JP2837639B2 - Remote controller - Google Patents

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a remote controller, and more particularly to a remote controller for remotely controlling an apparatus main body capable of adjusting acoustic characteristics of output sound such as volume and sound quality in accordance with environmental sound of a use environment.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art In general, in a hearing aid, various acoustic characteristics such as the volume and sound quality of an output sound (hearing sound) according to the hearing ability of the user and the environment in which the hearing aid is used (these are amplifier characteristics,
Also referred to as amplification characteristics. ) Needs to be adjusted appropriately. Therefore, a so-called environmental sound adaptation device that changes the low-frequency amplification according to the level of the low-frequency component of the noise, or changes the high-frequency amplification according to the high-frequency component of the noise, according to the environmental sound of the use environment. (Noise suppression device).

As an environmental sound adaptation apparatus of this type, for example, a device in which a noise suppression characteristic built in a hearing aid is previously selected by a switch (a so-called S switch), and a sound of an input sound (environmental sound) to the hearing aid are provided. Automatically changing frequency characteristics (sound quality) and volume according to pressure level or sound pressure level and its duration (so-called ANS, Japanese Patent Publication No. 52-50646, U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,72)
No. 1), similar to the ANS, the gain of the high frequency band is automatically changed according to the sound pressure level of the high frequency band of the input sound (environmental sound) to the hearing aid (so-called K amplifier, US Pat. 5,131,046) and the like.

A so-called remote control hearing aid comprising a hearing aid body and a remote controller for remotely controlling the hearing aid body by infrared rays or radio waves has been known. Conventionally, even in such a remote control hearing aid, since it is necessary to provide a microphone for collecting speech sounds in the hearing aid main body, the hearing aid is used to perform environmental sound adaptation using the output signal from the microphone as it is. The main body is provided with an environment adaptation device for changing frequency characteristics and volume, and the remote controller simply transmits an operation signal of the hearing aid main body and data necessary for the environment adaptation device.

[0005]

However, in a device such as the above-mentioned conventional remote control hearing aid which can adjust the acoustic characteristics of the output sound, the environment adaptation device is provided in the device main body. It becomes impossible to reduce the size of the device main body in a device requiring a small size such as a hearing aid. Also, in the case of a device that is used in a form in which the remote controller is on the user side and the device main body is away from the user, the environmental sound captured by the device main body does not necessarily make the use environment of the user appropriate. There is a problem that it will not be reflected.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention has been made in view of the above points, and can reduce the size of a device main body remotely controlled by a remote controller, or more appropriately change the use environment to the acoustic characteristics of the output sound of the device main body. It is an object of the present invention to provide a remote controller that can reflect the information.

[0007]

According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote controller for remotely controlling an acoustic characteristic of an output sound of an apparatus main body. Environmental sound input means for outputting an environmental sound signal according to the above.

A second aspect of the present invention is the remote controller according to the first aspect, wherein the environmental sound analyzing means analyzes the environmental sound based on the environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means, and the environmental sound analyzing means. Characteristic determining means for determining the acoustic characteristics based on the analysis result of,
Transmitting means for transmitting the result of the determination by the characteristic determining means to the device main body.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller according to the second aspect, the environmental sound analyzing means sets the environmental sound within a predetermined time based on an environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means. Means for calculating a level distribution of the average power of the above and extracting a steady environmental noise section from the environmental sound signal based on the calculation result.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller according to the second or third aspect, the environmental sound analyzing means generates a plurality of frequency components of the environmental sound based on an environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means. And a means for calculating the ratio and / or difference of the average power of each band, wherein the characteristic determining means calculates the ratio and / or difference of the average power of each band calculated by the environmental sound analyzing means. Means for determining the acoustic characteristic based on the acoustic characteristic.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, the characteristic determining means determines the acoustic characteristic by fuzzy inference based on an analysis result of the environmental sound analyzing means. Means for determining are provided.

A remote controller according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the remote controller according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, further comprising storage means for storing a parameter set based on a hearing characteristic of a user of the device main body.

A remote controller according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the remote controller according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, further comprising storage means for storing a parameter relating to a maximum variable width of the acoustic characteristic determined by the characteristic determining means. .

According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote controller according to the sixth or seventh aspect, further comprising rewriting means for rewriting parameters stored and held in the storage means in response to an external input.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote controller according to any one of the second to eighth aspects, further comprising designating means for designating a physiological sense and / or a psychological sense of a user of the device main body.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller according to the ninth aspect, it is determined whether or not the result determined by the characteristic determining means is the result specified by the specifying means. Correction means for correcting the analysis result of the analysis means and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means in response thereto, and a correction amount of the analysis result of the analysis means and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means corrected by the correction means Parameter storing means for storing or rewriting the parameter indicating

An eleventh aspect of the present invention provides the remote controller according to any one of the second to tenth aspects, further comprising display means for displaying an operation process of the remote controller.

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the device main body is a hearing aid main body.

[0019]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the remote controller has an environmental sound input means for outputting an environmental sound signal corresponding to the environmental sound of the use environment. Therefore, the remote controller can have a function necessary for environmental adaptation. Thus, the size of the device main body can be reduced, or the use environment can be more appropriately reflected on the acoustic characteristics of the output sound of the device main body.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote controller according to the first aspect, wherein the environmental sound analyzing means analyzes the environmental sound based on the environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means, and the environmental sound analyzing means analyzes the environmental sound. Since the apparatus includes the characteristic determining means for determining the acoustic characteristics of the device main body based on the result and the transmitting means for transmitting the result of the determination by the characteristic determining means to the device main body, the size of the device main body can be reduced.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote controller according to the second aspect, wherein the environmental sound analyzing means has an average power of the environmental sound within a predetermined time based on the environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means. Is provided, and a means for extracting a steady environmental noise section in the environmental sound signal based on the calculation result is provided, so that environmental sound analysis can be performed with high accuracy.

