Method and device for presenting information to deaf persons

• US 4,025,732 A
• Filed: 07/22/1976
• Issued: 05/24/1977
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/1975
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hartmut Traunmuller
• Original Assignee: Hartmut Traunmuller
• Inventors: Traunmuller, Hartmut
• Primary Examiner(s): Stellar, George G.
• Application Number:
  US05/707,662
• Time in Patent Office: 306 Days
• Field of Search: 179/107 R, 179/107 BC, 179/107 FD
• US Class Current: 381/320
• CPC Class Codes: G09B 21/009 Teaching or communicating with deaf persons G09B21/04 takes precedence; deaf and dumb persons G09B21/00

Abstract

In a device for presenting information to deaf persons an electroacoustic signal from a microphone is supplied to a high-pass and to a low-pass channel via an amplifier. The relation between the envelope potentials of the high-passed and the low-passed signals is sensed by means of logarithmic circuits and a differential amplifier, the output potential of which determines the frequency of a voltage controlled oscillator. By means of a dynamic-adapting signal, derived from the electroacoustic signal, an amplitude modulation of the oscillator output is provided. The accordingly obtained amplitude modulated signal is used to drive tactile or auditive transducers.

Claims

1. A method for presenting information obtained from an electroacoustic signal by means of bandfilters and a following signal treatment to deaf persons, via at least one tactile or auditive transducer, in which the relation between two signals corresponding to envelope potentials is derived, said signals being obtained from the electroacoustic signal by means of band filters with different frequency responses, and a signal corresponding to said relation being brought to continuously control the frequency of an oscillator, the ouput signal of which being amplitude modulated with a dynamic-adapting potential obtained from said electroacoustic signal and being used to drive at least one tactile or auditive transducer.

2. A method according to claim 1, in which the amplitude of the signal which is used to drive said at least one transducer is controlled by the envelope-potential of a signal obtained from said electroacoustic signal after dynamics compression and possible emphasis in predetermined frequency ranges.

3. A device for carrying out a method for presenting information obtained from an electroacoustic signal by means of bandfilters and a following signal treatment to deaf persons via at least one tactile or auditive transducer, comprising a multiplier, from which the signal driving said at least one transducer is obtained after a possible amplification in an amplifier;

an oscillator connected to one input of the multiplier, the frequency of said oscillator being controlled by a potential obtained from a differential amplifier; and

two channels connected to said differential amplifier, one channel of which containing a high-pass filter and the other channel a low-pass filter, both said filters being supplied with the same electroacoustic signal and connected to a respective rectifier, a logarithmic circuit and a smoothing filter being connected downstream of each rectifier, said electroacoustic signal also feeding a circuit for derivation of a dynamic-adapting signal which is supplied to a second input of said multiplier.

4. Device according to claim 3, in which the circuit for deriving said dynamic-adapting signal which is supplied to the second input of the multiplier comprises a rectifier, a dynamics compressor and a smoothing filter, supplied with the electroacoustic signal after possible emphasis in predetermined frequency ranges.