Hearing aid device for hands free communication
First Claim
1. A hearing aid device comprising:
- at least two environment sound inputs, each for receiving sound and generating electrical sound signals representing sound;
a wireless sound input for receiving wireless sound signals;
an output transducer configured to stimulate hearing of a hearing aid device user;
a transmitter unit configured to transmit signals representing sound and/or voice, andelectric circuitry operatively coupled, in at least specific modes of operation of the hearing aid device, to the at least two environment sound inputs, the wireless sound input, the output transducer, and the transmitter unit, said electric circuitry including a dedicated beamformer-noise-reduction-system comprising a beamformer,wherein the hearing aid device is configured to activate a wireless sound receiving mode when the wireless sound input is receiving wireless sound signals,wherein, in the wireless sound receiving mode, the beamformer-noise-reduction-system is configured to retrieve a user voice signal representing the voice of said user of the hearing aid device from the electrical sound signals,the wireless sound input is configured to be wirelessly connected to a communication device and to receive wireless sound signals from the communication device, andthe transmitter unit is configured to be wirelessly connected to the communication device and to transmit said user voice signal to the communication device, whereinthe hearing aid device is configured to be worn in or at an ear of the user,the hearing air device comprises a voice activity detection unit configured to detect if said voice signal of said user is present in the electrical sound signals,the electric circuitry is configured to estimate a noise power spectral density of a disturbing background noise from sound received with the at least one environment sound input when the voice activity detection unit detects an absence of a voice signal of the user in the electrical sound signal, andsaid hearing aid device is configured to determine optimal settings for the beamformer-noise-reduction-system by combining an estimated inter-microphone noise covariance matrix with pre-determined target inter-microphone transfer function or look vector.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention regards a hearing aid device at least one environment sound input, a wireless sound input, an output transducer, electric circuitry, a transmitter unit, and a dedicated beamformer-noise-reduction-system. The hearing aid device is configured to be worn in or at an ear of a user. The at least one environment sound input is configured to receive sound and to generate electrical sound signals representing sound. The wireless sound input is configured to receive wireless sound signals. The output transducer is configured to stimulate hearing of the hearing aid device user. The transmitter unit is configured to transmit signals representing sound and/or voice. The dedicated beamformer-noise-reduction-system is configured to retrieve a user voice signal representing the voice of a user from the electrical sound signals. The wireless sound input is configured to be wirelessly connected to a communication device and to receive wireless sound signals from the communication device. The transmitter unit is configured to be wirelessly connected to the communication device and to transmit the user voice signal to the communication device.
31 Citations
17 Claims
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1. A hearing aid device comprising:
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at least two environment sound inputs, each for receiving sound and generating electrical sound signals representing sound; a wireless sound input for receiving wireless sound signals; an output transducer configured to stimulate hearing of a hearing aid device user; a transmitter unit configured to transmit signals representing sound and/or voice, and electric circuitry operatively coupled, in at least specific modes of operation of the hearing aid device, to the at least two environment sound inputs, the wireless sound input, the output transducer, and the transmitter unit, said electric circuitry including a dedicated beamformer-noise-reduction-system comprising a beamformer, wherein the hearing aid device is configured to activate a wireless sound receiving mode when the wireless sound input is receiving wireless sound signals, wherein, in the wireless sound receiving mode, the beamformer-noise-reduction-system is configured to retrieve a user voice signal representing the voice of said user of the hearing aid device from the electrical sound signals, the wireless sound input is configured to be wirelessly connected to a communication device and to receive wireless sound signals from the communication device, and the transmitter unit is configured to be wirelessly connected to the communication device and to transmit said user voice signal to the communication device, wherein the hearing aid device is configured to be worn in or at an ear of the user, the hearing air device comprises a voice activity detection unit configured to detect if said voice signal of said user is present in the electrical sound signals, the electric circuitry is configured to estimate a noise power spectral density of a disturbing background noise from sound received with the at least one environment sound input when the voice activity detection unit detects an absence of a voice signal of the user in the electrical sound signal, and said hearing aid device is configured to determine optimal settings for the beamformer-noise-reduction-system by combining an estimated inter-microphone noise covariance matrix with pre-determined target inter-microphone transfer function or look vector. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for processing sound from the environment and a wireless sound signal in a hearing aid device, the method comprising:
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providing at least two environment sound inputs for receiving sound and generating respective electrical sound signals representing sound, providing a wireless sound input for receiving wireless sound signals, providing an output transducer configured to stimulate hearing of a hearing aid device user, providing a transmitter unit configured to transmit signals representing sound and/or voice, and providing electric circuitry operatively coupled, in at least specific modes of operation of the hearing aid device, to the at least two environment sound inputs, the wireless sound input, the output transducer, and the transmitter unit, said electric circuitry including a dedicated beamformer-noise-reduction-system comprising a beamformer, configured the hearing aid device to activate a wireless sound receiving mode when the wireless sound input is receiving wireless sound signals, configuring, in the wireless sound receiving mode, the beamformer-noise-reduction-system to retrieve a user voice signal representing the voice of said user of the hearing aid device from the electrical sound signals, configuring, in the wireless sound receiving mode, the wireless sound input to be wirelessly connected to a communication device and to receive wireless sound signals from the communication device, configuring, in the wireless sound receiving mode, the transmitter unit to be wirelessly connected to the communication device and to transmit said user voice signal to the communication device, providing a voice activity detection unit configured to detect if said voice signal of said user is present in the electrical sounds signals, configuring the electric circuitry to estimate a noise power spectral density of a disturbing background noise from sound received with the at least one environment sound input when the voice activity detection unit detects an absence of a voice signal of the user in the electrical sound signal, and configuring the hearing aid device to determine optimal settings for the beamformer-noise-reduction-system by combining an estimated inter-microphone noise covariance matrix with pre-determined target inter-microphone transfer function or look vector, wherein said hearing aid device is configured to be worn in or at an ear of the user. - View Dependent Claims (17)
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Specification