Hearing air system

• US 5,835,610 A
• Filed: 12/23/1996
• Issued: 11/10/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1995
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: K/S HIMPP
• Original Assignee: NEC Corporation
• Inventors: Kondo, Reishi, Mitome, Yukio, Ishige, Ryuuichi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chang, Vivian
• Application Number:
  US08/774,069
• Time in Patent Office: 687 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68, 381/68.2, 381/68.4, 381/79, 381/110, 455/41, 455/66
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

An external device to be used along with a hearing aid device comprises an input means through which voice data are inputted, a hearing aid processor coupled to the input means for receiving the voice data from the input means to make an acoustic sense compensation of the voice data, and a transmitter coupled to the hearing aid processor for receiving compensated voice data from the hearing aid processor and transmitting the compensated voice data to the hearing aid device.

Claims

1. A hearing aid device to be used along with an external device that performs an acoustic sense compensation of voice data inputted, said hearing aid device comprising:

a microphone for picking up voices and generating voice signals on the basis of the voices picked up;

a signal processor coupled to said microphone for receiving the voice signals from the microphone to make an acoustic sense compensation of the received voice signals;

an amplifier coupled to the signal processor for receiving the compensated voice signals to amplify the voice signals;

an earphone coupled to the amplifier;

a receiver circuit for receiving the acoustic-sense compensated voice signals that have been transmitted from the external device;

a switching element coupled to both the receiver circuit and the signal processor for switching from a first connection with the signal processor to a second connection with the receiver circuit, when the voice signals are received by the receiver circuit, so as to receive the voice signals from the external device; and

a power controller coupled to both the signal processor and the receiver circuit for controlling respective power supplies to the signal processor and the receiver circuit so that if the receiver circuit receives the voice signals from the external device, then the power controller discontinues the power supply to the signal processor while at the same time supplying the power supply to the receiver circuit,

wherein said hearing aid device provides the compensated voice data, received from said external device, in audible form to a user of the hearing aid device without performing any additional acoustic compensation.

2. The hearing aid device as claimed in claim 1, wherein said hearing aid device is a portable digital hearing aid device.

3. The hearing aid device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a second amplifier coupled to the switching element, wherein the acoustic-sense compensated voice signals are amplified by the second amplifier before being sent to the ear of the user, without any frequency compensation being performed by the hearing aid device on the acoustic-sense compensated voice signal.

4. A hearing aid system comprising a hearing aid device and an external device that are used along with each other,

wherein said external device comprises:

an input port for inputting voice data;

a hearing aid processor coupled to the input port and configured to receive said voice data from said input port to make an acoustic sense compensation of said voice data; and

a transmitter coupled to said hearing aid processor and configured to transmit said compensated voice data to a receiver such as a hearing aid device, and

wherein said hearing aid device comprises;

a microphone for picking up voices and generating voice signals on the basis of said voices picked up;

a signal processor coupled to said microphone for receiving said voice signals from said microphone to make an acoustic sense compensation of said received voice signals;

an amplifier coupled to said signal processor and configured to receive said compensated voice signals to amplify said voice signals, and an earphone coupled to said amplifier;

a receiver circuit configured to receive acoustic-sense compensated voice signals that have been transmitted from said external device; and

a switching element coupled to both said receiver circuit and said signal processor and configured to switch from a first connection with said signal processor to a second connection with said receiver circuit, when said voice signals are received by said receiver circuit, so as to receive said voice signals from said external device, and a power controller coupled to both said signal processor and said receiver circuit and configured to control respective power supplies to said signal processor and said receiver circuit so that if said receiver circuit receives said voice signals from said external device, then said power controller discontinues said power supply to said signal processor while at the same time supplying the power supply to said receiver circuits,

wherein said hearing aid device provides the compensated voice data received form said external device, in audible form to a user of the hearing aid device without performing any additional acoustic compensation.

5. The hearing aid system as claimed in claim 4, further comprising a controller coupled to said transmitter and said hearing aid processor, said controller being configured to control operations of said transmitter and said hearing aid processor.

6. The hearing aid system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said external device is an installed type device.

7. The hearing aid system as claimed in claim 4, wherein said external device is provided in an installed type electric apparatus.

8. The hearing aid device as claimed in claim 4, wherein said hearing aid device further comprises a second amplifier coupled to the switching element, wherein the acoustic-sense compensated voice signals are amplified by the second amplifier before being sent to the ear of the user, without any frequency compensation being performed by the hearing aid device on the acoustic-sense compensated voice signals.