Patent Application
20070291969
The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.
A preferred embodiment of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
A hearing aid device according to the present invention comprises, as shown in
The first hearing aid 1 comprises a microphone 11, a signal processing section 12, an earphone 13, a volume control operating section (volume) 14, a program selection operating section (switch) 15, a transmitter-receiver section 16, and a control section 17. The second hearing aid 2 has the same structure as the first hearing aid 1 and comprises a microphone 21, a signal processing section 22, an earphone 23, a volume control operating section (volume) 24, a program selection operating section (switch) 25, a transmitter-receiver section 26, and a control section 27. The signal processing sections 12, 22 and the control sections 17, 27 are composed of an integral processor. Further, the signal processing sections 12, 22 are provided with a loudness memory means and an automatic adjusting means, respectively.
The microphones 11, 21 convert audio signals to electrical signals and output the converted electrical signals. The signal processing sections 12, 22 apply various kinds of signal processing to the electrical signals output by the microphones 11, 21 and output electrical signals to which signal processing has been applied. The earphones 12, 23 convert the output signals of the signal processing sections 12, 22 to sound signals and output audio signals. The volume control operating sections (volume) 14, 24 and the program selection operating sections (switch) 15, 25 are operated by a user. The transmitter-receiver sections 16, 26 are provided to establish wireless transmission and reception between the first hearing aid 1 and the second hearing aid 2. The control sections 17, 27 are provided to control wireless transmission and reception.
Communication between the first hearing aid 1 and the second hearing aid 2 is established by the transmitter-receiver section 16 and the control section 17 of the first hearing aid 1 and the transmitter-receiver section 26 and the control section 27 of the second hearing aid 2, wherein electromagnetic waves of a pattern as shown in
The first bit is always ON, and data bits (D0-D7) of eight ON or OFF bits follow. Then, an even parity bit (P) and two OFF bits of the data bits are designed to follow. The data to be transmitted includes communication check data, reception confirmation data, error response data, volume control data, program selection data and the like depending on the configuration of the data bits (D0-D7).
Operation of the hearing aid device as configured above according to the present invention will now be described. First, the communication check (refer to
In SP3, if it is judged that one hearing aid received the reception confirmation data within 10 ms from the transmission of the communication check data, both hearing aids proceed to a liaison operation mode and wait ready only for a randomly set time period of 1-2 seconds from the transmission of the communication check data while conducting required operations (SP4) and then, a program returns to SP2. On the other hand, in SP3, if it is judged that one hearing aid has not received the reception confirmation data within 10 ms from the transmission of the communication check data, it is judged again whether or not one hearing aid received the communication check data (i.e., communication query signals) from the other hearing aid within 1 second from the transmission of the communication check data (SP5).
In SP5, if it is judged that one hearing aid received the communication check data from the other hearing aid within 1 second from the transmission of the communication check data, the reception confirmation data (i.e., communication query confirmation signals) are transmitted to the other hearing aid (SP6), and the program proceeds to SP4. On the other hand, in SP5, if it is judged that one hearing aid has not received the communication check data from the other hearing aid within 1 second from the transmission of the communication check data, it is decided that the other hearing aid has not been worn, one hearing aid proceeds to a solo operation mode and waits ready only for a randomly set time period of 1-2 seconds from the transmission of the communication check data while conducting required operations (SP7).
Even after this, the program returns to SP2, and one hearing aid continues to transmit the communication check data to the other hearing aid every 1-2 seconds. It is to be noted that the communication check (refer to
Next, the setting change (refer to
On the other hand, in SP13, if it is judged that one hearing aid has not received the change preparation confirmation signals, it is judged whether or not one hearing aid's own change preparation query signals and the other hearing aid's change preparation query signals overlap (SP15). In SP15, if it is judged that both the change preparation query signals overlap, the program returns to SP12 after randomly set time intervals of 10-30 ms (SP16), and the change preparation query signals are transmitted again to the other hearing aid. On the other hand, in SP15, if it is judged that the change preparation query signals do not overlap, the program returns to SP12 after waiting for 2 seconds (SP17).
In SP18 after SP14 in which the setting data is transmitted, it is judged whether or not one hearing aid received the setting data confirmation signals from the other hearing aid within 10 ms after transmitting the setting data to the other hearing aid (SP18). In SP18, if it is judged that one hearing aid received the setting data confirmation signals, the setting data (volume control) matched with the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid is set (SP19). On the other hand, in SP18, if it is judged that one hearing aid has not received the setting data confirmation signals, the program proceeds to SP17.
