Hearing assistance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9615179-B2
Application number	US-201514835929-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2015
Priority date	Aug 26, 2015
Publication date	Apr 4, 2017
Grant date	Apr 4, 2017

Abstract

A system and a method of indicating the reception of voice in a hearing assistance system that is constructed and arranged to assist a user to better hear the voice of another person. The hearing assistance system includes a detector that is capable of determining whether or not speech has been received by the hearing assistance system. In response to detecting the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system, the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system is visually indicated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of indicating the reception of voice in a hearing assistance system that is constructed and arranged to assist a user to better hear the voice of another person, the method comprising:
using a detector that is capable of determining whether or not speech has been received by the hearing assistance system to detect the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system; and
in response to detecting the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system, visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system, wherein visually indicating comprises: visually indicating, with a first visual indicator that is capable of being seen by the person whose voice was detected, the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system when the voice is received within a first active sound reception angle; and visually indicating, with a second visual indicator that is capable of being seen by the person whose voice was detected, the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system when the voice is received within a second active sound reception angle that is different than the first active sound reception angle.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein visually indicating comprises changing a state of a light source.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein changing a state of a light source comprises turning the light source on.

4. The method of claim 2 wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode.

5. The method of claim 2 wherein changing a state of a light source comprises changing the brightness of the light source.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the brightness of the light source is increased when the voice of another person is detected.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the hearing assistance system further comprises a directional microphone array with an output, and wherein the detector comprises a voice activity detector that is operably coupled to the microphone array output.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system comprises not visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the first visual indicator of the hearing assistance system when the voice is received outside of the first active sound reception angle.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the first active sound reception angle encompasses no more than 180 degrees.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the first active sound reception angle encompasses no more than 120 degrees.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system further comprises not visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system when the voice is received outside of the first or second active sound reception angles.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the first and second visual indicators comprise separate light sources.

13. A hearing assistance system that assists a user to better hear the voice of another person, comprising:
a detector that is capable of determining whether or not the voice of another person has been received by the hearing assistance system; and
a visual indicator system, responsive to the detector, that indicates the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system, wherein the visual indicator system comprises: a first visual indicator that is capable of being seen by the person whose voice was detected, when the voice is received within a first active sound reception angle; and a second visual indicator that is capable of being seen by the person whose voice was detected, when the voice is received within a second active sound reception angle that is different than the first active sound reception angle.

14. The hearing assistance system of claim 13 wherein the visual indicator comprises a light source.

15. The hearing assistance system of claim 14 wherein a state of the light source is changed to indicate the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system.

16. The hearing assistance system of claim 14 wherein the light source is turned on to indicate the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system.

17. The hearing assistance system of claim 14 wherein the light source comprises a light emitting diode.

18. The hearing assistance system of claim 14 wherein the brightness of the light source is increased to indicate the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system.

19. The hearing assistance system of claim 13 further comprising a directional microphone array with an output, and wherein the detector comprises a voice activity detector that is operably coupled to the microphone array output.

20. The hearing assistance system of claim 19 wherein the visual indicator system does not visually indicate the reception of the voice of another person by the first visual indicator when the voice is received outside of the first active sound reception angle.

21. The hearing assistance system of claim 20 wherein the first active sound reception angle encompasses no more than 180 degrees.

22. The hearing assistance system of claim 21 wherein the first active sound reception angle encompasses no more than 120 degrees.

23. The hearing assistance system of claim 20 wherein the visual indicator system does not visually indicate the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system when the voice is received outside of the first or second active sound reception angles.

24. The hearing assistance system of claim 23 wherein the first and second visual indicators comprise separate light sources.

25. A method of indicating the reception of voice in a hearing assistance system that is constructed and arranged to assist a user to better hear the voice of another person, the method comprising:
using a detector that is capable of determining whether or not speech has been received by the hearing assistance system to detect the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system;
in response to detecting the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system, visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system;
wherein the hearing assistance system further comprises a directional microphone array with an output, and wherein the detector comprises a voice activity detector that is operably coupled to the microphone array output;
wherein visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system comprises visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system when the voice is received within a first active sound reception angle, but not visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system when the voice is received outside of the first active sound reception angle;
wherein visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system further comprises also visually indicating the reception of the voice of another person by the hearing assistance system when the voice is received within a second active sound receptio

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Greenberger Hal

Classifications

• H04R2225/61

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

• H04R25/405 Primary

  by combining a plurality of transducers · CPC title

• H04R25/407

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

• H04R1/1041 Primary

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

• H04R1/1075

  Mountings of transducers in earphones or headphones · CPC title