Hearing aid having an audio signal generator and method

• US 8,098,857 B2
• Filed: 07/31/2007
• Issued: 01/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Sörgel, Wolfgang
• Primary Examiner(s): Parker, Kenneth
• Assistant Examiner(s): Page, Dale E
• Application Number:
  US11/888,195
• Publication Number:
  US 20080107295A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,631 Days
• Field of Search: 704/258, 381/314, 381/46, 381/153, 381/FOR.140
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements

Abstract

The invention relates to a hearing aid having a sound receiver and a sound generator. The hearing aid also has an audio signal unit that is functionally linked to the sound generator and has a tone signal generator for generating a tone signal as a function of a trigger signal and of a generation parameter which represents a frequency that can be perceived by a human ear. The hearing aid also has a memory, connected to the tone signal generator, for storing the generation parameter. The audio signal unit changes the generation parameter stored in the memory, generates a trigger signal for each tone signal requiring to be generated, sends said trigger signal to the tone signal generator, and sends the generated tone signal to the sound generator.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising:

a sound receiver responsive to sound waves to generate a microphone signal based on the sound waves;

a transmitting unit coupled to receive the microphone signal from the sound receiver and generate a power signal based on the microphone signal;

a sound generator coupled to receive at least the power signal from the transmitting unit and generate a sound based on the power signal, the sound generated by the sound generator effective to be perceived by an auditory organ of a user of the hearing device; and

an audio signal unit comprising;

a memory coupled to store at least one generation parameter;

a tone signal generator coupled to the memory to generate a tone signal in response to a trigger signal and as a function of said at least one generation parameter; and

a central control unit responsive to a signal indicative of a predefined sound event related to the hearing aid to generate the trigger signal,

wherein the audio signal unit is coupled to the sound generator to transmit the tone signal to the sound generator, wherein the tone signal is configured to produce a further sound indicative of an occurrence of the defined event and effective to be perceived by the auditory organ of the user of the hearing device.

2. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio signal unit receives a generation parameter dataset and changes said at least one generation parameter stored in the memory to an identical value of a corresponding generation parameter in the generation parameter dataset.

3. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 2, wherein the generation parameter in the generation parameter dataset is represented by a codeword assigned to the tone signal.

4. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, wherein the codeword is assigned to the tone signal generator.

5. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, wherein the codeword represents an item of information.

6. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, wherein the audio signal unit reads the codeword bit-by-bit.

7. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 3, wherein the codeword is a redundancy-reducing code.

8. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 7, wherein the redundancy-reducing code is an arithmetic code or a Huffman code.

9. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 2, wherein the audio signal unit comprises a buffer for the generation parameter dataset.

10. A method for generating a tone signal by a hearing aid, comprising:

generating a microphone signal based on sound waves received by a sound receiver;

generating in a transmitting unit a power signal based on the microphone signal;

generating in a sound generator a sound based on the power signal, the sound generated by the sound generator effective to be perceived by an auditory organ of a user of the hearing device; and

arranging in the audio signal unit at least a memory, a tone signal generator and a central control unit storing at least one generation parameter in the memory;

generating a tone signal in the tone signal generator in response to a trigger signal and as a function of said at least one generation parameter;

generating the trigger signal in the central control unit in response to a signal indicative of a predefined sound event related to the hearing aid; and

coupling the audio signal unit to the sound generator to transmit the tone signal to the sound generator, wherein the tone signal is configured to produce a further sound indicative of an occurrence of the defined event and effective to be perceived by the auditory organ of the user of the hearing device.

11. The method as claimed in the claim 10, wherein said at least one generation parameter is changed and a further tone signal is generated in response to a further trigger signal and as a function of the changed generation parameter.

12. The method as claimed in the claim 11, wherein the generation parameter is changed to an identical value of a corresponding generation parameter in a generation parameter dataset.

13. The method as claimed in the claim 12, wherein the generation parameter in the generation parameter dataset is represented by a codeword assigned to the tone signal.

14. The method as claimed in the claim 13, wherein the codeword represents an item of information.

15. The method as claimed in the claim 13, wherein the codeword is read bit-by-bit.

16. The method as claimed in the claim 13, wherein the codeword is a redundancy-reducing code.

17. The method as claimed in the claim 16, wherein the redundancy-reducing code is an arithmetic code or a Huffman code.