Claims
- 1. A method of processing an audio band signal in a digital hearing aid, said hearing aid comprising a microphone, an analysis filterbank having a plurality of separate frequency band outputs, a programmable digital signal processor, a non-volatile memory, and a receiver, the method comprising the steps of:
- (1) programming an encoding scheme in said digital signal processor;
- (2) receiving said audio band signal at said microphone;
- (3) converting said audio band signal into a digital signal;
- (4) in said analysis filterbank, separating said digital signal into a plurality of separate frequency band signals each being representative of a specific frequency band;
- (5) providing said frequency band signals to said digital signal processor;
- (6) determining whether said separate frequency band signals have programming information encoded therein according to said encoding scheme; and
- (7) if programming information is encoded in said frequency band signals according to said encoding scheme, decoding said frequency band signals to obtain said programming information and storing said programming information in said non-volatile memory.
- 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 further including a step of:
- (8) if programming information is not encoded in said frequency band signals according to said encoding scheme, processing said frequency band signals according to programming information stored in said hearing aid to provide a processed audio band output signal at said receiver.
- 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 further including a step of synthesizing programming information into an audio band programming signal and transmitting the audio band programming signal to said hearing aid.
- 4. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the programming information is encoded in the audio band programming signal in the frequency range of 20 Hz-20 kHz.
- 5. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the programming information is digitally synthesized into an audio band programming signal in a manner that distinguishes the audio band programming signal from potentially interfering audio signals.
- 6. A method as claimed in claim 5, wherein the programming information is synthesized into the audio band programming signal such that the frequency band signals generated by the analysis filterbank in response to said audio band programming signal are indicative of audio information being present in alternate frequency bands and of audio information being substantially absent in frequency bands between said alternate bands.
- 7. A method as claimed in claim 6, wherein the frequency bands comprise alternating even numbered bands and odd numbered bands, and wherein logic level one is encoded with said alternate bands being one of the even numbered bands and the odd numbered bands and logic level zero is encoded with said alternate bands being the other of the even numbered bands and the odd numbered bands.
- 8. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein step (7) further comprises the step of generating an audio verification signal at said receiver to verify that programming information has been stored in the hearing aid.
- 9. A method as claimed in claim 8 wherein a separate microphone connected to a PC-based or dedicated hearing aid programmer is provided for receiving the audio verification signal, to verify the correctness of the programming information stored in the hearing aid.
- 10. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the audio band programing signal is transmitted over a network, selected from one of a local area network, a wide area network or a modem link, the method including the steps of synthesizing programming information into the audio band programming signal locally and acoustically transmitting the audio band programming signal to the hearing aid.
- 11. A method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the programming information is received by a multimedia computer in a text format or a binary format and synthesized locally into the audio band signal.
- 12. A method as claimed in claim 3, wherein the audio band programming signal is pre-synthesized by a computer and transmitted over a computer network to a hearing aid program system, where the programming information is decoded and acoustically reproduced for programming the hearing aid.
- 13. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the encoding scheme is based on one of the following:
- phase shift keying (PSK), differential phase shift keying (DPSK), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), or a spread spectrum technique.
- 14. A method as claimed in claim 3 or 13, wherein steps (2) to (7) are carried out either:
- with the hearing aid worn by a user to enable immediate verification of the suitability of the program for the user; or
- by placing the hearing aid in a sound chamber and connecting the hearing aid to a coupler simulating the characteristics of the human ear canal, whereby the programming signal can be transmitted acoustically to the hearing aid, isolated from any interfering audio signal.
- 15. A method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the hearing aid includes first and second inputs, said first input comprising the microphone, and the method comprises encoding the programming information into two separate audio band signals and transmitting one audio band signal to one input and the other audio band signal to the other input.
- 16. A digital hearing aid comprising:
- (a) a microphone for receiving an audio band signal;
- (b) an A/D converter for converting said audio band signal into a digital signal;
- (c) an analysis filterbank for separating said digital signal into a plurality of separate frequency band signals each being representative of a specific frequency band;
- (d) a programmable digital signal processor for receiving said frequency band signals and being programmed to determine whether said separate frequency band signals have programming information encoded therein according to an encoding scheme;
- (e) a non-volatile memory for storing programming information, wherein, when programming information is encoded in said frequency band signals, said digital signal processor decodes said frequency band signals and stores said programming information in said memory;
- (f) a synthesis filterbank for combining said processed frequency band signals into a processed digital signal; and
- (g) a D/A converter and receiver for converting said processed digital signal into a processed audio band output signal.
- 17. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 16 wherein, when programming information is not encoded in said frequency band signals, said digital signal processor processes said frequency band signals according to programming information stored in said memory to provide processed frequency band signals.
- 18. A hearing aid as claimed in claim 16, wherein the programmable digital signal processor is programmed to identify programming information when audio information is present in alternate frequency bands and substantially absent in frequency bands between said alternate bands.
- 19. A digital hearing aid as claimed in claim 16, wherein the programmable digital signal processor is programmed to decode and demodulate programming information transmitted in an audio band programming signal according to the encoding scheme, said encoding scheme being based on one of the following:
- phase shift keying (PSK), differential phase shift keying (DPSK), quadrature amplitude modulation (QAM), or a spread spectrum technique.
- 20. A digital hearing aid as claimed in claim 16 having first and second inputs, said first input comprising the microphone, and whereby the programmable digital signal processor can receive programming information through both inputs.
- 21. A hearing aid programming system comprising a digital hearing aid as claimed in claim 16 and a PC-based or dedicated hearing aid programmer which synthesizes programming information into an audio band programming signal and transmits the audio band programming signal to said hearing aid.
- 22. A hearing aid programming system as claimed in claim 21 wherein said digital signal processor is further programmed to generate an audio verification signal at said receiver to verify that programming information has been stored in said memory.
- 23. A hearing aid programming system as claimed in claim 21 wherein said PC-based or dedicated hearing aid programmer includes a separate microphone for receiving the audio verification signal to verify the correctness of the programming information stored in the hearing aid.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application claims benefit from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/041,975 filed on Apr. 16, 1997.
US Referenced Citations (11)
Foreign Referenced Citations (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
671 131 |
Jul 1989 |
CHX |