Integrated automatic telephone switch
AssigneeMicro Bar Technology, Inc.
InventorsMark A. Bren, Lawrence T. Hagen, Randall W. Roberts, Timothy S. Peterson
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A hearing aid includes a microphone for providing an electrical signal representative of a received acoustic signal, a means for filtering the electrical signal and a means for automatic switching. Upon detecting a presence of a magnetic field, the means for automatic switching enables the means for filtering to modify a frequency response of the hearing aid to boost a low frequency gain and reduce a high frequency gain. Such filtering can be used with or without a telecoil. A hearing aid including a telecoil is configured with a preamplifier, a inductive element, and a switch control integrated onto a single common circuit board.
Claims21
A method for operating a hearing aid comprising:
- receiving an acoustic signal having a low frequency component and a high frequency component;
- providing an electrical signal representative of the acoustic signal, the electrical signal having a corresponding low frequency component and a high frequency component;
- and
- switching from a first set of stored parameters in the hearing aid to a second set of second stored parameters in the hearing aid to modify a frequency response of the hearing aid in response to a switch in the hearing aid detecting a presence of a magnetic field received from a communication device that generates the acoustic signal.
A hearing aid comprising:
- a microphone to provide an electrical signal representative of a received acoustic signal having a low frequency component and a high frequency component;
- a first memory adapted to provide standard parameters for operating the hearing aid;
- a second memory adapted to provide parameters for operating the hearing aid with a communication device;
- a signal processor coupled to the microphone, the signal processor response to parameters provided by the first and second memories;
- and
- a switch responsive to a change in detection of a magnetic field, wherein the switch is configured to automatically switch, upon detecting a presence of a magnetic field from the communication device, to enable the second memory to provide parameters for generating a frequency response with increased low frequency gain and reduced high frequency gain relative to a frequency response generated using parameters from the first memory.
A hearing aid comprising:
- a circuit board;
- a microphone;
- a switch responsive to a magnetic field;
- an inductive element;
- a preamplifier coupled to the inductive element;
- and
- a switch control having a first transistor and a second transistor, the switch control adapted to energize, with the first transistor on, a circuit that includes the inductive element in response to the switch detecting a magnetic field, and to concurrently de-energize, with the second transistor oft a microphone circuit that includes the microphone, wherein the preamplifier, the inductive element, and the switch control are integrated onto the circuit board.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.