Digital hearing aid system

A hearing aid system comprising:

• a hearing element, including:
• a first audio microphone, positioned adjacent to one ear of a user, for receiving an audio signal and for converting said audio signal to an analog input signal,
• a first analog processing system, coupled to said first audio microphone, for performing an analog processing technique on said analog input signal when a first binaural digital processor is not utilized, and
• a first audio receiver, for converting an analog output signal to a filtered audio signal to be transmitted into one of the ears of said user;
• a detachable first unit having:
• a power supply,
• a first analog-to-digital converter for converting said analog input signals to a first digital signal,
• said first binaural digital processor, disposed to receive said first digital signal, for selectably performing a binaural digital processing technique on said first digital signal and generating a binaural digital output signal, and
• a first digital-to-analog converter for converting said binaural digital output signal to a binaural analog output signal;
• and
• a bidirectional communication system for coupling said first hearing element and said first unit, said first binaural digital processor performing a monaural processing technique when said bidirectional communication system is not operational.

A hearing aid comprising:

• a first hearing element, including:
• a first audio microphone positioned adjacent to one ear of a user, for receiving a first set of audio signals and for converting said first set of audio signals to a first analog input signal;
• a first analog-to-digital converter, for converting said first analog input signal to a first digital signal;
• a first binaural digital processor, disposed to receive said first digital signal and a second digital signal, for selectably performing a binaural processing technique on said first and second digital signals and generating first and second digital binaural output signals;
• a first digital-to-analog converter, for converting said first digital binaural output signal to a first analog binaural output signal;
• and
• a first audio receiver disposed to receive said first analog binaural output signal, for converting said first analog binaural output signal to a first filtered audio signal to be transmitted into one of the ears of said user;
• a second hearing element, including:
• a second audio microphone positioned adjacent to one ear of a user, for receiving a second set of audio signals and for converting said second set of audio signals to a second analog input signal;
• a second analog-to-digital converter, for converting said second analog input signal to the second digital signal;
• a second digital-to-analog converter, for converting said second digital binaural output signal to a second analog binaural output signal;
• a second audio receiver disposed to receive said second analog binaural output signal, for converting said second analog binaural output signal to a second filtered audio signal to be transmitted into one of the ears of said user;
• and
• a power supply coupled to said first binaural digital processor;
• and
• a bidirectional communication system, for providing said second digital signal to said first binaural digital processor.