Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Hearing aids – electrical
Reexamination Certificate
2000-06-20
2004-08-31
Ni, Suhan (Department: 2643)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Hearing aids, electrical
C381S315000, C381S323000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06785394
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
A hearing aid with data logging capability is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,972,487 in the form of a digitally programmable hearing aid that includes a data logging circuit and provides a number of different user-selectable listening programs. The data logging circuit is utilised to record log-data relating to how many times the user switches between the listening programs and a utilisation time of each of the listening programs. The recorded log-data are stored in a battery backed-up RAM area of a hearing aid signal processor so that the logged-data are retained when the normal hearing aid battery supply is interrupted. A bi-directional serial programming interface is furthermore included in the disclosed hearing aid making it possible for a host programming system, typically located in a dispenser's office, to read and display the logged-data. Thereby, the dispenser or audiologist can be informed about the hearing aid user's listening program usage from the initial fitting of the aid until the logged data are read out. This data-logged information may be used by the dispenser to optimise the selection of listening programs included in the hearing aid as well as determining optimal signal processing parameters for the listening programs.
For several reasons, that will be described in the following with reference to a number of embodiments of the present invention, it would be advantageous to allow a hearing aid processor or controller to automatically control a function or functions of the hearing aid based on a comparison between some predetermined criteria and the value of the accumulated utilisation time. Thus, a user equipped with the present hearing aid may have the aid's acoustic gain and/or frequency response automatically adjusted in accordance with various predetermined rules that are based on the aid's accumulated utilisation time value. In one embodiment of the present invention, the accumulated utilisation time value is utilised to control the time at which the hearing aid becomes inoperative by comparing the accumulated utilisation time value with a predetermined limit value and muting the processed output signal once this limit value is reached or exceeded. This embodiment of the invention is particularly useful if the hearing aid is sold in connection with a subscription arrangement. For the hearing aid user's convenience, a distinct notification signal is preferably provided to the user at a predetermined time period prior to the hearing aid becomes inoperative.
Hearing aids or instruments have traditionally been sold to users or patients as a one-time service at a relatively high price that also would have to cover the dispenser's obligation to service the hearing aid user with hearing aid adjustments, repairs and general advice about proper use of the acquired aid. Such a service obligation usually runs for a 3-5 years period while repairs are covered by a guarantee in the first 1-2 years.
As an alternative, it would be desirable if the hearing aids could be sold in connection with subscription arrangements, much in the same way as contact lenses are sold today, where a start fee is paid upon an establishment of a subscription agreement and where regular, e.g. monthly, subscription fees are paid afterwards to cover on-going services provided by the contact lens provider.
For a hearing aid dispenser, a similar arrangement would have the advantage that it provided a source of continuous income. For the hearing aid user, an advantage would be that the relatively high cost of purchasing the hearing aid could be distributed over a period of several years. Another advantage for the hearing aid user could be that he/she could be ensured that repairs and other service of the hearing aid would be carried out if the regular subscription fees were paid. However, to make such arrangements feasible to the hearing aid dispenser, he must be provided with a possibility of terminating his services and making the hearing aid inoperative if the user neglects his/hers contractual obligations, much in the same way as a contact lens provider can cancel his deliveries if e.g. proper fees are not paid.
To make such a prescription arrangement practical, it would therefore be highly desirable to provide a hearing aid that was capable of automatically interrupting its operation after expiration of a predetermined accumulated utilisation time period which may have been fixed in the subscription agreement.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
One object of the invention is to provide a hearing aid that comprises time recording means adapted to determine the accumulated or summed-up utilisation time of the hearing aid in order to control one or several functions of the hearing aid based on a comparison between the accumulated utilisation time value and predetermined criteria.
Another object of the invention is to provide a hearing aid particularly well suited for subscription arrangements between the dispenser and hearing aid users because the hearing aid may be adapted to detect when the subscription period expires and thereafter automatically enter an inoperative state.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
A first aspect of the invention relates to a hearing aid comprising:
a microphone adapted to generate an input signal in response to receiving acoustic signals,
a processor adapted to process the input signal to generate a processed output signal,
a system clock generator adapted to generate a system clock signal,
a sound transducer for converting the processed output signal into an acoustic output signal, and
time recording means adapted to detect utilisation time periods of the hearing aid based on the system clock signal or a clock signal derived from the system clock signal. Wherein the time recording means are adapted to determine an accumulated utilisation time value based on the detected utilisation time periods and compare the accumulated utilisation time value to one or several predetermined criteria to control a function of the hearing aid.
The hearing aid may be any conventional type of hearing instrument or aid such as a Behind The Ear (BTE), In The Ear (ITE) or Completely In the Canal (CIC) hearing aid. The input signal generated by the microphone may be an analogue signal or a digital signal, in a multi-bit format or a single bit format. The input signal to the processor is preferably provided as a digital signal so if the microphone signal is in an analogue form, it must be converted into a digital signal by a suitable analogue-to-digital converter (A/D converter) included on an integrated circuit of the hearing aid. The input signal may be subjected to various signal pre-processing such as amplification/buffering and/or bandwidth limiting before being applied to the A/D converter and subjected to other processing after conversion such as decimation, delaying etc. before the input signal is provided to the processor.
The sound transducer that converts the processed output signal into an acoustic output signal may be a conventional hearing aid speaker often called a “receiver” or another sound pressure transducer producing a perceivable acoustic signal to the user of the hearing aid.
The processor which is adapted to process the input signal may comprise one or several separate processors and its/their associated memory circuitry, either arranged on a single integrated circuit or distributed over several respective integrated circuits.
The processor may comprise an analogue signal processor operating on an analogue or continues time input signal, or a sampled input signal, provided by the microphone. The analogue signal processor will usually operates in accordance with one or more adjustable signal processing parameters to provide a processed output signal that is tailored to specific characteristics of a patient's hearing loss. The processor may, alternatively, be constituted by, or at least comprise, a Digital Signal Processor (DSP). Such a DSP based hearing instrument must furthermore comprise an analogue-to-digital convert
Bisgaard Nikolai
Olsen Henrik Bagger
Bingham & McCutchen LLP
Bolan Michael J.
GN ReSound A/S
Ni Suhan
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