Hearing apparatus and method for reducing an interference noise for a hearing apparatus

• US 8,600,087 B2
• Filed: 03/03/2010
• Issued: 12/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Fischer, Eghart
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): FAHNERT, FRIEDRICH
• Application Number:
  US12/716,372
• Publication Number:
  US 20100226515A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,371 Days
• Field of Search: 381/94.1, 381/71.2, 381/73.1, 381/74, 381/94.2, 381/94.7, 381/94.8, 381/370, 381/317, 381/94.3, 381/94.5, 381/71.14, 381/92, 381/312, 381/318, 704/226, 704/228, 704/233, 704/E15.015, 704/E15.039, 704/E21.002, 704/E21.004, 704/E21.008, 704/E21.014, 704/E21.003, 704/225, 704/227, 704/270, 704/271
• US Class Current: 381/317
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/065 Aids for the handicapped in understanding
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• 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 noise reduction is provided for a hearing apparatus, with which both stationary and also non-stationary interference noises can be attenuated in an input signal. An output signal is in this way to convey a quite sound impression. A signal processing is provided, which effects a noise reduction on the basis of two different methods. Provision is made on the one hand for a noise reduction for stationary interference noises and on the other hand for a noise reduction for spatially oriented interference noises. A selection facility selects between the two noise reductions.

Claims

1. A hearing apparatus, comprising:

a first reduction unit for reducing stationary interference noises of an input signal;

a second reduction unit for reducing non-stationary interference noises oriented spatially in respect of the hearing apparatus; and

a selection facility for selecting at least one of said first or second reduction units for an output signal to be formed from the input signal, said selection facility making a selection in dependence on a criterion for a stationarity of the input signal, said selection facility, as a criterion for the stationarity, selects one of a value of an attenuation factor of said first reduction unit or an estimated value for a signal-to-noise ratio of said first reduction unit, wherein the attenuation factor of said first reduction unit is restricted to small values by means of an anchor gain value and in which an attenuation can be generated by means of said second reduction unit, the attenuation corresponding to a value for the attenuation factor smaller than the anchor gain value.

2. The hearing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second reduction units and said selection facility are configured to implement a respective reduction and a selection for several different frequency bands in each instance.

3. The hearing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein, if a change from one of said first and second reduction units to the other of said first and second reduction units takes place by means of a selection, said selection facility fades from said one reduction unit to said other reduction unit.

4. The hearing apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said second reduction unit is configured to attenuate signals of a sound if the sound strikes the hearing apparatus from a predetermined orientation.

5. A method for reducing an interference noise for a hearing apparatus, which comprises the steps of:

analyzing an input signal in respect of stationarity, as a criterion for the stationarity, selecting one of a value of an attenuation factor of a first reduction unit or an estimated value for a signal-to-noise ratio of the first reduction unit, wherein the attenuation factor of the first reduction unit is restricted to small values by means of an anchor gain value and in which an attenuation can be generated by means of a second reduction unit, the attenuation corresponding to a value for the attenuation factor smaller than the anchor gain value;

combining a noise reduction for stationary interference noises and a noise reduction for non-stationary spatially oriented interference noises in dependence on a result of the analyzing; and

generating an output signal from the input signal by means of the combined noise reductions.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein signals of a sound are attenuated by means of the noise reduction for non-stationary spatially oriented interference noises, if the sound is received from a predetermined direction.