Method for adjusting a transmission characteristic of an electronic circuit

• US 20020044148A1
• Filed: 09/25/2001
• Published: 04/18/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 09/27/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Bernafon AG (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: Ludi, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 7,054,449 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 345/440
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04847 Interaction techniques to control parameter settings, e.g. interaction with sliders or dials
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

In the method for the adjusting of a transmission characteristic of an electronic circuit, for example, in a hearing aid (1), a computer (2) with a monitor screen (3) and a mouse (4) are made ready. The hearing aid (1) to be adjusted is connected with the computer (2). The current operating parameters of the hearing aid (1) are transmitted to the computer (2). The computer (2) from the operating parameters calculates the current transmission characteristic and represents this on the monitor screen (3) as a three-dimensional graphic diagram. The acoustics specialist with the help of the mouse (3) selects a point of a segment of the graphic diagram and modifies the graphically depicted transmission characteristic by moving the mouse (4). As a result of this, also the current operating parameters are modified. From these, a new current transmission characteristic is calculated and represented on the monitor screen (3) as a three-dimensional graphic diagram. This adaptation process is repeated for as long as required, until the current transmission characteristic coincides with the desired response. Once this has been achieved, the current operating parameters are transmitted from the computer (2) to the hearing aid (1) and there stored in memory. This method is more intuitive, more graphically vivid and more easily handled than those known up until now, where only two-dimensional representations of the transmission characteristic are utilised. The method enables a more effective adjustment of the transmission characteristic and, in the case of hearing aids, a better hearing.

Claims

1. Method for the adjustment of a transmission characteristic of an electronic circuit (1), wherein

a computing means (2) with a display device (3) and a pointing and/or selecting device (4) is made ready,

a data transmission connection (6) between the electronic circuit (1) to be adjusted and the computer (2) is made,

a current transmission characteristic of the electronic circuit (1) is represented by a graphic diagram on the display device (3),

with the help of the pointing and/or selecting device (4), if and when required a point (10.1, 10.2, . . . ) or a segment of the graphic diagram is selected on the display device (3) and the graphically represented transmission characteristic is changed with the pointing and/or selecting device (4), as a result of which also prescription for modifying certain operating parameters is evaluated, and

the modified operating parameters are transmitted to the electronic circuit (1) and are there stored in memory,

characterised in that

the transmission characteristic of the electronic circuit (1) is represented as a structure (8) in a three-dimensional graphic diagram on the display device (3).

2. Method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the electronic circuit (1) processes an input signal into an output signal and in the three-dimensional graphic diagram a parameter (g, L_out) of the output signal is represented as a function of two parameters (f, L_in) of the input signal.

3. Method according to claim 1 or 2, wherein a desired response is predefined and the current transmission characteristic is adapted to this desired response step by step.

4. Method in accordance with one of the claims 1-3, wherein for the purpose of the selection of a suitable view the graphic diagram is rotated.

5. Method according to one of the claims 1-4, wherein the electric circuit (1) is installed in a hearing aid.

6. Method in accordance with claim 5, wherein the three-dimensional graphic diagram represents the amplification (g) or the output sound level (L_out) as a function of the frequency (f and of the input sound level (L_in).