Classifications

• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
  • H04R25/43—Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
  • H04R25/50—Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics
  • H04R25/505—Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics using digital signal processing
• • H—ELECTRICITY
  • H04—ELECTRIC COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUE
  • H04R—LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS
  • H04R25/00—Electric hearing aids
  • H04R25/55—Electric hearing aids using an external connection, either wireless or wired
  • H04R25/554—Electric hearing aids using an external connection, either wireless or wired using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Definitions

• the present invention is related to a method for operating a hearing device as well as to a hearing device.
• hearing device so called hearing aids, which are used to correct an impaired hearing ability of a person, as well as all others communication devices, as e.g. radio sets, must be understood.
• Modern hearing devices can be adapted to various acoustic surround situations and/or inductive input sources with the aid of various hearing programs. Therewith, the hearing device is of use to the hearing device user m every situation.
• the adaptation i.e. the switching between various hearing programs, is performed by manually activating a switch or a remote control as well as automatically with the aid of a suitable algorithm.
• a method to automatically recognize a momentary acoustic surround situation or an inductive input source, and to adjust a hearing program most suitable in the determined acoustic surround situation is known from the publication of the international patent application having a publication number WO 01/22790 A2, corresponding to US 6 895 098.
• the known teaching is related to a very efficient algorithm with the aid of which the acoustic surround situation can be determined with a high reliability.
• a method to automatically switch between hearing programs with the aid of a fuzzy-logic controller is known from EP - 0 674 464 Al, the controller being realized in analog technique.
• a programmable signal processing unit is disclosed by EP - 0 064 042 Al, which signal processing unit allows a manual and automatic switching between hearing programs. However, useful criteria for the switching process have not been disclosed.
• EP-A2-1 653 773 discloses a technique, m which the best suitable hearing program is selected after a certain input source is selected or detected, respectively.
• One object of the present invention is to further improve a method for operating a hearing device.
• a method to operate a hearing device comprising the steps of:
• parameters for controlling said processing are derived from at least one active source unit and/or from at least one selected input signal, respectively.
• the present invention takes into account the increasing availability of personal audio devices, such as MP3 players or the like.
• These alternative audio inputs of active source units can be processed by the present invention as well as the microphone input signal.
• the input signals of the active source units, the selected input signals as well as any combination of the two types of signals can be mixed.
• each signal can be processed in a predefined manner in view of the superimposed signals.
• the present invention is further characterized by manually selecting at least one source unit .
• the present invention is further characterized by automatically selecting at least one source unit.
• the present invention is further characterized in that the parameters for controlling said processing are adjusted in dependence on all active source units or on all selected input signals, respectively.
• the present invention is further characterized in that the parameters for controlling said processing are derived from information pertinent to a communication protocol being used to transmit the input signal.
• the input signal received via a wireless Bluetooth link can follow one of several standardized protocols, including a headset protocol intended for mobile phone headset applications, and an advanced audio distribution protocol (A2DP) , intended for listening to music.
• the hearing device will react to an input signal over headset profile by adjusting its processing parameters in a manner optimized for listening to telephone speech, i.e. favoring intelligibility of speech over fidelity and audibility of all signal components, and it will react to an input signal over A2DP profile by adjusting its processing parameters m a manner optimized for listening to music, i.e. favoring fidelity and audibility of all signal components over speech intelligibility.
• the present invention is further characterized in that the parameters for controlling said processing are a predefined priority list of source units, wherein the active source units are processed according to the priority list.
• the present invention is further characterized in that the parameter for controlling said processing is an activity state, wherein a state change from an inactive to an active state initiates said processing.
• the present invention is further characterized m that the parameters for controlling said processing are obtained by analyzing and classifying the input signals into signal categories. Furthermore, a hearing device is disclosed that comprises
• a selection unit for monitoring activities of the source units and for selecting input signals of active source units
• parameters for controlling said signal processing unit are derived from at least one active source unit and/or form at least one selected input signal, respectively.
• the present invention is further characterized by means for manually selecting at least one source unit.
• the present invention is further characterized by means for automatically selecting at least one source unit.
• the present invention is further characterized in that the parameters for controlling said processing are adjustable in dependence on all active source units or on all selected input signals, respectively. In a further embodiment, the present invention is further characterized in that the parameters for controlling said processing are derived from information pertinent to a communication protocol being used to transmit the input signal.