According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller according to the second or third aspect, the environmental sound analyzing means converts the frequency components of the environmental sound into a plurality of bands based on the environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means. Means for calculating the ratio and / or difference of the average power of each band, wherein the characteristic determination means determines the acoustic characteristic based on the ratio and / or difference of the average power of each band calculated by the analysis means Therefore, appropriate acoustic characteristics can be determined.

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote controller according to any one of the second to fourth aspects, wherein the characteristic determining means determines the acoustic characteristic by fuzzy inference based on the analysis result of the analyzing means. Therefore, the acoustic characteristics closer to the user's feeling can be determined.

According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a remote controller according to any one of the second to fifth aspects, further comprising storage means for storing parameters set based on the hearing characteristics of the user of the device main body. It is possible to determine an appropriate acoustic characteristic according to the hearing characteristics of the person.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote controller according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, further comprising storage means for storing a parameter relating to a maximum variable width of the acoustic characteristic determined by the characteristic determining means.
It is possible to ensure the minimum necessary acoustic characteristics for the user to hear the required sound under the noise.

The remote controller according to claim 8 is the remote controller according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising rewriting means for rewriting parameters stored and held in the storage means in accordance with an external input. Appropriate acoustic characteristics can be determined accordingly.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote controller according to any one of the second to eighth aspects, further comprising designating means for designating a physiological sense and / or a psychological sense of a user of the device main body. The operation of changing the acoustic characteristics becomes easier, and the operability is improved.

According to a tenth aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller according to the ninth aspect, it is determined whether or not the result determined by the characteristic determining means is the result specified by the specifying means. A correction unit for correcting the analysis result of the analysis unit and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination unit, and a parameter indicating or storing a correction amount of the analysis result of the analysis unit and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination unit corrected by the correction unit. Since the rewriting parameter storage means is provided, it is possible to learn the analysis result of the analysis means and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means based on the designation result of the designation means. Is improved.

[0029] According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the remote controller according to any one of the second to tenth aspects further includes display means for displaying an operation process of the remote controller, so that the user can easily confirm the operation. .

According to a twelfth aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the apparatus main body is configured as a hearing aid main body, so that the size of the remote control hearing aid can be reduced. .

[0031]

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the following embodiments, “acoustic characteristics” will be described using “volume” and “sound quality” (frequency characteristics) as examples, and when both “volume” and “sound quality” are indicated, “acoustic characteristics” will be described. ". FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing overall functions of a remote controller to which the present invention is applied.

The remote controller inputs an environmental sound of a use environment and outputs an environmental sound signal corresponding to the input environmental sound. Environmental sound analyzing means B for analyzing the environmental sound based on the signal, characteristic determining means C for determining the volume and / or sound quality of the device body based on the analysis result of the environmental sound analyzing means B, and characteristic determining means C Transmission means D for transmitting the result of the determination to the device body.

Here, the environmental sound analysis means B calculates the level distribution of the average power of the environmental sound within a predetermined time based on the environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means A, for example. Based on the result, a stationary environmental noise section is extracted from the environmental sound signal, and the frequency component of the environmental sound is divided into a plurality of bands based on the extracted environmental sound signal in the environmental noise section. The environmental sound is analyzed by calculating the ratio and / or the difference. Further, the characteristic determining means C determines the volume and / or the sound quality by fuzzy inference based on the ratio and / or difference of the average power of each band calculated by the environmental sound analyzing means B, for example.

Further, there are provided storage means E for storing various parameters, and rewriting means F for rewriting the parameters stored and held in the storage means E in response to an external input from a program device or the like. The storage means E includes a parameter set based on the hearing characteristics of a user (including a user) using the device main body, a parameter relating to a maximum variable width for setting a variable range of volume and / or sound quality, A parameter such as a learning coefficient used for correcting the analysis result of the environmental sound analysis means B is stored.

Further, a designating means G for designating the physiological and / or psychological sensation of the user, for example, "noisy" or "inaudible", an analysis result of the environmental sound analyzing means B and / or
Alternatively, it is determined whether or not the determination result of the characteristic determination means C is the one specified by the specification means G, and the analysis result of the environmental sound analysis means B and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means C is corrected according to the determination result. Correction means H, and display means I for displaying the operation process according to the state of the transmission means D and the designation means G. When the analysis result of the environmental sound analysis unit B and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination unit C becomes the result specified by the specification unit G, the correction unit H stores the correction amount at that time as a learning coefficient in the storage unit E. It also serves as a parameter storing means for storing (rewriting) as parameters, and causes the transmitting means D to transmit the result of determination by the characteristic determining means C.

Therefore, a specific embodiment of the remote controller having the above-described functions will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is an overall block diagram of a remote control hearing aid including a remote controller according to the present invention.
This remote control hearing aid is a hearing aid body 1 that is a device body.
And a remote controller 2 for adjusting the acoustic characteristics of the hearing aid body 1 by remote control.

The hearing aid body 1 includes a microphone 3 for collecting external sound, and an amplifier 4 for amplifying a microphone signal corresponding to the external sound collected by the microphone 3 according to a set amplification characteristic (acoustic characteristic). , An earphone 5 for generating and outputting a signal amplified by the amplifier 4, and a receiver 6 for receiving a transmission signal from the remote controller 2 and transmitting a signal related to the volume and sound quality included in the received signal to the amplifier 4. I have.

