Hearing aid adaptable for telephone listening

• US 4,995,085 A
• Filed: 10/11/1988
• Issued: 02/19/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 10/15/1987
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Schlosser, Helmut, Krauss, Gerhard, Kern, Reinhard
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): McGeary, III, M. Nelson
• Application Number:
  US07/255,540
• Time in Patent Office: 861 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68.2, 381/68, 381/71, 381/72, 381/93, 381/123, 381/98, 381/102, 381/108, 381/95, 379/52
• US Class Current: 381/320
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/502 using analog signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A hearing aid has a microphone, an amplifier and a receiver and at least one frequency-defining element in series with a switch connected to the amplifier. For telephone listening, the switch is closed and the frequency-defining element lowers the high frequencies in the incoming signal from the telephone receiver so that a comfortable tone results for the hearing-impaired person using the telephone. The frequency-defining element may be a part of a frequency-dependent voltage divider, a part of a frequency-dependent negative feedback circuit, or a component in a resonant circuit.

Claims

1. A hearing aid adaptable for telephone listening comprising:

a microphone which receives incoming audio signals, said incoming audio signals sometimes including telephone audio signals;

means connected to said microphone for amplifying output signals from said microphone, thereby producing amplified audio signals;

a receiver connected to an output of said means for amplifying;

first means connected to said means for amplifying for lowering the amplitudes of high frequency components in said amplified audio signals;

second means connected to said means for amplifying for lowering the amplitudes of high frequency components in said amplified audio signals differently from said first means for lowering so that said telephone audio signals in said amplified audio signals are comfortable for listening by a user of the hearing aid; and

switch means in series with said second means and operable by said user of said hearing aid for actuating said second means for lowering the amplitudes of high frequency components during telephone listening by said user when said telephone audio signals are thus included in said audio signals.

2. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second means for lowering high frequencies is a frequency-dependent voltage divider.

3. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second means for lowering high frequencies is a frequency-dependent negative feedback loop.

4. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second means for lowering high frequencies is a portion of a resonant circuit.

5. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second means for lowering high frequencies includes a capacitor of a selected capacitance.

6. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 5, wherein said receiver has an inductance and wherein a further capacitor is connected in parallel with said receiver and wherein said capacitor in said second means for lowering high frequencies is connected in a series branch with said switch means, said series branch being connected in parallel with said receiver so that said capacitor forms a resonant circuit with said inductance of said receiver and wherein said selected capacitance of said capacitor in said resonant circuit provides a comfortable tone for said user during telephone listening.

7. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 6, wherein said further capacitor has a capacitance which is lower than the capacitance of said capacitor in said second means for lowering high frequencies.

8. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 7, wherein said capacitance of said capacitor in said second means for lowering high frequencies is approximately twice the capacitance of said further capacitor.

9. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 7 further comprising an actuator connected in series with said further capacitor across said receiver.

10. A hearing aid adaptable for telephone listening comprising:

a microphone which receives incoming audio signals, said incoming audio signals sometimes including telephone audio signals;

an amplifier connected to said microphone for amplifying output signals from said microphone, thereby producing amplified audio signals;

a receiver connected to an output of said amplifier;

means connected to said means for amplifying for lowering the amplitudes of high frequency components in said amplified audio signals; and

a switch, a resistor and a capacitor connected in series to an output of said amplifier, said capacitor and said resistor in combination lowering the amplitudes of high frequency components in said amplified audio signals differently from said means for lowering to provide a comfortable tone for a user of said hearing aid during telephone listening, and said switch being operable by said user to connect said resistor and said capacitor to said output of said amplifier during telephone listening when said telephone audio signals are thus included in said audio signals.

11. A hearing aid adaptable for telephone listening comprising:

a microphone which receives incoming audio signals, said incoming audio signals sometimes including telephone audio signals;

an amplifier connected to said microphone for amplifying output signals from said microphone, thereby producing amplified audio signals;

a receiver connected to an output of said amplifier;

means connected to said means for amplifying for lowering the amplitudes of high frequency components in said amplified audio signals; and

a switch, a resistor and a capacitor connected in series in a feedback loop across said amplifier, said resistor and said capacitor in combination lowering the amplitudes of high frequency components in said amplified audio signals differently from said means for lowering to provide a comfortable tone for a user of said hearing air during a telephone listening, and said switch being operable by said user to connect said resistor and said capacitor across said amplifier during telephone listening when said telephone signals are thus included in said audio signals.

12. A hearing aid adaptable for telephone listening comprising:

a microphone which receives incoming audio signals;

an amplifier connected to said microphone for amplifying output signals from said microphone;

a receiver having an inductance connected to an output of said amplifier;

a first capacitor and an actuator both connected permanently in series across said receiver and

a second capacitor connected in series across said receiver with a switch, said switch being operable by a user of said hearing aid to create a resonant circuit including said inductance of said receiver and said second capacitance during telephone listening by said user, said second capacitor having a capacitance selected to provide a comfortable tone to said user during said telephone listening.