Method to operate a hearing device and arrangement with a hearing device

• US 7,860,262 B2
• Filed: 10/07/2008
• Issued: 12/28/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Drtina, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei; Xu
• Application Number:
  US12/246,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20090097680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 812 Days
• Field of Search: 381/23.1, 381312-313, 381/356, 381 17- 18, 381/26, 381/74, 381309-310, 704/231, 704/271
• US Class Current: 381/313
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/807 the desired condition being maintained automatically
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 5/18 using ultrasonic, sonic, or infrasonic waves
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing

Abstract

A hearing device has a transfer function adjustable by a set of parameters. The hearing device can have two microphones, a processing unit, and a speaker unit. A direction identification unit is operationally connected to the processing unit. Communication between a user of the hearing device and at least one reference person is ensured for changing positions of the user and/or the reference person. The transfer function is adjusted as a function of at least one current reference person direction by changing the set of parameters. The reference person direction encloses an angle with a reference plane of the user.

Claims

1. A method of operating a hearing device, comprising the steps of:

providing the hearing device, wherein the hearing device includes a first microphone, a second microphone, and an adjustable transfer function having at least one adjustable parameter;

receiving, by at least one of the first microphone and the second microphone, a spoken word from a reference person;

determining an identity of the reference person based on the spoken word;

determining a direction of the reference person; and

adjusting the parameter based on the direction and the identity of the reference person.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of adjusting includes the step of changing a directional characteristic of the hearing device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an identity of the reference person includes the step of determining an identity of a voice of the reference person.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the step of determining an identity of the reference person includes the step of recognizing the spoken word.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the spoken word includes a predefined code word.

6. A method of operating a hearing device, comprising the steps of:

providing the hearing device, wherein the hearing device includes a first microphone, a second microphone, and an adjustable transfer function having at least one adjustable parameter;

receiving, by at least one of the first microphone and the second microphone, a spoken word from a reference person;

determining whether the reference person matches a known identity based on the spoken word;

determining a direction of the reference person; and

adjusting the parameter based on the direction when the reference person matches the known identity.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of adjusting includes the step of changing a directional characteristic of the hearing device.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining whether the reference person matches a known identity includes the step of determining an identity of a voice of the reference person.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the step of determining whether the reference person matches a known identity includes the step of recognizing the spoken word.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the spoken word includes a predefined code word.

11. A hearing device, comprising:

a first microphone;

a second microphone;

a speaker;

a direction identification unit that identifies a direction of a reference person; and

a processing unit that determines an identity of the reference person based on a spoken word from the reference person, and changes a directional characteristic of the hearing device based on the identity of the reference person and the identified direction of the reference person.

12. The hearing device of claim 11, wherein the processing unit identifies a voice of the reference person from the spoken word.

13. The hearing device of claim 11, wherein the spoken word includes a predefined code word that is recognized by the processing unit.

14. A hearing device, comprising:

a first microphone;

a second microphone;

a speaker;

a direction identification unit that identifies a direction of a reference person; and

a processing unit that determines whether the reference person matches a known identity based on a spoken word from the reference person, and changes a directional characteristic of the hearing device based on the identified direction when the reference person matches the known identity.

15. The hearing device of claim 14, wherein the processing unit identifies a voice of the reference person from the spoken word.

16. The hearing device of claim 14, wherein the spoken word includes a predefined code word that is recognized by the processing unit.