TWI618418B - Audition assistant system and electronic device employing same - Google Patents

Abstract

A hearing assistance system for wearing to a user's ear. The hearing assistance system includes a microphone module, a vibration module, and a processor. The microphone module and the vibration module are respectively disposed at multiple positions on the user's ear. The microphone module detects the strength of the sound signal from multiple positions. The processor analyzes the specific position of the sound source according to the strength of the sound signal detected by the microphone module. The processor triggers the corresponding position according to the analyzed sound source position. The vibration module vibrates and determines the vibration intensity of the vibration module according to the strength of the sound signal. The invention also provides an electronic device applying the hearing assistance system.

Description

Hearing assistance system and electronic device

The invention relates to a hearing assistance system, in particular to a hearing assistance system and an electronic device for improving the accuracy of azimuth identification of a sound source.

People with hearing impairments have a higher risk factor because they cannot hear the sound of the surrounding environment when they go out. These people usually wear hearing aids to identify the sound, but traditional hearing aids only provide users with approximate sound sources located on the user's side, without specific orientation, which makes it difficult for users to judge the specific orientation of the sound source. , Still has a high risk factor.

In view of this, it is necessary to provide a hearing assistance system that more accurately reflects the specific location and intensity of the sound source.

A hearing assistance system for wearing to a user's ear. The hearing assistance system includes a microphone module, a vibration module, and a processor. The microphone module and the vibration module are respectively disposed at multiple positions on the user's ear. The microphone module detects the strength of the sound signal from multiple positions. The processor analyzes the specific position of the sound source according to the strength of the sound signal detected by the microphone module. The processor triggers the corresponding position according to the analyzed sound source position. The vibration module vibrates and determines the vibration intensity of the vibration module according to the strength of the sound signal.

It is also necessary to provide an electronic device including a wearing frame and a mounting frame. The electronic device further includes the hearing assistance system. The hearing assistance system is provided on the mounting frame. Multiple locations.

The hearing assistance system prompts the specific position and intensity of the sound source of the hearing impaired user by means of tactile and visual methods, so that the user can further understand the surrounding environment and improve the safety factor of travel.

100‧‧‧ Hearing Assistance System

10‧‧‧ Microphone Module

12‧‧‧ Microphone

20‧‧‧Vibration Module

22‧‧‧Vibration element

30‧‧‧ processor

40‧‧‧controller

50‧‧‧ Camera Module

60‧‧‧Wireless communication module

1‧‧‧ electronic device

2‧‧‧ wearing stand

3‧‧‧Mounting frame

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of a hearing assistance system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an electronic device using the hearing assistance system according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

Please refer to FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, a hearing assistance system 100 according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention is applied to an electronic device 1. In this embodiment, the hearing assistance system 100 is used to provide hearing assistance to a hearing-impaired person. The electronic device 1 is worn on a user's head and close to the ear.

The electronic device 1 includes a wearing frame 2 and a mounting frame 3. In this embodiment, the electronic device 1 includes two wearing frames 2 and two mounting frames 3, which are respectively worn on left and right ears of a user. The wearing frame 2 is substantially L-shaped. The mounting frame 3 is disposed at an end of the wearing frame 2. The mounting frame 3 is substantially oval and is disposed close to a user's ear.

The hearing assistance system 100 includes a microphone module 10, a vibration module 20, a processor 30, a controller 40, a camera module 50, and a wireless communication module 60.

The microphone module 10 is used for detecting ambient sound. In this embodiment, the microphone module 10 includes four microphones 12 respectively mounted on the two mounting frames 3. Specifically, a microphone 12 is installed at the upper end and the lower end of each mounting frame 3, and the microphone 12 is disposed near a side behind the ear of the user to detect sound sources on both sides of the user and two positions on each side respectively. . The four microphones 12 perform sound signal detection at the same time. The sound signal energy detected by Kefeng 12 is different, that is, the intensity of the received sound signal is different.