• the present invention is further characterized m that the parameters for controlling said processing are a predefined priority list of source units, wherein the active source units are processed according to the priority list.
• the present invention is further characterized in that the parameter for controlling said processing is an activity state, wherein a state change from an inactive to an active state initiates said processing.
• the present invention is further characterized in that the parameters for controlling said processing are obtainable by analyzing and classifying the input signals into signal categories.
• the only figure shows a block diagram of a hearing device according to the present invention in a schematic representation.
• the figure schematically shows a block diagram of a hearing device.
• hearing device so called hearing aids, which are used to correct an impaired hearing ability of a person, as well as all other acoustic communication devices, as e.g. radio sets, must be understood.
• all other applications in connection with such hearing devices, as e.g. implantable devices fall under this term.
• the hearing device depicted in the only figure comprises several source units Sl to Sn.
• the source units Sl to Sn capture audio signals, e.g. by a microphone, or receive signals from another source provider, e.g. a CD player, a MP3 player, or the like.
• a processing of the signals of the source units Sl to Sn is performed in a signal processing unit 3.
• the processed signals, i.e. the output of the signal processing unit 3 are fed to a digital-to-analog converter 4 in case the signals are processed in a digital manner m the signal processing unit 3.
• the output of the digital-to-analog converter 4 is connected to a receiver 5, which is a loud speaker m one embodiment or which is a mechanically stimulating device directly stimulating the acoustic organs of the human being as it is the case for implantable hearing devices.
• the source units Sl to Sn can be at least one or several of the following units:
• - microphones as electro-acoustic converters, including omni-directional and directional microphones; - wired direct audio input at the hearing device via an analog or digital input;
• T-Coil Transmission via a FM unit (Frequency modulated input unit, i.e. a wireless FM receiver, which is attached to the hearing device, for example) or transmission via a Bluetooth device.
• FM unit Frequency modulated input unit, i.e. a wireless FM receiver, which is attached to the hearing device, for example
• Bluetooth device Transmission via a Bluetooth device.
• the source units Sl to Sn are at least partly implemented in a selection unit 2, as it is - for example - the case for a wireless transmission of a signal to the hearing device.
• the hearing device comprises a receiving unit that is capable of receiving the signal transmitted by the source unit.
• the receiving unit is incorporated into the selection unit 2, as it is depicted in the only figure by a dashed line within the selection unit 2.
• a Bluetooth device or the like is implemented in the selection unit 2 - and of course in at least one of the source units Sl to Sn - in order to be able to receive an incoming signal.
• a corresponding interface unit must be provided in the selection unit 2 or the corresponding source unit Sl to Sn in order to be able to establish a connection for signal transmission.
• a data transfer between one of the source units Sl to Sn and the selection unit 2 of the hearing device can either be implemented by a wireless connection or by a wired connection. Any combination between is feasible generally.
• an interface unit generally is not necessary because a simple connection is only needed to connect to the selection unit 2.
• the source units Sl to Sn are operationally connected to the signal processing unit 1 via the selection unit 2.
• analog signals received or provided by the source units Sl to Sn are converted to digital signals in the selection unit 2.
• no conversion is necessary.
• the block diagram shown m the figure represents a digital hearing device, it is conceivable that the present invention is also applicable for a hearing device that is completely or partly realized using analog components.
• the analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters mentioned-above are not mandatory.
• source units Sl to Sn one or more than one of the following units are conceivable:
• - remote microphone e.g. implemented as omni directional or directional microphone
• - home entertainment devices as as CD- (compact disc) or DVD- (digital versatile disc) player
• - portable media players such as MP3-players or lPods
• the invention is directed to a hearing device being able to connect to several source units Sl to Sn, and comprises processing capabilities to
• the three steps are handled by the selection unit 2 and/or by the signal processing unit 3.
• the input signals of the above-described source units Sl to Sn are continuously monitored and/or analyzed. Thereby, it is determined which source unit Sl to Sn provides an active input signal and which source unit Sl to Sn provides no active input signal. Accordingly, only active signals are being used to process an output signal for the receiver 5. This means that some of the source units Sl to Sn are being blocked from further processing and others contribute to an output signal that is fed to the receiver 5, i.e. the output signal of the hearing device.
