Systems and methods for detecting state of bone conduction hearing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12160705-B2
Application number	US-202217935123-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 25, 2022
Priority date	Aug 29, 2020
Publication date	Dec 3, 2024
Grant date	Dec 3, 2024

Abstract

The present disclosure provides methods and systems for detecting the state of a bone conduction hearing device. The bone conduction hearing device comprises at least a microphone, a speaker, a feedback analysis unit, and a signal processing unit. The speaker may generate a third sound based on a first signal, wherein the first signal may be generated by the signal processing unit. The microphone may receive the third sound and generate a feedback signal. The feedback analysis unit may determine a feedback path transfer function from the speaker to the microphone based on the feedback signal and the first signal, obtain at least one preset feedback path transfer function, and compare the feedback path transfer function and the at least one preset feedback path transfer function. The signal processing unit may determine the state of the bone conduction hearing device based on a comparison result.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for detecting the state of a bone conduction hearing device, wherein the bone conduction hearing device comprises at least a microphone, a speaker, a feedback analysis unit, and a signal processing unit, and the method comprises:
generating, by the speaker, a third sound based on a first signal, wherein the first signal is generated by the signal processing unit;
by the microphone, receiving the third sound and generating a feedback signal;
by the feedback analysis unit, determining a feedback path transfer function from the speaker to the microphone based on the feedback signal and the first signal; obtaining at least one preset feedback path transfer function; and comparing the feedback path transfer function with the at least one preset feedback path transfer function; and
determining, by the signal processing unit, the state of the bone conduction hearing device based on a comparison result,
wherein the at least one preset feedback path transfer function includes a standard feedback path transfer function and an abnormal feedback path transfer function, the abnormal feedback path transfer function includes one or more of an incorrect wearing feedback path transfer function, an abnormal structure feedback path transfer function, a foreign body intrusion feedback path transfer function, and a foreign body blocking feedback path transfer function;
the comparing the feedback path transfer function with the at least one preset feedback path transfer function comprises:
determining, from the at least one preset feedback path transfer function, at least one preset feedback path transfer function whose difference from the feedback path transfer function is within a preset threshold range; and
determining a type of the feedback path transfer function based on a type of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a type of the feedback path transfer function based on a type of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function comprises:
if the type of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function is the standard feedback path transfer function, determining that the feedback path transfer function is a normal feedback path transfer function; or
if the type of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function is the abnormal feedback path transfer function, determining that the feedback path transfer function is an abnormal feedback path transfer function;
and the method further comprises:
if the type of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function is the incorrect wearing feedback path transfer function, determining that the feedback path transfer function is an incorrect wearing feedback path transfer function; or
if the type of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function is the abnormal structure feedback path transfer function, determining that the feedback path transfer function is an abnormal structure feedback path transfer function; or
if the type of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function is the foreign body intrusion feedback path transfer function, determining that the feedback path transfer function is a foreign body intrusion feedback path transfer function; or
if the type of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function is the foreign body blocking feedback path transfer function, determining that the feedback path transfer function is a foreign body blocking feedback path transfer function.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the determining the state of the bone conduction hearing device based on a comparison result comprises:
if the feedback path transfer function is a normal feedback path transfer function, determining that the state of the bone conduction hearing device is normal; or
if the feedback path transfer function is an abnormal feedback path transfer function, determining that the state of the bone conduction hearing device is abnormal, and the method further comprises determining an abnormal type of the bone conduction hearing device by:
if the feedback path transfer function is an incorrect wearing feedback path transfer function, determining that the bone conduction hearing device is in an incorrect wearing state; or
if the feedback path transfer function is an abnormal structure feedback path transfer function, determining that the bone conduction hearing device is in an abnormal structure state; or
if the feedback path transfer function is a foreign body intrusion feedback path transfer function, determining that the bone conduction hearing device is in a foreign body intrusion state; or
if the feedback path transfer function is a foreign body blocking feedback path transfer function, determining that the bone conduction hearing device is in a foreign body blocking state.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining, from the at least one preset feedback path transfer function, at least one preset feedback path transfer function whose difference from the feedback path transfer function is within a preset threshold range comprises:
if the count of the at least one determined preset feedback path transfer function is two or more than two, determining the preset feedback path transfer function with the smallest difference as one determined preset feedback path transfer function.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
adaptively adjusting one or more parameters of the bone conduction hearing device or sending reminder information to a user based on the state of the bone conduction hearing device.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the state of the bone conduction hearing device includes a normal state and an abnormal state; and the abnormal state includes one or more of an incorrect wearing state, an abnormal structure state, a foreign body intrusion state, and a foreign body blocking state.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining a feedback path transfer function from the speaker to the microphone based on the feedback signal and the first signal comprises:
generating a first transformed signal by transforming the first signal;
generating a transformed feedback signal by transforming the feedback signal; and
determining the feedback path transfer function based on the first transformed signal and the transformed feedback signal.

8. A system for detecting the state of a bone conduction hearing device, wherein the bone conduction hearing device comprises at least a microphone, a speaker, a feedback analysis unit, and a signal processing unit, and the system comprises:
the speaker configured to generate a third sound based on a first signal, wherein the first signal is generated by the signal processing unit;
the microphone configured to receive the third sound and generate a feedback signal;
the feedback analysis unit configured to: determine a feedback path transfer function from the speaker to the microphone based on the feedback signal and the first signal; obtain at least one preset feedback path transfer function; compare the feedback path transfer function with the at least one preset feedback path transfer function; and
the signal processing unit configured to determine the state of the bone conduction hearing device based on a comparison result,
wherein the at least one preset feedback path transfer function includes a standard feedback path transfer function and an abnormal feedback path transfer function, the abnormal feedback path transfer function includes one or more of an incorrect wearing feedback path transmission function, an abnormal structure feedback path transfer function, a foreign body int

Assignees

• Shenzhen Shokz Co Ltd

Inventors

• Tang Huifang
• Li Bocheng
• Yan Bingyan

Classifications

• H04R2460/13

  Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers · CPC title

• H04S2420/01

  Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD] · CPC title

• H04R29/00

  Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} · CPC title

• H04R25/604

  of acoustic or vibrational transducers · CPC title

• H04R25/45

  Prevention of acoustic reaction, i.e. acoustic oscillatory feedback · CPC title