Further, in the case where the change preparation query signals were transmitted from the other hearing aid, one hearing aid receives the change preparation query signals (SP20) and then transmits the change preparation confirmation signals to the other hearing aid (SP21). Still further, one hearing aid receives the setting data transmitted from the other hearing aid (SP22) and then transmits the setting data confirmation signals to the other hearing aid (SP23). Then, the program proceeds to SP19, wherein the setting data (volume control) matched with the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid is set. It is to be noted that the setting change (refer to
Next, in the case where the volume control is carried out in the liaison operation mode, it is possible to store the loudness change characteristics of the user's carrying hearing ability relative to the volume change in the loudness memory means and to make adjustments so that the relationship of the loudness between both ears can be maintained. The loudness change characteristics can be measured when fitting of the hearing aid is carried out or can be statistically estimated based on the auditory capacity of the user.
One example of a volume control method with the loudness change characteristics in mind is shown in
Further, when the user selects a desired program using the program selection operating section 15 of the first hearing aid 1, the second hearing aid 2 is also interactively caused to select the same program as the first hearing aid 1. Likewise, when the user selects a desired program using the program selection operating section 25 of the second hearing aid 2, the first hearing aid 1 is also interactively caused to select the same program as the second hearing aid 2.
Still further, when the user operates the volume control operating section 14 of the first hearing aid 1 to control the volume, the second hearing aid 2 is also interactively caused to control the volume. However, even though the user operates the volume control operating section 24 of the second hearing aid 2 to control the volume, programming can be made in such a manner that the first hearing aid 1 does not interact with the second hearing aid 2 to control the volume, but only the second hearing aid 2 is independently caused to control the volume. It is therefore possible to respond even in the case where the user intends to change the balance of volume between the right and left hearing aids.
According to the first aspect of the present invention, each hearing aid can be independently adjusted even in the case where wireless transmission and reception are not possible. It is therefore possible to control the volume and the like suitable for a user and to display the desired performance.
According to the second aspect, the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid are switched from a solo operation mode to a liaison operation mode in the case where wireless transmission and reception are possible. It is therefore possible to automatically adjust the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid in unison by using wireless transmission and reception and to adjust both hearing aids in the optimum condition for the user wearing the binaural hearing aids.
According to the third aspect, it is possible to smoothly carry out the volume control of the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid and as a result, usability for the user wearing the binaural hearing aids improves.
According to the fourth aspect, when the first hearing aid is operated to control the volume, the second hearing aid is also interactively caused to control the volume. However, even though the second hearing aid is operated to control the volume, only the second hearing aid is independently caused to control the volume. It is therefore possible to respond even to the case where the user intends to change the balance of volume between the right and left hearing aids.
According to the fifth aspect, adjustments are made to store the loudness change characteristics of user's carrying hearing ability to the change of volume and to maintain the relationship of the loudness between the user's right and left ears when the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid are interactively caused to control the volume. It is therefore possible to establish an optimum sound gain for the user wearing the binaural hearing aids.
According to the sixth aspect, a means for automatically adjusting the amplification characteristics and/or the frequency response characteristics in response to the ambient sound conditions is provided. Accordingly, even in the case where there is a difference in the volume input to the right and left hearing aids because a sound source is near one of two hearing aids, the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid are automatically adjusted in unison by using wireless transmission and reception and thus, both hearing aids can be adjusted in an optimum condition for the user wearing the binaural hearing aids.
According to the seventh aspect, a means for analyzing and/or classifying the ambient sound conditions to automatically adjust the amplification characteristics is provided. It is therefore possible to cause the results of analysis and/or classification of the first and second hearing aids to conform by using wireless transmission and reception and to adjust both hearing aids in an optimum condition for the user wearing the binaural hearing aids.
According to the eighth aspect, usability for the user wearing the binaural hearing aids improves because when one of the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid is operated to select a program, the other is also interactively caused to select the program.
According to the present invention, in the case where wireless transmission and reception are not possible, a first hearing aid (for the left ear) and a second hearing aid (for the right ear) are switched from a liaison operation mode in which both hearing aids are interactively adjusted to a solo operation mode in which each hearing aid is independently adjusted, while in the case where wireless transmission and reception are possible, both hearing aids are switched from the solo operation mode to the liaison operation mode. In this manner, it is possible to provide a hearing aid of which the usability for the user wearing the binaural hearing aids improves and as a result, this contributes to the expansion of demand for the hearing aids.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006-166761 | Jun 2006 | JP | national |