The vibration module 20 is used for generating vibration to remind the user. In this embodiment, the vibration module 20 includes four vibration elements 22 respectively mounted on the two mounting frames 3. Specifically, a vibration element 22 is installed at the upper end and the lower end of each mounting frame 3, and the vibration element 22 is disposed near a side behind the user's ear, and each vibration element 22 can be disposed adjacent to a microphone 12. The four vibration elements 22 are respectively located on two sides of the user and two positions on each side. Preferably, the four vibration elements 22 are located on the left rear upper, left rear lower, right rear upper, and right rear lower of the user's ears, respectively. Position, with different position vibrations and different vibration combinations to remind the user the exact sound source orientation.

In another embodiment, the number and positions of the microphones 12 and the vibration elements 22 can be adjusted. The number of the microphones 12 and the vibration elements 22 is the same. The microphone 12 and the vibration element 22 are respectively disposed at different positions of the user's ear. Each microphone 12 corresponds to a vibration element 22. Each microphone 12 is disposed at the same or adjacent position with its corresponding vibration element 22.

The processor 30 is configured to process a sound signal detected by the microphone module 10 and trigger the vibration module 20 accordingly. When the four microphones 12 of the microphone module 10 detect different sound signal energies for the same sound source, the processor 30 analyzes the specific position of the sound source according to the strength of the sound signal energy detected by the four microphones 12 and The analyzed sound source position triggers the vibration of the vibration element 22 at the corresponding position and the strength of the vibration. In this embodiment, the processor 30 sends a trigger instruction to the controller 40 according to the analyzed sound source position, and determines the magnitude of the output current value of the controller 40 according to the analyzed sound source intensity. The processor 30 may further generate a prompt information according to the analysis result, and send the prompt information to a portable electronic device to prompt the user through the portable electronic device.

The controller 40 is used to control the vibration of the vibration module 20. In this embodiment, the controller 40 receives the trigger instruction and controls the vibration mode of the vibration module 20. According to the position of the analyzed sound source, the controller 40 can control the four vibration elements 22 to be sound sources corresponding to the corresponding position of the vibration element 22 when they vibrate individually. At the position between the moving elements 22, the two vibration elements 22 on the right side vibrate at the same time as the position where the sound source is located between the two vibration elements 22 on the right side. Based on the analyzed sound source intensity, the controller 40 controls the vibration intensity of the vibration element 22 to reflect the intensity of the sound source.

It can be understood that the microphone module 10 can also detect sound signals of a specific frequency, such as a warning sound such as an alarm sound, a horn sound, a whistle sound, or a voice announcement. The processor 30 analyzes the sound signal of the specific frequency and sends a specific trigger instruction to the controller 40. The controller 40 controls the vibration element 22 to vibrate in a specific manner, such as the four vibration elements 22 vibrate at the same time to prompt the user of the current sound The source is a hazard warning and requires special attention.

The camera module 50 is used to monitor a user's surroundings. The camera module 50 may also include four camera lenses, which are respectively mounted on the two mounting frames 3 and are disposed adjacent to the microphone 12 above. The four camera lenses respectively photograph the four directions of the user's rear side to provide the rear side in real time. The picture.

The wireless communication module 60 is used to establish wireless communication with a portable electronic device, and transmits the prompt information generated by the processor 30 and the shooting picture of the camera module 50 to the portable electronic device. After receiving the prompt information, the portable electronic device can display the prompt information on the screen, and can also display the shooting screen of the camera module 50 in real time to view the environment behind the user side. In this embodiment, the wireless communication module 60 may be a Bluetooth module or a Wi-Fi module.

