JPH08298699A - Hearing aid with characteristic adjusting function - Google Patents

Abstract

PURPOSE: To attain a frequency characteristic corresponding to hearing disorder conditions by adjusting the gain of an equalizer amplifier so as to sharply amplify the frequency response in a frequency band to be corrected out of selected frequencies. CONSTITUTION: A sound input signal is inputted from a microphone 2 or an induction coil 3 and amplified by a preamplifier 5 based upon frequency optionally set up in each previously set frequency band and the amplified signal is supplied to an equalizer amplifier 6. Namely a frequency setting switch 8 for a variable oscillator 7 is successively switched, the level of the oscillator 7 is adjusted by a gain adjusting volume in each of frequency bands f1 , f2 , f3 so as to adjust the frequency characteristic of the amplifier 6 to a required characteristic and then sound volume is adjusted by a sound volume adjusting volume 10 and outputted to a power amplifier 11. Consequently the hearing aid can widely correspond to hearing disorder conditions.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function that allows a user to easily adjust the frequency response characteristic by himself.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Generally, a hearing aid includes a microphone for converting sound into an electric signal, an amplifying means for amplifying a signal from the microphone, and an earphone for receiving a signal from the amplifying means and converting the sound. I am.

There are various symptoms of deafness, and it has been conventionally known that there is a considerable difference in the audible frequency characteristics depending on the site of the disorder even with the same degree of deafness. One of the methods for dealing with such various types of hearing loss is to adjust the frequency response characteristics of the hearing aid. Here, the frequency response characteristic indicates what the ratio (amplification degree) between the input signal and the output signal becomes according to the frequency. The frequency response is also called gain. In a conventional hearing aid, a frequency response characteristic adjusting device is configured to increase or decrease the frequency response in each of a high frequency region and a low frequency region.

[0004]

However, it is difficult to deal with various symptoms of hearing loss by simply increasing or decreasing the frequency response in each of the high frequency band and the low frequency band as described above. There is also a method of finding a frequency band that is difficult for a hearing-impaired person to hear using an audiometer and correcting the frequency response characteristics of that band, but a device for correction must be incorporated in the hearing aid, and the configuration of the hearing aid is In addition to the complexity, there is a problem that the hearing aid whose frequency characteristic has been set can be used only by a specific person. The present invention solves such a problem, allows the hearing-impaired person to arbitrarily select a frequency band that is difficult for the deaf person to hear, and adjusts the frequency response characteristics of the hearing aid easily according to the selection. It is intended to provide a hearing aid with a function.

[0005]

In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function of the present invention selects a microphone or an induction coil for converting a sound into an electric sound signal and uses the selected sound. An input unit, an equalizer amplifier for inputting an audio signal from the audio input unit and amplifying frequencies corresponding to a plurality of preset frequency bands, and an equalizer amplifier connected to the equalizer amplifier to select the frequency of the equalizer amplifier. A frequency selecting means composed of a variable oscillator, a gain adjusting means for adjusting the frequency characteristic of the equalizer amplifier with respect to the frequency band selected by the frequency selecting means, and an earphone for converting an output signal from the equalizer amplifier into sound are provided. It is characterized by getting.

[0006]

The hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function of the present invention described above inputs a voice signal from a microphone or an induction coil, and amplifies the voice signal based on a frequency arbitrarily set for each frequency band preset in the voice signal. Equipped with an equalizer amplifier. The user can appropriately select the frequency band to be corrected by using the frequency selection means composed of a variable oscillator, and adjust the gain of the equalizer amplifier so as to greatly amplify the frequency response of the signal in this frequency band, The user can easily set the frequency characteristic suitable for the degree of hearing loss of the user.

