Programmable signal processing device

• US 4,425,481 A
• Filed: 04/14/1982
• Issued: 01/10/1984
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/1981
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: ReSound Corp. (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: Arne Leijon, Bjorn Israelsson, Stephan Mansgold
• Inventors: Leijon, Arne, Israelsson, Bjorn, Mansgold, Stephan
• Primary Examiner(s): Rubinson, G. Z.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Schroeder, L. C.
• Application Number:
  US06/368,456
• Time in Patent Office: 636 Days
• Field of Search: 179/107 R, 179/107 FD, 179/107 H, 179/1 D, 364/108
• US Class Current: 381/317
• 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 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/356 Amplitude, e.g. amplitude shift or compression
• 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 25/505 using digital signal processing

Abstract

The invention refers to a programmable signal processing device mainly intended for hearing aids and of the kind which include an electronically controlled signal processor. Hearing aids for persons having impaired hearing are normally adjusted for only one frequency response and are adapted to amplify the frequencies which the patient has difficulties to hear. At different sound environments as for example conversations with disturbing background sounds, normal conversation in quiet environments or at lectures, the conditions of listening are different. Up to now this problem has not been solved satisfactorily for hearing aids. With the present invention a number of different signal processes, can easily be selected to suit different sound situations automatically or by the user himself. This is accomplished thereby that a memory (6) is arranged to store information/data for at least two unique signal processes adjusted to different sound environments/listening situations and that a control unit (5), manual or automatic, is arranged to transmit information/data, for one of the unique signal processes, from the memory (6) to the signal processor (4), to bring about one signal process adjusted to a particular sound environment/listening situation. (FIG. 1)

Claims

1. Programmable signal processing device, mainly intended for persons having impaired hearing, and of the kind which include an electronically controlled signal processor, characterized by

that a memory is arranged to store information/data for at least two unique signal processes adjusted to different sound environments/listening situations and that a control unit, manual or automatic, is arranged to transmit information/data, for one of the unique signal processes, from the memory to the signal processor, to bring about one signal process adjusted to a particular sound environment/listening situation.

2. Programmable signal processing device according to claim 1, characterized by

that a control gear is arranged to influence the control unit, manually, thus that digital information is transmitted from the memory to the signal processor for specifying the signal process.

3. Programmable signal processing device according to claim 1 characterized by

that the signal processor is arranged to influence the control unit automatically, depending on the sound environment, thus that digital information is transmitted from the memory to the signal processor for specifying the signal process.

4. Programmable signal processing device according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized by

that a programming unit is connectable to an input/output terminal and arranged to influence the control unit thus that digital information is transmitted between the programming unit and the memory.

5. Programmable signal processing device according to any one of claims 1-3, characterized by

that two attennuators, one switch and a summing amplifier are arranged to balance and adjust signal levels supplied to input terminals from different signal sources, to the actual sound environment/listening situation.