Hearing aid with tuned microphone cavity

Abstract

A hearing aid comprises a microphone that receives incident sound waves from one or more sources external to the hearing aid, and converts the sound waves into electronic signals; a circuit that amplifies the electronic signals; a receiver that converts the amplified electronic signals into amplified sound waves; and a tuned resonant cavity between the microphone and the at least one external sound source. At least one parameter of the tuned resonant cavity is selected to modify the frequency response of the incident sound waves that are received by the microphone. In particular, the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves enter the chamber, the geometry of the chamber itself, and/or the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the chamber, are selected to condition the incident sound waves by modifying the frequency response of the audio signal prior to the signal being received at the microphone.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments of the invention, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which like reference characters refer to the same parts throughout the different views. The drawings are not necessarily to scale, emphasis instead being placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

FIG. 1 is a side cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a hearing aid with tuned resonant cavity;

FIG. 2A is an electronic circuit representation of the tuned resonant cavity of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2B is an electrical circuit representation showing the impedances of an air vent between two acoustical cavities in a hearing aid;

FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional front-view of a sealing gasket and air hole;

FIG. 4 is a side cross-sectional view of the hearing aid microphone of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional side view of a tuned resonant cavity according to one aspect of the invention;

FIG. 6 is a cross-sectional side view of the tuned resonant cavity of FIG. 5 incorporated in a switching mechanism; and

FIG. 7 is a front cross-sectional view of the tuned resonant cavity and switching mechanism of FIG. 6.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising: a microphone that receives incident sound waves from one or more sources external to the hearing aid, and converts the sound waves into electronic signals;a circuit that amplifies the electronic signals;a receiver that converts the amplified electronic signals into amplified sound waves; anda tuned resonant cavity between the microphone and the at least one external sound source, at least one of the following parameters of the tuned resonant cavity being selected to modify the frequency response of the incident sound waves before the sound waves are received by the microphone: the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves enter the cavity, the geometry of the cavity, and the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the cavity.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the incident sound waves comprise sound waves having frequencies between 1 and 10 kHz.

3. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the incident sound waves comprise sound waves having frequencies between 5 and 7 kHz.

4. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the one or more openings through which sound waves enter the cavity comprises the number of openings.

5. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the one or more openings through which sound waves enter the cavity comprises the cross-sectional area of the opening or openings.

6. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the one or more openings through which sound waves enter the cavity comprises the shape of the one or more openings.

7. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the cavity comprises the volume of the cavity.

8. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the cavity comprises a material that is located within or forms the cavity.

9. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of the cavity comprises the shape of the cavity.

10. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the cavity comprises the number of openings.

11. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the cavity comprises the cross-sectional area of the opening or openings.

12. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the cavity comprises the shape of the at least one opening.

13. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the tuned resonant cavity modifies the frequency response of the incident sound waves by increasing the amplitudes of higher frequency sounds relative to lower frequency sounds within the incident sound waves.

14. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the tuned resonant cavity is an integral component of the hearing aid.

15. The hearing aid of claim 14, wherein the tuned resonant cavity comprises at least a portion of a hearing aid shell, the microphone, electronics and receiver being enclosed within the shell.

16. The hearing aid of claim 15, wherein the hearing aid shell comprises a face plate having one or more openings for sound waves, the microphone being generally parallel and spaced apart from the face plate, the tuned resonant cavity comprising a substantially enclosed volume between the face plate and the microphone.

17. The hearing aid of claim 16, wherein the tuned resonant cavity is substantially acoustically isolated from one or more additional volumes within the hearing aid shell.

18. The hearing aid of claim 17, wherein air is permitted to flow from the tuned resonant cavity into the one or more additional volumes.

19. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the tuned resonant cavity is mounted to or within the hearing aid.

20. The hearing aid of claim 19, wherein the tuned resonant cavity is manufactured prior to being mounted to or within the hearing aid.

21. The hearing aid of claim 19, wherein the tuned resonant cavity comprises a conduit mounted in front of the microphone.

