Hearing aid with an audio signal generator

• US 20080031480A1
• Filed: 08/02/2007
• Published: 02/07/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Barthel, Roland, Sorgel, Wolfgang
• Granted Patent: US 8,411,886 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/316
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing

Abstract

The invention relates to a hearing aid with at least one sound receiver and a sound generator. The hearing aid has an audio signal unit operatively connected to the sound generator, the audio signal unit being designed to generate an audio signal perceptible to a human ear. The audio signal has a plurality of mutually different frequencies of a frequency range. The audio signal unit has at least one tone generator. The at least one tone generator is designed to generate the audio signal with at least one fundamental frequency representing a tone and with harmonics of the fundamental frequency.

Claims

1-8. -8. (canceled)

9. A hearing aid, comprising:

a sound receiver that receives sound waves and generates a microphone signal representing the sound waves;

a transmission that receives the microphone signal and generates a power signal as a function of the microphone signal;

a sound generator that receives the power signal and generates a sound as a function of the power signal; and

an audio signal unit that is operatively connected to the sound generator and comprises a tone generator for generating an audio signal with a fundamental frequency representing a tone and harmonics of the fundamental frequency.

10. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, wherein the audio signal is generated as a function of an event signal.

11. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tone generator generates the audio signal at least partially by a frequency modulation synthesis.

12. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tone generator generates the audio signal at least partially by an amplitude modulation.

13. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, wherein the tone generator comprises a vibrato element that generates the audio signal at least partially by an additional frequency modulation.

14. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, wherein the audio signal is selected from the group consisting of:

an instrumental sound, a vocal sound, and a noise signal.

15. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, wherein an audio signal segment of the audio signal comprises an amplitude envelope and an end phase of the audio signal segment having a falling amplitude envelope.

16. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 15, wherein the audio signal segment represents a tone

17. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, wherein the audio signal is perceptible to a human ear.

18. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 9, wherein the audio signal comprises a plurality of mutually different frequencies of a frequency range.

19. A method for generating an audio signal of a hearing aid, comprising:

generating the audio signal with a fundamental frequency representing a tone and harmonics of the fundamental frequency.

20. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the audio signal is generated as a function of an event signal.

21. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the audio signal is generated at least partially by a frequency modulation synthesis.

22. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the audio signal is generated at least partially by an amplitude modulation.

23. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the audio signal is generated at least partially by an additional frequency modulation that is generated by a vibrato element.

24. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the audio signal is selected from the group consisting of:

an instrumental sound, a vocal sound, and a noise signal.

25. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein an audio signal segment of the audio signal comprises an amplitude envelope and an end phase of the audio signal segment having a falling amplitude envelope.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the audio signal segment represents a tone.

27. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the audio signal is perceptible to a human ear.

28. The method as claimed in claim 19, wherein the audio signal comprises a plurality of mutually different frequencies of a frequency range.