Peer to peer hearing system
First Claim
1. A hearing system comprising first and second hearing aid systems configured to be worn by first and second persons, respectively, each being configured to operate in a number of modes of operation, in addition to a dedicated partner mode, and each being adapted to exchange audio data between them,each of the first and second hearing aid systems comprisinga hearing device or a pair of hearing devices, each comprising an output unit for providing a stimulus perceived by a wearer of the corresponding hearing system as an acoustic signal based on a processed electric signal;
- an input unit for providing a multitude of electric input signals representing sound in the environment of the hearing aid system, wherein the input unit is embodied in said hearing device or said pair of hearing devices;
a beamformer unit for spatially filtering the electric input signals;
antenna and transceiver circuitry allowing a wireless communication link between the first and second hearing aid systems to be established to allow the exchange of said audio data between them, wherein said antenna and transceiver circuitry form part of said hearing device or said pair of hearing devices; and
a control unit for controlling the beamformer unit and the antenna and transceiver circuitry;
wherein the control unit—
at least in said dedicated partner mode of operation of the hearing aid system—
causes each of the first and second hearing aid systems toconfigure the beamformer unit to retrieve an own voice signal of the person wearing the hearing aid system from the electric input signals, andto transmit the own voice signal to the other hearing aid system via the antenna and transceiver circuitry,wherein when first and second persons are wearing the first and second hearing aid systems, respectively, the dedicated partner mode of operation causes the respective output units of the first and second hearing aid systems to present the own voice signals of the second and first persons, respectively.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The application relates to: A hearing system comprising first and second hearing aid systems, each being configured to be worn by first and second persons and adapted to exchange audio data between them. The application further relates to a method of operating a hearing system. The object of the present application is to provide improved perception of a (target) sound source for a wearer of a hearing device (e.g. a hearing aid or a headset) in a difficult listening situation. The problem is solved in that each of the first and second hearing aid systems comprising
- an input unit for providing a multitude of electric input signals representing sound in the environment of the hearing aid system;
- a beamformer unit for spatially filtering the electric input signals;
- antenna and transceiver circuitry allowing a wireless communication link between the first and second hearing aid systems to be established to allow the exchange of said audio data between them; and
- a control unit for controlling the beamformer unit and the antenna and transceiver circuitry;
- wherein the control unit—at least in a dedicated partner mode of operation of the hearing aid system—is arranged to
- configure the beamformer unit to retrieve an own voice signal of the person wearing the hearing aid system from the electric input signals, and
- to transmit the own voice signal to the other hearing aid system via the antenna and transceiver circuitry.
This has the advantage of eliminating the need for a partner microphone while still providing a boost in SNR of a target speaker. The invention may e.g. be used for the hearing aids, head sets, active ear protection devices or combinations thereof.
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Citations
18 Claims
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1. A hearing system comprising first and second hearing aid systems configured to be worn by first and second persons, respectively, each being configured to operate in a number of modes of operation, in addition to a dedicated partner mode, and each being adapted to exchange audio data between them,
each of the first and second hearing aid systems comprising a hearing device or a pair of hearing devices, each comprising an output unit for providing a stimulus perceived by a wearer of the corresponding hearing system as an acoustic signal based on a processed electric signal; -
an input unit for providing a multitude of electric input signals representing sound in the environment of the hearing aid system, wherein the input unit is embodied in said hearing device or said pair of hearing devices; a beamformer unit for spatially filtering the electric input signals; antenna and transceiver circuitry allowing a wireless communication link between the first and second hearing aid systems to be established to allow the exchange of said audio data between them, wherein said antenna and transceiver circuitry form part of said hearing device or said pair of hearing devices; and a control unit for controlling the beamformer unit and the antenna and transceiver circuitry; wherein the control unit—
at least in said dedicated partner mode of operation of the hearing aid system—
causes each of the first and second hearing aid systems toconfigure the beamformer unit to retrieve an own voice signal of the person wearing the hearing aid system from the electric input signals, and to transmit the own voice signal to the other hearing aid system via the antenna and transceiver circuitry, wherein when first and second persons are wearing the first and second hearing aid systems, respectively, the dedicated partner mode of operation causes the respective output units of the first and second hearing aid systems to present the own voice signals of the second and first persons, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18)
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14. A method of operating a hearing system comprising first and second hearing aid systems configured to be worn by first and second persons, respectively, each being configured to operate in a number of modes of operation, in addition to a dedicated partner mode, and each being adapted to exchange audio data between them, the method comprising
in each of the first and second hearing systems from an output unit of each of a hearing device or a pair of hearing devices included in the corresponding hearing system, providing a stimulus perceived by a wearer of the corresponding hearing system as an acoustic signal based on a processed electric signal; -
providing a multitude of electric input signals representing sound in the environment of the hearing aid system via an input unit embodied in said hearing device or said pair of hearing devices; reducing a noise component of the electric input signals using spatial filtering; providing a wireless communication link between the first and second hearing aid systems to allow the exchange of said audio data between them, the wireless communication link being established by antenna and transceiver circuitry forming part of said hearing device or said pair of hearing devices; and controlling the spatial filtering and the wireless communication link—
at least in said dedicated partner mode of operation of the hearing aid system—
byadapting the spatial filtering to retrieve an own voice signal of the person wearing the hearing aid system from the multitude of electric input signals, and transmit the own voice signal to the other hearing aid system via the wireless communication link, wherein when first and second persons are wearing the first and second hearing aid systems, respectively, the dedicated partner mode of operation causes the respective output units of the first and second hearing aid systems to present the own voice signals of the second and first persons, respectively. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification