Apparatus having hearing aid

• US 20100128909A1
• Filed: 11/24/2009
• Published: 05/27/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bae, Ju-Yeol
• Granted Patent: US 8,938,082 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/317
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 17/30 Earth-inductor compasses
• CPC Class Codes: G01C 9/06 Electric or photoelectric indication or reading means
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/60 including speech amplifiers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/22 including a touch pad, a touch sensor or a touch detector digitizers for touch screens G06F3/041
• 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

Abstract

A portable terminal includes an apparatus capable of providing a hearing aid service. The apparatus includes a sensor configured to measure a spatial tilt of the portable terminal. The apparatus also includes a controller that determines whether a left ear or a right ear is used for communication based on the measured spatial tilt of the portable terminal. An audio signal processor compensates an audio signal according to the characteristic of determined ear.

Claims

1. A portable terminal for providing a hearing aid service, the portable terminal comprising:

a sensor configured to measure a spatial tilt of the portable terminal;

a controller configured to determine one of a left ear and a right ear that is used for communication based on the measured spatial tilt of the portable terminal; and

an audio signal processor configured to compensate an audio signal according to the characteristic of determined ear.

2. The portable terminal of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a microphone and a speaker.

3. The portable terminal of claim 2, wherein the sensor measures tilt of the portable terminal with reference to at least one of the microphone or the speaker.

4. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a geomagnetism sensor and a gradient sensor.

5. The portable terminal of claim 1, wherein the sensor comprises:

a drive signal generator configured to generate a drive signal;

a 2-axis flux gate configured to detect an electrical signal corresponding to an electromotive force generated by the drive signal; and

a signal processor configured to filter the electrical signal and output the filtered signal.

6. The portable terminal of claim 1, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store characteristic data of the left ear and the right ear.

7. The portable terminal of claim 6, the audio signal processor compensates the audio signal using corresponding characteristic data of the left ear and the right ear stored in the storage unit.

8. A method for providing a hearing aid service in a portable terminal, comprising:

measuring a spatial tilt of the portable terminal;

determining one of a left ear and a right ear that is used for communication based on the measured spatial tilt of the portable terminal; and

compensating an audio signal according to the characteristic of determined ear.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein measuring the spatial tilt of the portable terminal comprises measuring with reference to at least one of a microphone and a speaker embodied in the portable terminal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the measuring of the spatial tilt of the portable terminal is determined by at least one of a geomagnetism sensor or a gradient sensor.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein compensating comprises using corresponding characteristic data of the left ear and the right ear.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing data of the left ear and the right ear in a storage unit in the portable terminal.

13. An apparatus for use in a portable terminal capable of providing a hearing aid service, the apparatus comprising:

a sensor configured to measure a spatial tilt of the portable terminal;

a controller configured to determine one of a left ear and a right ear that is used for communication based on the measured spatial tilt of the portable terminal; and

an audio signal processor configured to compensate an audio signal according to the characteristic of determined ear.

14. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising at least one of a microphone and a speaker.

15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the sensor measures tilt of the portable terminal with reference to at least one of the microphone or the speaker.

16. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sensor includes at least one of a geomagnetism sensor and a gradient sensor.

17. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the sensor comprises:

a drive signal generator configured to generate a drive signal;

a 2-axis flux gate configured to detect an electrical signal corresponding to an electromotive force generated by the drive signal; and

a signal processor configured to filter the electrical signal and output the filtered signal.

18. The apparatus of claim 13, further comprising:

a storage unit configured to store characteristic data of the left ear and the right ear.

19. The apparatus of claim 18, the audio signal processor compensates the audio signal using corresponding characteristic data of the left ear and the right ear stored in the storage unit.