JP2002040927A - Tactile part of auditory sense auxiliary equipment utilizing tactile sense - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To solve the problem such that many of well-known auditory sense auxiliary equipments utilizing tactile sense use a plurality of piezo-bimorph-elements, a piezoelectric plate, electrically conductive plate or the like to increase whole equipment size, thereby it is very inconvenient for a heavily acoustically/orally handicapped person to always carry and use the equipment and accurate information cannot be continuously transmitted to a fingertip. SOLUTION: The auditory sense auxiliary equipment of this invention is constituted of a tactile part which is attached to a top end of a forefinger or a middle finger of the heavily acoustically/ orally handicapped person and a data processing part which is partially fitted to an upper surface of a wrist. The tactile part is constituted of a tactile pin guiding plate in which through-holes for being fitted with the tactile pin are provided by boring, and a plurality of tactile pins which are fitted into through-holes of the tactile pin guiding plate with freely moving up and down and are partially protruded to be always in contact with a lower surface of the forefinger or the middle finger. An electric signal of an inputted sound signal is converted to an accurate vibration pattern to vibrate respective tactile pins on the vibrating plate by respectively and independently pushing up the pins and thereby accurate and certain vibration pattern information is continuously transmitted to skin tactile sense of the fingertip.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a tactile part of a hearing aid using a tactile sense, and more particularly, to a method of frequency-decomposing acoustic information such as voice for a person with severe hearing or language impairment, and a sweep presentation method. The present invention relates to a tactile portion of a hearing aid using a portable tactile sensor that transmits vibrating pins independently of each other and transmits accurate vibration pattern information continuously to the skin tactile sense.
Regarding the improvement of the signal, the tactile part is further miniaturized to make it easy to use, and accurate vibration pattern information is continuously transmitted to the skin tactile sensation.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A tactile stimulus device for converting a voice signal into a vibration pattern by a piezo effect and presenting a vibration stimulus to a fingertip via a vibration pin for a person with severe hearing or language impairment (for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. Sho 62 -275284) has been proposed. In these tactile stimulators, a conductive plate is sandwiched between upper and lower piezo plates and integrated, and a plurality of cuts are made from one end to form a plurality of piezo bimorph elements. One of them is a common electrode and the other is a segment electrode.
A structure is employed in which metal wires of a predetermined length are fixed to the tip of the bimorph element.

Further, as shown in FIG. 7, in the tactile stimulus device already proposed, an insulating spacer 102 is interposed at one end of two guide plates 100 and horizontally arranged at a required interval below the insulating spacer 102. The vibrating pins 108 are horizontally arranged at required intervals through insulating spacers 106 of a plurality of piezo elements 104 having different lengths, and each lower bridge is mounted on one end of each piezo element. Of the guide plate 1
The tactile portion is a vibrator matrix that penetrates through the through-hole 100a drilled from the bottom at 00 and stimulates the lower surface of the fingertip.

[0004]

Accordingly, the tactile stimulators already proposed have a large configuration and inevitably increase the weight, and it is extremely inconvenient for a hearing impaired person to always carry them. Because the number of each vibrating pin driven by the bimorph element is limited, it is not enough to convert the audio signal into an accurate vibration pattern and output it as a vibration stimulus to the fingertip, only at the laboratory level ,
It was not immediately suitable for practical use.

In addition, the tactile stimulators already proposed do not have a band for fastening the skin tactile sensation such as the wrist, the index finger or the middle finger. It was extremely inconvenient to use.

[0006]

Means for Solving the Problems The invention according to this application is:
The first and second guide bolts are symmetrically arranged at the front and rear ends in a horizontally long casing attached to the belly of the index finger or the middle finger in the longitudinal direction, approaching the center line. And a required number of tactile pin fitting holes drilled at regular intervals, and each piezo element.
The first and second guide bolts penetrate through the through holes of the guide bolt and the second guide bolt, and a pair of left and right diaphragms are arranged on the left and right sides via an insulating spacer. A tactile pin guide plate disposed at a slight distance above the diaphragm, and vertically moving from below into the respective tactile pin fitting holes of the diaphragm and the tactile pin guide plate. The tactile pin guide plate has a length that freely fits and has a length that makes contact with the skin tactile sensation, and projects partly upward from the surface of the tactile pin guide plate to constantly contact the skin tactile sensation, and the lower or middle portion has the same length. A stopper slightly larger than the diameter of each fitting hole is integrally formed, and a lower end is in contact with the plurality of diaphragms, a plurality of tactile pins having different lengths, and at one end of each diaphragm. Tactile sense having respective connected lead wires and a band for fastening to the skin tactile sense The input voice signal is converted into an accurate vibration pattern, and each of the tactile pins on the diaphragm is vertically vibrated independently from below, and the accurate vibration pattern information is continuously transmitted to the skin tactile sensation. This is a tactile part of a hearing aid device using a tactile sensation.

