Digital hearing aid system
First Claim
1. A hearing aid comprising:
- two audio microphones, each of said audio microphones positioned adjacent to one ear of a user, for receiving audio signals and for converting said audio signals to an analog input signal;
two analog-to-digital converters, for converting said analog input signals to a first digital signal;
a first binaural digital processor, disposed to receive said first digital signal, for selectably performing a binaural processing technique on said first digital signal and generating digital binaural output signals;
two digital-to-analog converters, for converting said digital binaural output signals to analog binaural output signals;
two audio receivers, each disposed to receive said analog binaural output signals, for converting said analog binaural output signals to a filtered audio signal to be transmitted into one of the ears of said user; and
a bidirectional communication system, for providing one of said analog input signals and said first digital signal to said first binaural digital processor, said first binaural digital processor performing a monaural processing technique when said bidirectional communication system is not operational.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A detachable digital binaural processing hearing aid comprised of a digital signal processor (DSP), two microphones, two receivers, a bi-directional communications link between each microphone/receiver and the digital signal processor, an analog-to-digital converter, and a digital-to-analog converter. In one embodiment of the present invention, the user has the option of disabling the digital signal processor by either physically removing an external digital processing unit or by disabling a digital processor to permit an analog processor to provide audio enhancement. The user is also given the option of selecting from a variety of digital filters/compressors that generate binaural signals that are sent to both ears of the user. In a second embodiment, each hearing element comprises a digital signal processor and a communication link to the other hearing element. Two examples of the communication link are an electrical wire connecting the two hearing elements and a electromagnetic transceiving system where each hearing element has a transceiver that transmits a signal representing the sound at one ear of the user and receives a signal representing the sound at the other ear of the user.
134 Citations
21 Claims
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1. A hearing aid comprising:
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two audio microphones, each of said audio microphones positioned adjacent to one ear of a user, for receiving audio signals and for converting said audio signals to an analog input signal; two analog-to-digital converters, for converting said analog input signals to a first digital signal; a first binaural digital processor, disposed to receive said first digital signal, for selectably performing a binaural processing technique on said first digital signal and generating digital binaural output signals; two digital-to-analog converters, for converting said digital binaural output signals to analog binaural output signals; two audio receivers, each disposed to receive said analog binaural output signals, for converting said analog binaural output signals to a filtered audio signal to be transmitted into one of the ears of said user; and a bidirectional communication system, for providing one of said analog input signals and said first digital signal to said first binaural digital processor, said first binaural digital processor performing a monaural processing technique when said bidirectional communication system is not operational. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A hearing aid system comprising:
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a hearing element, including; a first audio microphone, positioned adjacent to one ear of a user, for receiving an audio signal and for converting said audio signal to an analog input signal, a first analog processing system, coupled to said first audio microphone, for performing an analog processing technique on said analog input signal when a first binaural digital processor is not utilized, and a first audio receiver, for converting an analog output signal to a filtered audio signal to be transmitted into one of the ears of said user; a detachable first unit having; a power supply, a first analog-to-digital converter for converting said analog input signals to a first digital signal, said first binaural digital processor, disposed to receive said first digital signal, for selectably performing a binaural digital processing technique on said first digital signal and generating a binaural digital output signal, and a first digital-to-analog converter for converting said binaural digital output signal to a binaural analog output signal; and a bidirectional communication system for coupling said first hearing element and said first unit, said first binaural digital processor performing a monaural processing technique when said bidirectional communication system is not operational. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20)
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21. A hearing aid comprising:
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a first hearing element, including; a first audio microphone positioned adjacent to one ear of a user, for receiving a first set of audio signals and for converting said first set of audio signals to a first analog input signal; a first analog-to-digital converter, for converting said first analog input signal to a first digital signal; a first binaural digital processor, disposed to receive said first digital signal and a second digital signal, for selectably performing a binaural processing technique on said first and second digital signals and generating first and second digital binaural output signals; a first digital-to-analog converter, for converting said first digital binaural output signal to a first analog binaural output signal; and a first audio receiver disposed to receive said first analog binaural output signal, for converting said first analog binaural output signal to a first filtered audio signal to be transmitted into one of the ears of said user; a second hearing element, including; a second audio microphone positioned adjacent to one ear of a user, for receiving a second set of audio signals and for converting said second set of audio signals to a second analog input signal; a second analog-to-digital converter, for converting said second analog input signal to the second digital signal; a second digital-to-analog converter, for converting said second digital binaural output signal to a second analog binaural output signal; a second audio receiver disposed to receive said second analog binaural output signal, for converting said second analog binaural output signal to a second filtered audio signal to be transmitted into one of the ears of said user; and a power supply coupled to said first binaural digital processor; and a bidirectional communication system, for providing said second digital signal to said first binaural digital processor.
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Specification