JP2004522333A - Transmission system control method, application of the method, transmission system, receiving device, and hearing aid - Google Patents

Abstract

At least one transmitter (S ₁ ,..., S _n) ) And at least one receiving device (1), and relates to a control method of a transmission system in which a signal (S _IN ) transmitted via an effective path (120) is amplitude, frequency and / or phase modulated. According to the invention, the configuration parameters are transmitted to the receiving device (1) via the control paths (110,..., 113). Transmission over the control path (110,..., 113) is independent of transmission over the effective path (120). Furthermore, an adjustment based on the transmitted configuration parameters is performed in the receiving device (1), in particular to enable demodulation of the signal (S _IN ) transmitted via the effective path (120). The invention further relates to an application of the method, a transmission system, a receiving device and a hearing aid.

Description

[0001]
The present invention relates to a method for controlling a transmission system and an application of this method, a transmission system, a receiving device and a hearing aid according to the preamble of claim 1.
[0002]
Micro FM (frequency modulation) transmission systems have long been used in hearing aids. A transmission system related to a hearing aid basically includes a transmission unit having a microphone and a reception unit. It is particularly important that the receiver is as small and light as possible, so that the hearing aid device including the receiver can be of a size that is easy for the user to wear.
[0003]
A receiving device of the above-mentioned type is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,734,976, in which an FM transmission method in which the carrier frequency is fixedly set by a quartz crystal is applied to the transmission system.
[0004]
This known method has the disadvantage that a change of the quartz crystal is required in order to change the carrier frequency and thus the transmission path. Therefore, in this system, abrupt switching between different transmission paths cannot be performed. Furthermore, this known system has the disadvantage that even for the device manufacturer, a large number of quartz crystals must be stored in order to carry out the transmission line change within a predetermined short time.
[0005]
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a method that enables a transmission line to be rapidly switched from one to another. In this case, it should be avoided that switching of the transmission path causes interference with the audio signal.
[0006]
This object is achieved by a method according to the features of claim 1. Preferred embodiments of the invention, application of the method, transmission systems, receiving devices and hearing aids are described in the other claims.
[0007]
The present invention has the following features. That is, since the configuration parameters adjusted in the receiving device are transmitted to the receiving device via an independent control path, the signal modulated in amplitude, frequency, and / or phase can be transmitted from one to the other without any problem, and Switching can be performed without interference. Since the transmission speed (Uebeltragungsrate) is low, the control path can be configured with less power than the effective path (Nutzkanal). As a result, no special authorization method is required for the control path, and the required components can be realized without any particular expense.
[0008]
Furthermore, the use of a combiner in the receiver to generate the frequencies required for the demodulation of the transmitted signal allows a particularly rapid and flexible adaptation to the carrier frequency used. Thus, abrupt switching from one effective road to the other is reliably performed.
[0009]
In the following, the invention will be explained in more detail by way of example with reference to the accompanying figures.
[0010]
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a transmission system according to the present invention having a series of components corresponding to an application or operation mode.
[0011]
This transmission system comprises at least one transmitter S ₁ , ..., _Sn And a receiving device 1 connected thereto via a wireless connection (shown as an effective path 120). If the signal to be transmitted is an audio signal, as in the present invention, this signal is modulated as a carrier frequency prior to transmission, for example by known amplitude, frequency and / or phase modulation methods. You. Obviously, the effective path 120 depends on the transmission power and the carrier frequency used, and the degree of long-distance transmission or penetration of the building is affected. Known modulation methods that can be applied are described, for example, in the Electronics Engineers Handbook (ed. Donald Christansen, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill Publishing, Chapter 18).
[0012]
n transmitters S ₁ , ..., _Sn Is provided, various audio signals to be transmitted are modulated at mutually different carrier frequencies, and various types of signals are transmitted in the receiving area under the condition that tuning corresponding to each carrier frequency is performed in the receiving apparatus 1. It becomes possible to receive an audio signal. n transmitters S ₁ , ..., _Sn Alternatively, it is also conceivable to provide only one transmitter provided with a plurality, preferably n, of transmission lines. The principle of the present invention includes such a modification of the transmission form. In the following, n transmitters S ₁ , ..., _Sn , Refers to both one or more transmitters.
