Device for the compensation of hearing impairments
First Claim
1. A hearing aid device for the compensation of hearing deficiencies, said device comprising a signal input transducer for receiving input audio signals, an input amplifier connected at its input side with the output side of said input transducer, and an output transducer for supplying output signals compensated for a hearing deficiency of a hearing impaired individual,a plurality of parallel signal channels for transmitting respective signal components of an input signal,first bandpass filters connected at their input sides with the output side of said input amplifier and connected at their respective output sides with the respective parallel signal channels, said first bandpass filters having respective different frequency responses and supplying to the respective parallel signal channels respective signal components having respective different frequency bands of an input signal, and said first bandpass filters each being a sampled-data analog filter and being realized in integrated circuit technology,non-linear signal processing means in the respective parallel signal channels and connected at their respective input sides with the output sides of the respective first bandpass filters for non-linear processing of respective signal components with the respective different frequency bands,controlled-gain amplifiers in the respective parallel signal channels and having a volume control potentiometer which is common to all of said controlled gain amplifiers, said volume control potentiometer providing a common adjustment of the gain for all of said parallel signal channels,second bandpass filters in each of said parallel signal channels and connected at their input sides with the output sides of the respective non-linear signal processing means in the respective parallel signal channels, said second bandpass filters each being a sampled-data analog filter and being realized in integrated circuit technology, and said second bandpass filters having respective frequency responses substantially corresponding with the frequency responses of said first bandpass filters for reducing distortion components caused by the respective nonlinear signal processing means, andsignal summing and amplifier means connected at its input side with the output sides of all of said second bandpass filters and connected at its output side with the input side of said output transducer for combining signal components from all of the second bandpass filters into a resultant signal and for supplying an amplified resultant signal to said output transducer.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
An exemplary embodiment includes a plurality of parallel signal channels coupled with a signal input transducer, such as a microphone or induction coil. Each of the signal channels includes a respective bandpass filter for selection of a different frequency band, a controlled-gain amplifier, controlled by a volume control potentiometer, circuits for non-linear signal processing, and a bandpass filter for the reduction of distortion components caused by the non-linear processing circuits. A summing amplifier combines the signal components from all channels and is connected via an amplifier to an output signal transducer. Space requirements and power consumption are reduced in such a multi-channel processing arrangement by implementing all of the filters as sampled-data analog circuits. As a result hearing aids are provided which can be worn on the head, e.g. behind the ear.
146 Citations
9 Claims
-
1. A hearing aid device for the compensation of hearing deficiencies, said device comprising a signal input transducer for receiving input audio signals, an input amplifier connected at its input side with the output side of said input transducer, and an output transducer for supplying output signals compensated for a hearing deficiency of a hearing impaired individual,
a plurality of parallel signal channels for transmitting respective signal components of an input signal, first bandpass filters connected at their input sides with the output side of said input amplifier and connected at their respective output sides with the respective parallel signal channels, said first bandpass filters having respective different frequency responses and supplying to the respective parallel signal channels respective signal components having respective different frequency bands of an input signal, and said first bandpass filters each being a sampled-data analog filter and being realized in integrated circuit technology, non-linear signal processing means in the respective parallel signal channels and connected at their respective input sides with the output sides of the respective first bandpass filters for non-linear processing of respective signal components with the respective different frequency bands, controlled-gain amplifiers in the respective parallel signal channels and having a volume control potentiometer which is common to all of said controlled gain amplifiers, said volume control potentiometer providing a common adjustment of the gain for all of said parallel signal channels, second bandpass filters in each of said parallel signal channels and connected at their input sides with the output sides of the respective non-linear signal processing means in the respective parallel signal channels, said second bandpass filters each being a sampled-data analog filter and being realized in integrated circuit technology, and said second bandpass filters having respective frequency responses substantially corresponding with the frequency responses of said first bandpass filters for reducing distortion components caused by the respective nonlinear signal processing means, and signal summing and amplifier means connected at its input side with the output sides of all of said second bandpass filters and connected at its output side with the input side of said output transducer for combining signal components from all of the second bandpass filters into a resultant signal and for supplying an amplified resultant signal to said output transducer.
Specification