Personal communication device with hearing support and method for providing the same

• US 9,055,377 B2
• Filed: 11/21/2011
• Issued: 06/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Jacoti BVBA
• Original Assignee: Jacoti BVBA
• Inventors: Kinsbergen, Jacques, Offeciers, Frans Erwin, Zarowski, Andrzej, Neumann, Joachim, Beisler, Andreas, Hazan, Amaury, Wack, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Sabrina
• Application Number:
  US13/988,102
• Publication Number:
  US 20130243227A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,296 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/314, 381/315, 381/316, 381/323, 381/324, 381/328, 381/326
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2155 Acoustic coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2475 for a hearing impaired user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• 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 25/50 Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F

Abstract

A personal communication device provides hearing support, and includes an input receiving an audio signal, a programmable processor, and an output outputting the processed signal. The programmable processor performs a filtering operation on a digital version of the audio signal in a first signal path based on parameter settings and provides control logic that determines the parameter settings based on information on user preferences, on audiological information and on information on the listening situation to provide hearing loss compensation. The programmable processor has a second signal path in parallel with the first signal path that receives the digital version of the audio signal and parameter settings and determining the filter coefficients of the filtering operation based on the parameter settings and the digital version of the audio signal.

Claims

1. A personal communication device arranged to provide general communication functionality and enriched to provide hearing support functionality, said personal communication device comprising an input arranged to receive an audio signal, a programmable processor, and an output that outputs the processed signal, wherein

said programmable processor comprises a filter arranged to perform a filtering operation on a digital version of said audio signal in a first signal path configurable by parameter settings;

said programmable processor further having a second signal path in parallel with said first signal path, said second signal path comprising a module that performs a transfer function calculation arranged to receive said digital version of said audio signal and said parameter settings and to determine filter coefficients of said filter based on said parameter settings and said digital version of said audio signal;

said programmable processor being arranged to provide a control logic that calculates and keeps said parameter settings updated based on user preferences, on audiological information and on information about the listening situation, in which said personal communication device is used, expressed in listening situation descriptors obtained via either or both a sound environment analysis of the received audio signal and a sensor of said personal communication device, so that the processor functions as a hearing loss compensation module that outputs a hearing loss compensated signal, thus making said personal communication device suitable for providing both said general communication functionality and said hearing support functionality.

2. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said module that performs a transfer function calculation is arranged to calculate the filter coefficients of said filter.

3. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said module that performs a transfer function calculation is arranged to select a filter coefficient set among a plurality of pre-calculated filter coefficient sets, said selected filter coefficient set matching a transfer function calculated by said module that performs a transfer function calculation.

4. The personal communication device as in claim 1, further comprising a multiplication unit that multiples the signal output by said filter with a value determined in said module that performs a transfer function calculation.

5. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said module that performs a transfer function calculation is arranged to provide detection of a level of said audio signal via a weighted sum between a first and a second level detector, wherein said first level detector has a smaller time constant than said second level detector and wherein the respective weight factors w and 1-w of said first and second level detector depend on a difference in level detected between said first and second level detector, and wherein the level detector output determines a gain in an automatic gain control module in said module that performs a transfer function calculation.

6. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said filter has an output and said programmable processor is further arranged to reduce audible artefacts by adapting a frequency with which said settings of said filter are switched or by interpolating said settings or by signal interpolation at the output of said filter.

7. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said programmable processor is arranged to split said digital version of said audio signal into at least two frequency bands and to split level adjustment on each of said frequency bands.

8. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said programmable processor further comprises a delay that delays said digital version of said audio signal, so that a look-ahead delay is available.

9. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said programmable processor is arranged to determine a digital gain factor that limits an amount of signal clipping and limits acoustic feedback from an acoustic transducer to a microphone.

10. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said control logic is arranged to update said parameter settings upon a change of the listening situation or upon a change in an input to said control logic.

11. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said control logic comprises a module arranged to register user adjustments by a hearing impaired user along with the situation wherein said adjustments are made.

12. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said control logic is arranged to determine said parameter settings based upon a history of changes to said parameter settings made by a hearing impaired user or an audiologist and based on default parameter values.

13. The personal communication device as in claim 12, wherein said control logic is arranged to compare for a current listening situation with a listening situation wherein said parameter values have been set.

14. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said information on use situation obtained via said sensor comprises information on at least one of activity detection, location, and time.

15. The personal communication device as in claim 1, further arranged to establish a connection to a server external to said personal communication device, said connection being configured to send data for user behaviour monitoring.

16. The personal communication device as in claim 15, wherein at least a part of said audiological information is provided from said server.

17. Personal communication device as in claim 15, adapted for receiving information from said server comprising data gathered across a plurality of users.

18. The personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said control logic is arranged to interact with a speech processor of a cochlear implant.

19. The personal communication device as in claim 1, further arranged to generate a stimulation pattern to be sent to a cochlear implant.

20. The personal communication device as in claim 1, further arranged to broadcast and receive streams of audio signals for use in a classroom situation.

21. Personal communication device as in claim 1, further arranged for mixing a microphone signal with a music stream.

22. Personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said programmable processor is arranged for simultaneous processing of a plurality of microphone signals.

23. Personal communication device as in claim 1, wherein said parameter settings further determine an amplification of the hearing loss compensated signal.

24. A method for enriching a personal communication device arranged to provide general communication functionality with hearing support functionality, said personal communication device comprising an input that receives an input audio signal, a programmable processor and an output that outputs processed versions of said input audio signal, the method comprising the steps of:

arranging said processor to perform a filtering operation on a digitized version of said input audio signal using filter coefficients that are determined based on parameter settings and on said digitized version of the input audio signal;

arranging said programmable processor to provide control logic that calculates and keeps said parameter settings updated based on information on user preferences, on audiological information and on information about a listening situation, in which said personal communication device is used, expressed in listening situation descriptors and obtained via either or both sound environment analysis of the received audio signal and a sensor of said personal communication device;

wherein said parameter settings are so determined that said programmable processor functions as a hearing loss compensation module that outputs a hearing loss compensated signal, thus making said personal communication device suitable for providing both said general communication functionality and said hearing support functionality.