[0013]
Transmitter S ₁ , ..., _Sn In order to tune the receiving device 1 for one of the two, namely for a particular audio signal, the transmission system of the invention comprises control paths 110, 111, 112, 113, whereby , The respective transmitter S ₁ , ..., _Sn Is transmitted to the receiving device 1. For this purpose, the transmitter S ₁ , ..., _Sn Has corresponding means for generating and transmitting configuration parameters, either internally or as a separate device. This device can optionally be the controller 102 and / or the remote control 107. The connection between the receiving device 1 for the control path and the control device 102 or the remote control device 107 can likewise be a wireless connection, which is shown in FIG. . Transmitter S ₁ , ..., _Sn Has a built-in corresponding means for generating and transmitting configuration parameters, these parameters are transmitted to the receiving apparatus 1 via the control path 113. Although various control paths (see reference numerals 110 to 113) are conceivable as shown in FIG. 1, their specifications such as the transmission speed and the carrier frequency are preferably unchanged for the same transmission system. In terms of transmission technology, these control paths are treated as one and the same transmission path.
[0014]
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, FSK (Frequency Shift Key) modulation is implemented for the control path, where the transmission rate is 1,280 bits / s and the path center frequency is 40,690 kHz. .
[0015]
Switching and tuning for a particular carrier frequency, and therefore for any audio signal, are not implemented in the present invention as such in the receiving device 1, which preferably uses one of the control paths 110, 112, 113. Is implemented. In a preferred embodiment of the transmission system according to the invention, the effective path 120 used for the audio signal is not used for transmitting other information. On the one hand, this feature makes it possible to switch from one audio signal to the other without having to perform a manual adjustment in the receiving device 1, and on the other hand allows a wide application of the transmission system according to the invention. This enables remote control of the receiving device 1 as described below.
[0016]
Furthermore, in the transmission system according to the invention, a configuration control device 105 is provided, by means of which again the configuration of the receiving device 1 and further components connected thereto via a wireless connection 111 (control path). / Program can be controlled. Since the receiving device 1 can be located close to the configuration control device 105 during the configuration phase, the requirements for the connection 111 are correspondingly reduced. That is, satisfactory data transmission can be performed with a small transmission output. This is particularly important because the connection 111 is a bidirectional connection as shown in FIG. 1 and only a very small amount of power can be used in the receiving device 1 in order to realize the miniaturization of the receiving device 1 in particular. is there.
[0017]
On the other hand, a computing device 106 such as a generally available PC (personal computer) is provided as input and processing means for the program of the receiving device 1.
This makes it possible to manage the entire transmission system, in particular by loading a new program driver into the receiving device. By means of the reverse transmission, for example, version data of the receiving device 1 is transmitted to the computing device 106 via the configuration control device 105 and further processed.
[0018]
In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a hearing aid 100 is detachably connected to the receiving device 1. All functions related to wireless signal transmission are performed in the receiving device 1. In order to cope with various requirements relating to the signal transmission speed and the transmission distance in the transmission of the audio signal and the transmission of the control signal, the receiving device 1 has two antenna systems, namely, an antenna A for the audio signal and a smaller antenna for the control signal. A receiving coil of a size is provided.
[0019]
As shown in FIG. 1, the control device 102 is connected on the one hand to the loop antenna 101 and on the other hand to the input / calculation device 103. This input / calculation device 103 is again used for simple data input and is preferably constituted by a general PC. In this case, the communication between the control device 102 and the input / calculation device 103 is performed, for example, via a standardized USB (Universal Series Bus) interface.
[0020]
The control device 102 connected to the loop antenna 101 is used to transmit a control signal to the receiving device 1 with a small transmission power, and the remote control device 107 is also used to control a short distance with a small transmission power. Used for signal transmission. Various embodiments will be described below according to respective application modes.
[0021]
The main application of the present invention relates to a transmission system when the receiving device 1 is coupled to the hearing aid 100. In this case, potential hearing aid users are not limited to hearing-impaired persons, but also include ordinary hearing-impaired persons.
