Device for providing an audio signal

#The present application is a national stage filing under 35 U.S.C 371 of PCT application number PCT/EP2019/086814, having an international filing date of Dec. 20, 2019, which claims priority to Switzerland patent application number 01600/18 having a filing date of Dec. 21, 2018, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

#The invention relates to a device for providing an audio signal for suppressing or decreasing a n user's tinnitus, and to a method for generating such audio signal or obtaining it by modifying a received audio signal.

#Tinnitus is a perception of sound by a person when no external sound is present. It may have different frequency characteristics, such as a ringing, a clicking, a hiss or a roaring, and it may be perceived in one or both ears, or in the person in general. Tinnitus is a widespread symptom affecting more than 10% of people. Mostly it relates to subjective tinnitus which, in contrast to objective tinnitus, cannot be detected by people other than the person affected, but is a subjective perception of this person. Tinnitus may be caused by hearing loss, in particular a noise-induced hearing loss, e.g. through cochlear damage. However, tinnitus has also been associated with various neurologic, metabolic or psychiatric disorders.

#The embodiments defined above and further features and advantages of the present invention can also be derived from the examples of embodiments described hereinafter which are explained with reference to the attached drawings. In the drawings, the figures show:

#FIG. 1 a time diagram of an empiric finding of tinnitus deletion by a sound underlying a device and a method according to the following figures,

#FIGS. 2 and 3 time diagrams with continuous and intermittent sound, respectively, according to embodiments of the present invention,

#Similar or relating components in the figures are provided with the same reference numerals. A “sound” may be understood as an audio signal or a sensation of such in general. “Playing a sound” to the user may be achieved in different ways, e.g. as usually by generating acoustic waves that are transmitted to the user's ear via air, or by creating the acoustic waves directly in the user's hearing via an implant, or by creating a sensation of the sound directly in the user's brain.

#FIG. 1 shows a time diagram of an empiric finding of tinnitus deletion by a sound underlying a device and a method according to the subsequent figures. In FIG. 1 and in similar diagrams, the axis of abscissae indicates time t in arbitrary units or in seconds s, and the axis of ordinates indicates loudness L or an equivalent physical quantity such as volume or acoustic energy. A first line represents the course of a perception of the tinnitus 1 of a user over time. A second line shows a subjective hearing threshold 2 of the user. A third line indicates a sound 3 played to the user, i.e. the audio signal.

#For times t<10 s, the user perceives the tinnitus 1 at a certain loudness LT1, which is above his/her hearing threshold 2. Both, the loudness LT1 of the tinnitus 1 and the hearing threshold 2 are specific for a user and may be measured, e.g. by comparison to different sounds of different loudness. The tinnitus 1 is further characterized by a frequency fT or a frequency range which gives it its characteristic sound, such as a ringing, a clicking, a hiss or a roaring. The hearing threshold of a user varies with frequency in general. In time diagrams such as FIG. 1, the subjective hearing threshold of a user at the frequency fT of tinnitus is indicated.