HEARING SYSTEM WITH A USER PREFERENCE CONTROL AND METHOD FOR OPERATING A HEARING SYSTEM

• US 20100202637A1
• Filed: 09/26/2007
• Published: 08/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/26/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Talaslian, Ara, Hayes, Donald, Cornelisse, Leonard, Walesa, Robert, Luo, Henry
• Granted Patent: US 8,611,569 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A method for operating a hearing system (1) comprising a user control (52) and a signal processing unit (30) controllable by adjustable parameters is described. It comprises

• a) providing (100) a first set of start-up parameter settings upon start-up (100) of said signal processor unit (30);
• b) using parameter settings comprised in or derived from said first set of start-up parameter settings as default parameter settings for said signal processing unit;
• d) upon operating said user control (52): obtaining a set of parameter settings currently used in said signal processing unit (30);
• e) deriving (160) a second set of start-up parameter settings in dependence of said first set of start-up parameter settings and of said set of parameter settings obtained in step d);
• f) using said second set of start-up parameter settings as said first set of start-up parameter settings when carrying out step a) upon a following start-up (180) of said signal processor unit.

This makes is possible for a user of the hearing system to adjust to his preferences the way audio signals are processed in his hearing system (1). Preferably, the hearing system (1) comprises a classifier (70), and step e) is carried out in dependence of the result of a classification of a current acoustic environment.

Claims

1. A method for operating a hearing system comprising a user control referred to below as user preference control and a signal processing unit controllable by adjustable parameters, said method comprising the steps of

a) providing a first set of start-up parameter settings upon start-up of said signal processor unit;

b) using parameter settings comprised in or derived from said first set of start-up parameter settings as default parameter settings for said signal processing unit;

d) upon operating said user preference control;

obtaining a set of parameter settings currently used in said signal processing unit;

e) deriving a second set of start-up parameter settings in dependence of said first set of start-up parameter settings and of said set of currently used parameter settings obtained in step d);

f) using said second set of start-up parameter settings as said first set of start-up parameter settings when carrying out step a) upon a following start-up of said signal processor unit.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the parameters for which said set of parameter settings mentioned in step d) are obtained are adjustable by a user of said hearing system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein, in step b), said parameter settings comprised in or derived from said first set of start-up parameter settings are used as default parameter settings for said signal processing unit until the next shut-down of said signal processor unit.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein said second set of start-up parameter settings is used as said first set of start-up parameter settings not before another start-up of said signal processor unit occurred.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein step e) is carried out in such a way that a gradual evolvement of said second set of start-up parameter settings from said first set of start-up parameter settings towards parameter settings in accordance with said currently used parameter settings occurs.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of

c) deriving data characterizing a current acoustic environment;

wherein said deriving said second set of start-up parameter settings mentioned in step e) is carried out also in dependence of said data derived in step c).

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein step c) comprises deriving a set of N class similarity factors, with N≧

2, wherein each of said class similarity factors is indicative of the similarity of said current acoustic environment with a predetermined acoustic environment described by a respective class of N classes each of which describes a predetermined acoustic environment.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein each of said first and second sets of start-up parameter settings comprises for each of said N classes a subset of start-up parameter settings associated with the respective class.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, in dependence of the class similarity factor associated with a respective class, parameter settings comprised in a subset of said first start-up parameter settings associated with said respective class or parameter settings derived therefrom

are used or

are not used or

are used to a degree depending on the respective class similarity factor as default parameter settings for said signal processing unit.

10. The method according to claim 8, wherein in step e), parameter settings are left unchanged in such subsets of start-up parameter settings of said second set of start-up parameter settings, which are associated with a class for which the respective class similarity factor as determined in step c) does not fulfill a pre-defined criterion.

11. A hearing system comprising

a user control referred to below as user preference control;

a signal processing unit controllable by adjustable parameters;

a storage unit operationally connected to said signal processing unit, comprising a first set of start-up parameter settings;

a control unit operationally connected to said user preference control, to said signal processing unit and to said storage unit;

wherein said control unit is adapted to

upon start-up of said signal processing unit;

implementing in said signal processing unit said first set of start-up parameter settings, so that parameter settings comprised in or derived from said first set of start-up parameter settings are used as default parameter settings for signal processing in said signal processing unit;

upon operating said user preference control;

obtaining a set of parameter settings currently used in said signal processing unit;

deriving a second set of start-up parameter settings in dependence of said first set of start-up parameter settings and of said obtained set of currently used parameter settings; and

replacing in said storage unit said first set of start-up parameter settings by said second set of start-up parameter settings.

12. The hearing system according to claim 11, comprising at least one user control by means of which a user of said hearing system can adjust those parameters for which said set of currently used parameter settings is obtained.

13. The hearing system according to claim 11, comprising an analyzing unit for deriving data characterizing a current acoustic environment, wherein said deriving said second set of start-up parameter settings is carried out also in dependence of said data.

14. The hearing system according to claim 13, wherein said analyzing unit is adapted to deriving a set of N class similarity factors, with N≧

2, wherein each of said class similarity factors is indicative of the similarity of said current acoustic environment with a predetermined acoustic environment described by a respective class of N classes each of which describes a predetermined acoustic environment.

15. The hearing system according to claim 14, wherein each of said first and second sets of start-up parameter settings comprises for each of said N classes a subset of start-up parameter settings associated with the respective class.

16. The hearing system according to claim 15, wherein said control unit is adapted to providing that, in dependence of the class similarity factor associated with a respective class, parameter settings comprised in a subset of said first start-up parameter settings associated with said respective class or parameter settings derived therefrom

are used or

are not used or

are used to a degree depending on the respective class similarity factor as default parameter settings for said signal processing unit.

17. The hearing system according to claim 15, wherein said control unit is adapted to providing that, in said deriving said second set of start-up parameter settings, parameter settings are left unchanged in such subsets of start-up parameter settings of said second set of start-up parameter settings, which are associated with a class for which the respective class similarity factor does not fulfill a pre-defined criterion.

18. A computer program product comprising program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of

A) providing a first set of start-up parameter settings upon start-up of a signal processor unit of a hearing system;

B) using parameter settings comprised in or derived from said first set of start-up parameter settings as default parameter settings for said signal processing unit;

G) receiving a user input from a user control of said hearing system referred to below as user preference control;

D) upon step G);

obtaining a set of parameter settings currently used in said signal processing unit;

E) deriving a second set of start-up parameter settings in dependence of said first set of start-up parameter settings and of said set of currently used parameter settings obtained in step D);

F) using said second set of start-up parameter settings as said first set of start-up parameter settings when carrying out step A) upon a following start-up of said signal processor unit.