22. The hearing aid of claim 21, wherein the conduit has a substantially circular cross-section.

23. The hearing aid of claim 21, wherein a cross-section of the conduit is at least one of elliptical, triangular, rectangular, or irregularly shaped.

24. The hearing aid of claim 19, wherein a first end of the conduit contacts a surface of the microphone.

25. The hearing aid of claim 24, wherein the first end of the conduit a cross-sectional area that is approximately equal to the area of a diaphragm of the microphone, the first end being substantially aligned with the diaphragm.

26. The hearing aid of claim 25, wherein the interface between the first end of the conduit and the microphone diaphragm is substantially sealed.

27. The hearing aid of claim 21, wherein the first end of the conduit comprises a flange extending radially from the conduit.

28. The hearing aid of claim 27, wherein the conduit comprises at least a portion of a switching mechanism for modifying an operating state of the hearing aid.

29. The hearing aid of claim 28, wherein at least one switch trace for the switching mechanism are mounted directly or indirectly on the flange of the conduit.

30. The hearing aid of claim 29, wherein at least a portion of a circuit board is mounted on the flange, the at least one switch trace being located on the circuit board.

31. The hearing aid of claim 30, wherein the circuit board comprises a flexible circuit board, the flexible circuit board being supported by the flange.

32. The hearing aid of claim 28, wherein at least a portion of the switching mechanism is rotatable around the conduit.

33. The hearing aid of claim 32, wherein a rotary switch is rotatable around the conduit, the rotary switch comprising one or more electrical contacts that engage with one or more switch traces as the rotary switch is rotated around the conduit.

34. The hearing aid of claim 33, wherein the at least one switch traces are mounted directly or indirectly on the flange of the conduit.

35. The hearing aid of claim 21, wherein a second end of the conduit extends partially or completely through a face plate of the hearing aid.

36. The hearing aid of claim 1, further comprising a plurality of tuned resonant cavities between the microphone and the at least one external sound source.

37. The hearing aid of claim 36, wherein at least two tuned resonant cavities are arranged in series.

38. The hearing aid of claim 36, wherein at least two tuned resonant cavities are arranged in parallel.

39. A method of manufacturing a hearing aid, comprising: providing a microphone that receives incident sound waves from one or more sources external to the hearing aid, and converts the sound waves into electronic signals;providing a circuit that amplifies the electronic signals;providing a receiver that converts the amplified electronic signals into amplified sound waves; andselecting parameters for a tuned resonant cavity to modify the frequency response of the incident sound waves, the parameters including at least one of the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves enter the cavity, the geometry of the cavity, and the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the cavity; andproviding a tuned resonant cavity comprising the selected parameters between the microphone and the at least one external sound source.

40. The method of claim 39, wherein the incident sound waves comprise sound waves having frequencies between 1 and 10 kHz.

41. The method of claim 39, wherein the incident sound waves comprise sound waves having frequencies between 5 and 7 kHz.

42. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of the one or more openings through which sound waves enter the cavity comprises the number of openings.

43. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of the one or more openings through which sound waves enter the cavity comprises the cross-sectional area of the opening or openings.

44. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of the one or more openings through which sound waves enter the cavity comprises the shape of the one or more openings.

45. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of the cavity comprises the volume of the cavity.

46. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of the cavity comprises a material that is located within or forms the cavity.

47. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of the cavity comprises the shape of the cavity.

48. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the cavity comprises the number of openings.

49. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the cavity comprises the cross-sectional area of the opening or openings.

50. The method of claim 39, wherein the geometry of one or more openings through which sound waves exit the cavity comprises the shape of the at least one opening.

51. The method of claim 39, wherein the tuned resonant cavity modifies the frequency response of the incident sound waves by increasing the amplitudes of higher frequency sounds relative to lower frequency sounds within the incident sound waves.

52. The method of claim 39, further comprising a providing plurality of tuned resonant cavities between the microphone and the at least one external sound source.

53. The method of claim 52, wherein at least two tuned resonant cavities are arranged in series.

54. The method of claim 52, wherein at least two tuned resonant cavities are arranged in parallel.