The main body 1 of the hearing aid sets the amplification characteristics of the amplifier 4 in accordance with a signal relating to the volume and sound quality from the remote controller 2, amplifies the external sound collected by the microphone 3, and amplifies the external sound by the amplifier 4. 5 to the user as hearing aid sound (output sound).

On the other hand, the remote controller 2 receives the environmental sound of the use environment and outputs the environmental sound signal corresponding to the input environmental sound. A / D converter (ADC) 1 for A / D converting a signal (environmental sound signal)
And environmental sound analysis means B for analyzing the environmental sound based on the digitized environmental sound signal and determining the acoustic characteristics (volume and sound quality) of the hearing aid sound of the hearing aid body 1 based on the analysis result; A digital signal processor (hereinafter, referred to as “DSP”) 13 constituting the means C and the correction means H; and a transmission circuit 14 for sending a signal indicating the acoustic characteristic determined by the DSP 13 to the hearing aid main body 1. I have.

The remote controller 2 includes a memory 15 composed of, for example, a rewritable nonvolatile memory (EEPROM) constituting storage means E for storing various parameters, and a user's physiological sense and / or psychological sense. Switches 16 and 17 constituting designating means G for designating a sense
A display 18 composed of an LED or the like constituting a display means I for displaying an operation process; and a control CPU (microcomputer) for controlling the entire remote controller 2
And a control unit 19 also serving as rewriting means F composed of

The various parameters stored in the memory 15 include a volume (volume) determined by normal fitting, which is a parameter set based on the hearing characteristics of a person using the hearing aid main body 1, and a low-pass filter ( LPF), the characteristics of a high-pass filter (HPF), the volume thereof, parameters relating to the maximum variable width of the LPF characteristics and the HPF characteristics, and the correction coefficient as described above.

The "normal fitting" is an adjustment operation for adapting the hearing aid to the hearing characteristics of the user in advance, and specifically, a fitting device constituted by a personal computer and dedicated software. To amplify the conversational sound to a level and sound quality that can be heard by the user in a stable manner, and to a level that is not too loud for the user when environmental sounds such as noise with a large volume level are generated. That is, the adjustment is performed so as to suppress the above.

The switch 16 is a "noisy" switch which is operated when the user feels noisy.
The switch 17 is an “inaudible” switch that is operated when the user feels that conversation or the like cannot be heard. Thus, when a switch (input means) for directly specifying the physiological and / or psychological sensation of the user is provided, a switch for specifying specialized characteristics such as “volume” and “sound quality” is provided. Operability is improved as compared with.

Further, the control unit 19 receives parameter information from a program device (PC) 20 which is an external device, and rewrites and stores parameters stored in the memory 15 in accordance with the received parameter information.

Next, the operation of the thus configured remote control hearing aid will be described with reference to FIGS. First, the overall control performed by the control unit 19 will be described with reference to FIG.
It is determined whether or not is connected, and when the program device 20 is connected, the information input from the program device 20 is taken in, and the contents of the memory 15 are rewritten according to the received information. Thus, various parameters stored in the memory 15 can be easily changed, and when the hearing characteristics of the user change, the acoustic characteristics of the hearing aid can be changed accordingly.

On the other hand, when the program unit 20 is not connected, the control unit 19 determines whether or not the switch 16 has been pressed. If the switch 16 has not been pressed, the control unit 19 determines whether or not the switch 17 has been pressed. When it is determined that the switch 16 or 17 has been pressed, the display 18 is turned on to indicate that "characteristics are being determined".
With the D converter 12 and the DSP 13 activated, various parameters (volume, LP
Information such as an F characteristic, an HPF characteristic, a maximum variable width, and a learning coefficient is transmitted to the DSP 13.

When the DSP 13 analyzes the environmental sound and determines the acoustic characteristics, the DSP 13 receives characteristic information on the determined acoustic characteristics from the DSP 13. At this time, the acoustic characteristic determined from the received characteristic information is the switch 16 or 1
It is determined whether or not the result specified in step 7 is satisfied.
If the result is not satisfied, a learning process (described later) such as correcting the result of the environmental sound analysis process and performing the characteristic determination process again is executed, and the sound that finally satisfies the result specified by the switch 16 or 17 When the characteristics are determined, DSP1
The characteristic information received from 3 is transmitted to the transmission circuit 14 and transmitted to the hearing aid body 1.

Thereafter, the display 18 is turned on and off to indicate “transmitting” until a signal indicating the end of transmission is received from the transmission circuit 14, and a signal indicating the end of transmission is transmitted from the transmission circuit 14. When it is received, the display 18 is turned off, and the A / D converter 12 and the DSP 13 are stopped. Then, the learning coefficient (changed according to the result of learning) used in the learning processing is stored in the memory 15.

By providing a display for displaying the operation process of the remote controller 2 in this manner, the user can easily confirm the operation.

Next, the environmental sound analysis processing by the DSP 13 will be described with reference to FIGS. In this environmental sound analysis process, as shown in FIG. 4, first, an A / D converter 12 A / D converts a microphone signal mixed with environmental noise and other sounds from the microphone 11 to obtain an environmental sound. Based on the signal, the noise section of the input environmental sound signal (including the average power level Pave of the noise section).
Is performed in a noise section detection process for detecting the

Then, after performing FFT analysis processing for calculating the frequency characteristic of environmental noise for the detected noise section, the spectrum (frequency component) obtained by this FFT analysis processing is converted to low, middle, and high frequencies. Is divided into three bands, and a process of calculating a middle-low range difference Lp and a middle-high range difference Hp necessary for determination of acoustic characteristics is performed. Here, Lp and Hp are calculated by Lp = (low-band power) − (middle-band power) Hp = (high-band power) − (middle-band power).

