Apparatus and methods for hearing aid performance measurement, fitting, and initialization
First Claim
1. A method of fitting a hearing aid to a hearing aid user comprising the steps of:
- a) engaging the hearing aid with the user'"'"'s ear;
b) establishing a bidirectional data communication link between a host processor and the hearing aid;
c) causing the hearing aid to generate an acoustic test signal within the hearing aid;
d) recording an input signal at the hearing aid input microphone resulting from the fed-back test signal;
e) transmitting data based upon the recorded signal to the host processor;
f) computing an estimate of the physical feedback transfer function of the hearing aid from data based upon the recorded signal;
g) determining a maximum stable gain curve based upon the computed physical feedback transfer function; and
h) displaying the maximum stable gain curve of the hearing aid on a display screen associated with the host processor.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A digital hearing aid according to the present invention is capable of measuring its own performance. The measurement and initialization capability may be entirely integral to the hearing aid, or an external processor may be used to download the measurement program and the run time program, and assist in computing the parameters. The hearing aid includes a test signal generator for feeding a test signal into the hearing aid amplifier. The response to the test signal is acquired at a specific point in the hearing aid, depending upon what aspect of performance is to be measured. Various elements of the hearing aid and/or the hearing aid feedback may be bypassed. The hearing aid further includes the capability of initializing hearing aid parameters based upon the performance measurements.
129 Citations
11 Claims
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1. A method of fitting a hearing aid to a hearing aid user comprising the steps of:
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a) engaging the hearing aid with the user'"'"'s ear; b) establishing a bidirectional data communication link between a host processor and the hearing aid; c) causing the hearing aid to generate an acoustic test signal within the hearing aid; d) recording an input signal at the hearing aid input microphone resulting from the fed-back test signal; e) transmitting data based upon the recorded signal to the host processor; f) computing an estimate of the physical feedback transfer function of the hearing aid from data based upon the recorded signal; g) determining a maximum stable gain curve based upon the computed physical feedback transfer function; and h) displaying the maximum stable gain curve of the hearing aid on a display screen associated with the host processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. Apparatus for fitting a hearing aid to a hearing aid user comprising:
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a hearing aid having a microphone, a signal processor, and a receiver, and further including a signal generator as part of the hearing aid for generating an audio test signal within the hearing aid, and a recorder for recording the fed back test signal at the microphone; a host computer; a communication conduit for transmitting data between the hearing aid and the host computer; and a display associated with the host computer; wherein the hearing aid transmits a signal based upon the recorded fed back test signal to the host computer via the communication conduit; wherein the host computer generates a maximum stable gain curve based upon the transmitted signal; and wherein the display displays the maximum stable gain curve. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification