Hearing assistance device comprising an input transducer system

• US 9,538,296 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2014
• Issued: 01/03/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: Stranne, Sren, Laugesen, Sren, Rasmussen, Karsten Bo
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Julie X
• Application Number:
  US14/487,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20150078600A1
• Time in Patent Office: 840 Days
• Field of Search: 381/318, 381/103, 381/93, 381/83
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/0541 Cochlear electrodes
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0216 BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/025 In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
• 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 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 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/05 Application of the precedence or Haas effect, i.e. the effect of first wavefront, in order to improve sound-source localisation

Abstract

The application relates to a hearing assistance device (HAD) comprising (a) an input transducer system comprising (a1) an audio input transducer (AIT), and (a2) a first supplementary input transducer (SIT1), (b) an output transducer (OT) for converting a processed output signal to a stimulus perceivable by said user as sound, and (c) a signal processing unit (SPU) operationally connected to said audio input transducer (AIT), to said first supplementary input transducer (SIT1), and to said output transducer (OT), said signal processing unit (SPU) being configured for processing said electric audio input signal, and said first supplementary electric input signal, and for providing said processed output signal. The audio input transducer (AIT) is adapted for being located in an ear of the user. In a NORMAL mode of operation, electric audio input signal is processed in the signal processing unit and the supplementary electric input signal(s) are used to control the processing.

Claims

1. A hearing assistance device adapted for being arranged at least partly on a user'"'"'s head or at least partly implanted in a user'"'"'s head, the hearing assistance device comprising:

an input transducer system that includes

an audio input transducer for picking up a sound signal from the environment and providing an electric audio input signal, and

a first supplementary input transducer for picking up a sound signal from the environment and providing a first supplementary electric input signal;

an output transducer for converting a processed output signal to a stimulus perceivable by said user as sound;

a signal processing unit operationally connected to said audio input transducer, to said first supplementary input transducer, and to said output transducer, said signal processing unit being configured for processing said electric audio input signal, and said first supplementary electric input signal, and for providing said processed output signal; and

a howl detector for detecting occurrence or build-up of feedback howl, wherein

said audio input transducer is adapted for being located in an ear of said user,

the signal processing unit is configured to provide that said processed output signal, in a feedback mode of operation of the hearing assistance device where feedback howl is detected by the howl detector, originates fully or partially from a supplementary input signal that includes said first supplementary electric input signal, and

the signal processing unit is configured to provide that said processed output signal, in a normal mode of operation of the hearing assistance device, originates from said electric audio input signal.

2. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the audio input transducer is located in the conchae, or at the entrance to the ear canal, or in the ear canal.

3. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the output transducer comprises a receiver for converting said output signal to an acoustic sound signal.

4. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the audio input transducer is located in an ITE-part of the hearing assistance device, where the ITE-part is adapted for being located at least partially in an ear canal of the user.

5. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing unit is located in a BTE-part.

6. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1, comprising a time to time-frequency conversion unit allowing a signal to be processed or analyzed at different frequencies.

7. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1, comprising one or more detectors of the acoustic environment of the hearing assistance device.

8. A hearing assistance device according to claim 7 comprising a wind noise detector and/or an own voice detector.

9. A hearing assistance device according to claim 7 wherein at least one of the supplementary input transducer(s) form part of said one or more detectors.

10. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1 comprising a weighting unit providing a directional output signal from a number of input signals wherein said number of input signals comprise said electric audio input signal and said first and optionally further supplementary electric input signals.

11. A hearing assistance device according to claim 7 wherein the signal processing unit is configured to provide that said processed output signal is a mixture according to a predefined scheme of said electric audio input signal said first and optionally further supplementary electric input signals on a time frequency unit basis, and wherein the actual mixture is influenced by said detectors.

12. A hearing assistance device according to claim 11 wherein the predefined scheme comprises selecting the time frequency units having the largest signal to noise ratio among corresponding time frequency units of the electric audio input signal and the supplementary electric input signals.

13. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein

each input transducer path comprises an amplifier unit configured to individually amplify respective input signals, and

wherein the amplifier units are configured to apply a larger amplification to the supplementary electric input signal(s) than to the electric audio input signal.

14. A hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein

at least one of the supplementary input transducer paths comprises a delay unit for selectively applying a delay to the respective input signal, and for providing respective delayed input signals, and

wherein the respective delay unit(s) is/are operationally coupled to the supplementary input transducer(s) and to a weighting unit for mixing two or more of the input signals, wherein the delay applied by the delay unit(s) to the respective input signal(s) from the supplementary input transducer(s) is configured to be between 1 and 20 milliseconds.

15. A hearing assistance device according to claim 4 wherein the ITE-part comprises the signal processing unit.

16. A hearing assistance device according to claim 15 wherein the ITE-part is configured—

in a specific autonomous mode of operation—

to be operational with limited functionality.

17. A hearing assistance device according to claim 15, wherein the ITE-part and a body-worn part together provide enhanced functionality.

18. Use of a hearing assistance device as claimed in claim 1.

19. The hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein said hearing assistance device is

a hearing aid;

a headset;

an earphone;

or an

active ear protection system.

20. The hearing assistance device according to claim 19, wherein said hearing assistance device is a hearing aid.