Host controller for programmable digital hearing aid system

• US 4,879,749 A
• Filed: 02/12/1988
• Issued: 11/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 06/26/1986
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Energy Transportation Group Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Audimax, Inc.
• Inventors: Levitt, Harry, Kopper, Kenneth W., Dugot, Richard S.
• Primary Examiner(s): NOT, DEFINED
• Assistant Examiner(s): Byrd, Danita R.
• Application Number:
  US07/155,374
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68.4, 381/68, 381/60, 381/83, 381/93, 73/585, 324/73 R, 324/73 AT, 324/73 PC
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/16 Automatic control
• 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 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing

Abstract

A host controller for producing data from a computer for a programmable filter of a hearing aid to cancel feedback in which phase shift and gain control means as adjusted by the computer to generate a feedback cancellation voltage which is supplied to the hearing aid for summation of the feedback and feedback cancellation voltages by the hearing aid and in which the summed feedback and feedback cancellation voltages are returned to the host controller for further adjustment of said phase shift and gain control means until feedback has been cancelled. The host controller then transmits to the programmable filter the phase shift and gain control data necessary to cancel feedback.

Claims

1. A host controller for producing data from a computer for a programmable hearing aid to cancel acoustic feedback comprising means for receiving signals from the hearing aid and measuring phase and amplitude, means for receiving signals from the hearing aid indicative of the summation of acoustic feedback and acoustic feedback cancellation signals, and means controlled by the computer for adjusting the phase and amplitude necessary to eliminate acoustic feedback and produce a null summation.

2. A host controller as set forth in claim 1 including means controlled by the computer for transmitting phase shift and amplitude data to program the hearing aid to eliminate acoustic feedback.

3. A host controller as set forth in claim 1 including a sound generator for generating test signals supplied to the hearing aid and in which the means for receiving signals from the hearing aid includes a circuit for receiving the test signals back from the hearing aid to provide reference phase and amplitude signals.

4. A host controller as set forth in claim 3 in which said circuit includes computer controlled means for adjusting the phase shift and amplitude to produce an acoustic feedback cancellation signal.

5. A host controller as set forth in claim 2 including computer controlled means for supplying a logic signal to the hearing aid for programming and a logic signal to the hearing aid to restore it for use by the patient.

6. A host controller for programming a filter interposed in a transmission channel of a hearing aid between a microphone and a receiver from a computer associated with the host controller comprising a signal generator for generating test signals supplied to the receiver, a circuit for returning an output signal from the transmission channel, a phase and amplitude measuring circuit for measuring the phase and amplitude of the output signal, said phase and amplitude circuit including adjustable phase shift and amplitude means controlled by the computer for adjusting the phase shift and amplitude necessary to eliminate acoustic feedback and transmitting an acoutical feedback cancellation signal to the hearing aid and a circuit for receiving signals from the hearing aid indicative of the summation of acoustic feedback and acoustic feedback cancellation signals to produce a null summation when the phase shift and amplitude adjustments necessary to eliminate acoustic feedback have been achieved.