Signal processing for hearing prostheses
AssigneeCochlear Limited
InventorsMartin E. G. Hillbratt, Mark C. Flynn
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device includes a sound input element for receiving a sound signal and converting the sound signal into an electrical signal. The device also includes an actuator and a sound processor for processing the electrical signal to generate a stimulation signal. The sound processor is configured to apply frequency shifting on the stimulation signal to generate a frequency shifted stimulation signal and to apply the frequency shifted stimulation signal as an output from the device. The frequency shifting can be triggered by detecting that the stimulation signal is associated with frequencies above an output limit of the device for a recipient and/or the stimulation signal can be applied as vibration.
Claims27
A vibration-based hearing device comprising:
- a sound input element for receiving a sound signal and converting the sound signal into an electrical signal;
- a vibrating actuator;
- a coupling apparatus configured to couple the vibrating actuator to a bone structure of a recipient;
- and
- a sound processor for processing the electrical signal to generate a stimulation signal, wherein the sound processor is configured to:
- detect a portion of the stimulation signal associated with frequencies above an output limit of the vibration-based hearing device;
- responsive to detecting the portion of the stimulation signal associated with frequencies above the output limit of the vibration-based hearing device, apply frequency shifting on the portion of the stimulation signal associated with frequencies above the output limit to generate a frequency shifted stimulation signal,
- and wherein the actuator is configured to apply the frequency shifted stimulation signal as vibration to the bone structure of the recipient.
A method comprising:
- generating a stimulation signal from a sound signal;
- detecting a portion of the stimulation signal associated with frequencies above an output limit of a device for a recipient;
- responsive to the detecting, applying frequency shifting to the portion of the stimulation signal that is associated with frequencies above the output limit to generate a frequency shifted stimulation signal;
- and
- providing the frequency shifted stimulation signal to an actuator for applying the frequency shifted stimulation signal as an output from the device.
An article of manufacture including a non-transitory computer readable medium with instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
- instructions for generating a stimulation signal from a sound signal;
- instructions for determining that a portion of the stimulation signal is associated with frequencies above an output limit of a device for a recipient;
- instructions for applying, responsive to the determining, frequency shifting to the portion of the stimulation signal that is associated with frequencies above the output limit to generate a frequency shifted stimulation signal;
- and
- instructions for providing the frequency shifted stimulation signal to an actuator for applying the frequency shifted stimulation signal as an output from the device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.