In-the-ear hearing aid with directional microphone system

• US 5,757,933 A
• Filed: 12/11/1996
• Issued: 05/26/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/11/1996
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Micro Ear Technology Incorporated (Starkey Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Bren, Mark A., Preves, David A., Peterson, Timothy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D.
• Application Number:
  US08/763,520
• Time in Patent Office: 531 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68, 381/68.1, 381/68.5, 381/69, 381/168, 381/169, 381/92, 381/122, 381/155, 381/68.2, 381/68.4, 381/23.1
• US Class Current: 381/313
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/025 In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/53 Hearing aid for unilateral hearing impairment using Contralateral Routing Of Signals [CROS]
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/005 Microphone arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/006 Microphone matching

Abstract

Apparatus for use as an in-the-ear hearing aid. The apparatus includes a housing having a shell and a face plate, wherein the shell is molded to custom fit a hearing aid user'"'"'s ear. A first non-directional microphone system is included having a first output signal representative of the sound received. A second non-directional microphone system is included having a second output signal representative of the sound received. A switch mechanism is included having an operator extending through the housing for switching the in-the-ear hearing aid between a non-directional mode and a directional mode. In the directional mode, the microphone system is adjustable between a cardioid and super cardioid polar output pattern.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use as an in-the-ear hearing aid, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a shell and a face plate, wherein the shell is molded to custom fit a hearing aid user'"'"'s ear;

a first non-directional microphone system having a first inlet opening in the face plate for receiving sound and having a first output signal representative of the sound received;

a second non-directional microphone system having a second inlet opening in the face plate for receiving sound and having a second output signal representative of the sound received; and

switch means having an operator extending through the housing for switching the in-the-ear hearing aid between a non-directional mode and a directional mode.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the switch has an open position and a closed position, and wherein when the switch is in the closed position, the in-the-ear hearing aid operates in a directional mode.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein when the switch is in an open position, the hearing aid operates in a non-directional mode.

4. The apparatus of claim 2, further comprising means for summing, selectively coupled to the first non-directional microphone system and the second non-directional microphone, having a summed output signal representative of the sum of the first output signal and the second output signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inlet opening and second inlet opening are relatively close together.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first inlet opening and second inlet opening are less than 1/2 an inch apart.

7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first inlet opening and second inlet opening are located in approximately the same line which is generally horizontal to the ground when the in-the-ear hearing aid is located in a user'"'"'s ear.

8. An apparatus for use as an in-the-ear hearing aid, the apparatus comprising:

a housing having a shell and a face plate, wherein the shell is molded to custom fit a hearing aid user'"'"'s ear;

a first non-directional microphone system having a first inlet opening in the face Plate for receiving sound and having a first output signal representative of the sound received;

a second non-directional microphone system having a second inlet opening in the face plate for receiving sound and having a second output signal representative of the sound received;

switch means having an operator extending through the housing for switching the in-the-ear hearing aid between a non-directional mode and a directional mode, wherein the switch has an open position and a closed position, and wherein, when the switch is in the closed position, the in-the-ear hearing aid operates in a directional mode; and

means for summing, selectively coupled to the first non-directional microphone system and the second non-directional microphone system, having a summed output signal representative of the sum of the first output signal and the second output signal;

wherein, when the hearing aid is in the directional mode, the output signal has a polar directivity pattern representative of the summed output signal; and

wherein the means for summing further comprises means for adjusting the polar directivity pattern of the summed output signal between a cardioid polar directivity pattern and a super cardioid polar directivity pattern.

9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the means for adjusting the polar directivity pattern includes:

an inverting amplifier coupled to the second microphone system; and

an adjustable phase delay coupled to the inverting amplifier.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the adjustable phase delay includes an adjustable low pass filter having an adjustable capacitor.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the means for adjusting the polar directivity further includes an adjustable amplifier coupled to the second microphone system.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the adjustable amplifier includes an adjustable potentiometer.

13. A microphone system for use with an in-the-ear hearing aid, the system comprising:

a first non-directional microphone system having a first inlet opening for receiving sound and having a first output signal representative of the sound received;

a second non-directional microphone system having a second inlet opening for receiving sound and having a second output signal representative of the sound received; and

means for electrically coupling the first non-directional microphone system to the second non-directional microphone system for electrically switching the in-the-ear hearing aid between a non-directional mode and a directional mode.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the means for coupling is a switch having a closed position and an open position, and wherein when the switch is in the open position the in-the-ear hearing aid is in the non-directional mode, and when the switch is in a closed position, the in-the-ear hearing aid is in the directional mode.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the second non-directional microphone system further comprising means for inverting the second output signal.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the second non-directional microphone system further comprises means for adjusting the phase delay of the second output signal relative to the first output signal.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the means for adjusting the phase delay includes a phase delay having an adjustable capacitor.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the second non-directional microphone system further comprises means for adjusting the amplitude of the first output signal relative to the second output signal.

19. The system of claim 13, further comprising means for summing the first output signal and the second output signal.

20. The system of claim 19, wherein the means for summing has an output coupled to an amplifier.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the amplifier includes a phase delay.