The noise section detection processing in the environmental sound analysis processing will be described with reference to FIGS. This noise section detection processing is not limited to signals for environmental noise, and is highly likely to include signals such as conversational voices in the signal input from the microphone 11. This is a process for extracting a signal corresponding to (pure) environmental noise. in this case,
As shown in FIG. 5, the conversational voice always has a silent section NB. Although the silent section NB is a very short time, it is a moment when the voice power disappears. This is the section where the environmental noise itself appears. Therefore, in the noise section detection process, a stationary (pure) environmental noise section is extracted from the environmental sound signal by detecting the silent section.

More specifically, as shown in FIG. 6, an environmental sound signal obtained by A / D conversion of a signal from the microphone 11 by the A / D converter 12 is fetched and sequentially stored in an internal frame memory. Then, the data sequence stored in the frame memory is cut out by dividing it by a predetermined short time LD (sec) (a portion separated by this short time LD is called a "frame"). Note that this frame is cut out, for example, by dividing the frame memory into a plurality of areas, and storing the environmental sound signal from the A / D converter 12 in the plurality of divided areas of the frame memory for each time LD sequentially. This can be performed by sequentially reading data stored in the area.

Thereafter, the average power (in-frame average power) P of the extracted frame is calculated. This average power P is obtained by setting the sampling frequency to f (Hz) and “LD ×
f ”is n (the number of samples), and P =
It is calculated by performing the calculation of (x ₀ ² + x ₁ ² + x ₃ ² ... Xn ² ) / n. And the average power of this frame P
Is calculated a predetermined number of times, that is, for a plurality of predetermined frames.

After calculating the level distribution of the average power P of a plurality of frames obtained as described above, the first peak (described later) of the level distribution is detected, and the level Pave of the first peak is obtained. The frame is determined as an environmental noise frame, and a frame having an average power level Pave is selected from each frame stored in the frame memory.
The FFT analysis described above is performed.

That is, as shown in FIG. 7, the average power P of the input environmental sound signal S is calculated for each frame F (F1, F2...) Having a short time LD (sec). When the frequency distribution (power level−number of frames) of the average power P of the frame is calculated, the result is as shown in FIG. Here, when a signal such as a sound is mixed, the level of the average power P of the frame in which the sound is mixed increases, and a mountain-shaped distribution as shown in a range A in FIG. At this time, if there is no environmental noise, the distribution shown by the dotted line is obtained in the range B in FIG. A "peak" appears.

Therefore, the level of the average power P of the first peak is estimated as the environmental noise level Pave, and a frame having the average power P of the level Pave is selected from the frames stored in the frame memory and subjected to FFT analysis. By performing the above, only the environmental noise section can be extracted and analyzed.

In this manner, the level distribution of the average power of the environmental sound within a predetermined time is calculated based on the environmental sound signal, and based on the calculation result, the stationary environmental noise section of the environmental sound signal is calculated. , The environmental noise section can be detected with high accuracy, and appropriate acoustic characteristics can be set.

Next, the characteristic determination processing for determining the acoustic characteristic will be described with reference to FIGS. In this characteristic determination process, as shown in FIG. 9, the middle-low range difference Lp and the middle-high range difference Hp obtained in the above-described environmental sound analysis process, and the memory 1
5, the parameter value of the maximum variable width stored in 5 is fetched, the cutoff frequency and the ratio R of the cutoff characteristic are calculated by fuzzy inference, and the calculation result (ratio R) is multiplied by the parameter of the maximum variable width to obtain the frequency. The characteristics LPF, HPF, and the volume are determined according to the level Pave and the maximum variable width of the short-time average power in the noise section obtained by the environmental sound analysis processing, and these frequency characteristics LPF, HPF, and the volume are determined. Send out.

The determination of the frequency characteristics by the fuzzy inference will be described. The rules and the membership functions of the fuzzy inference are composed of the middle-low range difference Lp and the middle-high range difference Hp calculated by the environmental sound analysis processing. In addition, since the frequency characteristics are manipulated by changing the cutoff frequency and cutoff characteristics of the LPF and HPF, the rules and membership functions of the fuzzy inference are for LPF and HPF.
Two types are set. Figure 1 from each fuzzy inference
0 and a cutoff frequency and a cutoff characteristic ratio (coefficient) R as shown in FIG.

Here, the rules of fuzzy inference for LPF are as follows. Rule 1: IF Lp = large AND Hp = large THEN R = large Rule 2: IF Lp = small AND Hp = large THEN R = slightly large Rule 3: IF Lp = large AND Hp = small THEN R = slightly small Rule 4: IF Lp = small AND Hp = small THEN R = small This means, for example, that Rule 1 means "if Lp is large and Hp is large, then R is large". The same applies to No. 4.

The rules of fuzzy inference for the HPF are as follows. Rule 1: IF Lp = Large AND Hp = Large THEN R = Large Rule 2: IF Lp = Large AND Hp = Small THEN R = Slightly larger Rule 3: IF Lp = Small AND Hp = Large THEN R = Slightly smaller Rule 4: IF Lp = small AND Hp = small THEN R = small

Further, regarding the membership function,
FIG. 12 shows a membership function for the LPF middle / low range difference Lp, FIG. 13 shows a membership function for the LPF middle / high range difference Hp, and FIG. 14 shows a membership function for the HPF middle / low range difference Lp. Mid-high range difference H for HPF
FIG. 15 shows a membership function for p and FIG. 16 shows a membership function for coefficient (ratio) R.

