Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Hearing aids – electrical – Programming interface circuitry
Reexamination Certificate
2000-11-29
2004-11-09
Kuntz, Curtis (Department: 2643)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Hearing aids, electrical
Programming interface circuitry
C381S073100, C381S315000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06816599
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an ear level electronic device comprising a housing that is adapted to be worn behind the ear, in the ear, or in the ear canal, and to enclose a music synthesizer for generation of an electrical signal representing music and an output transducer for conversion of the electrical signal into sound.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Music is a sequence of sounds, such as tones, chords, etc, preferably generated in pleasant patterns. In the present context, the term music denotes a sequence of sounds that has a duration allowing a listener to listen comfortably to the music for extended periods of time. Preferably, music is a sequence of sounds with a duration that is longer than 5 seconds, preferably longer than 10 seconds, more preferred longer than 20 seconds, even more preferred longer than 30 seconds, still more preferred longer than one minute, and most preferred substantially longer than one minute.
The electronic device may relieve living beings of stress and anxiety, and in particular living beings may be relieved of stress, anxiety and upsets caused by tinnitus when listening to music synthesized by the device.
Tinnitus occurs in a subjective and an objective form. A person that has a sensation of head noises, such as buzzing, ringing, whistling, hissing, etc, is said to suffer from tinnitus. When the person has the sensation without an external cause, the tinnitus is subjective. When the head noises can be heard or measured by an examiner, the tinnitus is objective. The head noises may be heard intermittently or the noises may vary over time in another way.
It is well-known that a person suffering from tinnitus may perceive a relief from tinnitus by listening to an externally generated sound.
An externally generated sound may mask tinnitus. In general, the term masking refers to the influence on tinnitus during presence of another sound. However, the influence may continue after termination of the masking sound. The masking may be complete meaning that tinnitus is not heard during presence of the masking sound or, the masking may be partial meaning that tinnitus is heard with reduced loudness during presence of the masking sound. Masking devices generating sounds based on electronic noise signals are well-known in the art. Noise generators, e.g. pseudo-random noise generators, are employed providing stationary noise with a certain bandwidth. However, typically, random noise is not comfortable to listen to, and a positive masking effect requires that the noise is more pleasant to listen to than the tinnitus itself.
It is also known that externally generated sounds may inhibit tinnitus so that the tinnitus is not heard (complete inhibition) or is heard with reduced loudness (partial inhibition) after termination of the inhibiting sound. Typically, the tinnitus is heard again seconds or minutes after termination of the inhibiting sound but sometimes the tinnitus is inhibited for hours or days. Pure tones or noise with a narrow bandwidth have been shown to inhibit tinnitus. E.g. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,325,872, a device is disclosed for inhibiting tinnitus with pure tones by repetitively sweeping the tone across a narrow frequency interval around the frequency of the tinnitus. The repetition period may be selected between 0.1 and 1000 s.
Through habituation, a person's perception of tinnitus may be changed by exposure of the person to sound during a longer period of time. Typically, other therapeutic methods are also included in the treatment of the person. By habituation, the tinnitus perception is changed so that nuisance caused by tinnitus is eliminated or reduced. Typically, noise signals are used for habituation. The loudness of the noise signals is adjusted so that the tinnitus is still heard. This is important for habituation to be obtained. Thus, a complete masking is not allowed.
However, it is a disadvantage of utilization of noise signals, such as white or pink noise signals, that the corresponding sounds typically cause some nuisance to the listener and may mask signals of interest to the listener.
Finally, it is known that listening to sounds in general may relieve nuisance caused by tinnitus. Listening to music may for example have a positive effect on a person's perception of tinnitus. Further, music may also affect emotions caused by tinnitus, such as stress, by having a general relaxing effect whereby the positive effect of listening is increased. This treatment is known as desensibilisation. DE-A1-44 27 216 discloses a device generating music of a specific category selected by the tinnitus patient, e.g. classic, pop or meditation music. The music sequence may be stored magnetically on a tape or be stored in digitized form in a semiconductor memory. It is suggested that the music signals may be transmitted to a hearing aid by wireless transmission means.
Tinnitus may occur together with another hearing impairment. In WO-A-94/09606, a tinnitus masking device is disclosed for masking tinnitus where the frequency of the tinnitus occurs in a narrow frequency band in which the hearing is impaired. Thus, this device also stimulates the sensory nerves in a narrow frequency band around the frequency of the tinnitus.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for generation of a signal representing sound that is emotionally neutral and non-distracting so that a person suffering from tinnitus may listen comfortably to sounds based on this signal for extended periods of time with a sensation of relief and thus without getting distracted with the synthesized sounds.
It is a further object of the invention to provide the apparatus in a hearing aid type of apparatus, i.e. an apparatus that is worn behind the ear, or in the ear, or in the ear canal as is well-known in the art of hearing aids.
Preferably, the apparatus is used for desensibilisation or for habituation.
The device may incorporate means for turning the music synthesizer off manually or automatically. The device may further comprise means for detecting a desired signal, such as speech, music, etc, and for turning the music synthesizer off automatically upon detection of the desired signal.
Further, the synthesized sounds should not mask any signals of interest, e.g. communication signals and other signals that the person needs or desires to hear.
According to a first aspect of the present invention an ear level electronic device is provided, comprising a housing that is adapted to be worn behind the ear, in the ear, or in the ear canal, and to enclose a music synthesizer for generation of a first electrical signal representing music and an output transducer for conversion of the first electrical signal into sound.
An ear level electronic device is a device that is worn like a hearing aid, i.e. behind the ear, in the ear, or in the ear canal, and wherein the output of the output transducer is led to the eardrum in a way that is well-known in the art of hearing aids.
The device may be incorporated into a hearing aid, such as a digital hearing aid that comprises an input transducer, the output transducer, a digital signal processing means, and the music synthesizer for generating the electronic signal representing music to be reproduced by the output transducer. Preferably, the music synthesizer is incorporated in the digital signal processing means, i.e. the digital signal processing means is adapted to perform the functions of the music synthesizer.
The music synthesizer may be adapted to generate the synthesized music at the output transducer with a loudness or amplitude level that does not mask the tinnitus completely, i.e. the user may still perceive to hear the tinnitus sound at a reduced level.
The music synthesizer may comprise a sound generator and preferably, the synthesizer comprises a set of sound generators. The sound generators may be controlled digitally.
Each sound generator may be adapted to generate an electronic signal representing a tone of a specific loudness and frequency and with a specifi
Ludvigsen Carl
Thiede Thilo Volker
Ensey Brian
Kuntz Curtis
Topholm & Westermann APS
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