Sound system for tinnitus relief

• US 10,165,372 B2
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Issued: 12/25/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Dyrlund, Ole
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sean H
• Application Number:
  US13/538,750
• Publication Number:
  US 20130343581A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,370 Days
• Field of Search: 381312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/75 Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception

Abstract

A sound enrichment system for provision of tinnitus relief to a user, the sound enrichment system includes: a signal generator for provision of a carrier signal; at least one signal modulator including a first signal modulator for modulation of the carrier signal to a modulated signal; an output transducer for conversion of the modulated signal to an acoustic signal for presentation to the user; and a memory configured to store at least one feature including a first feature; wherein the at least one signal modulator is configured to modulate the carrier signal according to the at least one feature such that the acoustic signal converted from the modulated signal resembles a natural sound signal for the user.

Claims

1. A sound system for provision of tinnitus relief to a user, the sound system comprising:

a signal generator for provision of a noise signal, wherein the signal generator comprises a noise generator;

at least one signal modulator for modulation of the noise signal to obtain a modulated signal;

an output transducer for conversion of the modulated signal to an acoustic signal for presentation to the user; and

a memory configured to store data, the data having different values corresponding respectively with at least a first sound pressure level and a second sound pressure level;

wherein the at least one signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal based on the data that corresponds with the at least first and second sound pressure levels to obtain the modulated signal; and

wherein the modulated signal has the first sound pressure level at a first frequency, and the second sound pressure level less than the first level, and wherein the second sound pressure level is at a second frequency different from the first frequency.

2. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the modulated signal has a third sound pressure level less than the second sound pressure level, the third sound pressure level being at a third frequency larger than the second frequency.

3. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein a level of the modulated signal is a decreasing function of frequency for frequencies larger than a threshold frequency.

4. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein a level of the modulated signal is an increasing function of frequency for frequencies smaller than a threshold frequency.

5. The sound system according to claim 1, further comprising a microphone for conversion of an acoustic sound signal into an electric signal.

6. The sound system according to claim 5, further comprising circuitry for adjusting the electric signal for compensation of a hearing loss of the user.

7. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the data comprises an amplitude modulation parameter, and the signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal by amplitude modulation.

8. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the modulated signal comprises a natural sound characteristic.

9. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one signal modulator is configured to perform the modulation in a first frequency band including the first frequency and in a second frequency band including the second frequency.

10. A binaural hearing aid system comprising a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, wherein the first hearing aid comprises a first sound system according to claim 1, and the second hearing aid comprises a second sound system, wherein the first sound system and the second sound system are synchronized in time.

11. The binaural hearing aid system according to claim 10, wherein the first sound system is configured to perform a first signal modulation based on a first feature, and the second sound system is configured to perform a second signal modulation based on a second feature, and wherein the first signal modulation and the second signal modulation are synchronized between the first and second sound systems.

12. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the memory comprises a hearing aid memory.

13. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal has a sound characteristic like that of breaking waves.

14. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal has a sound characteristic like that of flowing water, waterfall, or rainforest.

15. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the data is determined during fitting of the hearing aid or during a manufacturing process of the hearing aid.

16. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the data is associated with a natural sound, and wherein the at least one signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal based on the data that is associated with the natural sound to obtain the modulated signal.

17. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the data is indicative of a characteristic of a natural sound, and wherein the at least one signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal based on the data that is indicative of the characteristic of the natural sound to obtain the modulated signal.

18. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal has a characteristic of an ocean wave.

19. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal has a characteristic of a breaking wave.

20. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of an ocean wave.

21. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of a breaking wave.

22. The sound system according to claim 1, wherein the data comprises an amplitude modulation parameter.

23. The sound system of claim 1, wherein the at least one signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal so that the noise signal has varying volumes over time.

24. A method for provision of tinnitus relief to a user, comprising:

retrieving data from a memory of a sound system, the data having different values corresponding respectively with at least a first sound pressure level and a second sound pressure level;

generating a noise signal in the sound system that is configured to be worn by the user;

modulating the noise signal based on the data that corresponds with the at least first and second sound pressure levels, thereby forming a modulated signal; and

converting the modulated signal to an acoustic signal for presentation to the user;

wherein the modulated signal has the first level at a first frequency, and the second level less than the first level, and wherein the second level is at a second frequency different from the first frequency.

25. The method according to claim 24, wherein the memory comprises a hearing aid memory.

26. The method according to claim 24, wherein the data is determined during fitting of the hearing aid or during a manufacturing process of the hearing aid.

27. The method according to claim 24, wherein the data is associated with a natural sound.

28. The method according to claim 24, wherein the data is indicative of a characteristic of a natural sound.

29. The method according to claim 24, wherein the acoustic signal has a characteristic of an ocean wave.

30. The method according to claim 24, wherein the acoustic signal has a characteristic of a breaking wave.

31. The method according to claim 24, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of an ocean wave.

32. The method according to claim 24, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of a breaking wave.

33. The method of claim 24, wherein the act of modulating the noise signal is performed so that has varying volumes over time.

