Active Delay Method and a improved wireless binaural hearing device using the same method

• US 20120328111A1
• Filed: 09/24/2011
• Published: 12/27/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kyungpook National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Original Assignee: Kyungpook National University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation
• Inventors: CHO, JIN HO, SEONG, KI WOONG, LEE, JYUNG HYUN, KIM, MYOUNG NAM, WOO, SANG HYO
• Granted Patent: US 8,989,394 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/23.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/00 Two-channel systems H04S5/00, H04S7/00 take precedence

Abstract

Disclosed are an active delay method and an improved wireless binaural hearing device. The binaural hearing device includes: a first hearing device including a first microphone, an amplifier and a wireless transmitter; and a second hearing device including a second microphone, an amplifier, a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver which receives a signal from the wireless transmitter, an active delay circuit which synchronizes the received signal with a signal acquired by the second microphone, a neural network which synchronizes the delayed signal, and a speaker which converts the synchronized signal into a voice signal. With this configuration, it is possible to prevent incorrect detection of the position of the sound source or paralalia due to a time delay which is produced in the wireless binaural hearing device and reduce noises due to a time difference between both hearing devices, thereby providing a binaural hearing device with high quality.

Claims

1. A binaural hearing device with improved performance through an active delay, comprising:

a first hearing device including a first microphone, an amplifier and a wireless transmitter; and

a second hearing device including a second microphone, an amplifier, a wireless transmitter, a wireless receiver which receives a signal from the wireless transmitter, an active delay circuit which synchronizes the received signal with a signal acquired by the second microphone, a neural network which synchronizes the delayed signal, and a speaker which converts the synchronized signal into a voice signal.

2. The binaural hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the active delay circuit includes:

a RSSI measuring unit which acquires strength of the received signal; and

an adaptive delay element which acquires a time delay per wireless data packet of the received signal.

3. The binaural hearing device according to claim 2, wherein the adaptive delay element includes a local oscillator and a PLL circuit.

4. An active delay method in a binaural hearing device, comprising the steps of:

(a) acquiring sound signals through microphones of a first hearing device and a second hearing device and converting the acquired sound signals into digital signals;

(b) transmitting the signal acquired in the first hearing device to the second hearing device by wireless by means of a RF transmitter of the first hearing device;

(c) receiving the signal by means of a RF receiver of the second hearing device; and

(d) actively delaying the wirelessly received signal to synchronize the signal of the second hearing device with the signal of the first hearing device.

5. The active delay method according to claim 4, wherein the step (a) includes the steps of:

acquiring the sound signals through microphones;

amplifying the acquired sound signals and filtering the amplified signals in a predetermined frequency band; and

converting the filtered signals into digital signals.

6. The active delay method according to claim 5, wherein the step (d) includes the steps of:

acquiring a RSSI and a time delay; and

synchronizing the signals of the first and the second hearing devices by adaptively delaying the signals using the acquired RSSI and time delay.

7. The active delay method according to claim 4, wherein the step (d) includes the steps of:

acquiring a RSSI and a time delay; and

synchronizing the signals of the first and the second hearing devices by adaptively delaying the signals using the acquired RSSI and time delay.

8. The active delay method according to claim 7, wherein the time delay is a time delay per wireless data packet.

9. The active delay method according to claim 8, wherein the data packet contains time data.

10. The active delay method according to claim 8, wherein the synchronizing step includes the step of acquiring the time delay per wireless data packet and then determining a total time delay using a neural network.

11. The active delay method according to claim 9, wherein the synchronizing step includes the steps of:

comparing the signal received in a RF receiver of the second hearing device with a signal of a local oscillator; and

synchronizing phases of the signals of the first and the second hearing devices using a PLL circuit.