Hearing aid and operating method therefor with control dependent on the noise content of the incoming audio signal

• US 6,763,116 B2
• Filed: 09/24/2002
• Issued: 07/13/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Barthel, Roland, Niederdränk, Torsten
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, HUYEN D
• Application Number:
  US10/253,871
• Publication Number:
  US 20030076974A1
• Time in Patent Office: 658 Days
• Field of Search: 381/23.1, 381/60, 381/61, 381/312, 381/320, 381/321, 381/314, 381/323, 381/317, 381/71.6, 381/94.1, 379/52
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• 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

For improving the automatic switching and control of hearing aid devices in view of respective auditory situation, the acoustic signal picked up by the hearing aid device is analyzed for noise signals. The control of the hearing aid device then ensues on the basis of the analyzed noise signals. Individual transmission parameters or entire hearing programs of the hearing aid device can be controlled or switched.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising:

an acousto-electrical transducer for picking up an incoming acoustical signal and for converting said acoustical signal into an electrical signal;

a control device supplied with said electrical signal for processing said electrical to produce a processed signal, including analyzing said electrical signal to detect a noise signal therein originating from externally interfering electromagnetic disturbances, and thereby obtaining an analysis result and automatically setting at least one control parameter selected from the group of transmission parameters and acoustic programs, dependent on said analysis result; and

an electro-acoustical transducer supplied with said processed signal for producing an acoustic output therefrom.

2. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control device analyzes said acoustic electrical signal dependent on at least one of a type and an extent of said noise signal.

3. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control device analyzes said electrical signal dependent on at least one of level, carrier frequency, modulation frequency, degree of modulation and signal-to-noise ratio.

4. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said acousto-electrical transducer is a microphone and wherein said acoustical signal is an audio signal.

5. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control device analyzes said electrical signal in respective frequency bands.

6. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control device analyzes said electrical signal by comparison of said noise signal to predetermined signal patterns.

7. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 6 wherein said control device analyzes said electrical signal by comparison to predetermined signal patterns respectively representing data packet transmission by different wireless transmission systems.

8. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 wherein said control device analyzes said electrical signal to determine if said noise signal has a signal pattern representative of data packets of a mobile telephone terminal and, if so, processes said electrical signal according to a telephone hearing program.

9. A method for operating a hearing aid comprising the steps of:

picking up an incoming acoustical signal and converting said acoustical signal into an electrical signal;

processing said electrical to produce a processed signal, including analyzing said electrical signal to detect a noise signal therein originating from external electromagnetic disturbances, and thereby obtaining an analysis result and automatically setting at least one control parameter selected from the group of transmission parameters and acoustic programs, dependent on said noise signal; and

producing an acoustic output from said processed signal.

10. A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising analyzing said electrical signal dependent on at least one of a type and an extent of said noise signal.

11. A method aid as claimed in claim 9 comprising analyzing said electrical signal dependent on at least one of level, carrier frequency, modulation frequency, degree of modulation and signal-to-noise ratio.

12. A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising analyzing said electrical signal in respective frequency bands.

13. A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising analyzing said electrical signal by comparing said signal to predetermined signal patterns.

14. A method as claimed in claim 13 comprising analyzing said electrical signal by comparison to predetermined signal patterns respectively representing data packet transmission by different wireless transmission systems.

15. A method as claimed in claim 9 comprising analyzing said noise content to determine if said noise signal has a signal pattern representative of data packets of a mobile telephone terminal and, if so, processing said electrical signal according to a telephone hearing program.