34. A sound system for provision of tinnitus relief to a user, the sound system comprising:

a noise generator for provision of a noise signal;

a signal modulator for modulation of the noise signal based on stored data to obtain a modulated noise signal, the stored data having different values corresponding respectively to one or more sound pressure level(s); and

an output transducer for conversion of the modulated noise signal to an acoustic signal for presentation to the user;

wherein the noise signal comprises a white noise signal or a color noise signal.

35. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the modulated noise signal has different frequencies.

36. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the data comprises pre-determined data.

37. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the acoustic signal has a sound characteristic like that of breaking waves.

38. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the modulated signal has a first level at a first frequency, and a second level less than the first level, and wherein the second level is at a second frequency larger than the first frequency.

39. The sound system according to claim 38, wherein the modulated signal has a third level less than the second level, the third level being at a third frequency larger than the second frequency.

40. The sound system according to claim 38, wherein the signal modulator is configured to perform the modulation in a first frequency band including the first frequency, and in a second frequency band including the second frequency.

41. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein a level of the modulated signal is a decreasing function of frequency for frequencies larger than a threshold frequency.

42. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein a level of the modulated signal is an increasing function of frequency for frequencies smaller than a threshold frequency.

43. The sound system according to claim 34, further comprising a microphone for conversion of an acoustic sound signal into an electric signal.

44. The sound system according to claim 43, further comprising circuitry for adjusting the electric signal for compensation of a hearing loss of the user.

45. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal by amplitude modulation.

46. The sound system according to claim 45, wherein the signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal based on an amplitude modulation parameter.

47. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the signal modulator is configured for modulation of the noise signal to obtain the modulated noise signal in accordance with a pre-determined scheme.

48. A binaural hearing aid system comprising a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, wherein the first hearing aid comprises a first sound system according to claim 34, and the second hearing aid comprises a second sound system, wherein the first sound system and the second sound system are synchronized in time.

49. The binaural hearing aid system according to claim 48, wherein the first sound system is configured to perform a first signal modulation based on a first feature, and the second sound system is configured to perform a second signal modulation based on a second feature, and wherein the first signal modulation and the second signal modulation are synchronized between the first and second sound systems.

50. The sound system according to claim 34, further comprising a memory for storing the data.

51. The sound system according to claim 50, wherein the memory comprises a hearing aid memory.

52. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal in a random or pseudo-random manner.

53. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the data is associated with a natural sound.

54. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the data is indicative of a characteristic of a natural sound.

55. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the data comprises an amplitude modulation parameter.

56. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of an ocean wave.

57. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of a breaking wave.

58. The sound system according to claim 34, wherein the acoustic signal has an ocean wave characteristic.

59. The sound system of claim 34, wherein the signal modulator is configured to modulate the noise signal so that the noise signal has varying volumes over time.

60. A hearing aid comprising:

a signal generator for provision of a noise signal;

at least one signal modulator coupled to the signal generator, the at least one signal modulator configured to perform amplitude modulation to provide a modulated signal;

an output transducer for conversion of the modulated signal to an acoustic signal for presentation to a user; and

a memory storing data, wherein the data has different values that corresponds respectively with one or more sound pressure level(s);

wherein the at least one signal modulator is configured to perform the amplitude modulation according to the data that corresponds with the one or more sound pressure level(s).

61. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the data is associated with a natural sound.

62. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the data is indicative of a characteristic of a natural sound.

63. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the data comprises an amplitude modulation parameter.

64. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the data is stored in the memory during fitting of the hearing aid.

65. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the data is stored in the memory during a manufacturing process of the hearing aid.

66. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the data in the memory is selected during fitting of the hearing aid.

67. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the acoustic signal has a characteristic of an ocean wave.

68. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the acoustic signal has a characteristic of a breaking wave.

69. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of an ocean wave.

70. The hearing aid according to claim 60, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of a breaking wave.

71. The hearing aid of claim 60, wherein the at least one signal modulator is configured to perform the amplitude modulation so that the noise signal has varying volumes over time.

72. A method for provision of tinnitus relief to a user, comprising:

retrieving data having different values from a memory, wherein the data corresponds with at least a first sound pressure level and a second sound pressure level;

generating a noise signal in a hearing device that is configured to be worn by the user;

modulating the noise signal based on the data, thereby forming a modulated signal, wherein the modulated signal comprises different signal levels that correspond respectively with the values of the data in the memory; and

converting the modulated signal to an acoustic signal for presentation to the user;

wherein the data is determined during fitting of the hearing device or during a manufacturing process of the hearing device.

73. The method according to claim 72, wherein the noise signal is modulated so that the acoustic signal has the first sound pressure level and the second sound pressure level.

74. The method according to claim 72, wherein the data is associated with a natural sound.

75. The method according to claim 72, wherein the data is indicative of a characteristic of a natural sound.

76. The method according to claim 72, wherein the acoustic signal has a characteristic of an ocean wave.

77. The method according to claim 72, wherein the acoustic signal has a characteristic of a breaking wave.

78. The method according to claim 72, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of an ocean wave.

79. The method according to claim 72, wherein the acoustic signal mimics a sound of a breaking wave.

80. The method of claim 72, wherein the act of modulating the noise signal is performed so that the noise signal has varying volumes over time.