DEVICE FOR THE HEARING IMPAIRED

• US 20090154744A1
• Filed: 11/24/2008
• Published: 06/18/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 12/14/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Wayne Harvey Snyder
• Original Assignee: Wayne Harvey Snyder
• Inventors: Snyder, Wayne Harvey
• Granted Patent: US 8,461,986 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing

Abstract

An electronic device for analyzing signal content derived from audible events, the device for aiding the hearing impaired.

Claims

1. A warning device for the hearing impaired comprising:

an acoustic to electric device having an electrical output responding to an acoustic emission from an acoustic source;

a first signal path coupling the acoustic to electric device with an intermediate block;

one or more second signal paths coupling respective non-audible annunciators with the intermediate block;

within the intermediate block, an assessor element operable to assess one or more characteristics of the electrical output of the acoustic to electric device in a pre-determined frequency band;

within the intermediate block, a reference element including one or more reference sources for providing respective reference characteristics, each reference characteristic indicative of an audible event calling for immediate action; and

,

within the intermediate block, a comparison element operable to cause operation of a particular non-audible annunciator when in the pre-determined frequency band at least one characteristic of the electrical output of the acoustic to electric device bears a pre-determined relationship with a reference characteristic.

2. The device of claim 1 further comprising a comparison element capable of comparing the strength of an audio signal in the electric output of the acoustic to electric device with a reference signal strength and causing operation of a particular non-audible annunciator when the audio signal strength bears a pre-determined relationship with the reference signal strength.

3. The device of claim 2 further comprising a comparison element capable of comparing the strength of an audio signal in a selected frequency band in the electric output of the acoustic to electric device with a reference signal strength and causing operation of a particular non-audible annunciator when the audio signal strength bears a pre-determined relationship with the reference signal strength.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein first, second and third acoustic to electric devices have a pre-determined spatial arrangement relative to each other.

5. The device of claim 4 further comprising a sound triangulator utilizing signals from a plurality of acoustic to electric devices to obtain an indication of a relative position of an acoustic source whose acoustic emission caused operation of a non-audible annunciator.

6. The device of claim 5 further comprising a radial display for pointing in the direction of the acoustic source.

7. The device of claim 6 wherein operation of a first annunciator alerts a hearing impaired person to assess the status of a second annunciator indicating the nature of the acoustic source and a third annunciator indication the direction of the acoustic source.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the assessor element includes a plurality of analog band-pass filters each band pass filter coupled to the electrical output of the acoustic to electric device.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the comparison element includes a plurality of analog comparators, each comparator coupled to a) an output of a respecitive band pass filter for receiving a signal in a pre-determined frequency band, b) a respective reference source for receiving a reference characteristic and c) a particular non-audible annunciator for operating the annunciator.

10. The device of claim 9 wherein each of the band pass filters is tuned to a different frequency band and a respective reference characteristic is a pre-determined signal strength.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein the assessor element and the comparison element include one or more digital signal processors coupled to a) the electrical output of the acoustic to electric device, b) a plurality of reference sources for receiving a plurality of reference characteristics, and c) a plurality of non-audible annunciators for operating one or more of the annunciators.

12. The device of claim 7 wherein a signal from the output of the acoustic to electric device is transformed into the frequency domain to provide a derived acoustic signature of the acoustic source.

13. The device of claim 12 wherein an annunciator is operated when the derived acoustic signature bears a pre-determined relationship with a reference acoustic signature.

14. The device of claim 12 wherein a reference characteristic is a frequency band and frequency peaks in the derived acoustic signature falling within the reference frequency band cause operation of a particular non-audible annunciator.

15. The device of claim 14 wherein a digital signal processor is used in deriving the acoustic signature from the output of the acoustic to electric device.