Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Hearing aids – electrical
Utility Patent
1994-03-16
2001-01-02
Le, Huyen (Department: 2743)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Hearing aids, electrical
C381S316000, C381S320000
Utility Patent
active
06169813
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to hearing aids for the deaf and the hearing impaired and, in particular, to a hearing aid apparatus and method which utilize frequency transposition of signals from the audio frequency range to another frequency range, such as the ultrasonic frequency range, and vibratory transmission to the human sensory system of the frequency shifted signals as a means of communicating with the human sensory system.
BACKGROUND AND PRIOR ART
A hearing aid system of one general type to which the present invention relates is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,982,434—Lenhardt et al. In the referenced patent, there is disclosed a hearing aid system which utilizes such shifting of signals from the audio frequency range to the ultrasonic frequency range (referred to as “supersonic” frequency range in the referenced patent) and bone conduction of the ultrasonically shifted signals for communication with the human sensory system. In one embodiment of the invention as disclosed in the referenced patent, an audio frequency signal is amplitude modulated onto an ultrasonic carrier for bone conduction transmission. In that embodiment, amplitude modulation is carried out by utilizing the analog audio signal as the modulating signal to modulate an analog ultrasonic carrier signal. In such a modulation system as disclosed in the referenced patent, an amplitude modulated signal with double (upper and lower) sidebands is derived.
The referenced system has provided excellent results in permitting the severely hearing impaired and even otherwise totally deaf persons to sense and understand audio frequency communications which have been frequency upshifted to the ultrasonic frequency range. It is an object of the present invention to provide even further improvements in systems of the aforementioned type.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention provides further improvements in systems of the aforementioned type by providing an apparatus and method in which amplitude modulation of an ultrasonic frequency carrier signal is attained with an audio frequency modulating signal and in which one of the two sidebands is either completely or substantially suppressed and a modulated signal having only one predominant sideband is derived for application to the human sensory system. As will be more fully explained below, it has been discovered that the physiology of the human sensory system is more responsive to a an amplitude modulated frequency upshifted signal having only a single predominant sideband than to a double sideband amplitude modulated signal. The apparatus and method of the present invention provide such a single sideband amplitude modulated ultrasonic signal in a hearing aid apparatus. In one embodiment of the present invention where the lower sideband was suppressed and only the upper sideband was utilized, significant improvements in hearing response performance were realized.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the detailed description which follows, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.
REFERENCES:
patent: 2995633 (1961-08-01), Puharich et al.
patent: 3170993 (1965-02-01), Puharich et al.
patent: 3393279 (1968-07-01), Flanagan
patent: 3563246 (1971-02-01), Puharich et al.
patent: 4156116 (1979-05-01), Yanick
patent: 4419544 (1983-12-01), Adelman
patent: 4686705 (1987-08-01), Smith
patent: 4982434 (1991-01-01), Lenhardt et al.
Lippa Arnold S.
Richardson Charles S.
Hearing Innovations Incorporated
Le Huyen
Rothwell Figg Ernst & Manbeck
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