[0007]

As described above, according to the haptic portion of the hearing aid device utilizing tactile sensation according to the present invention, the data processing portion partially fitted on the upper surface of the wrist and the through hole for fitting the haptic pin are provided. A plurality of tactile pins which partially protrude from the through-holes of the tactile pin / guide plate having a hole and are always in contact with the lower surface of the index finger or the middle finger, and which are freely fitted up and down so as to allow hearing and speech impairment. And a tactile part fastened to the index finger or middle finger of the person, converting the electrical signal of the input audio signal into an accurate vibration pattern, and pushing up each of the tactile pins on the diaphragm independently from the bottom and up and down. And continuously transmit accurate and reliable vibration pattern information to the skin tactile sensation of the fingertip.

[0008]

1 to 6, a tactile part A of a hearing aid according to the present invention is fastened to the lower surface of the tip ft of the index finger or the middle finger, and is partially fitted to the upper surface of the wrist. The processing section C is connected with the flexible cable B.

A fastening band 10c for fixing to the fingertip ft is attached to the side surface of the tactile portion A, and is always provided in contact with the lower surface of the tip ft of the index finger or the middle finger. The first guide bolts 12, 12 are provided symmetrically near the center line c, c near the rear end R of each of the sections 10a, 10b formed by dividing c, c into two, and near the front end F, near the outside. The second guide bolts 14 are provided symmetrically with respect to the center line c.

Each section 10a of the horizontally long casing 10
A pair of left and right diaphragms 16a, 16b housed in 10b
.. are the first guide bolts 12, 1 at their center lines c, c.
2 and the second guide bolt 1
Tactile pin fitting holes 16a ₁ , 16b ₁ ... Of a required diameter are drilled in two rows at a required interval from the inside of each of the diaphragms 4a and 14 to a position slightly apart from each other, and the upper surface of each of the diaphragms 16a, 16b. From the outside of the tactile pin fitting holes 16b ₁ , 16b ₁ ,
The piezo elements 18, 18 are connected to the guide bolts 12, 12, respectively.
., And one ends of the lead wires 18a, 18b are connected to the respective piezo elements 18, 18,.
8a, 18b,... Are connected to a required power supply (not shown).

The through holes 16c, 16d of the first and second guide bolts 12, 14 are formed in the corresponding portions of the diaphragms 16a, 16b,... At the corresponding locations of the first and second guide bolts 12, 14. The first and second guide bolts 12 and 14 can pass through the through holes 16c and 16d.

As described above, a pair of left and right diaphragms 16a,
A plurality of, for example, 32 sheets are arranged in a stacked state in each of the areas 10a, 10b via insulating spacers 22, 22,..., And the tactile pin fitting holes 16a of the diaphragms 16a, 16b are arranged. ₁ , 16b ₁ ... Tentative pins 20, 20,...
The first guide bolts 1 are respectively inserted into the through holes 12a, 14a of the 32 vibration plates 16a, 16b,.
2 and 12 are fitted.

The uppermost pair of left and right diaphragms 16a, 16
The haptic pin guide plate 40 provided integrally with the upper part of the horizontally long casing 10 at a required interval from the haptic pin fitting holes 16 of the pair of left and right diaphragms 16a, 16b.
a ₁ , 16b ₁ ... tactile pin fitting holes 4
Drilling 0a, 40b ...

A pair of left and right diaphragms 16 housed in the respective sections 10a and 10b of the horizontally long casing 10 are provided.
, tactile pin fitting holes 16a ₁ , 16b ₁
· · · The upper ends 20b, 20b · · · protrude partially upward from the surface of the tactile pin guide plate 40 to loosely fit the tactile pins 20, 20 · · and the tip ft of the index finger or the middle finger
Always touch the skin touch on the underside.

At the lower or middle part, stoppers 20a, 20b,... Which are slightly larger than the diameter of each of the fitting holes 16a ₁ are integrally provided, and the lower end is a pair of left and right 32 diaphragms 16a, 16a.
Each upper end of 64 of該触sense pins 20, 20 in contact with b ... has a length and width and thickness of contacts from the tactile pin fitting holes _{16a 1,} 16b 1 ··, in the longitudinal direction Except for the width corresponding to the middle portion, 64 through holes 40a are formed in four rows at regular intervals on both left and right sides, and each of the stoppers 20a, 20b is formed with the tactile pin guide. The tactile pins 20, 20,...

In FIG. 1, in the data processing section C, the hearing aid device 50 has a cubic shape having a required length, height and width, and its bottom surface 50a is partially fitted to the upper surface of the wrist. Microphones 52, 52 are provided on the front side surface 50b and both side surfaces 50c, 50c, and a switch 54 and a microphone sensitivity adjustment knob 56 are provided on one side surface 50c, respectively. A battery level warning light 60 is provided.

