JP4117097B2 - Receiver with magnetic induction device - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to a receiver that can demodulate radio waves and light modulated by an audio signal to obtain a low-frequency signal representing the original audio, and is suitable for use in a hearing aid system that assists hearing with a hearing aid. Related to the receiver. In the present invention, the term “sound” means the widest concept including not only normal conversation sounds, singing voices, instrument sounds, sounds output from speakers, but also warning sounds, sirens, induction sounds, etc. The term “voice signal” means an electrical low-frequency signal representing voice.
[0002]
[Prior art]
Hearing aids are widely used to make up for inadequate hearing. However, when using a hearing aid in a large hall or conference hall to hear the sound expanded by an acoustic device, unnecessary sounds such as ambient noise and room reverberation are reproduced from the hearing aid together with the sound that should be heard. As a result, the intelligibility of the sound to be heard may be reduced, making it difficult to hear.
[0003]
In order to solve this problem, radio waves and infrared rays modulated by the input audio signal are transmitted from the transmitter, and this is received and demodulated by the receiver to ensure that the original audio is received by the receiver. A hearing aid system for communication has been proposed. In this system, a transmitter for transmitting radio waves or light modulated by an audio signal is installed at an appropriate place in a facility, and a user receives the radio waves or light with a receiver and extracts the original voice. Thereby, information transmission from the facility side to the user is performed.
[0004]
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a receiver conventionally used in a hearing aid system. The receiver 10 receives a radio wave modulated by an audio signal from a transmitter (not shown). Therefore, the radio wave received by the antenna 1 is amplified and demodulated by the reception / demodulation unit 2 to extract a low frequency signal corresponding to the original sound. The low frequency signal is amplified by the low frequency amplifier 3 and then supplied to the external output terminal 4. The external output terminal 4 is connected to an earphone 5 when a hearing aid is not used, and to an electromagnetic induction device 6 such as an induction loop when a hearing aid incorporating an induction coil is used. When the transmitter modulates infrared light modulated by an audio signal, the receiver 1 is provided with a light receiver instead of the antenna 1, and the reception / demodulation unit 2 receives the infrared light received by the light receiver 2. Is converted into an electric signal and then a low frequency signal is extracted.
[0005]
As described above, the hearing aid system uses (1) a receiver that can receive radio waves or infrared rays modulated with a voice signal and demodulate the original voice when the hearing aid is not used. It can be used by extracting sound from the earphone connected to the external output terminal of the device. (2) When a hearing aid incorporating an induction coil is worn, the external output terminal of the receiver is connected to the neck. An electromagnetic induction device such as an induction loop formed to be hung is connected to drive the electromagnetic induction device by a sound signal from the receiver, and a voltage is induced in the induction coil in the hearing aid by the magnetic field generated by this electromagnetic induction device It can be used by converting this voltage into a signal representing the original sound and listening.
[0006]
Since such a hearing aid system is operated by a facility such as a hall or a conference hall, hearing aids are often lent out by the facility. For this reason, not only do receivers, earphones, electromagnetic induction devices, hearing aids, etc. need storage, repair personnel, expenses, and location, but also who should lend which devices and which devices are not returned. Thus, it is necessary to reliably manage the leasing of equipment.
[0007]
On the other hand, from the side of the hearing aid support system, it is necessary to notify whether it is necessary to borrow only earphones in addition to the receiver or to use an electromagnetic induction device when applying for use. Some people hesitate to apply to avoid revealing personal information that is insufficient. In addition, the electromagnetic induction device has not been specially devised, so if you use the electromagnetic induction device in the facility, it will be known to the surroundings that it is a person with insufficient hearing, There are also circumstances in which the use of a hearing aid system must be reluctant.
[0008]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The present invention has been proposed to solve the problems associated with such a hearing aid system, and the object of the present invention is that the presence of a magnetic induction device driven by an audio signal cannot be sensed by appearance alone. Is to provide a receiver.
[0009]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides:
An external output terminal to which an audio signal is supplied;
A magnetic induction device driven by the audio signal;
A receiver, wherein the presence of the magnetic induction device cannot be sensed by appearance alone,
I will provide a. The receiver preferably includes one or both of an antenna for receiving radio waves and a light receiver for receiving light.
[0010]
The magnetic induction device may be a coil incorporated in the receiver, or an induction loop incorporated in an earphone connected to a sound reproducing device that is magnetically coupled to the receiver. In this case, it is also possible to provide a plurality of magnetic induction devices having different axial directions.
[0011]
[Action]
The original audio signal is extracted from the radio wave or light modulated by the audio signal sent from the transmitter, and this audio signal is supplied to the external output terminal and the magnetic induction device. The magnetic induction device can be magnetically coupled to a sound reproduction device such as a hearing aid equipped with an induction loop, an induction coil, and the like.
[0012]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, an embodiment of a receiver according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIG. FIG. 1A is a block diagram schematically showing an electrical configuration of a receiver according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B shows an external appearance of the receiver. In FIG. 1, the same or similar components as those shown in FIG. 2 are indicated by the same reference numerals.
[0013]
In FIG. 1 (a), the receiver 100, like the conventional receiver 10, receives an antenna 1 for receiving a radio wave modulated by an audio signal transmitted from the transmitter and the antenna 100. And a reception / demodulation unit 2 that amplifies and demodulates the radio wave and extracts the original audio signal. The output of the reception / demodulation unit 2 is divided into two and amplified by the low frequency amplifiers 31 and 32, respectively. The output of one low frequency amplifier 31 is connected to the external output terminal 4, and the output of the other low frequency amplifier 32 is connected to a magnetic induction device 7 such as an induction coil. The magnetic induction device 7 is magnetically coupled to a sound reproduction device such as a hearing aid equipped with an induction loop, an induction coil, and the like.
[0014]
The external output terminal 4 of the receiver 100 is for connecting an earphone, and is provided at an arbitrary position of the receiver 100, for example, an upper surface or a side surface as shown in FIG. In addition, the magnetic induction device 7 is disposed at an appropriate position inside the receiver 100. The magnetic induction device 7 is desirably provided inside the receiver 100 as shown in FIG. However, when the magnetic induction device 7 is provided outside the receiver 100, it is desirable that the receiver 100 is not used in the surroundings. For example, it may be connected to the external output terminal 4. It is preferable that the magnetic induction device 7 is built in the earphone that can be worn.
[0015]
Note that the number of magnetic induction devices 7 is not limited to one, and a plurality of magnetic induction devices 7 having different axial directions may be connected in parallel to the output of the low-frequency amplifier 32. By adopting such an arrangement, it is possible to reduce the range in which the magnetic induction device 7 cannot be magnetically coupled.
[0016]
Therefore, since the audio signal output from one of the low frequency amplifiers 31 is supplied to the external output terminal 4, it is possible to reproduce the original audio by connecting the earphone to the external output terminal 4. The other low-frequency amplifier 32 amplifies the demodulated audio signal and passes a current corresponding to the amplitude and frequency of the audio signal to the magnetic induction device 7. Since a magnetic field is generated from the magnetic induction device 7 in response to this current, when the magnetic induction device 7 is magnetically coupled to a magnetic induction receiving device such as an induction coil or induction loop, the magnetic induction device 7 generates the magnetic field. The generated magnetic field generates an electromotive force in the magnetic induction receiving device and causes a current to flow. By processing this current with an appropriate device, the original sound can be extracted.
[0017]
One application of the receiver 100 shown in FIG. 1 is a receiver for a hearing aid system such as a wireless guide. In this case, the user of the receiver 100 can reproduce the original sound with the earphone, and by using a hearing aid equipped with a magnetic induction receiving device such as an induction loop or an induction coil, The original sound can be reproduced from the hearing aid by magnetically coupling the magnetic guidance device 7 and the magnetic induction receiving device of the hearing aid.
[0018]
As understood from the above description, the receiver 100 shown in FIG. 1 must be provided with two low-frequency amplifiers compared to the receiver 10 of FIG. 2, but the circuit of the receiver 100 is usually realized by an IC. Therefore, even if one low frequency amplifier is added, the mounting area is not substantially increased and the cost is increased only slightly. Further, since the current consumption only increases by about 10 to 25% of the total current consumption, the battery duration is only slightly shortened.
[0019]
The receiver 100 in the above description is for receiving radio waves transmitted from a transmitter, but the configuration of the receiver 100 is changed so that it can receive light such as infrared light modulated by an audio signal. In this case, a light receiver is provided in place of the antenna 1, and the reception / demodulation unit 2 operates to extract the low-frequency signal after converting the light received by the light receiver 2 into an electrical signal. . Further, the receiver 100 may be provided with an antenna and a light receiver, and the antenna and the light receiver may be selectively used depending on whether a signal transmitted from the facility is a radio wave or light.
[0020]
【The invention's effect】
As can be understood from the above description, the present invention
(1) Since the output from the external output terminal and the output by magnetic coupling with the magnetic induction device can be used selectively or simultaneously, the original sound can be reproduced from the appropriate output according to the situation. become,
(2) Since the presence of the magnetic induction device cannot be detected only by the appearance, even when listening to the hearing aid by coupling the magnetic field with the receiver, the fact is not known to the surroundings.
(3) When used as a receiver for a hearing aid system, regardless of whether or not the user is a hearing aid user, only the receiver and the earphone need be lent, so even those who use the hearing aid can use it. Can communicate information to a wider range of people,
(4) Eliminates the hassle of selecting and connecting either an earphone or an electromagnetic induction device as in the prior art,
There is a special effect.
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1A is a block diagram schematically showing a configuration of a receiver according to the present invention, and FIG. 1B is a diagram showing an external appearance of a receiver according to the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a receiver used in a hearing aid assistance system.
[Explanation of symbols]
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100: Receiver, 1: Antenna, 2: Reception / demodulation part, 3: Low frequency amplification part, 4: External output terminal, 7: Magnetic induction device, 31, 32: Low frequency amplifier

