Hearing apparatus and a method for own-voice detection

• US 20070009122A1
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Published: 01/11/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Hamacher, Volkmar
• Granted Patent: US 7,853,031 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically

Abstract

A hearing aid wearer'"'"'s own voice frequently leads to artifacts and response errors in various hearing aid algorithms. It is provided that the user'"'"'s own voice to be detected by a special analysis device, and the hearing aid algorithms can be controlled as a function of detection. This can be achieved by providing a microphone in the auditory channel whose signal level is compared with that of an external microphone. This allows some form of control, e.g., the automatic gain control of a hearing aid to be “frozen”, in the presence of the hearing aid wearer'"'"'s own voice.

Claims

1. A hearing apparatus, comprising:

a first microphone comprising an audio input for picking up ambient sound from a vicinity of a user, and an output for outputting a signal;

a second microphone comprising an audio input for picking up auditory channel sound in an auditory channel or on an auditory channel wall of the user, and an output for outputting a signal; and

an own-voice detection device for detection of the user'"'"'s own voice, comprising a first input that is connected to the output of the first microphone, a second input that is connected to the output of the second microphone, and an output at which a corresponding control signal is provided.

2. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the own-voice detection device comprises:

a level analysis device via which respective levels of the first and second microphone signals are compared and a presence of the user'"'"'s own voice in the microphone signals is detected based on the level comparison.

3. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein only frequencies below 1 kHz are taken into account by the level analysis unit.

4. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a BSS device, via which separate sources can be identified from the microphone signal or signals, and comprises an output;

a signal processing device, comprising a drive input via which it is controlled by the BSS device, wherein the drive of the signal processing device by the BSS device remains unchanged at times when the user'"'"'s own voice is detected.

5. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an AGC device the AGC is temporarily deactivated on detection of the user'"'"'s own voice, and b) a transient time for the AGC can be temporarily shortened on detection of the user'"'"'s own voice.

6. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a directional microphone comprising an input for deactivation upon detection of the user'"'"'s own voice.

7. A method for operating a hearing apparatus, comprising:

picking up a first sound signal from a vicinity of a user;

picking up a second sound signal from an auditory channel of the user;

detecting the user'"'"'s own voice by analyzing the two sound signals; and

controlling the hearing apparatus as a function of a presence of the user'"'"'s own voice.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein the analysis of the two sound signals comprises:

performing a level comparison between the first sound signal and the second sound signal.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, wherein only frequencies below 1 kHz are taken into account in the analysis.

10. The method as claimed in claim 7, wherein an adaptation of a device in the hearing apparatus remains unchanged in the presence of the user'"'"'s own voice in the sound signals.