Hearing apparatus with automatic switch-off and corresponding method

• US 20080123882A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 05/29/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik Bmbh
• Inventors: Kornagel, Ulrich, Bauml, Robert
• Granted Patent: US 8,199,943 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing

Abstract

The aim is to be able to at least partially switch off a hearing apparatus and in particular a hearing device in a simple manner. To this end, provision is made to generate a predetermined acoustic signal through the hearing apparatus. The acoustic signal is received by a receiving device, after it has passed through an acoustic path. This acoustic path changes depending on whether the hearing apparatus is being worn or not. The hearing apparatus is at least partially switched off as a function of the received, acoustic signal. A hearing device thus automatically switches off for instance when it is not being worn.

Claims

1-15. -15. (canceled)

16. A hearing apparatus, comprising:

a signal generator that generates an electrical predetermined switch-off signal;

an acoustic converter that converts the electrical signal into an acoustic signal;

a receiving device that receives the acoustic signal; and

a signal processing facility that processes the received acoustic signal, the signal processing facility at least partially switches off the hearing apparatus as a function of the switch-off signal transmitted by way of the acoustic converter and the receiving device.

17. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the acoustic signal is an infrasonic signal or an ultrasound signal.

18. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the acoustic signal is an ultrasound noise.

19. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the switch-off signal is predetermined in terms of its temporal and spectral progression.

20. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the switch-off signal is a sinusoidal signal above 18 kHz.

21. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the switch-off signal exhibiting a continuous rising or falling spectral characteristic.

22. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the signal processing facility comprising a matched filter attuned to the switch-off signal.

23. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the signal processing facility capturing frequency-selective level changes to the received acoustic signal and using the captured changes for the switch-off process.

24. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein the generated electrical signal is in result of removing the hearing apparatus from a wearer.

25. A method for at least partially switching off a hearing apparatus, comprising:

generating a predetermined first acoustic signal by the hearing apparatus;

receiving the first acoustic signal by the hearing apparatus; and

at least partially switching off the hearing apparatus as a function of the received first acoustic signal.

26. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first acoustic signal is an infrasonic or an ultrasound signal.

27. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first acoustic signal is an ultrasound noise.

28. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first acoustic signal is predetermined in terms of its temporal and spectral progression.

29. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first acoustic signal is sinusoidal and lying above 18 kHz.

30. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first acoustic signal exhibiting a continuous rising or falling spectral characteristic.

31. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein frequency-selective level changes in the received first acoustic signal being captured and used for switching-off the hearing apparatus.

32. The method as claimed in claim 25, wherein the first acoustic signal is generated in response to the hearing apparatus being removed from a wearer

33. The method as claimed in claim 32, further comprising:

generating a second predetermined acoustic signal by the hearing apparatus in response to the hearing apparatus being put onto the wearer;

receiving the second acoustic signal by the hearing apparatus; and

turning on the hearing apparatus as a function of the received second acoustic signal.