Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Hearing aids – electrical – Programming interface circuitry
Reexamination Certificate
1998-11-12
2001-01-16
Kuntz, Curtis A. (Department: 2743)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Hearing aids, electrical
Programming interface circuitry
C381S060000, C381S312000, C073S585000, C600S559000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06175635
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a hearing device of the type worn at the ear, i.e., behind the ear or in the ear, as well as to a method for adjusting audiological/acoustic parameters in such a hearing device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Hearing aids are known wherein individual audiological/acoustical parameters are set directly by individually allocated final control elements. The space available at the hearing device for non-overlapping or interfering placement of final control elements, however, is limited and decreases with increasing miniaturization of the hearing devices.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the present invention is to provide a hearing device and a method for the adjustment of audiological/acoustical parameters wherein an arbitrary number of audiological/acoustical parameters can be set via final control elements. As used herein a “final control element” is an element which is actuated in some manner to set or change one or more parameters such as, for example, manually operable, externally accessible element such as push buttons or thumb wheels or switches, or telemetrically operated switches, or remote signal receivers. Reference to a final control element as being “actuated” or “actuatable” therefore encompasses manual or electronic actuation.
The above object is achieved in an inventive hearing device having an allocating stage for combining and/or deriving audiological/acoustical parameters, whereby a number of combined and/or derived parameters can be set simultaneously by activating only one final control element. The number of the final control elements at the hearing device thus can be reduced, since a number of correspondingly combined or derived audiological/acoustical parameters can be simultaneously set by actuation of one final control element. Of course, it is still possible to actuate more than one final control element, with each actuated final control element simultaneously setting a number of parameters which have been differently combined and/or derived in the allocation stage.
Given the combining of a correspondingly large number of parameters, a very large number of parameters can thus be set by a low number of final control elements.
Besides combining parameters, the individual parameters can also be linked, and correspondingly derived parameters can be obtained by intermediate (computing) operations. The number of parameters that can be set via the final control elements can also be increased in this way.
The inventive hearing device enables the simultaneous adjustment of a number of parameters (e.g. total amplification and treble amplification) via a single final control element without the need for space for two final control elements at the hearing device or the need to the individually actuate two individual final control elements.
The combination and/or derivation of the parameters to the individual final control elements which takes place in the allocating stage can be changeable in order to respectively allocate groups of combined and/or derived parameters to the respective individual final control elements, these groups being respectively adapted on the basis of the current hearing situation or of changing hearing conditions of the user.
In an embodiment employing a programmable allocating stage, the allocation of the individual parameters to the final control elements can occur in program-controlled fashion. User-specific allocations can be utilized therein.
In an another embodiment the inventive hearing device has a detector element for the detection of current useful signals and noise signals. Following an evaluation of the detected useful and noise signals, corresponding combinations and/or derivations of parameters to the final control elements can then be performed, these parameters being adapted to the current hearing situation.
If, for example, the user frequently spends time in traffic, this can be taken into account in the combination of the individual parameters subsequent to a detection by the detector element. In this connection the total amplification, the bass AGC element and the treble AGC element could be allocated to a single final control element.
Given increasing adjustment of the final control element the basic amplification and the amplification by the treble AGC element could thus increase, while the bass AGC element (for cutting out low-frequency noises such as car noise) is simultaneously lowered.
In connection with the detector element a combination of individual parameters can thus ensue, this combination being adapted to the specific hearing situation, whereby it is simultaneously established whether, given an increasing adjustment of the final control element, the combined parameters are adjusted to the same or to different degrees, and in the same or opposite directions.
In a further embodiment the audiological/acoustical parameters can also be adjusted via an external unit (i.e. not directly at the hearing device), with the external unit can being connectable to the hearing device via a cable connection or via an interface.
Adjustment via an external unit can prove to be advantageous given a recalibration or overhaul of the hearing device at an acoustician's or by the manufacturer, since other operating elements and potentially auxiliary programs can also be integrated in the external unit.
The allocating stage for the combination and/or derivation of parameters to the individual final control elements can be integrated in the hearing device or even in the external unit.
The allocating apparatus itself can be implemented as storage unit, preferably as non-volatile memory, whereby a number of parameter variables can be allocated to the respective memory addresses, and/or combined parameter values can be allocated to respective memory addresses.
In the inventive method for the adjustment of audiological/acoustical parameters, these parameters are initially combined and/or derived and are set via a few final control elements. A large number of parameters can thereby be set by a low number of final control elements.
The combination and/or derivation of the parameters is preferably adjustable so that an adaptation to current hearing situations or changing hearing habits of the user can occur.
In another variation of the method a combining and/or derivation of parameters which is adapted to the current hearing situation can occur subsequent to a detection and evaluation of current useful signals and noise signals, so that a comfortable adaptation of the signal processing in the hearing device to the current hearing situation can take place via the existing final control elements.
A combination and/or derivation of the parameters of the signal processor its components preferably ensues, such as the PC (peak clipping) element, the preamplifier, the separating filter, the bass AGC, the treble AGC, the treble amplifier and/or the bass amplifier.
In a digital hearing device individual signal processing procedures preferably are combined and/or differentiated, allowing a number of signal processing algorithms to be simultaneously activated in the executed connection and linkage via individual final control elements.
The allocation of the final control elements to the components of the signal processing apparatus preferably ensues via a memory unit/decoder unit. The addresses for the memory unit/decoder unit are generated by a linking or combination of the digitized values of the final control elements. The data words filed under these addresses control the signal processing apparatus.
In the embodiment described above an external EDP (electronic data processor) unit is commonly utilized for the basic programming/reprogramming of user-specific parameters (groups of parameters). It is also an object of the invention to provide a hearing device and a method for the basic programming/reprogramming of user-specific parameters (groups of parameters) which do not include an external EDP.
Such a hearing device has an integrated generator (or
Meyer Wolfram
Sigwanz Ullrich
Weiss Hans-Joachim
Kuntz Curtis A.
Ni Suhan
Schiff & Hardin & Waite
Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
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