When the user wears the electronic device 1 equipped with the hearing assistance system 100 outside, the microphone module 10 detects sound signals from multiple directions. When a sound source sends a dangerous sound signal or a high-decibel sound signal, the microphone module 10 detects the sound signal, the processor 30 analyzes the specific position and intensity of the sound source, and sends a trigger command to the controller 40 and Determines the magnitude of the output current of the controller 40, and generates a prompt message at the same time. The controller 40 controls the vibration of the corresponding vibration element 22 of the vibration module 20 and the vibration intensity of the vibration element 22 according to the triggering instruction, thereby prompting the user of the specific location and intensity of the sound source in a tactile manner. At the same time, the wireless communication The signal module 60 sends the prompt information to the portable electronic device, and the portable electronic device displays the prompt information on the screen, thereby prompting the user of the specific location and intensity of the sound source in a visual manner.

The hearing assistance system 100 of the present invention prompts the specific position and intensity of a sound source for a hearing-impaired user through a tactile and visual manner, so that the user can further understand the surrounding environment and improve the safety factor of travel.

In summary, the present invention complies with the elements of an invention patent, and a patent application is filed in accordance with the law. However, the above is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention. For those who are familiar with the skills of the present case, equivalent modifications or changes made according to the spirit of the present invention should be covered by the following patent applications.

100‧‧‧ Hearing Assistance System

10‧‧‧ Microphone Module

20‧‧‧Vibration Module

30‧‧‧ processor

40‧‧‧controller

50‧‧‧ Camera Module

60‧‧‧Wireless communication module

Claims (9)

A hearing assistance system for wearing to a user's ear. The improvement is that the hearing assistance system includes a microphone module, a vibration module, and a processor, and the microphone module and the vibration module are respectively disposed on the user's ear. The microphone module detects the strength of the sound signal from the multiple locations, the processor analyzes the specific location of the sound source based on the strength of the sound signal detected by the microphone module, and the processor analyzes the location of the sound source based on the analyzed sound source location The vibration module of the corresponding position is triggered correspondingly and the vibration intensity of the vibration module is determined according to the strength of the sound signal. The microphone module includes a plurality of microphones, the vibration module includes a plurality of vibration elements, the plurality of microphones and a plurality of The vibration elements are respectively provided at different positions of the user's ears, so that multiple microphones are used to detect sound signals from multiple positions, and the multiple vibration elements are vibrated from multiple positions of the ears to correspondingly remind the user of the sound source. Specific location. The hearing assistance system according to item 1 of the scope of the patent application, wherein the plurality of vibration elements vibrate individually or in combination to reflect the specific position of the sound source. The hearing assistance system according to item 1 of the patent application scope, wherein the hearing assistance system further comprises a controller that controls the vibration of the vibration element, and the processor determines the output of the controller according to the strength of the analyzed sound signal. Based on the current value, the controller controls the vibration of the vibration element at the corresponding position according to the analyzed sound source position, and controls the vibration intensity of the vibration element according to the strength of the analyzed sound signal. The hearing assistance system according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the microphone module also detects a sound signal of a specific frequency, the processor analyzes the sound signal of the specific frequency and sends a specific trigger instruction to the controller, the The controller controls the vibration element to vibrate in a specific manner. The hearing assistance system according to item 1 of the scope of patent application, wherein the hearing assistance system further includes a camera module, which captures environmental images in multiple directions for use. The user monitors the surrounding environment. The hearing assistance system according to item 5 of the scope of patent application, wherein the processor further generates an alert information according to the analyzed sound source position and sound signal strength. The hearing assistance system according to item 6 of the scope of patent application, wherein the hearing assistance system further includes a wireless communication module that establishes wireless communication with a portable electronic device and transmits a prompt generated by the processor The information and the shooting picture of the camera module to the portable electronic device. An electronic device includes a wearing frame and a mounting frame. The improvement is that the electronic device further includes a hearing assistance system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, and the hearing assistance system is provided on the mounting frame. Multiple locations. The electronic device according to item 8 of the scope of patent application, wherein the electronic device includes two wearing frames and two mounting frames, which are respectively worn to the left and right ears of the user.