JPH06121392A - Hearing aid - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE:To improve the convenience of use by the user by storing a parameter registered in coincidence with the audible characteristic of the user just after turning ON of power source in advance and controlling sound volume and output characteristic according to the stored parameter after turning ON of power source so as to output a hearing aid sound. CONSTITUTION:At the time of turning ON of power source to a hearing aid main body 11, a power-on reset circuit 20 sends a power-on reset signal S10 to an initial characteristic storage circuit 21 comprising a nonvolatile memory once. An initial amplification characteristic control parameter in coincidence with an audible characteristics of the user in advance is stored to the circuit 21 via a reception circuit 4 based on the result of actual measurement by using an initial setting remote controller 30. At the time of turning ON of power source to the main body 11 thereafter, the circuit 21 sends out to the circuit 5 by the signal S10. The amplification characteristic control register circuit 5 controls an amplifier circuit 6 according to the above-mentioned parameter. Thus, an external sound collected by a microphone 7 is amplified in coincidence with the audible characteristic of the user and the amplified sound is outputted from an earphone 8, then the convenience of the use by the user is improved.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hearing aid, and is particularly suitable for being applied to a so-called remote control hearing aid, which is capable of remotely controlling the volume and output characteristics of a hearing aid.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, in this type of hearing aid, there is one in which data relating to a plurality of types of output characteristics obtained by combining data such as frequency response and maximum output suitable for a wearer can be registered in a storage means in a remote controller.
By selecting a desired output characteristic according to the acoustic condition used by the wearer, the optimum output characteristic according to the auditory characteristics of the wearer can always be obtained. That is, as shown in FIG. 2, in the remote control hearing aid 1, the remote controller 2 is formed separately from the hearing aid main body 3 and has a small size that is easy to carry, and a hearing aid sound is generated based on the operation of the operation switch (not shown). A parameter related to the amplification characteristic (hereinafter referred to as amplification characteristic parameter) is output as a remote control signal S1 composed of a spatially transmitted wave such as infrared rays or radio waves.

This remote control signal S1 is received by the receiving circuit 4 of the hearing aid main body 3. Receiver circuit 3
Extracts an amplification characteristic parameter from the remote control signal S1 and sends it as a reception signal S2 to the amplification characteristic control register circuit 5 for writing. The amplification characteristic control register circuit 5 constantly sends the amplification characteristic control signal S3 based on the written amplification characteristic parameter to the amplification circuit 6.

At this time, the external sound collected by the microphone 7 provided in the hearing aid main body 3 is sequentially supplied to the amplifier circuit 6 as the microphone signal S4, and the amplifier circuit 6 is thus supplied with the microphone signal S4. After being amplified in accordance with the amplification characteristic based on the amplification characteristic control signal S3, this is transmitted to the earphone 8 as the earphone signal S5, and thus the hearing aid sound is output.

[0005]

By the way, in the remote control hearing aid 1 of this type, the hearing aid main body 3 is used.
The volume and output characteristics of the hearing aid immediately after the power is turned on are indefinite, or the hearing aid amplified by the characteristics unique to each hearing aid 1 unrelated to the hearing characteristics of the wearer is output. It is necessary to operate the remote controller 2 immediately after the power is turned on to adjust the volume and output characteristics thereof according to the hearing aid characteristics of the wearer and the surrounding acoustic state. However,
In the remote control hearing aid 1, the output characteristics may not be adjusted because the remote controller 2 cannot be found, the battery of the remote controller 2 is dead, or the remote controller 2 cannot be operated. The remote control hearing aid 1 was inconvenient and inconvenient for the wearer.

As one method for solving this problem, in the remote control hearing aid 1, the output characteristic immediately before the power is turned off is stored, and this output characteristic is restored at the time of subsequent power input, and the output characteristic is restored. Some are designed to output the hearing aid amplified in (Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-6860).
No. 0 bulletin). However, the output characteristic of the hearing aid 1 immediately before the power is turned off is not always suitable for the acoustic condition when the power is newly turned on, and it remains inconvenient in terms of usability.

