Methods, devices, and computer program products for operating a mobile device in multiple signal processing modes for hearing aid compatibility

• US 20070036373A1
• Filed: 07/25/2005
• Published: 02/15/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications USA Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Eaton, William, Townsend, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,634,098 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2475 for a hearing impaired user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/49 Reducing the effects of electromagnetic noise on the functioning of hearing aids, by, e.g. shielding, signal processing adaptation, selective (de)activation of electronic parts in hearing aid
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

An audio signal received at a mobile device is processed using a first set of equalization parameters in an acoustic coupling mode of operation, and is processed using a second set of equalization parameters in an inductive coupling mode of operation. The processed audio signal is transmitted to a speaker associated with the mobile device for acoustic coupling to a human ear and/or a hearing aid microphone, or for inductive coupling to a hearing aid telecoil.

Claims

1. A method of operating a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving an audio signal;

processing the received audio signal using a first set of equalization parameters in an acoustic coupling mode of operation;

processing the received audio signal using a second set of equalization parameters in an inductive coupling mode of operation; and

transmitting the processed audio signal to a speaker associated with the mobile device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein processing the received audio signal using the first set of equalization parameters comprises adjusting frequency levels of the received audio signal based on a desired frequency response for a hearing aid microphone and/or a human ear, and wherein processing the received audio signal using the second set of equalization parameters comprises adjusting the frequency levels of the received audio signal based on a desired frequency response for a hearing aid telecoil.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting frequency levels based on a desired frequency response for the hearing aid microphone comprises amplifying frequencies above about 2000 Hz and frequencies below about 800 Hz and attenuating frequencies therebetween.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the frequency levels based on a desired frequency response for the hearing aid telecoil comprises attenuating frequencies above about 2000 Hz and frequencies below about 800 Hz and amplifying frequencies therebetween.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein adjusting the frequency levels based on a desired frequency response for the hearing aid telecoil comprises maintaining the frequency levels of the received audio signal when the desired frequency response for the hearing aid telecoil matches the frequency response of the speaker.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of equalization parameters comprises a first set of digital filter coefficients configured for acoustic coupling to a hearing aid microphone and/or a human ear, and wherein the second set of equalization parameters comprises a second set of digital filter coefficients configured for inductive coupling to a hearing aid telecoil.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving a user selection designating one of the acoustic coupling mode of operation and the inductive coupling mode of operation,

wherein processing the received audio signal using the first set of digital filter coefficients and processing the received audio signal using the second set of digital filter coefficients comprises processing the received audio signal using one of the first set and the second set of digital filter coefficients based on the user selection.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

programming a digital signal processor with one of the first set and the second set of digital filter coefficients responsive to receiving the user selection,

wherein processing the received audio signal comprises processing the audio signal using the programmed digital signal processor.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

detecting the hearing aid telecoil within a vicinity of the mobile device,

wherein processing the received audio signal using the second set of digital filter coefficients is responsive to detecting the hearing aid telecoil.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone, a portable radio, and/or a portable music player.

20. The method of claim 1, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone, a portable radio, and/or a portable music player.

11. A mobile device, comprising:

a signal processor configured to receive an audio signal and having an acoustic coupling mode of operation and an inductive coupling mode of operation, wherein the signal processor is configured to process the received audio signal using a first set of equalization parameters in the acoustic coupling mode of operation and using a second set of equalization parameters in the inductive coupling mode of operation; and

a speaker coupled to the signal processor and configured to broadcast the processed audio signal.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the signal processor is configured to adjust frequency levels of the received audio signal based on a desired frequency response for a hearing aid microphone and/or a human ear using the first set of equalization parameters in the acoustic coupling mode of operation, and wherein the signal processor is configured to adjust the frequency levels of the received audio signal based on a desired frequency response for a hearing aid telecoil using the second set of equalization parameters in the inductive coupling mode of operation.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the signal processor is configured to amplify frequencies above about 2000 Hz and frequencies below about 800 Hz and attenuate frequencies therebetween in the acoustic coupling mode of operation.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the signal processor is configured to attenuate frequencies above about 2000 Hz and frequencies below about 800 Hz and amplify frequencies therebetween in the inductive coupling mode of operation.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein the signal processor is configured to maintain the frequency levels of the received audio signal in the inductive coupling mode of operation when the desired frequency response for the hearing aid telecoil matches the frequency response of the speaker.

