GB1569198A - Hearing amplifier arrangement for teaching persons with impaired - Google Patents

Description

(54) AMPLIFIER ARRANGEMENT FOR TEACHING PERSONS WITH IMPAIRED HEARING (71) We, PHILIPS ELECTRONIC AND ASSOCIATED INDUSTRIES LIMITED of Abacus House, 33 Gutter Lane, London, EC2V 8AH a British Company, do hereby declare the invention for which we pray that a patent may be granted to us, and the method by which it is to be performed, to be particularly described in and by the follow mg statement The invention relates to an amplifier arrangement for teaching persons with impaired hearing for the amplification of microphone signals and for supplying a pair of headphones, comprising adjusting elements for matching the amplifier characteristics to the user.

An amplifier arrangement of this type is known (see for example DT-AS 12 83 904) which is permanently incorporated in a student's desk for a student whose hearing is impaired. The adjusting elements serve to match the amplifier arrangement to the hearing defect of the individual student at his desk.

Matching of the amplifier arrangement to the hearing defect of the student, which can only be effected by experts, demands very much time and therefore once the amplifier arrangement of a specific student's desk has been matched to his hearing defect, a student always attends classes at the same desk. Interchanging students' desks within the same class of persons with impaired hearing or changing to a student's desk in another class is therefore impracticable with this known arrangement.

It is an object of the invention to provide an amplifier arrangement which does not have this limitation. This object is achieved, in accordance with the invention by an amplifier arrangement of the type described in the opening paragraph, characterised in that the adjusting elements are accommodated in a separate plug-in unit for connection to a standard amplifier section. Thus, each student now has a personal plug-in unit which accommodates the adjusting elements adapted to his personal hearing defect.

When the student changes desks, he merely needs to remove the plug-in unit at one desk and plug the unit in at another desk. The standard amplifier sections in the students' desks must, of course, all have the same design.

The invention enables the individual matching of the adjusting elements to the hearing defect of a person whose hearing is impaired to be performed by an audiologist with the aid of an audiometer which comprises an amplifier of identical design as the amplifier sections contained in the students' desks. In addition, each adjusting element, which may for example consist of a potentiometer, may be marked with digits which denote the setting of this adjusting element.

If these digits for the various adjusting elements are arranged in a specific sequence, an identification number is obtained for the person with impaired hearing.

It may happen that the acoustic properties of different pairs of headphones differ so much that the matching (by a suitable setting of the adjusting elements) to the hearing defect of a person with impaired hearing can only be effected in conjunction with a specific pair of headphones. In that case the optional feature of the invention described in Claim 2 is useful, in accordance with which the plug-in unit with the adjusting elements also serves for connection of the headphones to the output of the amplifier section. The plug-in unit then remains connected to the headphones. Hence, when the student changes place he takes the headphones together with the plug-in-unit to the next student's desk.

The invention will now be described with reference to an embodiment which is shown in the drawing. In the drawing: Figure 1 is a purely schematic block diagram of an amplifier arrangement with the adjusting elements which are necessary for matching to a hearing defect, Figure 2 shows a printed circuit board on which the adjusting elements are mounted, Figure 3 shows the plug-in unit which contains this printed circuit board, and Figure 4 shows an amplifier arrangement including such a plug-in unit.

Figure 1 represents an amplifier arrangement 1 which may be incorporated in a student's desk. The amplifier arrangement which is adapted for stereo reproduction, comprises two identical channels each with a preamplifier 2 and 3 respectively, to which a microphone signal is applied. The outputs of the preamplifiers 2 and 3 are connected to the inputs of an output amplifier 4 and 5 respectively, to whose outputs a pair of headphones can be connected. Adjusting elements in the form of potentiometers 11....15 and 21....25 respectively are connected to each of the amplifier channels, which potentiometers serve for individual adjustment of volume, peak-clipping level, bass and treble, as well as the automatic gain control for each of the two channels.

Such two-channel amplifier arrangements are known, so that their circuit design need not be described in more detail. It is essential that the adjusting elements 11....15 and 21....15 - as indicated by the block 6 are accommodated in a plug-in unit, which by unplugging the plug-in unit from the rest of the amplifier arrangement can be separated physically therefrom. The potentiometers 11....15 are mounted on a printed circuit board 9 (see Figure 2) and are elecrically connected to a contact strip 7 at one end of the printed circuit board.

