Method and apparatus for localization enhancement in hearing aids
First Claim
1. Apparatus for determining an interaural level difference present in a test subject wearing a bilateral hearing aid comprising:
- means for producing at least one tone centered on at least one predetermined frequency and individually audible by the test subject wearing the bilateral hearing aid;
a visual reference for use by the test subject in indicating an apparent source location of said means for producing said at least one tone;
means for establishing a differential gain value between inputs to left and right transducers in said hearing aid for said at least one tone; and
means for acquiring source location data for said at least tone that is test subject derived, wherein said location data is measured with respect to said visual reference, for each said at least one tone and each said differential gain value.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method and apparatus to enhance or improve the sound localization properties of hearing aids determines the interaural level differences required for localizing sounds to a specific point of origin. These determined interaural level differences are then used in the adjusting and fitting of the hearing aids. A number of hearing tests at different frequencies with a sound source that apparently moves relative to the test subject are performed, and by adjusting the response of the hearing aid in the left ear relative to the right ear, for example by attenuating the left ear, the amount of attenuation or gain can be found that causes the test subject to perceive that the sound source is located at a specific point of origin. These determined interaural level differences are then used to design a new hearing aid or to modify the existing hearing aid.
60 Citations
32 Claims
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1. Apparatus for determining an interaural level difference present in a test subject wearing a bilateral hearing aid comprising:
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means for producing at least one tone centered on at least one predetermined frequency and individually audible by the test subject wearing the bilateral hearing aid; a visual reference for use by the test subject in indicating an apparent source location of said means for producing said at least one tone; means for establishing a differential gain value between inputs to left and right transducers in said hearing aid for said at least one tone; and means for acquiring source location data for said at least tone that is test subject derived, wherein said location data is measured with respect to said visual reference, for each said at least one tone and each said differential gain value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 25, 28, 29, 30)
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10. A method for determining an interaural level difference present in a test subject wearing a bilateral hearing aid, comprising the steps of:
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successively producing a plurality of tones of different respective frequencies using a loudspeaker, wherein each tone is audible to the test subject wearing the bilateral hearing aid; providing a reference point for use by the test subject in indicating an apparent source location of said plurality of tones; receiving signals in the bilateral hearing aid in response to the tone output in the step of producing; controlling respective gains of the audible sounds produced in response to the signals received in the step of receiving, so that an audible sound produced by one of left and right transducers of the bilateral hearing aid is louder than a sound produced by the other of the left and right transducers; and causing the test subject to indicate an apparent location of the sound source relative to the reference point, thereby providing a measurement of the interaural level difference at a selected frequency of the tone output. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. Apparatus for determining an interaural level difference present in a test subject wearing a bilateral hearing aid, comprising:
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a loudspeaker for producing at least one tone audible to the test subject; means for producing an output signal fed to the loudspeaker for causing the loudspeaker to produce said at least one tone, centered on at least one predetermined frequency and audible by the test subject wearing the bilateral hearing aid; a reference point for use by the test subject in indicating an apparent sound source location of said at least one tone produced by said loudspeaker; means for establishing a differential gain value between inputs to left and right transducers in said hearing aid for said at least one tone; and means for acquiring source location data for said at least one tone that is test subject derived wherein said location data is measured with respect to said visual reference for each said tone and each said differential gain value. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 26, 31)
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23. A method of fitting a bilateral hearing aid to a test subject to improve a sound localization ability of the test subject, comprising the steps of:
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producing at least one tone having at least one predetermined center frequency and being audible to the test subject wearing a bilateral hearing aid; determining interaural level differences for said at least one tone; and adjusting a transfer function of the bilateral hearing aid to compensate for the determined interaural level difference for said at least one frequency, whereby an apparent sound source location perceived by the test subject corresponds to an actual sound source location. - View Dependent Claims (24, 27, 32)
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Specification