The present invention has been made in consideration of the above points, and an object thereof is to propose a remote control hearing aid which can further improve the usability of the wearer.

[0008]

In order to solve the above problems, the present invention provides a hearing aid 10 which is capable of remotely controlling the volume and output characteristics of a hearing aid.
A power supply input monitoring means 20 that outputs a power-on reset signal S10 every time the power of the hearing aid main body 11 is turned on, and a non-volatile memory, and a predetermined value corresponding to the amplification characteristic registered in advance in response to the input of the power-on reset signal S10. The parameter holding means 21 for outputting the parameters of (1) and the storage and control means 5 for controlling the volume and output characteristics of the hearing aid 10 based on the parameters are provided. Further, in the present invention, the parameters are set based on the hearing characteristics of the wearer so that the wearer can use them practically sufficiently without feeling discomfort even under various acoustic conditions.

[0008]

The storage and control means 5 controls the volume and the output characteristic of the hearing aid according to the parameters, so that the hearing aid 10 outputs the hearing aid amplified by the predetermined output characteristic immediately after the power is input. It is possible to realize the hearing aid 10 that outputs and thus has improved usability.

[0009]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS An embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings.

In FIG. 1 in which parts corresponding to those in FIG. 2 are designated by the same reference numerals, reference numeral 10 indicates a remote control hearing aid as a whole, and the power-on reset circuit 20 of the hearing aid body 11 is turned on each time the hearing aid body 11 is powered on. The power-on reset signal S10 is generated once, and is sent to the initial characteristic holding circuit 21. The initial characteristic holding circuit 21 is an EEPROM (eiectrically erasable & programmable) in which the stored contents are not lost even when the power of the hearing aid main body 11 is turned off.
read only memoly) made of a nonvolatile memory such as, amplification characteristic control properties, such as can be used without feeling uncomfortable practically sufficiently wearer Whatever the acoustic conditions in advance (hereinafter referred to as initial characteristics) Parameters (hereinafter referred to as initial amplification characteristic control parameters) are stored.

Thus, the initial characteristic holding circuit 21 sends out and writes the initial amplification characteristic parameter as the initial characteristic signal S11 to the amplification characteristic control register circuit 5 in response to the input of the power-on reset signal S10, and as a result, as described above with reference to FIG. Similarly to the case, the earphone 8 outputs the hearing aid sound based on the initial amplification characteristic parameter.

In the case of the embodiment, the initial setting remote controller 30 having a predetermined function is used as a means for writing the initial amplification characteristic control parameter in the initial characteristic holding circuit 21. That is, in the remote control hearing aid 10, when the coordinator measures the hearing characteristics of the wearer and sets the initial characteristics, and operates the initial setting remote controller 30 accordingly, the initial setting remote controller 30 responds to this. The command is output as an initial setting control signal S20 composed of a spatially transmitted wave such as infrared rays.

This initial setting remote control signal S
20 is received by the receiving circuit 4, and the receiving circuit 4 extracts the initial amplification characteristic parameter from the initial setting control signal S20, sends it as the reception signal S2 to the amplification characteristic control register circuit, and writes the amplification characteristic parameter. The initial characteristic writing signal S21 is sent to the initial characteristic holding circuit 21 for writing.
Here, in the remote controller 2, the initial setting control signal S20 is not generated so that the wearer is prevented from mistakenly rewriting the initial characteristic stored in the initial characteristic holding circuit 21. .

In the above structure, when the power source of the remote control hearing aid 10 is input, the power reset circuit 20 sends the power-on reset signal S10 once to the initial characteristic holding circuit 21, and the initial characteristic holding circuit 21 outputs the power-on reset signal. The amplification characteristic control register circuit 5 stores the initial amplification characteristic parameter stored in response to the input of the signal S10.
Send to and write. Thus, the remote control hearing aid 10 amplifies the external sound collected by the microphone 7 based on the initial amplification characteristic parameter matched to the hearing characteristic of the wearer, and outputs it from the earphone 8.