[0007]

1 is a diagram showing the configuration of an example of a hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function of the present invention. In the example shown in FIG. 1, a hearing aid 1 with a characteristic adjusting function includes a microphone 2 or an induction coil 3 for converting sound into an electric voice signal, an input changeover switch 4, and a converted voice signal as voice input means. A preamplifier 5 that amplifies the audio signal, an equalizer amplifier 6 that amplifies the audio signal according to the frequency characteristics selected by the user among the amplified audio signals, a variable oscillator 7 that selects a frequency to be amplified by the equalizer amplifier 6, and a variable The frequency selection switch 8 for selecting the oscillation frequency of the oscillator 7, the gain adjusting volumes 9-1, 9-2, 9-3 for adjusting the gain of the equalizer amplifier 6, and the output level of the entire hearing aid with characteristic function 1 are adjusted. Volume adjustment volume 10 to
The power amplifier 11 for amplifying the signal from the equalizer amplifier 6 and the earphone 12 for outputting the audio signal amplified by the power amplifier 11 are included. The equalizer amplifier 6 can operate the variable oscillator 7 to amplify the frequency corresponding to the selected frequency band.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of another example of the hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function of the present invention. In the example shown in FIG.
The same members as those in FIG. 1 are designated by the same reference numerals, and the description thereof will be omitted. The example shown in FIG. 2 differs from the example shown in FIG. 1 in that the variable oscillator 7 also has volumes 13-1, 13-2, 1 for adjusting its output level corresponding to each frequency band.
3-3 is provided. Further, a frequency selection switch 8 is provided between the volume 10 and the power amplifier 11,
When investigating the frequency characteristics of the user, the output from the variable oscillator 7 is directly listened to by the earphones 12, and the volumes 13-1, 13-2, 13-3 and the gain adjusting volume 9-1, 9-2 and 9-3 are configured to work together.

FIG. 3 is a view showing the appearance of an example of a hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function of the present invention. In the example shown in FIG. 3, the same members as those shown in FIGS.
The description is omitted. In FIG. 3, the hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function 1 is composed of a main body 21 and a lid portion 22, and is composed of a hearing aid main body 21 and an earphone 12 connected to an output part 23 of the hearing aid main body 21. On the surface of the main body 21, there are provided a frequency selection switch 8 for selecting a frequency to be oscillated from the variable oscillator 7, and a gain adjusting volume 9-for adjusting the gain of the equalizer amplifier 6 in each selected frequency band.
Knobs 25-1, 25- that interlock with 1, 9-2, 9-3
2, 25-3 are provided. In this example, the frequency band of the equalizer amplifier 6 selected by the variable oscillator 7 is divided into three bands of 800 Hz, 1.6 KHz and 3.2 KHz at the center frequency, and the frequency selection switch 8 is set to f1, f
The oscillation frequency of the variable oscillator 7 can be selected by moving it to the positions of 2 and f3. Gain adjustment knobs 25-1 and 25 for each frequency band
5-2 and 25-3 are provided, and the user selects the frequency band whose frequency characteristics need to be corrected with the switch 8,
The gain can be adjusted for that band. In this embodiment, three frequency bands can be selected, but the change of the center frequency of the frequency band and the number of divisions are not limited to this example, and can be set arbitrarily.

The method of using the above-mentioned hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function shown in FIG. 1 is as follows. First, the switch 4 is switched to "ON" or "T", and in this state, the frequency setting switch 8 of the variable oscillator 7 is set to the position of f1. When the switch 4 is set to "ON", the internal circuit is connected to the microphone 2, and when set to "T", it is connected to the loop coil 3 side described later. Listen to the sound coming from the microphone 2 (or via the loop coil 3), and if the sound is difficult to hear, turn the knob 25-1.
Is adjusted to raise the frequency characteristic of the equalizer amplifier 6 until a hard-to-hear sound is heard in the frequency band of f1. After the adjustment of f1 is completed, the switch 8 is sequentially moved to the positions of f2 and f3 and the knobs 25-2 and 25 are moved.
At -3, the same adjustment is performed for each band. When the adjustment is unnecessary, the knob 25 is placed on the scale 0. In this way, the gain is adjusted in each frequency band and the hearing aid is used. The gain adjustment knobs 25 can be locked by closing the lid 22. The above operation causes the user to hear all sounds flat.