• a number of embodiments of the present invention are provided to illustrate the selection of input signals coming from the source units Sl to Sn. The selected input signals are used in the processing step performed in the selection unit 2, and possibly in the signal processing unit 3.
• the hearing device senses the proximity of a magnetic field produced by, or a magnet attached to a telephone receiver to determine whether a configurable input for telephone reception, either an omnidirectional microphone or a telecoil, carries an active input signal.
• a processing of a signal at the telecoil (the parameter of the processing scheme) is therefore dependent on the detection of the magnetic field produced by, or the magnet attached to the telephone receiver.
• the hearing device uses information pertinent to the communications protocol, such as a particular status of a particular communication layer, to determine the presence of an input signal at a source unit Sl to Sn.
• the type of the input signal is detected in a further embodiment.
• the detected type indicates the type of headset used, or the signal type (speech, A2DP, etc.), for example .
• the automatic selection of the most appropriate of all currently active source units Sl to Sn is based on a predefined or individually configurable priority list of source units Sl to Sn.
• the hearing device always switches to the source units Sl to Sn that most recently changed from an inactive state to an active state.
• the assessment of the input signal category is based on an analysis of the input signal itself, where the input signal may be a microphone or an electronic input source or a superposition of both.
• the assessment of the input signal category can be performed m the source unit Sl to Sn itself, in the selection unit 2 or m the signal processing unit 3, i.e. the assessment can be performed m any stage in the signal path.
• an assessment of an input signal category is based on information pertinent to the communications protocol used, such as the Bluetooth profile used for communication.
• the signal processing settings used in the signal processing unit 3 are dependent on the input signal class determined by the hearing device.
• the signal processing settings are dependent on the acoustical quality of the signal, e.g. speech in quiet, telephone speech, speech in noise, noise and music.
• the input signal type i.e. whether the input signal is an acoustic or an electronic signal, is also a discriminating factor for adjusting the signal processing unit 3.
• the signal processing settings are not dependent on the particular source unit Sl to Sn that the signal is received from.
• the signal processing depends on whether the input signal is
• an acoustic input i.e. received by a microphone co-located with the hearing device
• an electronic signal i.e. originates at a distance in space or time, and is received via an electronic channel.
• the signal processing settings must be different for acoustical and electronic inputs, even if the sound category is the same.
• electronic inputs there is no passive propagation of sound from the outside into the ear canal, which must be compensated with additional amplification.
• the output signal of the selection unit 2 that is fed to a signal processing unit 1 is additionally fed to a classification unit (not shown in the figure) , in which a momentary acoustic surround situation is being determined on the basis of characteristic features.
• a classification unit (not shown in the figure)
• the characteristic features will be extracted during an extraction phase in the classification unit, the characteristic features being used as a basis for the classification of a momentary acoustic surround situation. Therefore, the result of this classification is the identification of the momentary acoustic surround situation or the information about the most probable momentary acoustic surround situation.
• processing parameters can be selected that are most suitable to process the input signals generated or provided by the source units Sl to Sn, if necessary under consideration of the sound desired by the hearing device user.
• the selection unit 2 one or several active source units Sl to Sn is/are selected beside a possible analog-to- digital conversion of the signals received by the source units Sl to Sn.
• interface units are provided as has already been mentioned.
• the selection of a source unit Sl to Sn can either take place manually, for example by the hearing device user, or automatically, for example by the signal processing unit 3.
• the manual selection is indicated by the operational connection denoted by RC m the figure, over which operational connection, for example via a switch at the hearing device itself or via a remote control (both not depicted in the figure) , the hearing device or the selection unit 2 will be informed regarding which source unit or source units Sl to Sn are used.
• the hearing device Furthermore, it is, for example, possible to inform the hearing device over the same input possibility whether the selection of the active source unit or units must take place automatically or not.
• the automatic selection of the source unit Sl to Sn occurs by the signal processing unit 3 and/or the selection unit 2. Therefore, the signal processing unit 3 is connected to the selection unit 2 via the connection A.
• a first method comprises the step of selecting a source unit Sl to Sn for which the signal noise ratio is the best.
• a second method comprises the step of selecting a source unit Sl to Sn for which the incoming signal most probably has the desired signal based on features in the time or/and frequency domain.
• a further possible method comprises the step of selecting a source unit Sl to Sn which generates a signal in the time and/or the frequency domain that has the highest level comparatively.
