Hearing system which is responsive to acoustical feedback

• US 7,639,827 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2003
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 10/01/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Bachler, Herbert
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr.; Joseph
• Application Number:
  US10/676,629
• Publication Number:
  US 20050074128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,281 Days
• Field of Search: 381/108, 381/315, 381/317, 381/318, 381/329, 381/314, 381/331
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

A hearing system includes a hearing device with an input acoustical/electrical converter. The system is controllably operable in at least first and second modes. A sensing unit senses behavior of an acoustical impedance of an acoustical input of the input converter. An evaluation unit evaluates the sensed behavior over at least one predetermined behavior of the acoustical impedance. An output of the evaluation unit controls change over from the first mode to the second mode.

Claims

1. A hearing system comprising:

at least one ear-applicable hearing device with an input acoustical/electrical converter arrangement, and

a switching unit being switchable by an individual who controls said hearing device in a first stable operating status as desired by said individual or in at least one second stable operating status as desired by said individual, so as to adapt said hearing system by said individual to a respectively desired operating status, whereby said first and second stable operating statuses are different and are perceived by the individual as being different, said hearing system comprising a sensing unit sensing operating stability and operating instability of an acoustical feedback loop including said hearing device applied to said individual, said sensing unit controlling switch-over from said one desired to said at least one second desired operating status whenever instability of said feedback loop is sensed, said instability being willingly established by said individual at a desired moment and removed by said individual at a second desired moment so as to control said switch-over by the willingly applied instability.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said instability of said feedback loop is established by said individual by manually applying a member adjacent to and/or to said hearing device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said member is a hand.

4. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second hearing device operationally connected to said at least one ear-applicable hearing device by a communication link, wherein said first and second desired operating status comprise status of at least one of said hearing devices and said communication link.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one hearing device is an outside-the-ear hearing device or an in-the-ear hearing device or a completely-in-the-canal hearing device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said at least one hearing device is a hearing aid device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein said switch-over occurs during a time span between said second and said first moment.

8. A method for manually controlling a hearing system with a hearing device, to switch over from one desired operating mode of the hearing device to at least one other desired operating mode of the hearing device, comprising the steps of:

providing the hearing device, wherein the hearing device is worn by an individual;

willingly establishing, by the individual, an instable operating mode of the hearing device, wherein the instable operating mode is established by manually applying a member adjacent to and/or to said hearing device;

changing from the one desired operating mode of the hearing device to the at least one other desired. operating mode of the hearing device upon the hearing device sensing the instable operating mode; and

willingly ceasing, by the individual, the instable operating mode of the hearing device after changing from the one desired operating mode of the hearing device to the at least one other desired operating mode of the hearing device.

9. A method for manually controlling a hearing system with a hearing device, to switch over from one desired operating mode of the hearing device to at least one other desired operating mode of the hearing device, comprising the steps of:

providing the hearing device, wherein the hearing device is worn by an individual;

willingly establishing, by the individual, an instable operating mode of the hearing device, wherein the instable operating mode is established by manually applying a member adjacent to and/or to said hearing device;

changing from the one desired operating mode of the hearing device to the at least one other desired operating mode of the hearing device upon the hearing device sensing the instable operating mode; and

willingly ceasing, by the individual, the instable operating mode of the hearing device.