PERFORMANCE BASED IN SITU OPTIMIZATION OF HEARING AIDS

• US 20170295440A1
• Filed: 06/22/2017
• Published: 10/12/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: GRAN, Karl-Fredrik Johan, DE VRIES, Aalbert
• Granted Patent: US 10,154,357 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• 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 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/507 implemented by neural network or fuzzy logic
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A new hearing aid system is provided that facilitates determination of listening performance of a user of the hearing aid system and adjustment of a hearing aid for improved listening performance.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising:

a microphone for provision of an audio signal in response to sound signals received at the microphone from a sound environment;

a processor that is configured to process the audio signal in accordance with a signal processing algorithm F_n(Θ

_n) to generate a hearing loss compensated audio signal, where Θ

_n is a set of signal processing parameters of the signal processing algorithm F_n;

an output transducer for providing an output signal to a user of the hearing aid based on the hearing loss compensated audio signal; and

an interface configured for data communication with at least one server;

wherein the processor is configured for adjusting a value of one of the signal processing parameters based on information on the one of the signal processing parameters received from the at least one server, the value being based on listening performances of users of hearing aid systems determined by performance detectors associated with the hearing aid systems.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein at least one of the hearing aid systems is configured for recording a voice of the user of the at least one of the hearing aid systems.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 2, wherein the performance detector associated with the at least one of the hearing aid systems is configured for determining the listening performance of the user of the at least one of the hearing aid systems based on the recorded voice.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 2, wherein the performance detector associated with the at least one of the hearing aid systems is configured for determining the listening performance of the user of the at least one of the hearing aid systems based on environmental sound.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 2, wherein the listening performance of the user of the at least one of the hearing aid systems relates to a time of response by the user of the at least one of the hearing aid systems measured since a reception of speech.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 2, wherein the at least one server is configured to determine at least one gain value of the at least one of the hearing aid systems for improved speech audibility.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 2, wherein the listening performance of the user of the at least one of the hearing aid systems relates to speech understanding of the user of the at least one of the hearing aid systems.

8. A hearing system comprising the hearing aid of claim 1, and a hand-held device communicatively coupled with the hearing aid, the hand-held device configured for interconnecting the hearing aid with the at least one server.

9. A hearing system comprising the hearing aid of claim 1, and:

a direction of arrival detector configured for determining a direction of arrival of sound at the hearing system; and

an orientation sensor configured for determining a looking direction of the user of the hearing aid during the arrival of the sound.

10. A hearing system comprising the hearing aid of claim 1, and a sound environment detector, the sound environment detector configured for determining a category of a sound environment surrounding the hearing system based on a sound signal received by the hearing system;

wherein the value of the one of the signal processing parameters is based also on the category of the sound environment determined by the sound environment detector.

11. A hearing system comprising the hearing aid of claim 1, and a user interface for allowing the user of the hearing aid to make adjustment of at least one of the signal processing parameters.

12. A hearing system comprising the hearing aid of claim 1, and a location detector configured for determining a geographical position of the hearing system.

13. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising at least a part of one of the performance detectors.

14. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising at least a part of a sound environment detector.

15. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising at least a part of a location detector.

16. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is a part of an in situ fitting system.

17. An in situ fitting system comprising the hearing aid of claim 1, and the at least one server.

18. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is a part of one of the hearing aid systems.