[0022]
What is important in the present invention is that the user of the hearing aid 100 coupled to the receiving device 1 according to the present invention can use any path, i.e., from time to time, to receive and listen to the desired audio signal. That is, there is no need to worry about whether to adjust its own device for the frequency or what kind of signal processing should be performed. This is because these troubles are eliminated by performing the configuration control in the receiving device 1 based on the configuration parameters received by the receiving coil 15. The required configuration parameters are the control device 102 or the remote control device 107 or the transmitter S _1. , ..., _Sn Is transmitted directly to the receiving device 1 via a general-purpose communication connection, that is, the respective control paths 110, 112, 113, and in any case, there is no interference with the transmitted audio signal. These control paths 110, 112, 113, which apply only for short distances, implement their own modulation process at a carrier frequency that meets international standards. For European applications, the standards EN 300 330 (Wireless Communication Devices and Systems-RES; Short Range Equipment Technical Characteristics and Test Methods for Wireless Communication Devices from 9 kHz to 25 kHz, and Inductive Loop Systems in the Frequency Range from 9 kHz to 30 kHz) and For application in the United States, reference is made to Standard 47 CFR (Federal Regulation Code) (Telecommunications FCC Sector 15, Subsector C: Intentional Radiator).
[0023]
In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, the following parameters are transmitted via the control path 110, 112 or 113:
The carrier frequency of the desired audio signal;
A switching signal for completely switching off the receiving device 1;
A switching signal for superimposing the received audio signal on the microphone signal in the hearing aid;
A mute command to switch off the audio signal;
A control signal for the volume of the received audio signal;
[0024]
Only on the basis of all or individual configuration parameters transmitted via the control paths 110 to 113, the receiving device 1 carries out the corresponding configuration control.
[0025]
As can be seen from FIG. 1, the control paths 110-113 are used as follows:
In the first case, the user controls the receiving device 1 coupled to the hearing aid 100 in the transmission system according to the invention via the remote control 107.
[0026]
In the second case, control is performed by the control device 102 connected to the loop antenna 101. This is the case where each user or the receiving device 1 of each user is sent respective configuration parameters within the range of the loop antenna 101, that is, within the reception area. Each user is assigned one or more codes, whereby each user is addressed alone or in groups. Such transmission systems are mainly used in the field of schools, in which all the advantages of automatic tuning apply, in particular due to the fact that no knowledge is required regarding the transmission path (carrier frequency, etc.). . A further use could be in a meeting place, for example a conference hall, a church or a railway station: upon entering a meeting place equipped with this transmission system, the receiving device in the hearing aid automatically transmits this meeting place. Tuned to the road.
[0027]
In this regard, in a further embodiment, instead of a hearing aid, a simple electronic / acoustic transducer is coupled to the receiving device. In this case, various functions normally provided by the hearing aid become unavailable.
[0028]
In the third case, the control path is used for the transmission of data to be stored in the storage device of the receiving device. That is, the receiving device or its storage device can be programmed via the control path.
[0029]
In a preferred embodiment according to the invention, one or more transmitters S ₁ , ..., _Sn Has one transmitting device for generating the control signal or the transmitter S ₁ , ..., _Sn Sends configuration parameters. The transmitted configuration parameters are enriched with an identifying code, on the basis of which the explicitly addressed receiver 1 makes a corresponding adjustment based on the configuration parameters.
[0030]
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram of a receiving device 1 according to the present invention detachably coupled to a hearing aid 100 as shown in FIG.
[0031]
The frequency and / or phase modulation signal S _IN is received by the antenna A and is first input to the filter / amplifier 2. The filter / amplifier 2 is tuned to a desired frequency band by an externally connected adjusting device 19. The output of filter / amplifier 2 is connected to the input of mixer 3. A second input of the mixer 3 receives an output signal of the synthesizer 6 described below. A demodulator 4 is connected downstream of the mixer 3, and a demodulated signal S is generated by cooperation of the demodulator 4 and the mixer 3. The demodulated signal S is then input to the amplification device 5 which is adjusted by the control device 7. The output signals S _OUT1 and S _OUT2 adjusted in the amplifier 5 are sent directly to a speaker or a hearing aid (not shown in FIG. 2).
[0032]
In a variant of the embodiment of the receiving device 1 according to the invention, I ² The S interface device 13 is connected to the amplification device 5. I ² The S interface device 13 is a digital three-wire bus control interface device. In this regard, reference is made to the same applicant's international patent application PCT / CH99 / 000009 (publication number WO 99/13699) as the present invention. This application forms an integral part of the present application. I ² The S interface device 13 has a digital output through which the digital audio signal S _DIGITAL Are sent directly to the hearing aid 100 (FIG. 1), for example.
