Hearing device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018070185-A1
Application number	US-201715808604-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 9, 2017
Priority date	May 20, 2014
Publication date	Mar 8, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

A hearing device comprising a first and a second input sound transducers, a processing unit, and an output sound transducer. The first transducer is configured to be arranged in an ear canal or in the ear of the user, to receive acoustical sound signals from the environment and to generate first electrical acoustic signals from the received acoustical sound signals. The second transducer is configured to be arranged behind a pinna or on, behind or at the ear of the user, to receive acoustical sound signals from the environment and to generate second electrical acoustic signals from the received acoustical sound signals. The processing unit is configured to process the first and second electrical acoustic signals and apply a direction dependent gain. The output sound transducer is configured generate acoustical output sound signals in accordance with the applied direction dependent gain.

First claim

1 . A hearing device configured to be worn in, on, behind, and/or at an ear of a user comprising
a first input sound transducer configured to be arranged in an ear canal or in the ear of the user, to receive acoustical sound signals from the environment and to generate first electrical acoustic signals based on the received acoustical sound signals; a second input sound transducer configured to be arranged behind a pinna or on/behind or at the ear of the user, to receive acoustical sound signals from the environment and to generate second electrical acoustic signals based on the received acoustical sound signals; a filter-bank configured to filter each electrical acoustic signal into a number of frequency channels each comprising an electrical sub-band acoustic signal; a processing unit configured to
determine a level of sound for each electrical sub-band acoustic signal,
determine a level difference between a first electrical sub-band acoustic signal and a second electrical sub-band acoustic signal in at least a part of the frequency channels,
determine whether the level of the first electrical sub-band acoustic signal or the level of the second electrical sub-band acoustic signal is higher,
convert the level difference in a direction-dependent gain that is configured
to amplify the electrical acoustic signal for generating an electrical output acoustical signal, if the level of the first electrical sub-band acoustic signal is higher than the level of the second electrical sub-band acoustic signal or a combination of the first electrical sub-band acoustic signal for generating an electrical output acoustic signal and the second electrical sub-band acoustic signal, and/or
to attenuate the electrical acoustic signal for generating an electrical output acoustical signal, if the level of the first electrical sub-band acoustic signal is lower than the level of the second electrical sub-band acoustic signal or a combination of the first electrical sub-band acoustic signal and the second electrical sub-band acoustic signal for generating an electrical output acoustic signal; and
an output sound transducer configured to be arranged in the ear canal of the user, wherein the output sound transducer is configured to generate an acoustical output sound signal based on the electrical output acoustical signal.

2 . The hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the first and second input sound transducers are arranged such that the sound, defining the feedback paths, from the output transducer passes the first input sound transducer on its path to the second input sound transducer.

3 . The hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein
the first and second input sound transducers are arranged in different horizontal planes or at least substantially same horizontal plane; and the processing unit is configured to use a first feedback path between the output transducer and first input transducer, and a second feedback path between the output transducer and the second input transducer to determine a distance or delay or phase difference between the first input transducer and the second input sound transducer.

4 . The hearing device according to claim 3 , wherein the output transducer and at least one of the first input sound transducer or second input sound transducer are arranged in same or substantially same horizontal plane selected from one of the different horizontal planes or the at least substantially same horizontal plane.

5 . The hearing device according to claim 3 , wherein when the first and second input sound transducers are arranged in different horizontal planes, the processing unit is configured to convert the distance or delay between the first and second feedback paths into a horizontal distance between the first and second input sound transducers, the horizontal distance being defined by d′=d*cos θ or d*sin(90−θ), where d′ corresponds to delay and/or phase difference between a sound received at the first and second input sound transducers, d is distance or delay between the first and second feedback paths and θ is tilt angle between the first input sound transducer and second input sound transducer.

6 . The hearing device according to claim 3 , wherein the processing unit is configured to select a directional filter optimized for the directionality in lower frequencies based on the distance between the first input sound transducer and second input sound transducer or time delay or phase difference between the microphone signals.

7 . The hearing device according to claim 1 , wherein the hearing device is a hearing aid.

8 . A hearing device configured to be worn in, on, behind, and/or at an ear of a user comprising
a first input sound transducer configured to be arranged in an ear canal or in the ear of the user, to receive acoustical sound signals from the environment and to generate first electrical acoustic signals based on the received acoustical sound signals; a second input sound transducer configured to be arranged behind a pinna or on/behind or at the ear of the user, to receive acoustical sound signals from the environment and to generate second electrical acoustic signals based on the received acoustical sound signals; a filter-bank configured to filter each electrical acoustic signal into a number of frequency channels each comprising an electrical sub-band acoustic signal; an output sound transducer configured to be arranged in the ear canal of the user; wherein the first and second input sound transducers are arranged in different horizontal planes or at least substantially same horizontal plane; and a processing unit configured to use a first feedback path between the output transducer and first input transducer, and a second feedback path between the output transducer and the second input transducer to determine a distance or delay or phase difference between the first input transducer and the second input sound transducer.

9 . The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the first and second input sound transducers are arranged such that the sound, defining the feedback paths, from the output transducer passes the first input sound transducer on its path to the second input sound transducer.

10 . The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the output transducer and at least one of the first input sound transducer or second input sound transducer are arranged in same or substantially same horizontal plane selected from one of the different horizontal planes or the at least substantially same horizontal plane.

11 . The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein when the first and second input sound transducers are arranged in different horizontal planes, the processing unit is configured to convert the distance or delay between the first and second feedback paths into a horizontal distance between the first and second input sound transducers, the horizontal distance being defined by d′=d*cos θ or d*sin(90−θ), where d′ corresponds to delay and/or phase difference between a sound received at the first and second input sound transducers, d is distance or delay between the first and second feedback paths and θ is tilt angle between the first input sound transducer and second input sound transducer.

12 . The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the processing unit is configured to select a directional filter optimized for the directionality in lower frequencies based on the distance between the first input sound transducer and second input sound transducer or time delay or phase difference between the microphone signals.

13 . The hearing device according to claim 8 , wherein the heari

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Pedersen Michael Syskind
• Kaulberg Thomas
• Thule Anders
• Munk Steen Michael
• Rasmussen Karsten Bo

Classifications

• H04R25/505 Primary

  using digital signal processing · CPC title

• H04R25/353

  Frequency, e.g. frequency shift or compression · CPC title

• 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

• H04R25/453

  electronically · CPC title

• H04R25/407 Primary

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