Auditory prosthesis, a method and a system for generation of a calibrated sound field

• US 20030002698A1
• Filed: 07/24/2002
• Published: 01/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Ludvigsen, Carl
• Granted Patent: US 8,107,635 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

An auditory prosthesis (14, 14′) is adapted for compensation of hearing loss and for sound pressure determination. During calibration of the sound field to be used during fine-tuning of the auditory prosthesis, the auditory prosthesis is positioned at an observation point in the sound field, and the sound pressure at the auditory prosthesis is adjusted based on determinations of sound pressures performed with the auditory prosthesis. Thus, the need for dedicated calibrated sound pressure determining equipment is eliminated. The invention provides an auditory prosthesis, a method and a system for calibration of a sound field.

Claims

1. An auditory prosthesis comprising a microphone for transforming an acoustic input signal into a microphone signal, a processor with a processor output and a measuring signal output, said processor being adapted for providing at said processor output a hearing loss compensation signal and for providing at said measuring signal output a sound level signal determined on the basis of the microphone signal, and an output transducer for transforming the hearing loss compensation signal into an acoustic output signal.

2. The auditory prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein said signal processor is provided with a filter bank, said filter bank having bandpass filters for dividing the microphone signal into a set of bandpass filtered microphone signal derivatives, and wherein said signal processor is adapted to provide the sound level signal by individually processing each of the bandpass filtered microphone signal derivatives, and summing the signal derivatives to provide the sound pressure signal.

3. The auditory prosthesis according to claim 1, comprising a memory for storage of sensitivity values of said microphone, and a pre-adjustment circuit for providing pre-adjustment of the microphone signal in order to provide a calibrated microphone signal.

4. The auditory prosthesis according to claim 1, comprising a transmitter for transmission of the sound level signal.

5. The auditory prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein said measuring signal output comprises a means for connecting a programming cable.

6. The auditory prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein said sound level signal is a digital signal.

7. The auditory prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein said sound level signal represents a root-mean-square sound pressure.

8. The auditory prosthesis according to claim 1, comprising a bank of band-pass filters for processing the microphone signal and for providing as said sound level signal a set of band-pass filtered signals.

9. A method for generation of a calibrated sound field, comprising the steps of positioning in a test space an auditory prosthesis, said auditory prostheses having a microphone, a signal processor, and an output transducer, said auditory prostheses being adapted to provide a sound level signal determined on the basis of a signal from said microphone, generating a sound field in the test space, and feeding the sound level signal to the controller in order that the controller may modify the generated sound field based on the sound level signal as appropriate to generate a calibrated sound field.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein said positioning step comprises the step of positioning the auditory prosthesis in the ear of a user situated in the test space.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein the step of generating a sound field comprises the steps of providing a sound signal according to an initial set of control parameters, transforming the sound signal into a sound field in the test space, and supplying the sound level signal to a controller for calculation of a modified set of control parameters for modification of the sound signal.

12. The method according to claim 9, comprising selecting for the controller a personal computer provided with a memory for storage of a set of control parameters, and using the computer together with a computer programme for calculation of a revised set of control parameters.

13. The method according to claim 9, comprising connecting the auditory prosthesis to an external programming device by means of a programming cable, and supplying the sound level signal to the controller via the programming cable.

14. The method according to claim 9, comprising using a wireless link in the auditory prosthesis for transmission of the sound level signal.

15. The method according to claim 9, comprising storing microphone sensitivity values as specified by the manufacturer of the microphone, and determining the sound level signal based on the stored sensitivity values.

16. The method according to claim 9, comprising storing microphone sensitivity values determined by a calibration of the microphone, and determining the sound level signal based on the stored sensitivity values.

17. The method according to claim 9, comprising performing prior to calibration a pre-adjustment of the sound signal, using the hearing aid positioned at a selected observation point in the test space.

19. The system according to claim 18, wherein said controller comprises a personal computer including a memory for storage of the control parameters together with a computer programme for calculation of the control parameters, and input means for receiving the sound level signal.

20. The system according to claim 18, wherein said auditory prosthesis is connected to an external programming device via a programming cable, and wherein said measuring signal output is connected to said programming device via said programming cable for the purpose of supplying the sound level signal to said programming device and from there to said controller.

21. The system according to claim 18, wherein said auditory prosthesis comprises a wireless link for transmission of the sound level signal.

22. The system according to claim 18, wherein said controller comprises a signal analyser for derivation of data representing the sound characteristic of the sound field in the test space.

18. A system for generation of a calibrated sound field, comprising a sound signal generator for generation of a sound signal, a sound signal modifier adapted to modify the sound signal in accordance with a set of control parameters for provision of a modified sound signal, a sound transducer for transforming the modified sound signal into a sound field in a test space, an auditory prosthesis, and a controller, wherein said auditory prostheses has a microphone for transforming an acoustic input signal into a microphone signal, a processor with a processor output and a measuring signal output, wherein said processor is adapted for providing at said measuring signal output a sound level signal determined on the basis of the microphone signal, and wherein said controller is adapted to receive the sound level signal and to calculate a new set of control parameters based on the sound level signal.

23. An auditory prosthesis comprising a microphone for transforming an acoustic input signal into a microphone signal, and a processor, wherein said signal processor is provided with a processor output, a measuring signal output and a filter bank, wherein said filter bank has bandpass filters for dividing the microphone signal into a set of bandpass filtered microphone signal derivatives, and wherein said signal processor is adapted to provide at said measuring signal output a sound level signal determined by individually processing each of the bandpass filtered microphone signal derivatives, and summing the signal derivatives to provide the sound pressure signal.

24. An auditory prosthesis comprising

a microphone for transforming an acoustic input signal into an electronic microphone signal,

a filter bank with bandpass filters for dividing the microphone signal into a set of bandpass filtered microphone signals,

a signal processor that is adapted to

generate a processor output signal by individually processing each of the bandpass filtered microphone signals and summing the processed signals to form the processor output signal,

determine sound pressures based on the set of bandpass filtered microphone signals, and

provide a set of sound pressure signals representing the respective determined sound pressures,

a signal output for provision of the set of sound pressure signals, and

an output transducer for transforming the processor output signal into an acoustic output signal.