Hearing aids, signal supplying apparatus, systems for compensating hearing deficiencies, and methods
First Claim
1. A hearing aid comprising:
- a microphone for generating an electrical output from sounds external to a user of the hearing aid;
an electrically driven receiver for emitting sound into the ear of the user of the hearing aid; and
means for driving the receiver in a self-generating mode activated by a first set of signals supplied externally of the hearing aid to cause the receiver to emit sound having at least one parameter controlled by the first set of externally supplied signals and for then driving the receiver in a filtering mode, activated by a second set of signals supplied externally of the hearing aid, with the output of the external microphone filtered according to filter parameters established by the second set of the externally supplied signals.
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0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A hearing aid including a microphone for generating an electrical output from sounds external to a user of the hearing aid, an electrically driven receiver for emitting sound into the ear of the user of the hearing aid, and circuitry for driving the receiver. The circuitry drives the receiver in a self-generating mode activated by a first set of signals supplied externally of the hearing aid to cause the receiver to emit sound having at least one parameter controlled by the first set of externally supplied signals and then drives the receiver in a filtering mode, activated by a second set of signals supplied externally of the hearing aid, with the output of the external microphone filtered according to filter parameters established by the second set of the externally supplied signals. Other forms of the hearing aid, apparatus for supplying the sets of signals to the hearing aid in a total system, and methods of operation are also described.
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Citations
57 Claims
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1. A hearing aid comprising:
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a microphone for generating an electrical output from sounds external to a user of the hearing aid; an electrically driven receiver for emitting sound into the ear of the user of the hearing aid; and means for driving the receiver in a self-generating mode activated by a first set of signals supplied externally of the hearing aid to cause the receiver to emit sound having at least one parameter controlled by the first set of externally supplied signals and for then driving the receiver in a filtering mode, activated by a second set of signals supplied externally of the hearing aid, with the output of the external microphone filtered according to filter parameters established by the second set of the externally supplied signals. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. A hearing aid having a body adapted to be placed in communication with an ear canal, the hearing aid body having an external mircrophone sensitive to external sound, and a receiver for supplying sound to the ear canal, the hearing aid comprising:
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a probe microphone in the hearing aid body for sensing the sound present in the ear canal; and means connected to the external microphone and said probe microphone for driving the receiver in response to both the external microphone and said probe microphone, and for generating a digital signal for external use in adjusting the performance of the hearing aid, the digital signal representing at least one parameter of the sound sensed by the probe microphone. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21)
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22. A hearing aid having a body adapted to be placed in communication with an ear canal, the hearing aid body having an external microphone sensitive to external sound, and a receiver for supplying sound to the ear canal, the hearing aid comprising:
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a probe microphone in the hearing aid body for sensing the sound present in the ear canal; and means connected to the external microphone for filtering, then limiting, and then filtering the output of the external microphone according to a set of internal parameters and for self-adjusting at least one of the internal parameters as a function of the output of the probe microphone, thereby to drive the receiver. - View Dependent Claims (23)
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24. A hearing aid for connection to an external source of programming signals and having a body adapted to be placed in communication with an ear canal, the hearing aid body having an external microphone sensitive to external sound, and a receiver for supplying sound to the ear canal, the hearing aid comprising:
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a probe microphone in the hearing aid body for sensing the sound present in the ear canal; and digital computing means in the hearing aid and coupled to the external microphone, to said probe microphone and to the receiver, and adapted for connection to the external source of programming signals, said digital computing means comprising means for loading and executing entire programs represented by the signals and thereby utilizing said probe microphone, the external microphone and the receiver for hearing testing and digital filtering. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28)
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29. A system for compensating hearing deficiencies of a patient, comprising:
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a hearing aid having an external microphone, programmable means for filtering the output of the external microphone, and a receiver driven by the programmable filtering means for emitting sounds into the ear of the patient; means for sensing responses of the patient to sounds from the receiver; and means communicating with the hearing aid and the sensing means, for selectively generating a first set of signals to cause the programmable filtering means in the hearing aid to operate so that the receiver emits sounds having a parameter controlled by the first set of signals, and for then generating in response to said sensing means a second set of signals determined from the controlled parameter and the responses of the patient to the sounds with the controlled parameter to establish filter parameters in the programmable filtering means to cause it to filter the output of the external microphone and to drive the receiver with the filtered output thereby ameliorating the hearing deficiencies of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37)
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38. A system for compensating hearing deficiencies of a patient, comprising:
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a hearing aid having an external microphone, a programmable digital computer in the hearing aid and fed by the external microphone, a receiver fed by the programmable digital computer for emitting sounds into the ear of the patient, and a probe microphone for sensing the actual sound in the ear of the patient; a data link; and means for selectively supplying at least a first set and a subsequent second set of digital signals to said data link, said data link communicating the digital signals to said programmable digital computer of said hearing aid; said programmable digital computer comprising means for selectively driving said receiver so that at least one sound for hearing testing is emitted into the ear in response to the first set of digital signals, for supplying to said data link a third set of digital signals representing a parameter of the output of said probe microphone, and for subsequently filtering the output of said external microphone in response to the subsequently supplied second set of digital signals to drive said receiver in a manner adapted for ameliorating the hearing deficiencies of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (39, 40, 41, 42)
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43. For use in a system for compensating hearing deficiencies of a patient, including a hearing aid having an external microphone, a digital computer in the hearing aid fed by the external microphone, a receiver fed by the digital computer for emitting sounds into the ear of the patient, and a probe microphone for sensing the actual sound in the ear of the patient, signal supplying apparatus comprising:
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interface means for performing two-way digital serial communication with the digital computer in the hearing aid; and means for initiating transmission of a first set of signals from said interface means to the hearing aid to cause the digital computer in the hearing aid to operate so that the receiver emits sounds having an adjustable parameter, for obtaining, through the interface means, data representing values of the adjustable parameter of the sounds as sensed by the probe microphone, and for then initiating transmission from said interface means of a second set of signals determined at least in part from the values of the parameter of the sensed sounds to cause the digital computer in the hearing aid to filter the output of the external microphone and drive the receiver with the filtered output, thereby ameliorating the hearing deficiencies of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (44, 45, 46, 47, 48)
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49. A method for compensating hearing deficiencies of a patient with a hearing aid having an external microphone, electronic means for processing the output of the external microphone, and a receiver driven by the electronic processing means for emitting sound into the ear of the patient, comprising the steps of:
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selectively supplying a first set of signals to the hearing aid to cause the electronic processing means to operate so that the receiver emits sound having a parameter controlled by the first set of signals; sensing and electrically storing representations of responses of the patient to the sound; and supplying a second set of signals determined from the at least one controlled parameter of the sound and the representations of the patient responses to the sound with the controlled parameter to cause the electronic processing means to filter the output of the external microphone and drive the receiver with the filtered output, thereby ameliorating the hearing deficiencies of the patient. - View Dependent Claims (50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57)
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Specification