Hearing auxiliary device and hearing auxiliary processing method

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10413727-B2
Application number	US-201815870430-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 12, 2018
Priority date	May 14, 2015
Publication date	Sep 17, 2019
Grant date	Sep 17, 2019

Abstract

Disclosed is a hearing auxiliary device for helping a person with hearing impairment to obtain hearing information. The hearing auxiliary device includes a bone conduct transceiver, a receiver and a driver. The bone conduct transceiver converts a sound raw data to a bone conduct signal. The receiver is installed to an inner ear portion of the person with hearing impairment, and the receiver receives the bone conduct signal and converts the bone conduct signal to a sound restoration signal. The driver sends out a physical signal according to the sound restoration signal, in order to let the person with hearing impairment to obtain a hearing signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hearing auxiliary device for helping a person with hearing impairment to obtain hearing information, comprising:
a bone conduct transceiver, converting a sound raw data to a bone conduct signal;
a receiver, configured to be installed to an inner ear portion of the person with hearing impairment for receiving the bone conduct signal through bone conduction, and converting the bone conduct signal to a sound restoration signal; and
a driver, sending out a physical signal according to the sound restoration signal in order to let the person with hearing impairment to obtain a hearing signal, wherein the bone conduct transceiver has a first transceiving component and a second transceiving component, the first transceiving component and the second transceiving component respectively corresponding to two ears of the person with hearing impairment, and the first transceiving component and the second transceiving component use carriers at different frequencies to carry the bone conduct signal, to avoid the first transceiving component and the second transceiving component interfering with each other during signal transmission.

2. The hearing auxiliary device according to claim 1 , wherein the receiver is configured to be installed to a through hole on the eardrum of the person with hearing impairment.

3. The hearing auxiliary device according to claim 1 , wherein the driver is configured to be installed to a cochlea of the person with hearing impairment.

4. The hearing auxiliary device according to claim 1 , wherein the bone conduct signal is a signal undergoing compression and error-correcting code.

5. The hearing auxiliary device according to claim 1 , wherein the bone conduct transceiver further comprises a parameter adjuster, and via the parameter adjuster, an optimization processing can be made for cranial electrical characteristics of the person with hearing impairment.

6. The hearing auxiliary device according to claim 1 , wherein the bone conduct transceiver further comprises a parameter adjuster, which sends a testing signal to the receiver, then the bone conduct transceiver receives a testing result from the receiver, and adjusts the bone conduct signal accordingly.

7. The hearing auxiliary device according to claim 1 , wherein the bone conduct transceiver is installed to a pair of glasses, to allow the person with hearing impairment to wear it in a manner of glasses.

8. The hearing auxiliary device according to claim 1 , wherein the bone conduct transceiver is configured to be attached to scalp of the person with hearing impairment via magnetic force.

9. A hearing auxiliary processing method for helping a person with hearing impairment to obtain hearing information, comprising:
converting a sound raw data to a bone conduct signal via a bone conduct transceiver;
receiving the bone conduct signal through a receiver installed to an inner ear portion of the person with hearing impairment through bone conduction, and converting the bone conduct signal to a sound restoration signal; and
according to the sound restoration signal, the driver sending out a physical signal in order to let the person with hearing impairment to obtain a hearing signal, wherein the bone conduct transceiver has a first transceiving component and a second transceiving component, the first transceiving component and the second transceiving component respectively corresponding to two ears of the person with hearing impairment, and the first transceiving component and the second transceiving component use carriers at different frequencies to carry the bone conduct signal, to avoid the first transceiving component and the second transceiving component interfering with each other during signal transmission.

10. The hearing auxiliary processing method according to claim 9 , wherein the receiver is installed to a through hole on the eardrum of the person with hearing impairment.

11. The hearing auxiliary processing method according to claim 9 , wherein the driver is installed to a cochlea of the person with hearing impairment.

12. The hearing auxiliary processing method according to claim 9 , further comprising performing compression and error-correcting code on the bone conduct signal.

13. The hearing auxiliary processing method according to claim 9 , further comprising optimizing procession for cranial electrical characteristics of the person with hearing impairment, for adjusting corresponding parameters.

14. The hearing auxiliary processing method according to claim 9 , further comprising sending a testing signal to the receiver, receiving a testing result from the receiver, and adjusting the bone conduct signal according to the testing result.

15. The hearing auxiliary processing method according to claim 9 , wherein the bone conduct transceiver is installed to a pair of glasses, to allow the person with hearing impairment to wear it in a manner of glasses.

16. The hearing auxiliary processing method according to claim 9 , wherein the bone conduct transceiver is attached to scalp of the person with hearing impairment via magnetic force.

Assignees

• Chen Kuang Chao
• Silicon Motion Inc

Inventors

• Chen Kuang-Chao
• Yeh Kuo-Liang

Classifications

• A61N1/36038

  Cochlear stimulation · CPC title

• A61N1/0541 Primary

  Cochlear electrodes · CPC title

• H04R25/00 Primary

  Electric hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• H04R25/606

  acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window · CPC title