HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE WITH BRAIN COMPUTER INTERFACE

• US 20140369537A1
• Filed: 06/13/2014
• Published: 12/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: PONTOPPIDAN, Niels Henrik, HAUSCHULTZ, Lars Ivar, LUNNER, Thomas, PEDERSEN, Michael Syskind, KOCH, Povl, NAYLOR, Graham, PETERSEN, Eline Borch
• Granted Patent: US 9,210,517 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/165 Evaluating the state of mind, e.g. depression, anxiety
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/291 for electroencephalography [EEG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/293 Invasive
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/374 Detecting the frequency distribution of signals, e.g. detecting delta, theta, alpha, beta or gamma waves
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/375 using biofeedback
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/38 Acoustic or auditory stimuli
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6868 Brain
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/015 Input arrangements based on nervous system activity detection, e.g. brain waves [EEG] detection, electromyograms [EMG] detection, electrodermal response detection
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/19 Sensors therefor
• 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 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/40 : Arrangements for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 : electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 : using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 : Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 : acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 : Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to communication devices. Such devices may comprise input for receiving sound signal to be processed and presented to a user, and output for outputting the processed signal to a user perceivable as sound. Such processing may be performed by use of a processor for processing the sound signal in dependence of a setting or a set of setting to compensate a hearing loss profile. Further, the communication device may comprise a bio-signal acquisition and amplifier component in communication with a user interface for providing the bio-signals as input to the user interface, the user interface controlling the setting or set of setting for operation of the communication device.

Claims

1. A communication device comprising:

an input for receiving a sound signal to be processed and presented to a user, and an output for outputting a signal to a user perceivable as sound,

a processor for processing the sound signal in dependence of a setting or a set of setting to compensate a hearing loss profile, and

a bio-signal acquisition and amplifier component in communication with a user interface for providing the bio-signals as input to the user interface, the user interface controlling the setting or set of setting for operation of the communication device.

2. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the ear EEG electrode is comprised in a mould configured specifically for the wearers ear canal.

3. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the bio-signal amplifier and acquisition component comprises an ear EEG electrode configured to be inserted into an ear canal or on a skin-part of the head of a wearer or an implantable EEG electrode configured to be placed under the skin at the head and/or skull of a wearer or an implantable EEG electrode configured to be placed on the ear canal.

4. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the EEG electrode picks up intended space gestures.

5. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the bio-signal represents eye movement and/or brain activity signals.

6. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the bio-signal amplifier and acquisition component includes a wearable camera for eye-tracking.

7. The communication system according to claim 1, wherein the communication system further comprises an alarm device configured to provide an alarm signal if the signal from the bio-signal acquisition and amplifier is determined to represent a cognitive state classified as a deserving of attention state.

8. A communication system comprising two communication devices according to claim 1, wherein each communication device is configured to be placed behind or at an ear of the wearer and each communication device comprising a brain-computer interface comprising an ear EEG electrode configured to be inserted in a respective ear canal of a wearer.

16. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the EEG electrode picks up intended space gestures.

17. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the EEG electrode picks up intended space gestures.

18. The communication system according to claim 2, wherein the bio-signal represents eye movement and/or brain activity signals.

19. The communication system according to claim 3, wherein the bio-signal represents eye movement and/or brain activity signals.

20. The communication system according to claim 4, wherein the bio-signal represents eye movement and/or brain activity signals.

9. A method of controlling communication device comprising an input for receiving a sound signal to be processed and presented to a user, and an output for outputting a signal to a user perceivable as sound, a processor for processing the sound signal in dependence of a setting or a set of setting to compensate a hearing loss profile, and a bio-signal acquisition and amplifier component in communication with a user interface for providing the bio-signals as input to the user interface, the user interface controlling the setting or set of setting for operation of the communication device, the method comprising:

obtaining via bio-signal acquisition and amplifier component a bio-signal representing a gesture,

analysing the bio-signal for recognising an intended space gesture, and

processing the intended space gesture to translate it to an input for the user interface.

10. The method according to claim 9, wherein a user thinks of a target direction and using the target direction as input for the user interface.

11. The method according to claim 9, wherein a user moves a limb in a target direction and using the target direction as input for the user interface or wherein a user moves one or both eyes in a target direction and using the target direction as input for the user interface.

12. The method according to claim 9, wherein a user imagines moving a limb in a target direction using the target direction as input for the user interface or wherein a user imagines moving one or both eyes in a target direction and using the target direction as input for the user interface.

13. The method according to claim 9, wherein the processing of the bio-signal translates to control of directionality pattern of a microphone beamformer in an intended direction or wherein the processing of the bio-signal translates to change of current program for sound processing, the method comprising operating the communication device accordingly.

14. The method according to claim 10, wherein a wearable camera is directed at the eye of the user, and the gesture signal is determined via the wearable camera.

15. The method according to claim 14, wherein a fatigue level is determined via the camera based on images of the pupil, optionally by determining the angular orientation of the pupil and/or the size of the pupil.