According to the above configuration, the power-on reset circuit 20 responds to the input of the power source of the remote control hearing aid 10 and outputs the power-on reset signal S10 to the initial characteristic holding circuit 21, and the initial characteristic holding circuit 21. Writes the previously stored initial amplification characteristic parameter to the amplification characteristic control register circuit 5 in response to the input of the power-on reset signal S10, the remote control hearing aid 10 immediately after turning on the power of the hearing aid 10. Output a hearing aid with output characteristics that the wearer can use practically enough under any acoustic condition based on the initial amplification characteristic parameter without feeling discomfort, thus further improving the usability of the wearer. The obtained remote control hearing aid 10 can be realized.

In the above-described embodiment, the case where the initial characteristic holding circuit 21 is composed of the EEPROM has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and may be composed of a memory backed up by, for example, a lithium battery. Good,
In short, various storage means other than the initial characteristic holding circuit 21 can be applied as long as the stored contents are not lost even when the power of the hearing aid main body 11 is turned off.

Further, in the above embodiment, a special initial setting remote control signal S is used as a means for writing the initial amplification characteristic parameter to the initial characteristic holding circuit 21.
The case where the initialization remote controller 30 that outputs 20 is used has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and various other methods can be applied as the means for writing the initial amplification characteristic parameter. In this case, for example, the initial characteristic holding circuit 21 is formed in a so-called module of replaceable unit parts, and the initial amplification characteristic parameter according to the hearing characteristic of the wearer is written by using a predetermined writing device, and then the hearing aid 10 concerned. You may make it attach to a signal processing circuit. Alternatively, as another method, the initial amplification characteristic parameter may be written in the initial characteristic holding circuit 21 by connecting a predetermined writing device to the hearing aid main body 11 using a signal line or the like.

Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the control signal and the initial setting control signal consist of infrared rays has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the point is that if the control signal and the initial setting control signal are space transmitted waves, Various other media such as ultrasonic waves or radio waves can be applied as the medium for the setting control signal. Further, in the above-mentioned embodiment, the case where the initial amplification characteristic parameter is set to be adapted to the wearer to some extent under any acoustic condition is described, but the present invention is not limited to this, and the essential point is The initial amplification characteristic parameter may be set according to the usage environment of the hearing aid.

[0019]

As described above, according to the present invention, in a hearing aid adapted to be able to remotely control the volume and output characteristics of the hearing aid, when the main body of the hearing aid is turned on, the power input monitoring means operates. While sending the power-on reset signal to the parameter holding means, the parameter holding means supplies the storage and control means with a predetermined parameter registered in advance in accordance with the hearing characteristic of the wearer in response to the input of the power-on reset signal, Moreover, since the storage and control means controls the volume and the output characteristic of the hearing aid sound according to the parameters, the hearing aid outputs the hearing aid sound having the output characteristic matched to the hearing characteristic of the wearer immediately after the power is input. It is possible to realize a hearing aid with improved output and thus improved usability.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an embodiment of a remote control hearing aid according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing a conventional remote control hearing aid.

[Explanation of symbols]

1, 10 ... Hearing aid (remote control hearing aid),
2 ... Remote controller, 3, 11 ... Hearing aid body, 4 ... Receiving circuit, 5 ... Memory and control means (amplification characteristic control register circuit), 20 ... Power input monitoring means (power on reset circuit), 21 …… Parameter holding means (initial characteristic holding circuit), 30 …… Initial setting remote controller, S3 …… Amplification characteristic control signal, S10 …… Power-on reset signal, S11 …… Initial characteristic signal.

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A hearing aid adapted to remotely control the volume and output characteristics of a hearing aid, a power supply input monitoring means for outputting a power-on reset signal each time the hearing aid body is turned on, and a non-volatile memory. A parameter holding means for outputting a predetermined parameter corresponding to an amplification characteristic registered in advance in response to the input of the power-on reset signal, and a memory for controlling the volume and the output characteristic of the hearing aid based on the parameter. And a control means. 2. The above parameters are set so that the wearer can use them practically enough without feeling uncomfortable under various acoustic conditions based on the hearing characteristics of the wearer. The hearing aid according to item 1.