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US 9,288,587 B2Granted
Wireless binaural compressor
AssigneeGN ReSound A/S
InventorGuilin Ma
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A binaural hearing aid system includes a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, each of which comprising a processor that is configured to process the digital input signal in accordance with a signal processing algorithm into a processed digital output signal, the processor including a compressor for compensation of dynamic range hearing loss based on the signal level, wherein wireless data communication of signal parameter from one of the first and the second hearing aids is performed at a data transmission rate with a time period between consecutive transmissions of the signal parameter from the one of the first and second hearing aids that is longer than an attack and release time of at least one of the compressors.
Claims31
A binaural hearing aid system comprising:
- a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, each of which comprising
- a microphone and an A/D converter for provision of a digital input signal in response to sound signals received at the microphone,
- a signal parameter detector for determining and outputting a signal parameter,
- a transceiver for wireless data communication of the signal parameter with the other hearing aid,
- a processor that is configured to process the digital input signal in accordance with a signal processing algorithm into a processed digital output signal, the processor including a compressor for compensation of dynamic range hearing loss, and
- a D/A converter and an output transducer for conversion of the processed digital output signal to an acoustic output signal;
- wherein, in the first hearing aid, a gain of the compressor is controlled by a compressor control signal that is a function of (1) the signal parameter of the first hearing aid that is a current signal parameter of the first hearing aid, (2) an additional signal parameter of the first hearing aid that is an old signal parameter of the first hearing aid, and (3) the signal parameter received from the second hearing aid;
- wherein the signal parameter received from the second hearing aid comprises an old signal parameter of the second hearing aid that is for a time different from that of the current signal parameter for the first hearing aid;
- and
- wherein the transceiver in the first hearing aid is configured to operate at a data transmission rate with a time period between consecutive transmissions that is longer than an attack and release time of the compressor in the first hearing aid.
7 more elements
A hearing aid system comprising:
- a first hearing aid configured to communicate with a second hearing aid, the first hearing aid comprising
- a microphone and an A/D converter for provision of a digital input signal in response to sound signals received at the microphone,
- a signal parameter detector for determining and outputting a signal parameter,
- a transceiver for wireless data communication of the signal parameter with the second hearing aid,
- a processor that is configured to process the digital input signal in accordance with a signal processing algorithm into a processed digital output signal, the processor including a compressor for compensation of dynamic range hearing loss, and
- a D/A converter and an output transducer for conversion of the processed digital output signal to an acoustic output signal;
- wherein, in the first hearing aid, a gain of the compressor is controlled by a compressor control signal that is a function of (1) the signal parameter of the first hearing aid that is a current signal of the first hearing aid, (2) an additional signal parameter of the first hearing aid that is an old signal parameter of the first hearing aid, and (3) a signal parameter received from the second hearing aid, wherein the signal parameter received from the second hearing aid comprises an old signal parameter of the second hearing aid that is for a time different from that of the current signal parameter for the first hearing aid;
- and
- wherein the transceiver is configured to operate at a data transmission rate with a time period between consecutive transmissions that is longer than an attack and release time of the compressor.
6 more elements
A method in a hearing aid system with a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, the method comprising:
- in the first hearing aid,
- converting received sound into an input signal,
- determining a signal parameter,
- performing wireless communication of the signal parameter with the second hearing aid,
- processing the input signal in accordance with a signal processing algorithm into a processed digital output signal, wherein the act of processing includes compression for compensation of dynamic range hearing loss,
- converting the processed digital output signal to an acoustic output signal;
- and
- controlling compression gain as a function of (1) the signal parameter of the first hearing aid that is a current signal parameter of the first hearing aid, (2) an additional signal parameter of the first hearing aid that is an old signal parameter of the first hearing aid, and (3) a signal parameter received from the second hearing aid, wherein the signal parameter received from the second hearing aid comprises an old signal parameter of the second hearing aid that is for a time different from that of the current signal parameter for the first hearing aid;
- wherein the wireless communication is performed at a data transmission rate with a time period between consecutive transmissions that is longer than an attack and release time of a compressor.
6 more elements
A hearing aid system comprising:
- a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, wherein the first hearing aid is configured to communicate with the second hearing aid;
- wherein the first hearing aid comprises:
- a microphone and an A/D converter for provision of a digital input signal in response to sound signals received at the microphone,
- a signal parameter unit for outputting a first signal parameter,
- a transceiver for wireless data communication with the second hearing aid, wherein the transceiver of the first hearing aid is configured to receive a second signal parameter from the second hearing aid, and
- a processor that is configured to generate an output based at least in part on the first signal parameter from the signal parameter unit of the first hearing aid and the second signal parameter received from the second hearing aid;
- wherein the first signal parameter comprises a current signal parameter, and the second signal parameter received from the second hearing aid comprises an old signal parameter that associated with a time different from that of the current signal parameter;
- wherein the processor is configured to generate the output also based on a third signal parameter;
- and
- wherein the transceiver is configured to operate at a data transmission rate with a time period between consecutive transmissions that is longer than an attack and release time of a compressor.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.