Claims (6)

A receiver that can be shared by users and non-users of a hearing aid with a built-in induction coil and outputs a demodulated audio signal,
An external output terminal for supplying the audio signal;
A magnetic guidance device driven by the audio signal and magnetically coupled to the hearing aid;
Comprising
The magnetic induction device is built in the receiver;
A receiver characterized in that an output from the external output terminal and an output by magnetic field coupling with the magnetic induction device can be used selectively or simultaneously. A receiver that can be shared by users and non-users of a hearing aid with a built-in induction coil and outputs a demodulated audio signal,
An external output terminal for supplying the audio signal;
A magnetic guidance device driven by the audio signal and magnetically coupled to the hearing aid;
Comprising
The magnetic induction device is built in an earphone that can be connected to the external output terminal,
A receiver characterized in that an output from the external output terminal and an output by magnetic field coupling with the magnetic induction device can be used selectively or simultaneously.   The receiver according to claim 1, comprising at least one of an antenna for receiving radio waves and a light receiver for receiving light.   The receiver according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein a plurality of the magnetic induction devices are provided, and the axial directions of the magnetic induction devices are different.   The receiver according to claim 4, wherein a plurality of the magnetic induction devices are connected in parallel to an output of a low frequency amplifier to which the audio signal is supplied.   The receiver according to claim 1, wherein the magnetic induction device is an induction coil.

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