HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES WITH ECHO CANCELLATION

• US 20150010180A1
• Filed: 06/09/2014
• Published: 01/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Kindred, Jon S., Solum, Jeffrey Paul
• Granted Patent: US 9,294,851 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/02 for preventing acoustic reaction , i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/453

Abstract

According to various embodiment of a method of operating a hearing instrument, an acoustic signal pathway is provided from a microphone through a signal processor to a hearing instrument (HI) receiver in an acoustic mode of operation. An RF transmit signal pathway is provided from the microphone to an RF transmitter, and an RF receive signal pathway is provided from the RF receiver through the signal processor to the HI receiver in an RF mode of operation. An input signal representative of sound detected by the microphone is adaptively filtered. A first adaptation rate is used for the acoustic mode of operation and a second adaptation rate is used for the RF mode of operation. The second adaptation rate is faster than the first adaptation rate.

Claims

1. A hearing instrument, comprising:

a microphone;

a hearing instrument (HI) receiver;

a signal processor; and

an RF antenna, an RF receiver, and an RF transmitter;

wherein the hearing instrument is configured to operate in an acoustic mode and an RF mode;

wherein in the acoustic mode, the signal processor processes a signal representative of a sound detected by the microphone into a processed signal, and the HI receiver outputs an audio signal representative of the processed signal;

wherein in the RF mode, the RF transmitter transmits, using the antenna, a signal representative of a sound detected by the microphone, the signal processor processes a signal representative of a signal received by the RF receiver using the antenna, and the HI receiver outputs an audio signal representative of the processed signal.