearing aid parameters from the NVRAM 10 are loaded to the RAM 11 to initialize the hearing aid 1. During the first operation mode, some of the hearing aid parameters may be updated, the updated hearing aid parameters are then written to the NVRAM 10, such that next time the hearing aid boots, the RAM 11 is initialized with the updated hearing aid parameters. As there is a limit to the number of times, the NVRAM 10 can be written, it is an advantage to limit the number of times the NVRAM 10 is updated, thus, by requiring a condition to be fulfilled before writing to the NVRAM 10 it may limit the amount of times the NVRAM 10 is written upon, and thus minimize the risk of corrupting data on the NVRAM 10.
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FIG 3 shows a schematic block diagram of a hearing aid system 100 according to the present disclosure. The hearing aid system 100 comprises a hearing aid 1. The hearing aid 1 comprises a wireless interface 13 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. The hearing aid 1 comprises a random-access memory 11, RAM. The hearing aid 1 comprises a processor 12. The processor is configured to update one or more hearing aid parameters during a first operating mode of the hearing aid 1. The hearing aid system 100 comprises an auxiliary device 2. The auxiliary device 2 comprises an auxiliary wireless interface 21 for transmitting and receiving wireless signals. The auxiliary device 2 comprises an auxiliary memory 22 for storing one or more hearing aid parameters. The hearing aid 1 is configured to transmit the one or more updated hearing aid parameters to the auxiliary device 2 for storage in the auxiliary device if a condition is met. The processor 12 is configured to initialize the RAM 11 with the one or more updated hearing parameters stored in the auxiliary device 2.
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FIG 4 shows a flow diagram of a method 3 for operating a hearing aid 1 according to the present disclosure. The method 3 comprises initializing 31 a random-access memory, RAM 11, of the hearing aid 1 with one or more hearing aid parameters from a non-volatile random-access memory, NVRAM 10, of the hearing aid 1. The method 3 comprises updating 32 the one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM 11 during a first operating mode of the hearing aid 1. The method 3 comprises writing 33 the updated one or more hearing aid parameters of the RAM 11 to the NVRAM 10 if a condition is met.
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It is intended that the structural features of the devices described above, either in the detailed description and/or in the claims, may be combined with steps of the method, when appropriately substituted by a corresponding process.
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As used, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the" are intended to include the plural forms as well (i.e. to have the meaning "at least one"), unless expressly stated otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms "includes," "comprises," "including," and/or "comprising," when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof. It will also be understood that when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, but an intervening element may also be present, unless expressly stated otherwise. Furthermore, "connected" or "coupled" as used herein may include wirelessly connected or coupled. As used herein, the term "and/or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. The steps of any disclosed method are not limited to the exact order stated herein, unless expressly stated otherwise.
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It should be appreciated that reference throughout this specification to "one embodiment" or "an embodiment" or "an aspect" or features included as "may" means that a particular feature, structure or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the disclosure. Furthermore, the features, structures or characteristics may be combined as suitable in one or more embodiments of the disclosure. The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art.
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The claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein but are to be accorded the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein reference to an element in the singular is not intended to mean "one and only one" unless specifically so stated, but rather "one or more." Unless specifically stated otherwise, the term "some" refers to one or more.