Hearing device, method and system for automatically enabling monitoring mode within said hearing device

• US 9,374,636 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2014
• Issued: 06/21/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/25/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Corporation (Sony Group Corp.), Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: strand, Per
• Primary Examiner(s): HUBER, PAUL W
• Application Number:
  US14/314,352
• Publication Number:
  US 20150382097A1
• Time in Patent Office: 727 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/342 Muting when some special characteristic of the signal is sensed which distinguishes it from noise, e.g. using speech detector H03G3/344, H03G3/345 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• 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 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• 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 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

Aspects of the invention relate to a hearing device for automatically enabling monitoring within the hearing device including an electronic module arranged for collecting environment data of the hearing device, wherein environment data is based on events in the vicinity of the hearing device, at least one sound reproducing unit arranged for receiving a first audio signal, wherein the electronic module includes a processor arranged to mix the received first audio signal and a monitored ambient sound signal based on the collected environment data. Aspects of the invention also related to a system and a method for automatically enabling monitoring within the hearing device.

Claims

1. A hearing device configured for automatically enabling a monitoring mode of said hearing device comprising:

an electronic module configured to collect environment data in a vicinity of said hearing device; and

at least one sound reproducing unit configured to receive at least a first audio signal and a second audio signal;

wherein said electronic module comprises a processor configured to;

send said first audio signal to said sound reproducing unit;

evaluate said collected environment data to determine that said collected environment data matches predetermined environment data;

automatically enable said monitoring mode of said hearing device when said collected environment data matches said predetermined environment data, wherein said monitoring mode operates to;

monitor ambient sound in said vicinity of said hearing device;

produce said second audio signal by mixing said first audio signal and said monitored ambient sound; and

send said second audio signal, in place of said first audio signal, to said sound reproducing unit.

2. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to automatically adapt the volume of said monitored ambient sound in said second audio signal in relation to the volume of said monitored ambient sound.

3. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said electronic module further comprises a detecting unit configured to detect and collect said environment data.

4. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said environment data comprises GPS coordinates of the hearing device.

5. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said environment data comprises a notification of entrance into a predefined zone.

6. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said environment data comprises a notification of exit out of a predefined zone.

7. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said hearing device further comprises a microphone arranged for monitoring the ambient sound signal.

8. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to disable said monitoring mode and send said first audio signal to said sound producing unit in place of said second audio signal, when said collected environment data no longer matches said predetermined environment data.

9. A system for automatically enabling a monitoring mode based on events in a vicinity of said system comprising a hearing device and an electronic device, wherein said system comprises:

an electronic module configured to collect environment data in said vicinity of said system;

at least one sound reproducing unit positioned in said hearing device and configured to receive at least a first audio signal and a second audio signal; and

a processor positioned in said electronic module configured to;

send said first audio signal to said sound reproducing unit;

evaluate said collected environment data to determine that said collected environment data matches predetermined environment data;

automatically enable said monitoring mode of said hearing device when said collected environment data matches said predetermined environment data, wherein said monitoring mode operates to;

monitor ambient sound in said vicinity of said hearing device;

produce said second audio signal by mixing said first audio signal and said monitored ambient sound; and

send said second audio signal, in place of said first audio signal, to said sound reproducing unit.

10. The system according to claim 9, wherein said electronic module is positioned in said hearing device.

11. The system according to claim 9, wherein said electronic module is positioned in said electronic device.

12. The system according to claim 9, wherein said hearing device and said electronic device are communicating wirelessly.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein said hearing device and said electronic device are communicating by using Bluetooth.

14. The system according to claim 9, wherein said processor is further configured to disable said monitoring mode and send said first audio signal to said sound producing unit in place of said second audio signal, when said collected environment data no longer matches said predetermined environment data.

15. A method for automatically enabling a monitoring mode in a hearing device, wherein the method comprises:

sending a first audio signal to said hearing device;

collecting environment data in a vicinity of said hearing device;

evaluating said collected environment data to determine that said collected environment data matches predetermined environment data;

enabling said monitoring mode of said hearing device when said collected environment data matches said predetermined environment data, wherein said monitoring mode carries out the steps of;

monitoring ambient sound in said vicinity of said hearing device;

producing a second audio signal in a sound reproducing unit of said hearing device by mixing said first audio signal and said monitored ambient sound;

sending said second audio signal to said hearing device in place of said first audio signal.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of producing comprises instructing a microphone of said hearing device to monitor ambient sound signal based on the detected environment data.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the step of producing comprises automatically adapting the volume of said monitored ambient sound in said second audio signal in relation to the volume of said monitored ambient sound.

18. The method according to claim 15, further comprising:

disabling said monitoring mode when said collected environment data no longer matches said predetermined environment data; and

sending said first audio signal to said hearing device in place of said second audio signal.