16. The device of claim 11, wherein the signal processor comprises a digital signal processor including at least one digital filter therein, wherein the first set of equalization parameters comprises a first set of digital filter coefficients configured for acoustic coupling to a hearing aid microphone and/or a human ear, and wherein the second set of equalization parameters comprises a second set of digital filter coefficients configured for inductive coupling to a hearing aid telecoil.

17. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a user interface coupled to the digital signal processor and configured to receive a user selection designating one of the acoustic coupling mode of operation and the inductive coupling mode of operation,

wherein the digital signal processor is configured to process the received audio signal using one of the first set and the second set of digital filter coefficients based on the user selection.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the digital signal processor is configured to be programmed with one of the first set and the second set of digital filter coefficients responsive to the user selection.

19. The device of claim 16, further comprising:

a hearing aid detector configured to detect the hearing aid telecoil within a vicinity of the mobile device,

wherein the digital signal processor is configured to process the received audio signal using the second set of digital filter coefficients responsive to detection of the hearing aid telecoil.

21. A computer program product for operating a mobile device, the computer program product 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 receive an audio signal;

computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal using a first set of equalization parameters in an acoustic coupling mode of operation;

computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal using a second set of equalization parameters in an inductive coupling mode of operation; and

computer readable program code configured to transmit the processed audio signal to a speaker associated with the mobile device.

22. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal using the first set of equalization parameters comprises computer readable program code configured to adjust frequency levels of the received audio signal based on a desired frequency response for a hearing aid microphone and/or a human ear, and wherein computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal using the second set of equalization parameters comprises computer readable program code configured to adjust the frequency levels of the received audio signal based on a desired frequency response for a hearing aid telecoil.

23. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein computer readable program code configured to adjust frequency levels based on a desired frequency response for the hearing aid microphone comprises computer readable program code configured to amplify frequencies above about 2000 Hz and frequencies below about 800 Hz and attenuate frequencies therebetween.

24. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein computer readable program code configured to adjust the frequency levels based on a desired frequency response for the hearing aid telecoil comprises computer readable program code configured to attenuate frequencies above about 2000 Hz and frequencies below about 800 Hz and amplify frequencies therebetween.

25. The computer program product of claim 22, wherein computer readable program code configured to adjust the frequency levels based on a desired frequency response for the hearing aid telecoil comprises computer readable program code configured to maintain the frequency levels of the received audio signal when the desired frequency response for the hearing aid telecoil matches the frequency response of the speaker.

26. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the first set of equalization parameters comprises a first set of digital filter coefficients configured for acoustic coupling to a hearing aid microphone and/or a human ear, and wherein the second set of equalization parameters comprises a second set of digital filter coefficients configured for inductive coupling to a hearing aid telecoil.

27. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to receive a user selection designating one of the acoustic coupling mode of operation and the inductive coupling mode of operation,

wherein computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal using the first set of digital filter coefficients and computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal using the second set of digital filter coefficients comprises computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal using one of the first set and the second set of digital filter coefficients based on the user selection.

28. The computer program product of claim 27, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to program a digital signal processor with one of the first set and the second set of digital filter coefficients responsive to the user selection,

wherein computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal comprises computer readable program code configured to process the audio signal using the programmed digital signal processor.

29. The computer program product of claim 26, further comprising:

computer readable program code configured to detect the hearing aid telecoil within a vicinity of the mobile device,

wherein computer readable program code configured to process the received audio signal using the second set of digital filter coefficients is executed responsive to detection of the hearing aid telecoil.

30. The computer program product of claim 21, wherein the mobile device comprises a cellular telephone, a portable radio, and/or a portable music player.