Radio-based hearing aid system

• US 6,307,945 B1
• Filed: 02/03/1995
• Issued: 10/23/2001
• Est. Priority Date: 12/21/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Tonewear Limited
• Original Assignee: Sense-Sonic Limited
• Inventors: Hall, Andrew James Jamieson
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US08/384,395
• Time in Patent Office: 2,454 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68.6, 381/68, 381/68.3, 381/79, 381/68.4, 381/68.7, 381/312, 381/314, 381/315, 381/322, 381/323, 381/328, 381/329, 381/331, 181/129, 181/135, 455/95, 455/100, 455/351
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

A personal radio-based hearing aid system is provided. The hearing aid system interfaces with existing hearing aids using the “T” facility. The system comprises a switchable unidirectional or omnidirectional microphone; a line input; and an FM radio transmitter. The components are housed in a discrete hand-held unit with integral stand, and a FM receiver unit connected to an inductive loop to form a discrete pendant and necklace. The prime use of said system is to give the user greater control over his environment by using the system to compensate for the loss of natural aural focus. The system addresses the problems of a “background noise” by capturing the desired sounds by selection

Claims

1. A hearing aid system comprising:

a transmitter/microphone unit constructed and arranged to be held in the hand of a user of the hearing aid system, said transmitter/microphone unit being constructed and arranged to receive sounds which are both proximate to the transmitter/microphone unit and distant from the transmitter/microphone unit and transmitting a signal comprising said proximate and distant sounds;

a receiver unit for receiving said signal from the transmitter/microphone unit, the receiver unit including an amplifier;

an induction loop coupled to said amplifier of said receiver unit, said induction loop being constructed and arranged to allow said receiver unit to be supported by the user, said induction loop being operative to transmit an electrical signal received from said amplifier;

said transmitter/microphone unit having a transmission range which slightly exceeds a distance between said transmitter and said receiver unit when said transmitter is held in the hand of the user and the receiver unit is supported by the user; and

an earpiece being adapted to be support ed by an ear of the user, said earpiece being separate from both said transmitter/microphone unit and said receiver unit and being capable of receiving said signal transmitted from said induction loop and converting said electrical signal to an audio signal;

wherein said transmitter/microphone unit is constructed and arranged to provide aural focus upon the manual command of the user without dependence upon and without prejudice to either head movement of the user, the user'"'"'s field of vision, or both, said aural focus being achieved by manually pointing the transmitter/microphone unit in a desired direction and by selecting, by means of a switch of the transmitter unit, one of a unidirectional and omnidirectional microphone mode.

2. The system of claim 1, said transmitter/microphone unit comprising a volume adjustment device.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said switch is mechanical.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said switch is electrical.

5. The system of claim 1, said transmitter/microphone unit further comprising an integral stand for supporting said transmitter/microphone unit.

6. The system of claim 1, said transmitter/microphone unit further comprising input terminals operative for connecting external devices to said transmitter/microphone unit.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said induction loop is constructed and arranged to be suspended from the neck of the user, said receiver unit being suspended from said induction loop.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said transmitter/microphone unit and said receiver unit are capable of being tuned to a number of different transmitter frequencies.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein said amplifier of said receiver unit includes a frequency equalizer to adjust sound received to remove undesired frequencies and to boost desired frequencies.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the induction loop is coupled to said amplifier of said receiver unit, and said induction loop [being] is operative to transmit an electrical signal received from said amplifier to said earpiece.