Hearing aid with radio frequency indentification receiver for switching a transmission characteristic

Abstract

The invention relates to a hearing aid with a sound receiver for generating a microphone signal representing a sound wave received and a sound generator for generating a sound depending on a power signal received. The hearing aid has a transmission unit which on the input side is connected to the sound receiver and on the output side to the sound generator and generates a power signal depending on a microphone signal received. The transmission unit modifies a transmission characteristic of the transmission unit as a function of a tag signal received. The hearing aid has a radio frequency detection device connected to the transmission unit, with a spatial detection zone where the radio frequency detection device detects, electromagnetically and in particular inductively, a radio frequency tag and, depending on the radio frequency tag, to generate a tag signal and to output this to the transmission unit.

Description

The invention will now be explained below by reference to FIGURES and further exemplary embodiments.

FIG. 1 shows—schematically—an exemplary embodiment for a system 1, including a hearing aid 3 and a programming device 32.

The hearing aid 3 has a sound receiver 5, which is designed to receive sound waves and to generate a microphone signal which depends on the sound waves received and which represents the sound waves received.

The hearing aid 3 also has a sound generator 7, which is designed to generate a sound which depends on a power signal received on its input side.

The hearing aid 3 also has a transmission unit 9, which on the input side is connected to the sound receiver 5 via a connecting line 52 and on the output side is connected, at least indirectly, to the sound generator 7.

The transmission unit 9 is designed to generate an output signal, in accordance with at least one predefined transfer function, which depends on a microphone signal received on the input side and which represents at least partly the microphone signal.

On its output side, the transmission unit 9 is connected via a connecting line 48 to an amplifier 10, which is designed to generate an amplified power signal which depends on and corresponds to an input signal received on its input side, and to output the power signal on its output side.

On its output side, the amplifier 10 is connected via a connecting line 50 to the sound generator 7.

The transmission unit 9 can, for example, take the form of a digital signal processor, which is designed to modify a characteristic for the transmission of a microphone signal received on the input side, the modification depending on filter ratios received on the input side.

A transmission unit can include the transmission unit 9 and the amplifier 10.

In this exemplary embodiment, the hearing aid 3 also includes a central processing unit 12, an assignment unit 14, a look-up memory for storing assignment datasets 18 and 20, where the assignment memory 16 is connected to the central processing unit 12 via a bidirectional databus 54.

In this exemplary embodiment, the hearing aid 3 also includes a radio frequency detection device 22 for detecting a radio frequency tag. The radio frequency detection device 22, also referred to below as an RFID receiver, is on its input side connected via a connecting line 42 to an antenna 24 for detecting a radio frequency tag 26. The RFID receiver 22 is designed to detect the radio frequency tag 26 inductively, via the antenna 24, and to generate a tag signal which represents an item of tag data for the radio frequency tag 26.

On its input side, the central processing unit 12 is connected via a connecting line 44 to the RFID receiver 22. On its output side, the RFID receiver 22 is designed to transmit the tag signal to the central processing unit 12, via the connecting line 44.

On its input side, the central processing unit 12 is connected via a connecting line 40 to an interface 38.

In this exemplary embodiment, the interface 38 is an infrared interface, in particular an IrDA interface (IrDA=Infrared Data Association). The interface 38 is designed for receiving, in particular receiving cordlessly, a data signal 34. The system 1 also includes a programming device 32, which is designed for emitting the data signal 34. The data signal 34 represents an item of tag data for a radio frequency tag. The programming device is further designed to program an unprogrammed radio frequency tag 27—which does not yet have any tag data and is within the detection zone 36 of the programming device 32—with an item of tag data which is provided for assigning to a transfer function.

The central processing unit is designed to generate, depending on a data signal received on the input side via the connecting line 40, an assignment dataset which corresponds to the tag data represented by the data signal and to a transfer function assigned to the tag data.

The central processing unit 12 is designed to store away the assignment dataset, via the bidirectional databus 54, in the look-up memory 16. In this exemplary embodiment, the assignment dataset includes a tag dataset 18 and a transfer dataset 20 assigned to it.

The way in which the system 1 functions will now be explained below:

A radio frequency tag 26 can be present, for example, within a detection zone 25 of the antenna 24 of the RFID receiver 22. The radio frequency tag 26 has a transmission and receiving antenna 28, which is connected to a chip 30. In the chip 30 is stored an item of tag data—which has for example as previously described been generated by the programming device 32 and stored away in the chip 30. The RFID receiver 22 can emit transmission energy via the antenna 24, which is received by the antenna 28 of the radio frequency tag 26, and can be stored for use in transmitting back a tag signal. The radio frequency tag 26 is designed to generate, using the previously received and stored transmission energy, a tag signal representing the tag data, and to transmit this back to the RFID receiver 22 via the antenna 28.