Based on these, a specific example of fuzzy inference will be described with reference to FIG. This inference example is based on the low-middle difference L
This is an example of LPF inference when p is “small” and the middle-high range difference Hp is “slightly large”. As shown in FIG. 7A, rule 1 is based on the condition that “IFLp = large AND Hp
= Large THEN R = Large ”, and the fitness of the middle-low range difference Lp is a1 and the fitness of the middle-high range difference Hp is b1
Becomes Goodness w of ratio (coefficient) R for "large"
1 is an algebraic product of the fitness a1 and b1 (a1 × b1), and the membership function relating to “large” of the coefficient R is represented as an area (shaded area) compressed so that the peak becomes w1. calculate. FIG.
Similar operations are performed on rules 2, 3, and 4 as shown in (c) and (d), and the areas calculated from w1, w2, w3, and w4 are added. Become like Then, when the center of gravity of this area is obtained, it becomes a value indicated by an arrow, and this value is obtained as a coefficient (ratio) R of the LPF.

In the above-described characteristic determination processing, the volume (volume) is determined based on the average power level Pave in the noise section. However, the volume (volume) can be determined by fuzzy inference similarly to the frequency characteristic (sound quality). In this case,
In the environmental sound analysis processing, the sound pressure level L and the duration T of the environmental noise are calculated from the temporal changes of the plurality of obtained average powers P (in the noise section). The rules and the membership function of the fuzzy inference are configured from the sound pressure level L and the duration T calculated in the environmental sound analysis processing in this manner.

Here, the rules of the fuzzy inference are as follows, for example. Rule 1: IF L = Large AND T = Long THEN V = Small Rule 2: IF L = Large AND T = Short THEN V = Slightly small Rule 3: IF L = Small AND T = Long THEN V = Slightly large Rule 4: IF L = small AND T = short THEN V = big

As for the membership functions, FIG. 18 shows the membership function for the sound pressure level L, FIG. 19 shows the membership function for the duration T, and FIG. 20 shows the membership function for the volume V. .

Based on these, a specific example of fuzzy inference will be described with reference to FIG. This inference example is an example in which the sound pressure level L is “large” and the duration T is “long”. As shown in FIG. 9A, rule 1 is "IF L = large ANDT = long THEN V = small" as described above, and the fitness of the sound pressure level L at this time is a1,
The fitness of the duration T is b1. The fitness w1 of the volume V is the algebraic product (a1 × b1) of the fitness a1 and b1, and the membership function for “small” of the volume V is compressed and reduced so that the peak becomes w1 (shaded area). ). Rules 2, 3, 4
The same operation is performed on w1, w2, w3, w
When the area calculated from No. 4 is added, the result is as shown in FIG. Then, when the center of gravity of this area is obtained, it becomes the value indicated by the arrow, and this value is obtained as the volume V.

By performing such fuzzy inference, it is possible to determine acoustic characteristics (amplifier characteristics) such as sound volume and sound quality that are closer to the user's sense.

Next, the frequency characteristics and the range of the volume are defined using the maximum variable width as a parameter for the frequency characteristics and the volume obtained as described above. That is, a method of changing the amplification degree of the hearing aid with respect to the environmental sound has been conventionally used.
A typical method is to lower the amplification degree (below 0 Hz) to reduce annoyance. In general, environmental noise contains a lot of low-frequency sound, so lowering the amplification of this low frequency is effective in reducing annoyance, while the clarity of speech sound is closely related to higher frequencies such as 2000 Hz. As such, the clarity is not significantly impaired by lowering the amplification of low frequencies. Also, as a characteristic of human hearing, low-frequency sounds tend to mask (shield) high-frequency sounds. Therefore, by lowering the amplification of low-frequency noise, it becomes easier to hear high-frequency conversation sounds. It is possible.

However, it is not preferable to lower the amplification of the low-frequency sound indefinitely just because the amplification of the low-frequency sound has little effect on the clarity. Especially,
For a hearing-impaired person whose hearing loss for a low-frequency sound is large, there is no room for amplification in this frequency range. Therefore, if this amplification is too low, intelligibility will sharply decrease. Therefore, in order to ensure the minimum volume and frequency characteristics necessary for the user to hear the conversation voice under noise, the upper limit (maximum change width) of the amount by which the amplification is reduced according to the hearing characteristics of the hearing-impaired person
Is determined.

A model for determining the maximum change width will be described with reference to FIG. The figure shows various parameters with respect to the hearing level (dB-HL / horizontal axis) of the hearing-impaired person at 500 Hz.
L / vertical axis).

Here, the HTL (Hearing, Threshold,
Level) is the minimum audible area, and 11 dB for a normal hearing person
-SPL (Sound, Pressure, Level = sound pressure level)
It is. This means that the sound intensity of 500 Hz on the eardrum surface that can be heard by a normal hearing person who seems to be standard is 11
It means dB-SPL. As the hearing at 500 Hz increases (hearing decreases), the HTL increases in proportion. 500H level on eardrum below HTL line
The sound of z means that it cannot be heard, and the level of the inaudible sound becomes wider as the hearing level on the horizontal axis becomes higher (the hearing becomes worse).

