Hearing aid device or hearing device system with a clock generator

• US 7,421,085 B2
• Filed: 09/30/2003
• Issued: 09/02/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Niederdrank, Torsten, Husung, Kunibert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): DABNEY, PHYLESHA LARVINIA
• Application Number:
  US10/675,304
• Publication Number:
  US 20040109577A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,799 Days
• Field of Search: 381312-315, 381320-321, 381/331, 381317-318, 375/217, 375/226, 375296-297, 375326-327, 375/371, 375/373
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

Due to the clocked mode of operation, electromagnetic interference signals originate from digital hearing aid device or hearing device systems with the clock frequency and its harmonics. These can disrupt the wireless signal transmission between the hearing aid device or hearing device system and a further device. To prevent these disruptions, the invention provides a jitter unit that is connected with the clock generator and causes frequency oscillations in the clock signal. The interference signals caused by the clock signal are thereby lowered with respect to their amplitudes, whereby an interference-free signal transmission is enabled between a transmitting and/or receiving unit connected with a hearing aid device and an external device.

Claims

1. A method for operating a hearing aid device or hearing device system, comprising:

acquiring an input signal with at least one input transducer;

transducing the input signal into an electrical signal with the input transducer;

converting the electrical signal into a digital signal with an A/D converter;

processing the digital signal with a digital signal processing unit;

delivering an output signal with an output transducer;

generating a clock signal with a clock generator to control the digital signal processing unit;

generating frequency jitters in the clock signal originating from the clock generator; and

at least one of transmitting and receiving a wireless transmission between the hearing aid device or hearing device system and a further device.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising modulating an internal clock signal generated by the clock generator with a further signal to generate the frequency oscillations.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the internal clock signal is modulated with a sine signal.

4. The method according to claim 2, wherein the internal clock signal is modulated with a noise signal.

5. The method according to claim 2, wherein the frequency of the further signal lies above an audible frequency range.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the frequency of the clock signal oscillates around an average frequency.

7. A hearing aid device or hearing device system, comprising:

at least one input transducer configured to acquire an input signal and transduce it into an electrical signal;

an A/D converter configured to convert the electrical input signal into a digital signal;

a digital signal processing unit configured to process the digital signal;

a clock generator configured to generate a clock signal to control the digital signal processing unit;

an output transducer and at least one of a transmitting and receiving unit configured to wirelessly transmit between the hearing aid device or hearing device system and a further device; and

a jitter unit associated with the clock generator configured to generate jitter oscillations in the clock signal.

8. The hearing aid device or hearing device system according to claim 7, wherein an internal clock signal of the clock generator is modulated with a further signal to generate the frequency oscillations of the clock signal.

9. The hearing aid device or hearing device system according to claim 8, wherein the internal clock system is modulated with a sine signal.

10. The hearing aid device or hearing device system according to claim 8, wherein the internal clock system is modulated with a noise signal.

11. The hearing aid device or hearing device system according to claim 8, wherein the frequency of the further signal lies above the audible frequency range.

12. The hearing aid device or hearing device system according to claim 7, wherein the frequency of the clock signal oscillates around an average frequency.

13. The hearing aid device according to claim 7, wherein at least one of the transmitting unit and the receiving unit is integrated into the hearing aid device.

14. The hearing device system according to claim 7, further comprising a further hearing aid device and at least one of a further external transmitting unit and receiving unit connected with the further hearing aid device.