Hearing assistance system with automatic side detection

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10623871-B2
Application number	US-201616304568-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 1, 2016
Priority date	May 27, 2016
Publication date	Apr 14, 2020
Grant date	Apr 14, 2020

Abstract

There is provided a hearing assistance system, comprising at least a first hearing device to be worn at one ear of a user, the first hearing device comprising a 3-axes accelerometer sensor for generating an acceleration signal indicative of the acceleration of the first hearing device, and an orientation sensor for generating an orientation signal indicative of the azimuthal orientation of the first hearing device, wherein the orientation sensor is selected from the group consisting of a 3-axes magnetic compass sensor and a 3-axes gyroscope sensor, and wherein the system comprises a judgement unit for judging, by analyzing the acceleration signal and the orientation signal of the first hearing device, whether the first hearing device is presently worn at the right ear or at the left ear of the user.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hearing assistance system, comprising:
a first hearing device to be worn at one ear of a user, the first hearing device comprising
a 3-axes accelerometer sensor for generating an acceleration signal indicative of an acceleration of the first hearing device,
an orientation sensor for generating an orientation signal indicative of an azimuthal orientation of the first hearing device,

a judgement unit configured to
determine a difference between the acceleration signal and an acceleration signal of a second hearing device included in the hearing assistance system, and
initiate, once the determined acceleration signal difference is above a given threshold value, a judgement as to whether the first hearing device is presently worn at the right ear or at the left ear of the user, the judgement based on the acceleration signal of the first hearing device and the orientation signal of the first hearing device,

a memory for storing both a right ear fitting parameter set for the right ear and a left ear fitting parameter set for the left ear, and
a controller for controlling an operation of the first hearing device, the controller configured to cause the first hearing device to use either the right ear fitting parameter set or the left ear fitting parameter set based on the judgement unit judging whether the first hearing device is presently worn at the right ear or at the left ear.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the judgement unit is implemented in the first hearing device and is configured to analyze the acceleration signal and the orientation signal of the first hearing device only.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the judgement unit is further configured to initiate the judgement as to whether the first hearing device is presently worn at the right ear or at the left ear of the user once a change of an azimuthal orientation of the first hearing device, as determined from a change of the orientation signal with time, is above a given threshold value.

4. The system of claim 2 , wherein the judgement unit is configured to integrate the acceleration signal over time in order to determine a direction of a tangential displacement of the first hearing device with regard to the user's head.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the judgement unit is configured to judge that the first hearing device is presently worn at the left ear if the determined direction of the tangential displacement is along a forward direction when the orientation signal is representative of a clockwise rotation of the user's head, when seen in a direction of gravity, or if the determined direction of the tangential displacement is along a rearward direction when the orientation signal is representative of a counter-clockwise rotation of the user's head and to judge that the first hearing device is presently worn at the right ear if the determined direction of the tangential displacement is along a rearward direction when the orientation signal is representative of a clockwise rotation or if the determined direction of the tangential displacement is along a forward direction when the orientation signal is representative of a counter-clockwise rotation, wherein the first hearing device has a predefined forward direction and a rearward direction with regard to a vertical direction, wherein the forward direction is predefined in such a manner that it substantially coincides, when the first hearing device is worn at an ear of the user, with a viewing direction of the user.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the hearing assistance system comprises the second hearing device to be worn at the other ear of the user, the second hearing device comprising a 3-axes accelerometer sensor for generating the acceleration signal of the second hearing device and a 3-axes magnetic compass sensor for generating an orientation signal indicative of an azimuthal orientation of the second hearing device, wherein each of the hearing devices comprises an interface for data exchange with the other hearing device, and wherein the judgement unit is configured to judge, by taking into account the acceleration signal of both the first and second hearing device and the orientation signal of at least one of the first and second hearing device, for each hearing device whether it is presently worn at the right or at the left ear of the user.

7. The system of claim 6 , wherein the judgement unit is implemented in the first hearing device, wherein the first hearing device is configured to transmit a control signal to the second hearing device indicative of whether the second hearing device is presently worn at the right ear or at the left ear of the user, wherein at least one of the acceleration signal and the orientation signal of the second hearing device is transmitted from the second hearing device to the first hearing device via the data exchange interface.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein the judgement unit comprises a first part implemented in the first hearing device and a second part implemented in the second hearing device, wherein each part is configured to judge whether the respective hearing device is presently worn at the right ear or at the left ear of the user.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein the judgement unit is configured to initiate the judgement as to at which ear of the user the first and second hearing device are presently worn once a change of the azimuthal orientation of at least one of the first and second hearing device, as determined from a change of the respective orientation signal with time, is above a given threshold value.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein the judgement unit is configured to integrate the acceleration signal of the respective hearing device over time in order to determine a direction of a tangential displacement of the respective hearing device with regard to the user's head.

11. The system of claim 6 , wherein the judgement unit is configured to judge that the respective hearing device is presently worn at the left ear if the determined direction of a tangential displacement is along a forward direction when the orientation signal is representative of a clockwise rotation of the user's head, when seen in the direction of gravity, or if the determined direction of the tangential displacement is along a rearward direction when the orientation signal is representative of a counter-clockwise rotation of the user's head and to judge that the respective hearing device is presently worn at the right ear if the determined direction of the tangential displacement is along a rearward direction when the orientation signal is representative of a clockwise rotation or if the determined direction of the tangential displacement is along a forward direction when the orientation signal is representative of a counter-clockwise rotation, wherein the hearing devices have a predefined forward direction and a rearward direction with regard to a vertical direction, wherein the forward direction is predefined in such a manner that it substantially coincides, when the first hearing device is worn at an ear of the user, with the viewing direction of the user.

12. The system of claim 6 , wherein the judgement unit is configured to subtract, by comparing the acceleration signal of the first hearing device and the second hearing device, portions of the acceleration signal which are identical for both hearing devices from the acceleration signal of the first hearing device and from the acceleration signal of the second hearing device, so as to reduce noise by removing acceleration components which are not related to a rotation of the user's head.

13. The system of claim 6 , wherein t

Assignees

• Sonova Ag

Inventors

• Oesch Yves
• Leist Christoph
• Rufenacht Marius

Classifications

• H04R2225/023

  Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R25/43

  Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics (H04R25/407 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R25/65

  Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture · CPC title

• H04R2225/61

  Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning · CPC title

• H04R25/554

  using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils · CPC title