Hearing aid system with a hearing aid and an external processor unit

• US 7,072,480 B2
• Filed: 06/10/2003
• Issued: 07/04/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Rass, Uwe
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Assistant Examiner(s): DABNEY, PHYLESHA LARVINIA
• Application Number:
  US10/458,394
• Publication Number:
  US 20030235319A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,120 Days
• Field of Search: 381314-315, 381/323, 381317-318, 381/330, 381320-321
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A hearing aid system has a hearing aid and an external processor unit, where the external processor unit is permanently allocated to a specific hearing environment. The external processor unit is fashioned for remaining in the respective hearing environment long-term, and the signal processing of an acoustic input signal in the external processor unit is also specifically adapted to the respective hearing environment. There is preferably a wireless signal transmission between the hearing aid and the external processor unit.

Claims

1. A hearing aid system, comprising:

a hearing aid, comprising;

at least one input transducer;

a first signal processing unit configured to receive a signal from the at least one input transducer;

an output transducer configured to receive a processed signal from the first signal processing unit and convert the signal into audible sound waves; and

a reception unit;

the hearing aid system further comprising;

an external processor unit that is permanently allocated to a specific hearing environment, and is configured to process a received signal, thereby producing an external unit processed signal, adapted to the specific hearing environment, the external processing unit comprising;

at least one second input transducer configured to receive the received signal for processing by the external processing unit;

a second signal processing unit connected to the at least one second input transducer; and

a transmission unit configured to send the external unit processed signal to the reception unit of the hearing aid so that the reception unit can output the processed signal to the output transducer.

2. The hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein the external processor unit is fashioned for fixed allocation to different hearing environments, and the second signal processing unit is configured to be adapted to different hearing environments.

3. The hearing aid system according to claim 2, wherein the external processor unit is configured to be set by at least one of parameters and function for adapting the second signal processing unit to the hearing environment.

4. The hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein the external processor unit comprises:

a directional microphone system configured for generating a directional microphone characteristic.

5. The hearing aid system according to claim 4, wherein the directional microphone characteristic is adjustable.

6. The hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is configured to be adaptable to the reception of a signal of the external processor unit.

7. The hearing aid system according to claim 6, further comprising

a total of more than one external processor units that are permanently allocated to different hearing environments, the hearing aid being adaptable to the reception of signals of the different external processor units.

8. The hearing aid system according to claim 6, wherein the hearing aid is configured to automatically recognize whether the reception unit receives a signal of an external processor unit, and the hearing aid is automatically adaptable to the reception of this signal.

9. The hearing aid system according to claim 6, wherein the first signal processing unit is configured to be adaptable to the reception of a signal of the external processor unit.

10. The hearing aid system according to claim 1 configured to further-process the received signal in the hearing aid before the signal is output.

11. The hearing aid system according to claim 10 configured such that the received signal is mixable with a signal picked up by the first input transducer.

12. The hearing aid system according to claim 11 configured such that the signals are mixable with adjustable weighting.

13. A method for operating a hearing aid, comprising:

providing an input transducer, a first signal processing unit, an output transducer and a reception device;

permanently providing an external processor unit with an input transducer, a second signal processing unit and a transmission device in a specific hearing environment of a hearing aid user;

adapting a signal processor in the external processor unit to the hearing environment;

receiving and processing an input signal with the external processor unit, thereby producing a processed signal;

sending the processed signal to the hearing aid as a transmitted signal;

receiving the transmitted signal with the hearing aid; and

outputting an output signal based on the transmitted signal via the output transducer.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising further processing the received signal before the signal is output.