APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR CANCELING FEEDBACK IN HEARING AID

• US 20150256947A1
• Filed: 03/06/2015
• Published: 09/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/07/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Jung-Soo, KIM, Yang-Wook
• Granted Patent: US 9,565,500 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/45 Prevention of acoustic reaction, i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A method of operating an electronic device is provided. The method includes transmitting, by the electronic device, a control signal for controlling a microphone sensitivity of a hearing aid, to the hearing aid, and transmitting a reception signal from a counterpart electronic device to the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the electronic device, a control signal for controlling a microphone sensitivity of a hearing aid, to the hearing aid; and

transmitting a reception signal provided from a counterpart electronic device to the hearing aid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the reception signal to the hearing aid comprises transmitting the reception signal provided from the counterpart electronic device to the hearing aid using a short-range communication method.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the reception signal to the hearing aid comprises transmitting the reception signal provided from the counterpart electronic device to the hearing aid using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol communication method deforming one or more of a data transmission interval and a data transmission duration.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

collecting a sound signal through a microphone of the electronic device; and

transmitting at least a portion of the sound signal collected through the microphone of the electronic device to the hearing aid.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the transmitting of the at least the portion of the sound signal to the hearing aid comprises:

separating the sound signal collected through the microphone of the electronic device into a surrounding sound and a user voice; and

transmitting the surrounding sound to the hearing aid.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if an event for microphone sensitivity restoration takes place, transmitting a control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting of the control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid comprises, if an event with the counterpart electronic device has ended, transmitting the control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the transmitting of the control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid comprises:

checking if the electronic device provides an event service with the counterpart electronic device using a peripheral device; and

if the electronic device provides the event service with the counterpart electronic device using the peripheral device, transmitting the control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if the control signal for controlling the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid is transmitted to the hearing aid, inactivating a speaker of the electronic device.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the control signal for controlling the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid comprises, if a telephony event with the counterpart electronic device takes place, transmitting the control signal for controlling the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the transmitting of the reception signal to the hearing aid comprises:

checking if a danger situation is sensed based on a sound signal received from a microphone of the electronic device; and

if the danger situation is sensed, transmitting a danger signal to the hearing aid

12. A method of operating an electronic device, the method comprising:

transmitting, by the electronic device, a control signal for controlling a microphone sensitivity of a hearing aid, to the hearing aid; and

transmitting a sound signal collected through a microphone of the electronic device, to the hearing aid.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, before the transmitting of the control signal to the hearing aid:

collecting electronic tag information of the hearing aid; and

communicating with the hearing aid based on the electronic tag information.

14. A method of operating a hearing aid, the method comprising:

controlling, by the hearing aid, a microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid based on a control signal provided from an electronic device;

amplifying a sound signal provided from the electronic device; and

outputting the amplified sound signal to a speaker of the hearing aid.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the controlling of the microphone sensitivity comprises controlling the microphone sensitivity such that a microphone of the hearing aid is inactivated, based on the control signal provided from the electronic device.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

checking a state of an event with the electronic device;

if the event with the electronic device has ended or has been paused, restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid;

amplifying a sound signal collected through the microphone of the hearing aid; and

outputting the amplified sound signal through the speaker of the hearing aid.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

if a control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid is received from the electronic device, restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid;

amplifying a sound signal collected through the microphone of the hearing aid; and

outputting the amplified sound signal through the speaker of the hearing aid.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a communication module; and

a processor configured to;

transmit a control signal for controlling a microphone sensitivity of a hearing aid, to the hearing aid through the communication module; and

transmit a reception signal provided from a counterpart electronic device to the hearing aid through the communication module.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the communication module is further configured to communicate with the hearing aid using a short-range communication method.

20. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the communication module is further configured to communicate with the hearing aid using a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) protocol communication method deforming one or more of a data transmission interval and a data transmission duration.

21. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to transmit at least a portion of a sound signal collected through the microphone of the electronic device to the hearing aid through the communication module.

22. The electronic device of claim 21, wherein the processor is further configured to:

separate the sound signal collected through the microphone of the electronic device into a surrounding sound and a user voice; and

transmit the surrounding sound to the hearing aid through the communication module.

23. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein, if an event for microphone sensitivity restoration takes place, the processor is further configured to transmit a control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid through the communication module.

24. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein, if an event with the counterpart electronic device has ended, the processor is further configured to transmit the control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid through the communication module.

25. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein, if an event service with the counterpart electronic device is provided using a peripheral device, the processor is further configured to transmit the control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid through the communication module.

26. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein, if the control signal for controlling a microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid is transmitted to the hearing aid, the processor is further configured to inactivate a speaker of the electronic device.

27. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein, if a telephony event with the counterpart electronic device takes place, the processor is further configured to transmit the control signal for controlling the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid to the hearing aid through the communication module.

28. An electronic device comprising:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a communication module; and

a processor configured to;

transmit a control signal for controlling a microphone sensitivity of a hearing aid to the hearing aid through the communication module; and

transmit a sound signal collected through a microphone of the electronic device, to the hearing aid.

29. The electronic device of claim 28, wherein the communication module is further configured to

collect electronic tag information of the hearing aid;

and

communicate with the hearing aid based on the electronic tag information.

30. A hearing aid apparatus comprising:

at least one microphone;

a speaker;

a communication module; and

a processor configured to;

control a microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid based on a control signal provided from an electronic device;

amplify a sound signal provided from the electronic device through the communication module; and

output the amplified sound signal to a speaker of the hearing aid.

31. The hearing aid apparatus of claim 30, wherein the processor is further configured to control the microphone sensitivity such that the at least one microphone of the hearing aid is inactivated, based on the control signal provided from the electronic device.

32. The hearing aid apparatus of claim 30, wherein, if an event with the electronic device has ended or has been paused, the processor is further configured to:

restore the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid;

amplify a sound signal collected through the at least one microphone of the hearing aid; and

output the amplified sound signal through the speaker of the hearing aid.

33. The hearing aid apparatus of claim 30, wherein, if a control signal for restoring the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid is received from the electronic device through the communication module, the processor is further configured to:

restore the microphone sensitivity of the hearing aid;

amplify a sound signal collected through the at least one microphone of the hearing aid; and

output the amplified sound signal through the speaker of the hearing aid.