As shown in FIG. 3, on the side surface of the main body 22 of the hearing aid with characteristic adjusting function 1 of the present embodiment, in addition to the output section 23, a knob 26 interlocking with the volume adjusting volume 10,
A microphone 2 and a switch 4 are provided. When the display of the switch 4 is in the "ON" or "T" position, the hearing aid 1 as a whole is O
It is turned off and turned off at the "off" position. When the display is "ON" and the frequency selection switch 8 is in the "arrow" position, the normal use state is achieved, and the display of the switch 4 is in the "ON" position and the frequency selection switch 8 is set to any one of "f1 to f3". If the position is set to, as described above, the user can adjust the gain of each frequency band for himself by the gain adjusting knob 25 as described above. Further, when the switch 4 is in the position of “T”, the audio signal can be input from the loop coil 3 provided in the lid 22 instead of the microphone 2. In this case, the loop coil 3 acts as an induction coil and can input an audio signal from a leakage magnetic field from a television, a radio or the like. Alternatively, the loop coil 3 can be operated by pulling out a coil near the user from an earphone terminal of a television or the like. In addition,
H-cut and L-cut switches 27, 2 on the main body 21
8 may be provided to cut the high frequency and the low frequency as necessary.

The hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function having the structure shown in FIG. 2 is also used in the same manner as the above-described use according to FIG. 1, except for the following points. That is, when the hearing aid having the configuration shown in FIG. 2 is used, in the adjustment of the frequency characteristic performed before the use, the frequency selection switch 8 is switched to directly listen to the sound from the variable oscillator 7 for the adjustment. Then, by adjusting the gain adjusting knob 25, it is possible to gradually increase the sound of each frequency by the volume 13 which is interlocked with the gain adjusting knob 25.
The gain adjusting potentiometer 9 is changed in association with 3, and the frequency characteristic of the equalizer amplifier 6 can be set. actually,
By adjusting the volume 13 to make the sound louder and setting the knob 25 at the position where the sound is clearly heard, the frequency characteristic of the equalizer amplifier 6 that matches the characteristic of the user's ear can be automatically set. it can.

[0013]

As is apparent from the above description, according to the present invention, the user can easily set the audible frequency characteristic peculiar to the user to the equalizer amplifier to make the frequency of the signal difficult for the user to hear. Can be increased. Therefore,
It is possible to realize a hearing aid that can widely deal with various symptoms of hearing loss, and it is possible to always obtain frequency characteristics that suit the user regardless of the degree of hearing loss of the user.

[Brief description of drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a configuration of an example of a hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of another example of the hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing an appearance of an example of a hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function of the present invention.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Hearing aid with characteristic adjustment function 2 Microphone 3 Induction coil 4 Input selector switch 5 Preamplifier 6 Equalizer amplifier 7 Variable oscillator 8 Frequency selection switch 9-1, 9-2, 9-2 Gain adjustment volume 10 Volume adjustment volume 11 Power amplifier 12 earphones

Claims (2)

[Claims] 1. A voice input means for selecting and using any one of a microphone and an induction coil for converting a sound into an electric voice signal; and a plurality of preset voice input means for inputting the voice signal from the voice input means. An equalizer amplifier for amplifying a frequency corresponding to the frequency band; a frequency selecting unit connected to the equalizer amplifier and comprising a variable oscillator for selecting the frequency of the equalizer amplifier; and a frequency band selected by the frequency selecting unit, A hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function, comprising: a gain adjusting means for adjusting a frequency characteristic of an equalizer amplifier; and an earphone for converting an output signal from the equalizer amplifier into a sound. 2. The hearing aid with a characteristic adjusting function according to claim 1, wherein the equalizer amplifier has a frequency band of 800 Hz, 1.6 KHz and 3.2 KHz at a center frequency.