Mobile terminals including compensation for hearing impairment and methods and computer program products for operating the same

• US 20060094981A1
• Filed: 10/29/2004
• Published: 05/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Camp, William O. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 7,613,314 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A mobile terminal includes a processor that is programmed to provide a user of the mobile terminal with a hearing test and to determine a set of coefficients. A microphone is configured to receive audio signals therethrough. A digital filter is programmed with the determined set of coefficients and is configured to process the audio signals and transmit the processed audio signals to an earphone.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile terminal, comprising:

providing a user of the mobile terminal with a hearing test;

determining a set of coefficients for a digital filter based on the results of the hearing test;

receiving audio signals through a microphone associated with the mobile terminal;

processing the audio signals using the digital filter programmed with the determined set of coefficients; and

transmitting the processed audio signals to an earphone associated with the mobile terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the audio signals comprises:

processing the audio signals by adjusting the gain of the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level, compressing the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level, and/or expanding the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a wireless interface between the microphone and the mobile terminal; and

using the wireless interface between the earphone and the mobile terminal.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the wireless interface is a Bluetooth interface.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

using a wire interface between the microphone and the mobile terminal; and

using a wire interface between the earphone and the mobile terminal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of coefficients for the digital filter comprises determining the set of coefficients for a plurality of digital filters, and wherein processing the audio signals using the digital filter comprises processing the audio signals using the plurality of digital filters programmed with the determined set of coefficients.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of coefficients comprises determining a first set of coefficients, and wherein the mobile terminal has a pair of microphones associated therewith, the method further comprising:

placing the pair of microphones in a plurality of orientations;

receiving training audio signals through the pair of microphones in each of the plurality of orientations; and

determining a second set of coefficients based on the received training audio signals;

wherein processing the audio signals comprises processing the audio signals using the digital filter programmed with the determined first and second set of coefficients.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

receiving user input responsive to receiving the training radio signals through the pair of microphones in each of the plurality of orientations; and

wherein determining the second set of coefficients comprises determining the second set of coefficients based on the received training audio signals and the user input.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein determining the set of coefficients comprises:

generating a hearing sensitivity curve based on the hearing test; and

determining the set of coefficients based on a Least Mean Square (LMS) fit to an inverse of the hearing sensitivity curve.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

communicating the set of coefficients to an electronic device.

11. A method of operating a mobile terminal, comprising:

providing a user of the mobile terminal with a hearing test;

determining a set of coefficients for a digital filter based on the results of the hearing test;

receiving audio signals via a radio frequency air interface;

processing the audio signals using the digital filter programmed with the determined set of coefficients; and

transmitting the processed audio signals to an earphone associated with the mobile terminal.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the audio signals comprises:

processing the audio signals by adjusting the gain of the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level, compressing the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level, and/or expanding the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the set of coefficients for the digital filter comprises determining the set of coefficients for a plurality of digital filters, and wherein processing the audio signals using the digital filter comprises processing the audio signals using the plurality of digital filters programmed with the determined set of coefficients.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein determining the set of coefficients comprises:

generating a hearing sensitivity curve based on the hearing test; and

determining the set of coefficients based on a Least Mean Square (LMS) fit to an inverse of the hearing sensitivity curve.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

communicating the set of coefficients to an electronic device.

16. A method of operating a mobile terminal, comprising:

placing a pair of microphones associated with the mobile terminal in a plurality of orientations;

receiving training audio signals through the pair of microphones in each of the plurality of orientations; and

determining a set of coefficients for a digital filter based on the received training audio signals.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

receiving user input responsive to receiving the training radio signals through the pair of microphones in each of the plurality of orientations; and

wherein determining the set of coefficients comprises determining the set of coefficients based on the received training audio signals and the user input.

18. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

processing audio signals using the digital filter programmed with the determined set of coefficients.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining the set of coefficients for the digital filter comprises determining the set of coefficients for a plurality of digital filters, and wherein processing the audio signals using the digital filter comprises processing the audio signals using the plurality of digital filters programmed with the determined set of coefficients.

20. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor that is programmed to provide a user of the mobile terminal with a hearing test and to determine a set of coefficients;

a microphone that is configured to receive audio signals therethrough;

an earphone; and

a digital filter that is programmed with the determined set of coefficients and is configured to process the audio signals and transmit the processed audio signals to the earphone.

21. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the digital filter is further configured to process the audio signals by adjusting the gain of the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level, compressing the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level, and/or expanding the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level.

22. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the digital filter comprises a plurality of digital filters that are programmed with the determined set of coefficients and are configured to process the audio signals and transmit the processed audio signals to the earphone.

23. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the set of coefficients is a first set of coefficients, wherein the microphone comprises a pair of microphones, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine a second set of coefficients based on training audio signals received through the pair of microphones when the microphones are placed in a plurality of orientations, and wherein the digital filter is programmed with the determined first and second set of coefficients.

24. The mobile terminal of claim 23, wherein the processor is further configured to receive user input responsive to the user receiving the training radio signals through the pair of microphones in each of the plurality of orientations and to determine the second set of coefficients based on the received training audio signals and the user input.

25. The mobile terminal of claim 20, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the set of coefficients by generating a hearing sensitivity curve based on the hearing test and to determine the set of coefficients based on a Least Mean Square (LMS) fit to an inverse of the hearing sensitivity curve.

26. The mobile terminal of claim 20, further comprising:

an interface for communicating the set of coefficients to an electronic device.

27. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a processor that is programmed to provide a user of the mobile terminal with a hearing test and to determine a set of coefficients;

a radio frequency air interface that is configured to receive audio signals therethrough;

an earphone; and

a digital filter that is programmed with the determined set of coefficients and is configured to process the audio signals and transmit the processed audio signals to the earphone.

28. The mobile terminal of claim 27, wherein the digital filter is further configured to process the audio signals by adjusting the gain of the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level, compressing the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level, and/or expanding the audio signals based on frequency and/or power level.

29. The mobile terminal of claim 27, wherein the digital filter comprises a plurality of digital filters that are programmed with the determined set of coefficients and are configured to process the audio signals and transmit the processed audio signals to the earphone.

30. The mobile terminal of claim 27, wherein the processor is programmed to determine the set of coefficients by generating a hearing sensitivity curve based on the hearing test and to determine the set of coefficients based on a Least Mean Square (LMS) fit to an inverse of the hearing sensitivity curve.

31. The mobile terminal of claim 27, further comprising:

an interface for communicating the set of coefficients to an electronic device.

32. A mobile terminal, comprising:

a pair of microphones; and

a processor that is programmed to determine a set of coefficients based on training audio signals received through the pair of microphones when the microphones are placed in a plurality of orientations.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the processor is further programmed to determine the set of coefficients based on the training audio signals and on user input received responsive to a user receiving the training radio signals through the pair of microphones in each of the plurality of orientations.

34. The mobile terminal of claim 32, further comprising:

a digital filter that is programmed with the determined set of coefficients and is configured to process audio signals.

35. The mobile terminal of claim 34, wherein the digital filter comprises a plurality of digital filters that are programmed with the determined set of coefficients and are configured to process the audio signals.

36. A computer program product for operating a mobile terminal, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to provide a user of the mobile terminal with a hearing test;

computer readable program code configured to determine a set of coefficients for a digital filter based on the results of the hearing test;

computer readable program code configured to receive audio signals through a microphone associated with the mobile terminal;

computer readable program code configured to process the audio signals using the digital filter programmed with the determined set of coefficients; and

computer readable program code configured to transmit the processed audio signals to an earphone associated with the mobile terminal.

37. A computer program product for operating a mobile terminal, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to provide a user of the mobile terminal with a hearing test;

computer readable program code configured to determine a set of coefficients for a digital filter based on the results of the hearing test;

computer readable program code configured to receive audio signals via a radio frequency air interface;

computer readable program code configured to process the audio signals using the digital filter programmed with the determined set of coefficients; and

computer readable program code configured to transmit the processed audio signals to an earphone associated with the mobile terminal.

38. A computer program product for operating a mobile terminal, comprising:

a computer readable storage medium having computer readable program code embodied therein, the computer readable program code comprising;

computer readable program code configured to place a pair of microphones associated with the mobile terminal in a plurality of positions;

computer readable program code configured to receive training audio signals through the pair of microphones in each of the plurality of orientations; and

computer readable program code configured to determine a set of coefficients for a digital filter based on the received training audio signals.