MIXING OF IN-THE-EAR MICROPHONE AND OUTSIDE-THE-EAR MICROPHONE SIGNALS TO ENHANCE SPATIAL PERCEPTION

• US 20120308057A1
• Filed: 12/30/2011
• Published: 12/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Edwards, Brent, Kalluri, Sridhar
• Granted Patent: US 8,718,302 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0216 BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
• 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 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers

Abstract

This document provides a hearing assistance device for playing processed sound inside a wearer'"'"'s ear canal, the hearing assistance device comprising a first housing, signal processing electronics disposed at least partially within the first housing, a first microphone connected to the first housing, the first microphone adapted for reception of sound, a second microphone configured to receive sound from inside the wearer'"'"'s ear canal when the hearing assistance device is worn and in use and microphone mixing electronics in communication with the signal processing electronics and in communication with the first microphone and the second microphone, the microphone mixing electronics adapted to combine low frequency information from the first microphone and high frequency information from the second microphone to produce a composite audio signal.

Claims

1. A hearing assistance device for playing processed sound inside a wearer'"'"'s ear canal, comprising:

a first housing;

signal processing electronics disposed at least partially within the first housing;

a first microphone connected to the first housing, the first microphone adapted for reception of sound;

a second microphone configured to receive sound from inside the wearer'"'"'s ear canal when the hearing assistance device is worn and in use; and

microphone mixing electronics in communication with the signal processing electronics and in communication with the first microphone and the second microphone, the microphone mixing electronics adapted to combine low frequency information from the first microphone and high frequency information from the second microphone to produce a composite audio signal.