UCL (Un-Comfortable · Level) is a level at which a stronger sound is unpleasant.
Although there is a great difference between individuals, the average is shown by a line indicated by “UCL” in FIG. As shown in the figure, the UCL of a 500 Hz sound of a normal hearing person is 105 dB-
In SPL, UCL also increases with increasing hearing level, but is not proportional to hearing as in HTL. In the figure, a portion sandwiched between the “UCL” line and the “HTL” line is an acceptable sound pressure level range, which becomes narrower as the hearing increases. For example, 500H
For a person whose hearing at z is 100 dB-HL, a sound weaker than 111 dB-SPL is not heard on the eardrum surface and 130 dB.
Sounds stronger than -SPL feel noisy.

By the way, when speaking from a distance of 1 m from the front with normal strength, the average of the power levels of speech sounds contained in a 1/3 octave band centered at 500 Hz (Le
q) corresponds to about 59 dB-SPL. Also, the 5% level (L5), which substantially corresponds to the syllable in the conversation sound, is about 8 dB higher than this, and is about 67 dB-SPL. A person with normal hearing does not use a hearing aid, so they are listening to conversation at this level.

On the other hand, when a hearing-impaired person uses a hearing aid whose acoustic gain (amplification degree) of 500 Hz is determined by the 3DM method, the level of the conversational sound on the eardrum at 500 Hz (（octave band) is as follows. SPEECH (Le
q) line and SPEECH (L5) line. As the hearing level increases, so does the acoustic gain,
Therefore, the SPEECH line also goes up. SPEEC
The H line is always higher than the HTL line, so that the 500 Hz component (1/3 octave band) of the conversation sound can be heard, but the difference decreases with the increase of the hearing level, and the amplification increases. It can be seen that the degree of margin is reduced.

A person with normal hearing can almost completely hear a conversation sound of normal strength. Almost 100% even in the intelligibility test using single syllable test words such as "ka" and "ri"
I can answer correctly. However, as the level of the conversational sound is lowered, it becomes difficult to hear the sound little by little, and the correct answer rate drops to 80% at a certain level. 500H of conversation sound at this time
The 5% level of z is about 37 dB-SPL. It is generally said that there is no inconvenience in hearing other than proper nouns even under conditions (such as telephones) where monosyllable clarity is reduced to about 65%.
It is not preferred that the 5% level be below 37 dB-SPL.

Further, in order to extend the case where there is hearing loss, a line connecting points where the ratio of the level difference between UCL and HTL becomes the same is drawn from 37 dB-SPL in a normal hearing person as a base point. Is referred to as the lower limit of L5.
It is assumed that if the 5% level of the conversation sound reaching the eardrum surface decreases and falls below the lower limit line of L5, the conversation sound listening is affected.

Then, even when the amplification of the low-frequency sound is reduced to reduce the noise annoyance, the 5% level of the 500 Hz (（octave band) of the conversational sound is
It is necessary not to go below the lower limit line of L5 in FIG. For example, if a 500 Hz hearing-impaired person wears a hearing aid adjusted by the 3DM method, the 5% level of 500 Hz of the conversation sound becomes 106 dB-SPL on the eardrum surface. In contrast, since the lower limit line of L5 is 100 dB-SPL, the difference is 6 dB. Therefore, even when lowering the amplification of low-frequency sound in order to reduce noise annoyance, the amplification at 500 Hz must not be reduced by 6 dB or more. This is the maximum change width.

By calculating and applying this maximum change width to frequencies other than 500 Hz, it is possible to secure the minimum volume and frequency characteristics necessary for the user to hear the conversation sound under noise.

Next, the learning function will be described with reference to FIG. First, the user presses the switch 16 when the user feels that the environmental noise is noisy, and presses the switch 17 when the user feels that the volume of the hearing aid is insufficient. Therefore, when one of the switches 16 and 17 is pressed, the previous volume value VOL, LPF value, and HPF value are stored in the register as the volume value VOLR, LPFR value, and HPFR value. Then, after performing the environmental sound analysis processing, a learning coefficient x (initial value = 0) is added (Lp = Lp + x) to the middle / low range difference Lp obtained as an analysis result, and a new middle / low range difference Lp is obtained.
p, and a characteristic determination process is performed to adjust the volume value VOL, LPF
Value and HPF value are calculated.

Thereafter, the pressed switch is set to the switch 16.
, The determined volume value VOL, LPF value, H
PF value and volume value VOLR stored in register,
By comparing LPFR value and HPFR value, VOL> VOL
It is determined whether all the conditions of R, LPF> LPFR and HPF> HPFR are satisfied, and if all the conditions are not satisfied, the learning coefficient x is incremented (x = x +
1) Then, the learning coefficient x is added again to the middle / low range difference Lp, which is the analysis result, to perform a characteristic determination process.

Similarly, the pressed switch is the switch 17
Is satisfied, it is determined whether all the conditions of VOL <VOLR, LPF <LPFR, and HPF <HPFR are satisfied. If all the conditions are not satisfied, the learning coefficient x is determined.
Is decremented (x = x−1), and the learning coefficient x is added to the middle / low range difference Lp that is the analysis result again to perform the characteristic determination process.

When all the conditions are satisfied in this way, the determined volume value VOL, LPF value, and HPF value are output, and the learning coefficient x is output and stored in the memory 15 as a parameter value. From the next time, the characteristic is determined by adding the learning coefficient x to the analysis result. This allows
Since the operation automatically changes to the optimal operation for the user, the need for re-fitting is eliminated. Note that the same learning can be performed for the middle-high range difference Hp.

In this case, the same effect can be obtained by correcting the characteristic determination result itself instead of or together with the correction of the analysis result. FIG. 24 shows a learning function for correcting the result of determining the characteristic.
This will be described with reference to FIG.