• At least a hearing program is provided for each source unit Sl to Sn, the at least one hearing program being in particular suitable for the corresponding source unit Sl to Sn.
• the corresponding hearing program is executed in the signal processing unit 1.
• T-Coil Telephone Coil
• the acoustic surround situation implied herein is the following:
• the signal is inductively fed to the hearing device; the room acoustics is insignificant.
• the desired signal is rather directly taken from the source unit (for example, a voice by a microphone) or is supplied, for example, by a tape recorder or a recorded announcement.
• the inductive desired signal can be superimposed by inductive interference fields.
• interference fields are, for example, humming sources from transformers, coils, power cables or fluorescent tubes.
• Possible remedies for reduction of the interference fields consist, for example, by the use of an interference filter that attenuates the signal level in the frequency range of the humming sources. In the acoustic signal path of the hearing device, the room acoustics cannot be improved.
• a telephone coil influences the sound in such a manner that sensibility is smaller for high and low frequencies.
• the sound is though the same as for using a hearing device microphone.
• the high and low frequency ranges are therefore reproduced m an amplified manner.
• FM-receiver For a FM- (frequency modulated) -receiver, the desired signal is fed to the hearing device via a FM transmission, the acoustic surround situation m the vicinity of the hearing device is therefore insignificant.
• a desired signal transmitted via the FM transmission is directly recorded.
• a voice is directly recorded at the speaker's position by a remote microphone, or a band recording or a recorded announcement is set via the FM transmission.
• LF (low frequency) bandwidth of the transmission is limited. Therefore, it is conceivable that the sound is optimized after the transmission because of the limited bandwidth of the transmission.
• the transmission via FM transmission typically has a low dynamic, an also limited frequency response and a higher noise as result.
• a noise suppression unit noise cancellers
• the assumed acoustic surround situation is similar to the one of a telephone coil. Possibly, a signal already transmitted via a FM transmission is fed into the hearing device via the audio input. Accordingly, the above mentioned measures apply in order to improve the desired signal .
• the signal fed via the audio input typically is extremely broad-band (for example, a signal from a CD player) and has a high dynamic range. Accordingly, the broad-band signals must be processed by a suitable dynamic behavior of the hearing device amplifier.
• Source Several sources, as for example FM transmission and microphone, or microphone and telephone coil
• a further embodiment of the present invention consists in that for a switching from one source unit Sl to Sn to another, and therewith a hearing program change from a first to a second hearing program, is carried out m such a manner that an output signal generated according to a first hearing program is smoothly turned into an output signal generated by the second hearing program.
• the hearing device user is not surprised or does not feel insecure by a hard switching from a first hearing program to a second.
• the hearing program switching is rather only perceived by the hearing device user m that the hearing capability is steadily improved through the selection of a better hearing program.
• publication of the international patent application having publication number WO 02/05591 A2, which corresponds to US- 2003-0091197-A1, of the same applicant.
• a sudden switching from a presently used hearing program to a new hearing program is desired for a manual triggering by the hearing device user instead of a smooth transmission, because the hearing device user perceives the sudden change in acoustics as confirmation of the switching process.
• a slow steady or smooth transition for a manual triggering would otherwise only result in uncertainty because it can not be determined whether the switching process has been triggered at all.

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• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• General Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Neurosurgery (AREA)
• Otolaryngology (AREA)
• Physics & Mathematics (AREA)
• Engineering & Computer Science (AREA)
• Acoustics & Sound (AREA)
• Signal Processing (AREA)
• Circuit For Audible Band Transducer (AREA)
• Measurement Of The Respiration, Hearing Ability, Form, And Blood Characteristics Of Living Organisms (AREA)
• Electrically Operated Instructional Devices (AREA)

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• 2006
  • 2006-12-13 US US12/518,747 patent/US8594337B2/en not_active Expired - Fee Related
  • 2006-12-13 DE DE602006019926T patent/DE602006019926D1/de active Active
  • 2006-12-13 DK DK06830575.4T patent/DK2103177T3/da active
  • 2006-12-13 WO PCT/EP2006/069640 patent/WO2008071230A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2006-12-13 AT AT06830575T patent/ATE497331T1/de not_active IP Right Cessation
  • 2006-12-13 EP EP10192310A patent/EP2317777A1/en not_active Withdrawn
  • 2006-12-13 EP EP06830575A patent/EP2103177B1/en active Active

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