Hearing aid device comprising a sensor member

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11889265-B2
Application number	US-202217983733-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2022
Priority date	Feb 13, 2014
Publication date	Jan 30, 2024
Grant date	Jan 30, 2024

Abstract

A hearing aid device is disclosed. The hearing aid device comprises means to improve, augment and/or protect the hearing capability of a user by receiving acoustic signals from the surroundings of the user, generating corresponding audio signals, possibly modifying the audio signals and providing the possibly modified audio signals as audible signals to at least one of the user's ears. The hearing aid device comprises a sensor member for detecting the movement and/or acceleration and/or orientation (or spatial position) of the hearing aid device. The hearing aid device comprises at least two hearing aid microphones and a control unit for determining the position or a deviation from an intended position of the hearing aid device or hearing aid microphones. The hearing aid device is configured to compensate for a possible dislocation of the hearing aid microphones.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hearing aid device for improving, augmenting and/or protecting the hearing capability of a user when receiving acoustic signals from the surroundings of the user, the hearing aid device comprising
a behind the ear (BTE) part and an ear piece connected via a tube and/or a cable,
an input unit for generating corresponding audio signals,
a signal processing unit for modifying the audio signals, and
an output unit for providing modified audio signals as audible signals to at least one of the user's ears,
the hearing aid device comprising a sensor member for detecting the movement and/or acceleration and/or orientation and/or position of the hearing aid device,
the input unit of the hearing aid device comprises a first microphone and a second microphone, and
a control unit for determining an angle of the hearing aid device based on measurements provided by the sensor member, said angle being defined as the angle between a line along which said first and second microphones are arranged and a horizontally arranged line, and wherein the hearing aid device is configured to determine how much the length of the tube and/or of the cable should be adjusted in order to place the hearing aid device in an optimal position.

2. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the optimal position of the hearing aid device comprises that the first and second microphones are arranged along the horizontally arranged line.

3. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing aid device is configured to determine a reliability of own voice detection based on said determined angle of the hearing aid device.

4. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing aid device comprises an antenna and transceiver circuitry for establishing a communication link to another hearing aid device, and thereby allowing the exchange of information between them.

5. A hearing aid device according to claim 4 , wherein the hearing aid device is configured to send and/or receive the information to/from the other hearing aid device by the antenna and transceiver circuitry.

6. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein said sensor member comprises an accelerometer.

7. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing aid device comprises an actuator configured to change the orientation and/or angle of said first and second microphones.

8. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 comprising a directional system with an adaptive directional algorithm for providing a combined signal based on signals from said first and second microphones.

9. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 , wherein the control unit is configured for changing an adaptation speed in one or more adaptive algorithms applied to the audio signals by the hearing aid device.

10. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 configured to use the sensor member together with other sensors to detect whether or not the hearing aid device is located at or on one of the ears of the user.

11. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 comprising a memory wherein a reference position or an orientation of the hearing aid device is stored.

12. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 configured to continuously monitor a plurality of microphone positions and to modify a setting of signal processing parameters.

13. A hearing aid device according to claim 1 configured to use the difference in input level between the first and second microphones to detect whether a user's own voice is present in the current acoustic signals received by said microphones and to provide an own voice control signal indicative thereof.

14. A hearing aid device according to claim 13 configured to estimate a reliability of the own voice control signal based on a comparison of a current position of the hearing aid with a stored reference position.

15. A hearing aid system comprising two hearing aid devices according to claim 1 each comprising antenna and transceiver circuitry for establishing a communication link to another hearing aid device, and thereby allowing the exchange of information between them.

16. A hearing aid system according to claim 15 wherein at least one of the hearing aid devices is configured for determining an angle (α) between the hearing aid devices on the basis of measurements made by means of the sensor member(s) in the two hearing devices.

17. A hearing aid system according to claim 15 further comprising an auxiliary device, and wherein the hearing aid system is configured to allow the hearing aid devices and the auxiliary device to communicate with each other.

18. A hearing aid system according to claim 17 , wherein the hearing aid system is configured to determine a reliable own voice detection only when a plurality of angles of both of the two hearing aid devices are determined and/or only when a plurality of angles are exchanged between the two hearing aid devices and/or said auxiliary device.

19. A hearing aid system according to claim 15 , wherein the hearing aid system is configured to determine a reliability of an own voice detection based on determined angles of each of the two hearing aid devices.

20. A hearing aid system according to claim 15 wherein an estimated reliability of an own voice control signal is based on the comparison of a current position of the hearing aid device with a stored reference position of both hearing aid devices of the hearing aid system.

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Pedersen Michael Syskind
• Møller Kenneth Rueskov
• Petersen Svend Oscar
• Kiemer Niels Stubager
• Nielsen Jesper Kofoed
• Ohl Björn
• Elmlund Marianne Kleist
• Carvalho Karin
• Bendsen Henrik
• Pedersen Regin Kopp
• Bürger Christian C
• Munk Steen Michael
• Christophersen Morten
• Pedersen Julie Hefting
• Westergård Bo
• Oxenbøll Maria

Classifications

• H04R25/305 Primary

  Self-monitoring or self-testing · CPC title

• H04R1/1041 Primary

  Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H) · CPC title

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title

• H04R25/407

  Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers · CPC title

• H04R25/453

  electronically · CPC title