System for and Method of Optimizing an Individual's Hearing Aid

• US 20080056518A1
• Filed: 06/13/2005
• Published: 03/06/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Original Assignee: Johnson & Johnson Consumer Companies Incorporated (Johnson & Johnson)
• Inventors: Edwards, Nancy, Narsana, Tushar, Cronin, John, Burrows, Mark, Shaya, Steven
• Application Number:
  US11/570,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20080056518A1
• 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

Abstract

The present invention is a system for and method of adjusting hearing aids (130) by discrete frequency ranges (FIG. 3a); continual tuning and reprogramming of the hearing aid is accomplished in real time via iterations between a patient (with hearing aid in ear, 120) and an audiologist (131). A test tone or other sound is played and the patient gives feedback on the test tone'"'"'s suitability (such as loudness). The hearing aid (130) is further tuned and reprogrammed accordingly as the sound is replayed and the patient (120) gives additional feedback. These steps continue until the patient (120) considers the hearing optimized, compensating for both the patient'"'"'s hearing loss and individual preferences in the discrete frequency ranges. The following are twelve commonly tested frequency ranges: 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 750 Hz, 1000 Hz, 1500 Hz, 2000 Hz, 3000 Hz, 4000 Hz, 5000 Hz, 6000 Hz, 8000 Hz, and 10,000 Hz.

Claims

1. A programming system for simultaneous testing hearing of an individual and tuning of a hearing aid of the individual, comprising

a sound generator generating a specific tone having a volume in a single frequency range;

the hearing aid being programmable and tuneable in response to the specific tone generated by the sound generator and in response to the individual; and

wherein

an optimal loudness for the frequency range is programmed into the hearing aid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimal loudness for the frequency range is programmed into the hearing aid via a series of modulated high-frequency sound waves.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the series of modulated high-frequency sound waves are above 20 kHz.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimal loudness for the frequency range is programmed into the hearing aid via a wired interface device emanating from a tone generator and is received and decoded by a computing digital signal processor (DSP) of the hearing aid.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the optimal loudness for the frequency range is programmed into the hearing aid via a wireless interface device emanating from a tone generator and is received and decoded by a computing digital signal processor (DSP) of the hearing aid.

6. A method for simultaneous testing hearing of an individual and tuning of a hearing aid of the individual, comprising the steps of:

collecting frequency versus amplitude hearing profile data for the individual using the hearing aid;

computing digital signal processor (“

DSP”

) correction factors based on the frequency versus amplitude data;

programming the hearing aid with the DSP correction factors.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising the steps of

performing the hearing test at least a second time on the individual and collecting at least a second set of frequency versus amplitude hearing profile data;

generating at least a second set of DSP correction factors based on the at least second set of frequency versus amplitude data; and

programming the hearing aid with the at least second of DSP correction factors.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the programming of the hearing aid is accomplished via a wireless interface with the DSP correction factors.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the programming the hearing aid is accomplished via a wired interface with the DSP correction factors.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein the programming the hearing aid is accomplished with the at least second of DSP correction factors.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the generating of the at least second set of DPS corrections factors includes consideration of at least one user specific needs (e.g. speech intelligibility) category.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one user specific need is speech intelligibility.

13. The method of claim 7, further comprising the step of

storing the DSP correction factors in a local memory.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising the step of

storing the DSP correction factors in a remote memory accessible over a network data communications interface.

15. A real time dynamically programmable hearing aid comprising:

a controller including a processor and a memory, wherein the processor is coupled to a microphone, a speaker and a data signal communications (e.g., wired or wireless) interface; and

wherein the processor stores in the memory, in substantially real time, digital signal processor (“

DSP”

) correction factors received at an interface.

16. The real time dynamically programmable hearing aid of claim 15, wherein the processor processes audio input signals provided from the microphone using the DSP correction factors to generate DSP modified audio input signals.

17. The real time dynamically programmable hearing aid of claim 16, wherein the processor supplies the DSP modified audio input signals to the speaker.

18. The real time dynamically programmable hearing aid of claim 15, wherein a second set of DPS corrections factors are received at the interface, the correction factors include compensation based on at least one user specific needs category.

19. The real time dynamically programmable hearing aid of claim 15, wherein the at least one user specific needs category is speech intelligibility.