Hearing device and method for supplying audio signals to a user wearing such hearing device

• US 7,813,520 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2006
• Issued: 10/12/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Von Dach, Thomas, Harsch, Samuel
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey; Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/457,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20080013744A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,552 Days
• Field of Search: 381/60, 381/71.6, 381/72, 381/83, 381/93, 381/94.1, 381/312, 381/317, 381/318, 381/321, 381/328, 381/372, 381/380, 381/104, 381/107
• US Class Current: 381/372
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/502 using analog signal processing

Abstract

There is provided a hearing system comprising: a hearing device to be worn at or in a user'"'"'s ear for supplying audio signals to said user and comprising a sound attenuation portion for attenuating ambient sound before reaching the user'"'"'s ear, means for producing audio signals at a controlled level, a loudspeaker which is included in the attenuation portion and which is oriented towards the user'"'"'s ear canal for providing sound corresponding to the audio signal produced by the audio signal producing means to the user'"'"'s ear canal, a microphone which is included in the attenuation portion and which is oriented towards the user'"'"'s ear canal for capturing audio signals from the sound provided by the loudspeaker to the user'"'"'s ear canal, and a level control unit adapted to control the level of the audio signals produced by the audio signal producing means according to the audio signals captured by the microphone.

Claims

1. A method for supplying audio signals to a user wearing a hearing device at or in an ear, said hearing device comprising a sound attenuation portion for attenuating ambient sound before reaching an ear drum of said user, the method comprising:

producing an audio signal at a controlled level by audio signal producing means;

providing sound corresponding to said audio signal produced by said audio signal producing means to an ear canal of said user by a loudspeaker which is included in said attenuation portion and which is oriented towards said user'"'"'s ear canal;

capturing audio signals by a microphone, which is included in said attenuation portion and which is oriented towards said user'"'"'s ear canal, from said sound provided by said loudspeaker to said user'"'"'s ear canal;

wherein a level of said audio signal produced by said audio signal producing means is controlled according to said audio signals captured by said microphone, and

wherein an automatic, closed loop, volume control is performed by which said level of said audio signals produced by said audio signal producing means is limited in such a manner that a predetermined upper limit of said level of said audio signals captured by said microphone is not exceeded.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said level of said audio signals captured by said microphone is recorded as a function of time.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein an alarm signal is issued by said hearing device if a predetermined upper limit of said level of said audio signals captured by said microphone is reached.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said upper limit of said level of said audio signals captured by said microphone, which is not to be exceeded, is 95 dB.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein an alarm signal is issued by said hearing device if a predetermined upper limit of a time-integrated level of said audio signals captured by said microphone is reached.

6. A hearing system comprising:

a hearing device to be worn at or in an ear of a user for supplying audio signals to said user and comprising a sound attenuation portion for attenuating ambient sound before reaching said user'"'"'s ear, means for producing audio signals at a controlled level, a loudspeaker which is included in said attenuation portion and which is oriented towards an ear canal of said user for providing sound corresponding to said audio signal produced by said audio signal producing means to said user'"'"'s ear canal, a microphone which is included in said attenuation portion and which is oriented towards said user'"'"'s ear canal for capturing audio signals from said sound provided by said loudspeaker to said user'"'"'s ear canal, and a level control unit adapted to control a level of said audio signals produced by said audio signal producing means according to said audio signals captured by said microphone

wherein said audio signal producing means comprise means for automatic, closed loop, volume control that limits the level of the audio signal produced in such a manner that a predetermined upper limit of the level of said audio signals captured by said microphone is not exceeded.

7. The hearing system of claim 6, wherein said audio signal producing means comprise a variable gain amplifier.

8. The hearing system of claim 7, wherein said audio signal producing means comprise a control unit for controlling said variable gain amplifier according to said audio signals captured by said microphone.

9. The hearing system of claim 6, wherein said hearing device is one of two cups of a headphone.

10. The hearing system of claim 6, wherein said hearing device is an earphone.

11. The hearing system of claim 6, wherein said audio signal producing means comprise an interface for receiving audio signals from an audio signal source.

12. The hearing system of claim 11, wherein said audio signal source is a portable music player.

13. The hearing system of claim 11, wherein said audio signal source is an audio amplifier.