Similarly to the above-described correction of the analysis result, when one of the switches 16 and 17 is pressed, the previous volume value VOL, LPF value and HPF value are stored in the register as the volume value VOLR, LPFR value and HPFR value. After performing environmental sound analysis processing, characteristic determination processing is performed based on the analysis result, and the volume value VOL, LPF value, HP
Calculate the F value.

Then, a learning coefficient y (initial value = 0) is added to the LPF value obtained as the characteristic determination result (L = 0).
PF = LPF + y) to obtain a new LPF value, and the determined volume value VOL, LPF value, HPF value and the volume value VOLR, LPFR value stored in the register according to the pressed switch (switch 16 or 17). , HPFR
By comparing with the value, it is determined whether or not the comparison result satisfies all conditions, and if all conditions are not satisfied,
When the switch 16 is used, the learning coefficient y is incremented (y = y + 1), and when the switch 17 is used, the learning coefficient y is used.
Is decremented (y = y-1), and in any case, the learning coefficient y is added again to the LPF value that is the characteristic determination result.

When all the conditions are satisfied in this way, the determined volume value VOL, LPF value, and HPF value are output, and the learning coefficient y is output and stored in the memory 15 as a parameter value.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the present invention is applied to a remote controller of a remote control hearing aid has been described. However, the present invention is applied to all remote controllers for remotely controlling an apparatus main body for adjusting acoustic characteristics by environmental sound. Can be. Further, although the sound volume and the sound quality (frequency characteristics) have been described as examples of the acoustic characteristics, the present invention can be similarly applied to the case where other acoustic characteristics are adjusted, and one acoustic characteristic is adjusted. It may be.

Further, the processing for analyzing the environmental sound and the processing for determining the characteristics are not limited to those in the above-described embodiment, and it is naturally possible to perform general processing. Furthermore, in the above embodiment, an example was described in which the remote controller was provided with environmental sound analysis means for analyzing environmental sound and characteristic determination means for determining acoustic characteristics based on the analysis result of environmental sound.
These environmental sound analysis means and / or characteristic determination means may be provided on the device body side (for example, on the hearing aid body side).

[0091]

As described above, according to the remote controller of the first aspect, since the environmental sound input means for outputting the environmental sound signal corresponding to the environmental sound of the use environment is provided, the environment adaptation to the remote controller side is provided. Can be provided with the necessary functions, the size of the device main body can be reduced, or the use environment can be more appropriately reflected on the acoustic characteristics of the output sound of the device main body.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, in the remote controller of the first aspect, the environmental sound analyzing means for analyzing the environmental sound based on the environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means, and the environmental sound analyzing means. Since the apparatus includes the characteristic determining means for determining the acoustic characteristics of the device main body based on the analysis result of the above and the transmitting means for transmitting the determination result of the characteristic determining means to the device main body, the size of the device main body can be reduced.

[0093] According to the remote controller of the third aspect, in the remote controller of the second aspect, the environmental sound analyzing means is configured to generate the environmental sound within a predetermined time based on the environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means. Since the level distribution of the average power is calculated, and a steady environmental noise section in the environmental sound signal is extracted based on the calculation result,
Environmental sound analysis can be performed with high accuracy.

[0094] According to the remote controller of the fourth aspect, in the remote controller of the second or third aspect, the environmental sound analyzing means determines a plurality of frequency components of the environmental sound based on the environmental sound signal from the environmental sound input means. The frequency band is divided into bands, the average power ratio and / or difference of each band is calculated, and the acoustic characteristics are determined based on the calculated average power ratio and / or difference of each band. Characteristic can be determined.

According to the remote controller of the fifth aspect, in the remote controller of any one of the second to fourth aspects, the acoustic characteristic is determined by fuzzy inference based on the analysis result of the environmental sound analyzing means. Thus, the acoustic characteristics closer to the user's feeling can be determined.

According to the remote controller of claim 6, in the remote controller of any one of claims 2 to 5, the storage means for storing parameters set based on the hearing characteristics of the user of the device main body is provided. ,
It is possible to determine an appropriate acoustic characteristic according to the hearing characteristics of the user.

According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, the remote controller according to any one of the second to sixth aspects further comprises a storage unit for storing a parameter relating to a maximum variable width of the acoustic characteristic determined by the characteristic determination unit. Therefore, it is possible to ensure the minimum necessary acoustic characteristics for the user to hear the required sound under the noise.

According to the remote controller of the eighth aspect, in the remote controller of the sixth or seventh aspect, the rewriting means for rewriting the parameters stored in the storage means in accordance with an external input is provided, so that the hearing of the user is improved. An appropriate acoustic characteristic according to the characteristic can be determined.

According to a ninth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the remote controller according to any one of the second to eighth aspects, further comprising designating means for designating a physiological sense and / or a psychological sense of a user of the device main body. Therefore, the operation of changing the acoustic characteristics becomes easier, and the operability is improved.

According to the remote controller of the tenth aspect, in the remote controller of the ninth aspect, it is determined whether or not the determination result of the characteristic determining means is the result specified by the specifying means. Correction means for correcting the analysis result of the analysis means and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means in response thereto, and a parameter indicating a correction amount of the analysis result of the analysis means and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means corrected by the correction means. Since parameter storage means for storing or rewriting is provided, it is possible to learn the analysis result of the analysis means and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means based on the designation result of the designation means, eliminating the need for re-fitting and the like. Operability is improved.

According to the eleventh aspect of the present invention, the remote controller according to any one of the second to tenth aspects includes the display means for displaying the operation process of the remote controller, so that the user can easily confirm the operation. become.

According to the remote controller of the twelfth aspect, in the remote controller according to any one of the first to eleventh aspects, the device main body is configured to be a hearing aid main body, so that the size of the remote control hearing aid can be reduced. Can be.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing overall functions of a remote controller to which the present invention is applied.