[0033]
Further, a sound generator 14 is provided. This device 14 is connected to the amplification device 5 and generates a signal to be superimposed on the signal S. As a result, the user is notified by voice of a specific situation in the receiving device 1, for example, a decrease in battery charge, setting of a standard carrier frequency, and the like. To receive the corresponding control signal, the sound generator 14 is connected to the control device 7 described below.
[0034]
Reference numeral 15 designates a transceiver coil, also described with reference to FIG. 1, which receives configuration parameters via a separate control path. A series capacitor 16 is connected to the coil 15 for tuning the transceiver coil 15 acting as an antenna. This condenser 16 is preferably of a variable type. Transceiver coil 15 and capacitor 16 are connected to transceiver device 8, while transceiver device 8 is connected to control device 7.
[0035]
The control device 7 actually serves as a control center of the receiving device 1, and controls the above-mentioned devices, that is, the amplification device 5, the sound generation device 14, and the tone receiver device 8, and further, the mixing device used in the mixer 3. It controls a monitor 10 that monitors and optimizes the energy balance of the synthesizer 6 and the receiver 1 that generate the frequency. This guarantees the longest and satisfactory operation.
[0036]
The control device 7 receives data relating to continuous control and others from a storage device 11 connected to the device 7 via a bus system. The storage device 11 is non-volatile and programmable, for example, an EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Special Memory). As is known, the programming of such memories requires higher voltages than are normally required for other devices. Therefore, a voltage multiplier 9 having a capacitor 18 is provided. As a result, a voltage several times higher than the voltage of the basic power supply can be obtained.
[0037]
As shown in FIG. 2, most of the devices are contained within a range surrounded by a broken line. These devices are preferably integrated on a single chip using CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology. Other devices such as the condenser 18, the antenna A, the transceiver coil 15, the adjusting device 19, the quartz member 20 and the adjusting device 21 connected to the synthesizing device 6 are provided outside the integrated circuit, and are connected via corresponding terminals. Connected to the integrated circuit. The storage device 11 is provided outside the integrated circuit. This is because the storage device 11 experiences a severe technical load empirically, and therefore has an average shorter life than other devices.
[0038]
The receiving device 1 is provided with a single switch 17 which can be operated by the user, so that, for example, the following functions can be performed:
By briefly closing the switch 17, the following operating modes are switched between one another: "transmission of audio signals", "superposition of audio signals and microphone signals" and "no audio signals" (toggle switching) mode).
-By closing the switch 17 for a long time, an audio signal is received and frequency band scanning is performed (scanning mode).
The connection of the receiving device 1 is released by closing the switch 17 for a longer time. By closing the switch 17 again, the receiving device 1 is connected again.
[0039]
The above functions and their switching are correspondingly performed by the remote control device 107 and the transmitter S _1. , ..., _Sn Alternatively, the control can be performed by the control device 102 (see FIG. 1) as needed.
[0040]
In order to minimize energy consumption in the receiving device 1, means are provided in the demodulator 4 in addition to those implemented by the monitoring device 10. That is, as soon as it is recognized that the demodulator 4 does not receive the audio signal any more, the amplification device 5 is automatically suppressed. At this time, the control device 7 and Zohaba device 5 is inputted a signal via connection SQ, which apparatus for demodulating a voice signal S _IN transmitted by may cancel the biases. As a result, the desired reduction in energy consumption in the receiving device 1 is achieved. At the same time, any interference noise is reduced and no interference noise is transmitted to the downstream hearing aid 100 (FIG. 1).
[0041]
FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of the control device 102 connected to the loop antenna 101 shown in FIG. The control device 102 substantially comprises a microcomputer 200. A storage device 204, an input / output device 203, a display device 202, a modulation device 201, and an interface device 205 are radially connected to the microcomputer 200. The interface device 205 preferably drives a USB type bus system.
[0042]
In a further embodiment according to the invention, data for modifying the transfer function of the effective path is sent to the receiving device 1. The correction data for this is determined by evaluating all desired transfer functions of the effective path based on the uncorrected total transfer functions. This makes it possible to correct any undesired properties of the original original transfer function.
[0043]
Although the receiving device and the transmission system according to the present invention have been described as applied to a hearing aid, the application of the present invention is not limited to this, and is advantageously used in any applicable range that requires effective path control. It is possible.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG.
1 is a schematic diagram showing a transmission system having a receiving device according to the present invention.