The tag signal transmitted back in this way can be received via the antenna 24 and the RFID receiver 22, and transmitted via the connecting line 44 to the central processing unit 12.

The central processing unit 12 can compare the tag signal, received on the input side via the connecting line 44, with assignment datasets stored away in the look-up memory 16 and, if the received tag signal matches a tag dataset 18 in an assignment dataset, generate a transfer signal which corresponds to an appropriate transfer dataset 20 in the assignment dataset.

The central processing unit 12 can have an assignment unit 14 for the purpose of comparing a tag signal on its input side with an assignment dataset. The assignment unit 14 is connected—as indicated by dashed lines—with the connecting line 44 and with the bidirectional databus 54, and on its output side with the connecting line 46.

The transfer signal can, for example, represent filter ratios a(0) . . . a(n) for setting a digital filter in the transmission unit 9.

As an alternative to this, predefined transfer functions can be stored away in the transmission unit 9, and the transfer signal can correspond to a predefined transfer function. The transmission unit 9 can then select, depending on a transfer signal received on the input side, a predefined transfer function for generating an output signal which depends on a microphone signal received on the input side, and switch it into a transmission path.

Also shown by way of example is a telephone handset 31 with a radio frequency tag 29 affixed on or in it. The radio frequency tag 29 is located within the detection zone 25 of the antenna 24, the telephone handset 31 is located at least partly within the detection zone 25 of the antenna 24.

Claims

1.-13. (canceled)

14. A hearing aid, comprising: a sound receiver that receives a sound wave and generates a microphone signal representing the sound wave;a sound generator that generates a sound depending on a power signal;a transmission unit connected between the sound receiver and the sound generator that: generates the power signal depending on the microphone signal, andmodifies a transmission characteristic of the transmission unit as a function of a tag signal; andan RFID receiver connected to the transmission unit that generates the tag signal based on a radio frequency tag presented and electromagnetically detected in a detection zone.

15. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 14, wherein the radio frequency tag comprises a transmitting and receiving antenna connected to a chip where an item of tag data in the radio frequency tag is stored.

16. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 15, wherein the RFID receiver generates the tag signal corresponding to the item of tag data.

17. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 14, wherein the power signal is generated based on a transfer function and a frequency or an amplitude of the microphone signal.

18. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 17, wherein the transfer function is selected from at least two transfer functions based on the tag signal.

19. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 14, further comprising: an assignment unit connected between the RFID receiver and the transmission device,a look-up memory connected to the assignment unit for storing assignment dataset representing an assignment of a predefined item of tag data or a class of tag data to a predefined transfer function.

20. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 19, wherein the assignment unit: evaluates the tag signal,selects one assignment dataset from the look-up memory corresponding to the tag signal,generates a transfer signal corresponding to one predefined transfer function based on the selected assignment dataset, andoutputs the transfer signal to the transmission unit for the modification.

21. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 14, wherein the RFID receiver detects the radio frequency tag based on a pulsed detection.

22. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 14, wherein the hearing aid is a component of a pair of vision spectacles.

23. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 22, wherein the RFID receiver comprises an antenna for detecting the radio frequency tag and the antenna is at least partly integrated into a frame or a sidearm of the vision spectacles.

24. A program system for a hearing aid, comprising: a radio frequency tag comprising an item of tag data that is assigned to a predefined transfer function of the hearing aid; anda programming device that generates the item of tag data for selecting the predefined transfer function.

25. The program system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the radio frequency tag comprises at least two items of tag data that differ from one another and are respectively assigned to at least two predefined different transfer functions.

26. The programming system as claimed in claim 24, wherein the radio frequency tag is detected in a detection zone.

27. The programming system as claimed in claim 24, wherein an assignment dataset representing an assignment of the item of tag data or a class of tag data to the predefined transfer function is stored in the hearing aid.

28. A method for modifying a transmission characteristic of a hearing aid, comprising: electromagnetically detecting a radio frequency tag in a detection zone of the hearing aid; andmodifying the transmission characteristic as a function of the radio frequency tag presented and detected in the detection zone.

29. The method as claimed in claim 28, wherein the transmission characteristic is defined by a transfer function.

30. The method as claimed in claim 29, further comprising: providing at least two different transfer functions,selecting one of the transfer functions depending on the detected radio frequency tag, andmodifying the transmission characteristics according to the selected transfer function.