HEARING DEVICE COMPRISING AN OWN VOICE DETECTOR
First Claim
1. A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, adapted for being arranged at least partly on a user'"'"'s head or at least partly implanted in a user'"'"'s head, the hearing device comprisingan input unit for providing a multitude of electric input signals representing sound in the environment of the user,a signal processing unit providing a processed signal based on one or more of said multitude of electric input signals, andan output unit comprising an output transducer for converting said processed signal or a signal originating therefrom to a stimulus perceivable by said user as sound;
- the input unit comprisingat least one first input transducer for picking up a sound signal from the environment and providing respective at least one first electric input signal, and a first signal strength detector for providing a signal strength estimate of the at least one first electric input signal, termed the first signal strength estimate, the at least one first input transducer being located on the head, away from the ear canal, e.g. at or behind an ear, of the user;
a second input transducer for picking up a sound signal from the environment and providing a second electric input signal, and a second signal strength detector for providing a signal strength estimate of the second electric input signal, termed the second signal strength estimate, the second input transducer being located at or in an ear canal of the user, the hearing device further comprisingan own voice detector comprisinga comparison unit operationally coupled to the first and second signal strength detectors and configured to compare the first and second signal strength estimates, and to provide a signal strength comparison measure indicative of the difference between said signal strength estimates; and
a control unit for providing an own voice detection signal indicative of a user'"'"'s own voice being present or not present in the current sound in the environment of the user, the own voice detection signal being dependent on said signal strength comparison measure.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The application relates to a hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, adapted for being arranged at least partly on a user'"'"'s head or at least partly implanted in a user'"'"'s head. The hearing device comprises a) an input unit comprising first and second input transducers for picking up sound from the environment of the user and providing first and second electric input signals, the first and second input transducers being located on the head, (e.g. at or behind an ear) and at or in an ear canal of the user, respectively, b) a signal processing unit providing a processed signal based on one or more of said multitude of electric input signals, and c) an output unit comprising an output transducer for converting said processed signal or a signal originating therefrom to a stimulus perceivable by said user as sound. The hearing device further comprises an own voice detector comprising first and second signal strength detectors for providing signal strength estimates of the first and second electric input signals. The own voice detector comprises a comparison unit operationally coupled to the first and second signal strength detectors and configured to compare the signal strength estimates of the first and second electric input signals and to provide a signal strength comparison measure indicative of the difference between said signal strength estimates; and a control unit for providing an own voice detection signal indicative of a user'"'"'s own voice being present or not present in the current sound in the environment of the user, the own voice detection signal being dependent on said signal strength comparison measure. Thereby an alternative scheme for detecting a user'"'"'s own voice is provided. The invention may e.g. be used for the hearing aids, headsets, active ear protection systems, etc.
49 Citations
20 Claims
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1. A hearing device, e.g. a hearing aid, adapted for being arranged at least partly on a user'"'"'s head or at least partly implanted in a user'"'"'s head, the hearing device comprising
an input unit for providing a multitude of electric input signals representing sound in the environment of the user, a signal processing unit providing a processed signal based on one or more of said multitude of electric input signals, and an output unit comprising an output transducer for converting said processed signal or a signal originating therefrom to a stimulus perceivable by said user as sound; -
the input unit comprising at least one first input transducer for picking up a sound signal from the environment and providing respective at least one first electric input signal, and a first signal strength detector for providing a signal strength estimate of the at least one first electric input signal, termed the first signal strength estimate, the at least one first input transducer being located on the head, away from the ear canal, e.g. at or behind an ear, of the user; a second input transducer for picking up a sound signal from the environment and providing a second electric input signal, and a second signal strength detector for providing a signal strength estimate of the second electric input signal, termed the second signal strength estimate, the second input transducer being located at or in an ear canal of the user, the hearing device further comprising an own voice detector comprising a comparison unit operationally coupled to the first and second signal strength detectors and configured to compare the first and second signal strength estimates, and to provide a signal strength comparison measure indicative of the difference between said signal strength estimates; and a control unit for providing an own voice detection signal indicative of a user'"'"'s own voice being present or not present in the current sound in the environment of the user, the own voice detection signal being dependent on said signal strength comparison measure. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20)
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19. A method of detecting a user'"'"'s own voice in a hearing device, the method comprising
providing a multitude of electric input signals representing sound in the environment of the user, including providing at least one first electric input signal from at least one first input transducer located on the head, away from the ear canal, e.g. at or behind an ear, of the user; - and
providing a second electric input signal from a second input transducer located at or in an ear canal of the user; providing a processed signal based on one or more of said multitude of electric input signals, and converting said processed signal or a signal originating therefrom to a stimulus perceivable by said user as sound; providing a signal strength estimate of the at least one first electric input signal, termed the first signal strength estimate; providing a signal strength estimate of the second electric input signal, termed the second signal strength estimate; comparing the first and second signal strength estimates, and providing a signal strength comparison measure indicative of the difference between said signal strength estimates; and providing an own voice detection signal indicative of a user'"'"'s own voice being present or not present in the current sound in the environment of the user, the own voice detection signal being dependent on said signal strength comparison measure.
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Specification