EXTERNAL INPUT DEVICE FOR A HEARING AID

• US 20140355799A1
• Filed: 05/31/2013
• Published: 12/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Resound A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Resound A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: RASMUSSEN, Kim, LARSEN, Ivar Wolf
• Granted Patent: US 9,036,845 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• 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 25/43 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 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A system includes: an external input device having a housing accommodating at least two telecoils having different orientations with respect to the housing, and an orientation sensor configured for sensing an orientation of the housing; and a selector configured for controlling connection of one of the at least two telecoils to an input of a hearing aid based on the sensed orientation.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an external input device having a housing accommodating

at least two telecoils having different orientations with respect to the housing, and

an orientation sensor configured for sensing an orientation of the housing; and

a selector configured for controlling connection of one of the at least two telecoils to an input of a hearing aid based on the sensed orientation.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the orientation sensor is selected from the group consisting of an accelerometer, a gyroscope, and a roll ball switch.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the external input device further comprises at least one microphone.

4. The system according to claim 3, wherein the at least one microphone comprises at least two spaced apart microphones, and a beamformer configured for combining microphone output signals of the at least two spaced apart microphones into a directional microphone signal.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the selector is configured for controlling connection of the directional microphone signal to the input of the hearing aid when the housing of the external input device has a certain orientation.

6. The system according to claim 1, wherein the selector is configured for controlling connection of a first telecoil of the at least two telecoils to the input of the hearing aid when the external input device has a first orientation.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the selector is configured for controlling connection of a second telecoil of the at least two telecoils to the input of the hearing aid when the external input device has a second orientation.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein the external input device further comprises at least one microphone;

and

wherein the selector is configured for controlling connection of an output signal of the at least one microphone to the input of the hearing aid when the external input device has a third orientation.

9. The system according to claim 8, further comprising a beam former for providing a directional microphone signal;

wherein the selector is configured for controlling connection of the directional microphone signal to the input of the hearing aid when the external input device has a fourth orientation.

10. The system according to claim 1, further comprising the hearing aid.

11. A method of receiving a signal transmitted with a magnetic field, comprising:

accommodating a plurality of telecoils with different orientations for reception of the magnetic field in a device;

accommodating an orientation sensor configured for sensing orientation of the device; and

based on the sensed orientation of the device, selecting one of the telecoils for supplying an output of the device induced by the magnetic field.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

accommodating at least one microphone in the device, and wherein the act of selecting comprises selecting one of the at least one microphone and the plurality of telecoils based on the sensed orientation of the device.