Method and apparatus for controlling a hearing instrument to relieve tinitus, hyperacusis, and hearing loss

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10674292-B2
Application number	US-201916401857-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 2, 2019
Priority date	Feb 23, 2015
Publication date	Jun 2, 2020
Grant date	Jun 2, 2020

Abstract

A hearing instrument and a method for operating a hearing instrument is provided. The hearing instrument and/or the method includes receiving and manipulating an audio signal at a signal processor to create a manipulated audio signal, providing a tinnitus relief sound having an operational level based on a present volume level from an audio signal, and generating an output signal based on the manipulated audio signal and the tinnitus relief sound.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for controlling a hearing instrument configured for being worn by a wearer, the hearing instrument configured for relieving tinnitus, hyperacusis, and/or hearing loss, wherein the hearing instrument includes a tinnitus relief sound generator, the hearing instrument being in communication with an external device comprising a user interface, the method comprising:
presenting to the wearer, via the user interface, one or more questions relating to the present state of the wearer's tinnitus,
adapting the tinnitus relief sound generator based on the wearer's answers to the one or more questions, where the answer to a question includes a score value indicating a level as a response;
receiving and manipulating an audio signal at a signal processor to create a manipulated audio signal;
providing a tinnitus relief sound via the tinnitus relief sound generator,
generating an output signal based on the manipulated audio signal and the tinnitus relief sound,
providing the output signal to an output transducer,
wherein the level of the tinnitus relief sound is adapted based on the usage of the tinnitus relief sound, such that the level of the tinnitus relief sound is increased and/or decreased as a function of number of times the tinnitus relief sound has been used and the period of time the tinnitus relief sound has been used.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein in question or questions to be presented to the wearer is stored in a database.

3. A method for controlling a hearing instrument configured for being worn by a wearer, the hearing instrument configured for relieving tinnitus, hyperacusis, and/or hearing loss, wherein the hearing instrument includes a tinnitus relief sound generator, the hearing instrument being in communication with an external device comprising a user interface, the method comprising:
presenting to the wearer, via the user interface, one or more questions relating to the present state of the wearer's tinnitus,
adapting the tinnitus relief sound generator based on the wearer's answers to the one or more questions;
receiving and manipulating an audio signal at a signal processor to create a manipulated audio signal;
providing a tinnitus relief sound via the tinnitus relief sound generator,
generating an output signal based on the manipulated audio signal and the tinnitus relief sound,
providing the output signal to an output transducer,
wherein a neural network is used to select one or more questions to be presented and/or analyze response from the wearer,
wherein the level of the tinnitus relief sound is adapted based on the usage of the tinnitus relief sound, such that the level of the tinnitus relief sound is increased and/or decreased as a function of number of times the tinnitus relief sound has been used and the period of time the tinnitus relief sound has been used.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the wearer enters the current state of the tinnitus.

5. The method according to claim 1 , w herein the question or questions are or comprise a tinnitus handicap inventory, THI, or a tinnitus functional index, TFI, score.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the answers are weighted to form a basis for the control of the tinnitus relief sound.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the volume level of the tinnitus relief sound is limited by information of the wearer's hyperacusis.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the tinnitus relief sound includes white, brown, blue, red, violet or grey colored noise, alternatively wherein the tinnitus relief sound includes modulated white, brown, blue, red, violet or grey colored noise.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing instrument is part of a binaural hearing system, the hearing instrument and a second hearing instrument communicates via a communication link, the hearing instrument and the second hearing instrument exchanging information so that onset of the tinnitus relief sound in the hearing instrument and the second hearing instrument are offset by an offset time.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein tinnitus relief sound has a finite duration, and the offset time is a fraction of the length of the tinnitus relief sound duration.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the fraction is in the range 0.1 to 0.9.

12. A hearing instrument configured for being worn by a wearer, the hearing instrument configured for relieving tinnitus, hyperacusis, and/or hearing loss, the hearing instrument comprising:
an input transducer adapted to transform an input signal to an electrical signal,
a processor adapted to process the electrical signal and to communication with an external device comprising a user interface,
a tinnitus relief sound generator providing a tinnitus relief sound,
an output transducer adapted to output a signal based on the processed electrical signal and/or the tinnitus relief sound, wherein
the processor is configured to
present to the wearer, via the user interface, one or more questions relating to the present state of the wearer's tinnitus,
adapt the tinnitus relief sound generator based on the wearer's answers to the one or more questions;
receive and manipulate an audio signal at a signal processor to create a manipulated audio signal;
provide a tinnitus relief sound via the tinnitus relief sound generator,
generate an output signal based on the manipulated audio signal and the tinnitus relief sound,
provide the output signal to an output transducer, and
a neural network is used to select one or more questions to be presented and/or analyze response from the wearer, and wherein the level of the tinnitus relief sound is adapted based on the usage of the tinnitus relief sound, such that the level of the tinnitus relief sound is increased and/or decreased as a function of number of times the tinnitus relief sound has been used and the period of time the tinnitus relief sound has been used.

13. The hearing device according to claim 12 , wherein the hearing instrument further comprises a button configured to being part of the user interface.

14. The hearing device according to claim 12 , wherein the external device is configured to communicate with the hearing device using wireless communication, and the hearing device is configured to receive wireless communication from the external device.

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Ohl Björn
• Hofman-Bang Dorthe
• Philipsson Marianne
• Roug Jacob Anders
• Hansen Jesper Nøhr
• Jones Gary

Classifications

• H04R2225/39

  Aspects relating to automatic logging of sound environment parameters and the performance of the hearing aid during use, e.g. histogram logging, or of user selected programs or settings in the hearing aid, e.g. usage logging · CPC title

• H04R2225/61

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

• H04R25/558

  Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• H04R25/75 Primary

  Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception · CPC title