FIG. 2
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram relating to the receiving device of FIG. 1.
FIG. 3
FIG. 2 is a functional block diagram relating to a control device used in the transmission system of FIG. 1.

Claims (17)

At least one transmitter (S ₁ , ..., _Sn ) And at least one receiving device (1), wherein the signal (S _IN ) transmitted via the effective path (120) is modulated in amplitude, frequency and / or phase in a method for controlling a transmission system. The configuration parameters are transmitted to the receiving device (1) via control paths (110,..., 113), and the transmission via the control paths (110,. ), And the adjustment based on the transmitted configuration parameters enables demodulation of the signal (S _IN ) transmitted over the effective path (120), in particular. A control method characterized by being implemented in the receiving device (1). An identification code is transmitted via the control path (110,..., 113), the identification code is tested in the receiving device (1), and
2. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the adjustment in the receiving device (1) is performed based on the test, particularly according to the corresponding configuration parameter. The receiving device (1) is programmed by a configuration control device (105), and transmission of the program data is performed via the control path (111). The control method described. 4. The control method according to claim 3, wherein information from the receiving device (1) is sent to the configuration control device (105) via the control path (111). 5. A control method according to claim 2, wherein one or more identification codes are addressed to a plurality of said receiving devices (1). The demodulation of the signal (S _IN ) is based on the configuration parameters, in particular using the generated frequency, at least one of the demodulated signals (S, S _OUT1 , S _OUT2 , S _DIGITAL) ) And the demodulated signals (S, S _OUT1 , S _OUT2 , S _DIGITAL) 6. The control method according to claim 1, wherein the control signal is sent to a further processing device, in particular a hearing aid (100) and / or an electronic / acoustic transducer. The transmitter (S ₁ , ..., _Sn ) Are transmitted to the receiver (1) via the control path (110,..., 113), whereby the transmitter (S ₁₎ , ..., _Sn ) And all transfer functions originating from the receiving device (1) are modified in the receiving device (1), and the transfer function of the receiving device (1) is modified in relation to the desired total transfer function. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein an antenna (A) provided for receiving the modulated signal (S _IN ) is tuned to each transmission frequency. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein transmission via the control path (110, ..., 113) is performed by FSK (frequency shift key) modulation. The control method according to any one of claims 1 to 9, the transmitter (S ₁ , ..., _Sn ) To transmit audio signals to at least one receiving device (1) connected to a hearing aid (100) or an electronic / acoustic transducer. The receiving device (1) and at least one transmitter (S ₁ , ..., _Sn ), And the amplitude, frequency and / or phase modulated signal (S _IN ) is transmitted to the transmitter (S _1). , ..., _Sn ) To the receiving device (1), for which the receiving device (1) is means for generating and transmitting configuration parameters in a wireless transmission system comprising an antenna (A) _{(S 1} , ..., _Sn 102, 105, 107), and the receiving device (1) is provided with means (15) for receiving and processing the configuration parameters. Generating said configuration parameters, means for transmitting a remote control device (107), the transmitter (S ₁ , ..., _Sn 12. The transmission system according to claim 11, wherein the transmission system is provided in a control device (102) and / or a configuration control device (105) connected to the loop antenna (101). 13. The transmission system according to claim 11, wherein the receiving device (1) is connected to a hearing aid (100) or an electronic / acoustic transducer. A receiver (1) for receiving a frequency and / or phase modulated signal (S _IN ) received via an antenna (A), said antenna (A) comprising a filter / amplifier (2) and a downstream Signals (S, S _OUT1 , S _OUT2 , S _DIGITAL ) through the mixer (3) ), The mixer (3) is also loaded with the output signal of the synthesizer (6), and the synthesizer (6) is controlled by a controller (7). The control device (7) is provided with means (8, 16, 17) for receiving and / or transmitting configuration parameters. The means for receiving and / or transmitting the configuration parameters comprises a transceiver device (8), a transmitting / receiving coil (15) and a capacitor (16) for adjusting the transmitting / receiving coil (15). The receiving device according to claim 14, wherein Said filter / amplifier (2), mixer (3), demodulator (4), synthesizer (6) and controller (7) are realized as circuits integrated on a chip in CMOS technology. The receiving device according to claim 14 or 15, wherein A hearing aid comprising the receiving device (1) according to any one of claims 14 to 16.