In FIG. 7, first, the microphone 52
Is converted into an electric signal, passed through a band-pass filter 70 for estimating the speaker's voice, and the high-frequency electric signal passed through the band-pass filter 70 is passed through a critical band-pass filter 72 to a human. In the critical band existing in the auditory system, only the frequency range components for 16 channels are passed.

The center frequency and the bandwidth are obtained from the passing high frequency electric signal through a critical band filter 72 by a critical band existing in the human auditory system, and the center frequency and the bandwidth are converted by the nervous system of a living body. The side suppression processing is simulated via the side suppression coupling unit 74 to reinforce the low spatial resolution of the tactile sensation. The sweep conversion is performed via a sweep conversion unit (delay circuit) 76, and the 4x16ch. The signal is transmitted to the amplifier 78.

The 4x16ch. An electric signal from the amplifier 78 is transmitted to the haptic part A, converted into an accurate vibration pattern, and the haptic pins 20, 2 on the diaphragms 16a, 16a,.
0 ... is vibrated up and down independently from below, 200Hz
The accurate vibration pattern is transmitted independently to the lower surface of the tip ft of the index finger or the middle finger independently at the vibration frequency of.

[0020]

(1) As described above, the known tactile stimulation device requires a large-scale device such as a computer.
According to the present invention, the multi-layer diaphragm having the piezo element 18 on the upper surface can be reduced in size, so that the entire device can be made very small and a tactile portion of a tactile stimulus device which is extremely convenient to carry can be obtained.

(2) Further, since the piezo element 18 is small in size, the 16/64 ch. A sweep presentation method by the sweep conversion unit 76 becomes possible, and the tactile pins 20... Are independently vibrated, and a vibration pattern of accurate information can be continuously transmitted to a fingertip.

(3) When the sweep speed increases, 1
The drive time of the tactile pins 20... Of the book is shortened, the sampling frequency of the voice is also increased, and a large amount of voice information can be presented, and the identification rate is improved.

(4) If desired, the hearing aid using the tactile sense according to the present invention and the tactile part thereof can be mounted on either the left or right wrist.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a partially schematic perspective view showing a state in which a hearing aid using a tactile sense according to the present invention and a tactile part thereof are mounted on a right wrist and mounted on the tip of an index finger.

FIG. 2 is a partially transparent enlarged plan schematic view of a haptic part of the hearing aid device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a partially transparent plan schematic view showing a state where a cover is removed from a tactile portion of the hearing aid device shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a schematic partial sectional view taken along the line 1V-1V in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the horizontal casing of the haptic portion of FIGS.

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a hearing aid using haptics according to the present invention.

FIG. 7 is a partially enlarged schematic view of a vibrator matrix of a tactile part of a part of a known hearing aid using a tactile sense.

[Explanation of symbols]

Haptics of A ... auditory prosthesis; B ... flexible cable; C ... data processing unit; 10 ... Horizontal casing; 16a, 16b ... diaphragm; _{16a 1,} 16b 1 · ··· Tactile pin fitting hole; 18 ··· piezo element; 20 ··· tactile pin; 40 ··· tactile pin guide plate;

Claims (1)

[Claims] 1. A horizontally long casing having a required size,
A first guide bolt provided symmetrically near the rear end near the rear end of each section formed by bisecting the horizontal casing at the longitudinal center line, and near the front end near the outside from the center line. It has a second guide bolt provided symmetrically near the center line, and a required number of tactile pin fitting holes drilled at regular intervals from the center line. Piezo elements provided on the upper surface up to the vicinity of the second guide bolt, and the first and second guide bolts are formed at corresponding positions with the first and second guide bolts. A second guide bolt that penetrates, a pair of left and right diaphragms and a plurality of diaphragms arranged via an insulating spacer, and a similar tactile pin fitting hole at a corresponding position of the tactile pin fitting hole; And a tactile pin guide slightly spaced above the uppermost diaphragm The vibration plate and the tactile pin / guide plate are loosely fitted into the respective tactile pin fitting holes of the respective tactile pin fitting holes from the lower side so as to be vertically movable, and have a length whose upper end is in contact with the skin tactile sense, and The tactile pin / guide plate partially protrudes upward from the surface and is always in contact with the skin tactile sense, and integrally has a stopper slightly larger than the diameter of each fitting hole in the lower or middle part, and has a plurality of lower ends. A plurality of tactile pins which are in contact with the respective diaphragms and have different lengths, and respective lead wires respectively connected to one ends of the respective diaphragms, and a tactile portion having a band for fastening to the skin tactile sense The input audio signal is converted into an accurate vibration pattern, and each of the tactile pins on the diaphragm is vertically vibrated independently from below, and the accurate vibration pattern information is continuously transmitted to the skin tactile sensation. The tactile part of the hearing aid using the tactile sensation.