The printed circuit board may be accommodated in a housing 8 as shown in Figure 3, which has openings through which the wipers of the potentiometers 11....25 can be adjusted and which may be marked with the name and the identification digits mentioned earlier which characterize the settings of the individual adjusting elements and thus the hearing defect of the user of this plug-in unit. The adhusting elements 11....25 can be connected electrically to the preamplifiers and output amplifiers 2....5 by plugging the contact strip 7 which projects from the housing 8 into a corresponding socket strip which is provided on the amplifier section. It is alternatively possible to provide the amplifier section with the contact strip 7 and the plug-in printed circuit board with the socket strip.

Figure 4 shows the plug-in unit of Figure 3 after it has been plugged into the housing of the amplifier arrangement.

WHAT WE CLAIM IS: 1. An amplifier arrangement for teaching equipment for persons with impaired hearing for the amplification of microphone signals and for supplying a pair of headphones, comprising adjusting elements for matching the amplifier characteristics to the user, characterized in that the adjusting elements are accommodated in a separate plug-in unit for connection to a standard amplifier section.

2. Teaching equipment for persons with impaired hearing comprising an amplifier arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the plug-in unit also serves for connection of the headphones to the output of the amplifier section.

3. An amplifier arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.

**WARNING** end of DESC field may overlap start of CLMS **.

Claims (3)

**WARNING** start of CLMS field may overlap end of DESC **. diagram of an amplifier arrangement with the adjusting elements which are necessary for matching to a hearing defect, Figure 2 shows a printed circuit board on which the adjusting elements are mounted, Figure 3 shows the plug-in unit which contains this printed circuit board, and Figure 4 shows an amplifier arrangement including such a plug-in unit. Figure 1 represents an amplifier arrangement 1 which may be incorporated in a student's desk. The amplifier arrangement which is adapted for stereo reproduction, comprises two identical channels each with a preamplifier 2 and 3 respectively, to which a microphone signal is applied. The outputs of the preamplifiers 2 and 3 are connected to the inputs of an output amplifier 4 and 5 respectively, to whose outputs a pair of headphones can be connected. Adjusting elements in the form of potentiometers 11....15 and 21....25 respectively are connected to each of the amplifier channels, which potentiometers serve for individual adjustment of volume, peak-clipping level, bass and treble, as well as the automatic gain control for each of the two channels. Such two-channel amplifier arrangements are known, so that their circuit design need not be described in more detail. It is essential that the adjusting elements 11....15 and 21....15 - as indicated by the block 6 are accommodated in a plug-in unit, which by unplugging the plug-in unit from the rest of the amplifier arrangement can be separated physically therefrom. The potentiometers 11....15 are mounted on a printed circuit board 9 (see Figure 2) and are elecrically connected to a contact strip 7 at one end of the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board may be accommodated in a housing 8 as shown in Figure 3, which has openings through which the wipers of the potentiometers 11....25 can be adjusted and which may be marked with the name and the identification digits mentioned earlier which characterize the settings of the individual adjusting elements and thus the hearing defect of the user of this plug-in unit. The adhusting elements 11....25 can be connected electrically to the preamplifiers and output amplifiers 2....5 by plugging the contact strip 7 which projects from the housing 8 into a corresponding socket strip which is provided on the amplifier section. It is alternatively possible to provide the amplifier section with the contact strip 7 and the plug-in printed circuit board with the socket strip. Figure 4 shows the plug-in unit of Figure 3 after it has been plugged into the housing of the amplifier arrangement. WHAT WE CLAIM IS:

1. An amplifier arrangement for teaching equipment for persons with impaired hearing for the amplification of microphone signals and for supplying a pair of headphones, comprising adjusting elements for matching the amplifier characteristics to the user, characterized in that the adjusting elements are accommodated in a separate plug-in unit for connection to a standard amplifier section.

2. Teaching equipment for persons with impaired hearing comprising an amplifier arrangement as claimed in Claim 1, characterized in that the plug-in unit also serves for connection of the headphones to the output of the amplifier section.

3. An amplifier arrangement substantially as herein described with reference to the accompanying drawing.