Hearing aid

• US 8,494,194 B2
• Filed: 07/22/2011
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Corporation (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Isozaki, Hiroyoshi, Ueda, Yasushi, Imamura, Yasushi, Fujii, Shigekiyo
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCARTY, TAUNYA A
• Application Number:
  US13/188,690
• Publication Number:
  US 20110274302A1
• Time in Patent Office: 732 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers

Abstract

A hearing aid includes: first and second microphones; first and second A/D converters; a microphone sensitivity correction unit; a hearing assistance processing unit; a microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit; a storage unit; a failure detection unit; a sound output unit; a D/A converter; and a receiver. The outputs of the first and second A/D converters are input to the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit. One output the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit is connected to the microphone sensitivity correction unit, and another output thereof is connected to the storage unit. An output of the storage unit and a signal output from the another output of the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit are input to the failure detection unit. Output signals of the failure detection unit and the hearing assistance processing unit are input to the sound output unit.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising:

a first microphone;

a first A/D converter connected on an output side of the first microphone;

a second microphone;

a second A/D converter connected on an output side of the second microphone;

a microphone sensitivity correction unit connected on an output side of the second A/D converter;

a hearing assistance processing unit to which an output of the microphone sensitivity correction unit and an output of the first A/D converter are input;

a microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit to which the output of the first A/D converter and an output of the second A/D converter are input, and one output of which is connected to the microphone sensitivity correction unit;

a storage unit connected to another output of the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit;

a failure detection unit to which an output of the storage unit and a signal output from the another output of the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit are input;

a sound output unit to which an output signal of the failure detection unit and an output signal of the hearing assistance processing unit are input;

a D/A converter connected on an output side of the sound output unit; and

a receiver connected on an output side of the D/A converter,

wherein the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit comprises;

a first digital filter connected on an output side of the first A/D converter;

a second digital filter connected on the output side of the second A/D converter;

a correction unit connected on an output side of the second digital filter;

a comparison unit to which an output signal of the correction unit and an output signal of the first digital filter are input; and

a correction value update unit connected on an output side of the comparison unit.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1,

wherein the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit comprises:

a memory connected on an output side of the correction value update unit; and

a selector to which an output signal of the memory and an output signal of the correction value update unit are input, and which is configured to select one of the signals.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1,

wherein the storage unit stores a microphone sensitivity correction value calculated by the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit.

3. A hearing aid comprising:

a first microphone;

a first A/D converter connected on an output side of the first microphone;

a second microphone;

a second A/D converter connected on an output side of the second microphone;

a microphone sensitivity correction unit connected on an output side of the second A/D converter;

a hearing assistance processing unit to which an output of the microphone sensitivity correction unit and an output of the first A/D converter are input;

a microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit to which the output of the first A/D converter and an output of the second A/D converter are input, and one output of which is connected to the microphone sensitivity correction unit;

a storage unit connected to another output of the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit;

a failure detection unit to which an output of the storage unit and a signal output from the another output of the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit are input;

a sound output unit to which an output signal of the failure detection unit and an output signal of the hearing assistance processing unit are input;

a D/A converter connected on an output side of the sound output unit; and

a receiver connected on an output side of the D/A converter

wherein the failure detection unit comprises;

an abnormal value setting unit connected on an output side of the storage unit;

an abnormal value detection unit to which an output signal of the abnormal value setting unit and an output signal of the microphone sensitivity correction value calculation unit are input; and

an abnormal time detection unit connected on an output side of the abnormal value detection unit

wherein the abnormal time detection unit comprises;

a first counter used for determining a failure of the first microphone; and

a second counter used for determining a failure of the second microphone.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 3,

wherein the sound output unit changes a length of an alarm sound, which is to be output, based on information of the first counter and the second counter.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 3,

wherein the sound output unit changes a type of an alarm sound, which is to be output, based on information of the first counter and the second counter.