FIG. 2 is an overall block diagram of a remote control hearing aid including a remote controller according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing overall control by a control unit.

FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing environmental sound analysis processing by a DSP.

FIG. 5 is an explanatory diagram of an input signal waveform of an environmental sound used for explaining environmental sound analysis.

FIG. 6 is a flowchart of environmental noise detection processing in environmental sound analysis processing.

FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a frame cutout process in the noise detection process;

FIG. 8 is an explanatory diagram for describing an average power level distribution calculation process in the noise detection process;

FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a characteristic determination process by the DSP.

FIG. 10 shows a cutoff frequency of an LPF in a characteristic determination process;
Explanatory diagram for explaining the ratio of the cutoff characteristic

FIG. 11 is an explanatory diagram for explaining a cutoff frequency and a ratio of cutoff characteristics of the HPF.

FIG. 12 is an explanatory diagram of a membership function related to a low-middle-range difference Lp for an LPF for explaining fuzzy inference in a characteristic determination process.

FIG. 13 is an explanatory diagram of a membership function relating to the middle-high range difference Hp for the LPF.

FIG. 14 is an explanatory diagram of a membership function relating to a low-middle-range difference Lp for the HPF.

FIG. 15 is an explanatory diagram of a membership function for the middle-high range difference Hp for the HPF.

FIG. 16 is an explanatory diagram of a membership function for a coefficient (ratio) R;

FIG. 17 is an explanatory diagram for describing a specific example of fuzzy inference regarding frequency characteristics;

FIG. 18 is an explanatory diagram of a membership function related to a sound pressure level L for explaining a case where volume determination processing in characteristic determination processing is performed by fuzzy inference.

FIG. 19 is an explanatory diagram of a membership function for the duration T.

FIG. 20 is an explanatory diagram of a membership function for the volume V.

FIG. 21 is an explanatory diagram for describing a specific example of fuzzy inference regarding a volume

FIG. 22 is a diagram for describing a maximum variable width used in a characteristic determination process;

FIG. 23 is a flowchart for explaining a learning function;

FIG. 24 is a flowchart for explaining another learning function;

[Explanation of symbols]

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 ... Hearing aid main body, 2 ... Remote controller, 3 ... Microphone, 4 ... Amplifier, 5 ... Earphone, 6 ... Receiver
11 microphone, 12 A / D converter, 13 D
SP, 14: transmission circuit, 15: memory, 16, 17: switch, 18: display, 19: control unit, 20: program device.

──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of the front page (56) References JP-A-49-60810 (JP, A) JP-A-57-135600 (JP, A) JP-A-61-35700 (JP, A) JP-A-4- 354300 (JP, A) JP-A-5-300595 (JP, A) JP-A-7-79499 (JP, A) JP-A-63-31700 (JP, U) (58) Fields investigated (Int. Cl. ⁶ , DB name) H04R 25/00

Claims (12)

(57) [Claims] 1. A remote controller for remotely controlling an acoustic characteristic of an output sound of a device main body, the remote controller including an environmental sound input means for outputting an environmental sound signal corresponding to an environmental sound of a use environment. And a remote controller. 2. A remote controller according to claim 1, wherein said environmental sound analyzing means analyzes said environmental sound based on an environmental sound signal from said environmental sound input means, and said analysis result is based on said analysis result of said environmental sound analyzing means. A characteristic determining means for determining the acoustic characteristic, and a transmitting means for transmitting a result determined by the characteristic determining means to the device body. 3. The remote controller according to claim 2, wherein said environmental sound analyzing means is configured to determine an average power level of said environmental sound within a predetermined time based on an environmental sound signal from said environmental sound input means. A remote controller comprising: means for calculating a distribution and extracting a steady environmental noise section from the environmental sound signal based on the calculation result. 4. The remote controller according to claim 2, wherein said environmental sound analyzing means divides a frequency component of said environmental sound into a plurality of bands based on an environmental sound signal from said environmental sound input means. Means for calculating the ratio and / or difference of the average power of each band, wherein the characteristic determining means determines the acoustic power based on the ratio and / or difference of the average power of each band calculated by the environmental sound analyzing means. A remote controller comprising means for determining characteristics. 5. The remote controller according to claim 2, wherein said characteristic determination means includes means for determining said acoustic characteristic by fuzzy inference based on an analysis result of said environmental sound analysis means. A remote controller. 6. The remote controller according to claim 2, further comprising storage means for storing parameters set based on hearing characteristics of a user of the device main body. . 7. The remote controller according to claim 2, further comprising storage means for storing a parameter relating to a maximum variable width of said acoustic characteristic determined by said characteristic determination means. Remote controller. 8. The remote controller according to claim 6, further comprising rewriting means for rewriting parameters stored in said storage means in response to an external input. 9. The remote controller according to claim 2, further comprising a designation unit that designates a physiological sense and / or a psychological sense of a user of the device main body. controller. 10. The remote controller according to claim 9, wherein it is determined whether or not the determination result of said characteristic determining means is a result specified by said specifying means, and said analyzing means is determined in accordance with the determination result. A correction means for correcting the analysis result of the analysis means and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means, and a parameter indicating a correction amount of the analysis result of the analysis means and / or the determination result of the characteristic determination means corrected by the correction means. Or, a remote controller comprising parameter rewriting means for rewriting. 11. The remote controller according to claim 2, further comprising display means for displaying an operation process of the remote controller. 12. The remote controller according to claim 1, wherein the device main body is a hearing aid main body.