METHOD FOR OPERATING A HEARING AID AND HEARING AID

Abstract

A method for operating a hearing aid, in particular a hearing aid device, which includes a directional microphone, an interference noise suppression unit, and a receiver for outputting an output sound. Sound is acquired from a preferred direction and conducted to the interference noise suppression unit by way of the directional microphone. A counter sound signal is created and conducted to the receiver by the interference noise suppression unit. The counter sound signal is output as output sound by way of the receiver. The counter sound signal is created in such a way that upon superposition of the output sound with the sound, destructive acoustic interference at least partially takes place. There is also described a hearing aid and the use of a hearing aid.

Claims

1. A method of operating a hearing device, which includes a directional microphone, an interference noise suppression unit, and a receiver for outputting an output sound, the method comprising: acquiring sound from a preferred direction by the directional microphone and conducting the sound to the interference noise suppression unit; generating a counter sound signal by the interference noise suppression unit and conducting the counter sound signal to the receiver; and outputting the counter sound signal as an output sound by way of the receiver; wherein the counter sound signal is generated such that, upon superposition of the output sound with the sound acquired with the directional microphone, causes at least partial destructive acoustic interference.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises generating the counter sound signal to cause the destructive acoustic interference takes place in a frequency-selective manner.

3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises changing the preferred direction in dependence on the sound.

4. The method according to claim 1, which comprises simultaneously outputting a further sound signal by way of the receiver.

5. The method according to claim 1, which comprises operating a hearing aid device.

6. A hearing device, comprising: a directional microphone; an interference noise suppression unit; a receiver for outputting an output sound; and a processing unit configured to operate the hearing device according to the method of claim 1.

7. The hearing device according to claim 6, configured an operated as a hearing aid device.

8. A method of generating an output sound, the method comprising: acquiring a sound by way of a directional microphone from a preferred direction; generating a counter sound signal with a hearing aid to form an output sound and superimposing the output sound on the sound acquired by way of the directional microphone to cause at least partial destructive acoustic interference with the sound from the preferred direction upon superposition.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0033] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a hearing aid;

[0034] FIG. 2 shows a method for operating the hearing aid; and

[0035] FIG. 3 schematically shows a detail of the hearing aid in simplified form.

[0036] Parts corresponding to one another are provided with the same reference signs throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0037] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, in particular, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown hearing aid 2 in the form of a hearing aid device. The device is configured to be worn behind an ear of a user (user, hearing aid wearer, wearer). In other words, it is a behind-the-ear hearing aid device, BTE. The hearing aid 2 comprises a housing 4, which is manufactured from a plastic. A directional microphone 6 having two electromechanical sound transducers each in the form of an omnidirectional microphone 8 is arranged inside the housing 4. By changing a time delay between the acoustic signals acquired by means of the omnidirectional microphones 8, it is possible to change a directional characteristic of the directional microphone 6. The two microphones 8 are coupled for signaling to a signal processing unit 10, which comprises an amplifier circuit (not shown in greater detail) and a signal processor 12. The signal processing unit 10 is furthermore formed by means of circuit elements, for example electrical and/or electronic components. The signal processor 12 is a digital signal processor (DSP) and is connected for signaling to the microphones 8 via an A/D converter.

[0038] A receiver 14 is coupled for signaling to the signal processing unit 10. During operation, an (electrical) signal provided by means of the signal processing unit 10 is converted into an output sound 16, thus into sound waves, by means of the receiver 14. These soundwaves are introduced into a sound tube 18, one end of which is fastened on the housing 4. The other end of the sound tube 18 is enclosed by means of a dome 20, which is arranged in the intended state in an auditory canal of the user. The dome 20 includes multiple openings here, so that a wearing comfort is enhanced. The signal processing unit 10, the directional microphone 6, and the receiver 14 are powered by means of a battery 22.

[0039] A method 24 for operating the hearing aid 2, the signal path of which is shown in FIG. 3, is illustrated in FIG. 2. In a first work step 26, an ambient sound 27 is acquired by means of the microphones 8. The ambient sound 27 includes sound 28 here which is incident on the directional microphone 6 from a preferred direction 30. Furthermore, the ambient sound 27 includes further sound 32, which is incident on the directional microphone 6 from a further preferred direction 34. The sound 28 is emitted here from an interference source and includes a specific frequency spectrum, namely, substantially only one single frequency, which is 50 Hz. The further sound 32, in contrast, is emitted by a further sound source, namely a further person.

[0040] The sound 28 and the further sound 32 are acquired by means of the microphones 8 of the directional microphone 6 and conducted to the signal processing unit 10. The signal processing unit 10 forms a part of the directional microphone 6, and by means of a corresponding time delay, the component corresponding to the sound 28, namely a sound signal 36, and a component corresponding to the further sound 32, namely an audio signal 38, are identified in the acquired signals which are acquired by means of the microphones 8.

[0041] In a subsequent second work step 40, the preferred direction 30, thus the direction from which the sound 28 is acquired by means of the directional microphone 6 to create the sound signal 36, is changed in dependence on the sound 28. The preferred direction 30 is changed here to the direction from which the sound 28 is primarily incident on the directional microphone 6. For this purpose, the maximum in the directional distribution in the case of the 50 Hz signal is ascertained and the preferred direction 30 is placed in this direction. Furthermore, the further preferred direction 34 is adjusted in such a way that it faces toward the further sound source. This is carried out manually or by means of a suitable algorithm, for example.

[0042] In a subsequent third work step 42, the further sound signal 38 is conducted to the signal processor 12. In a fourth work step 44, processing of the audio signal 38 is carried out by means of the signal processor 12. In this case, certain frequencies are amplified and others are damped. Furthermore, a compression is set. The audio signal 38 processed in this way is supplied as a further sound signal 45 to an amplifier 46 of the signal processing unit 10.

[0043] At the same time as the third work step 42, a fifth work step 48 is carried out. In this step, the sound signal 36 is supplied to an interference noise suppression unit (NSU) 50 of the signal processing unit 10. In a sixth work step 52, a counter sound signal 54, which is also conducted to the amplifier 46, is created by means of the interference noise suppression unit 50.

[0044] In a seventh work step 56, the further sound signal 45 and the counter sound signal 54 are amplified by means of the amplifier 46 and conducted in combined form to the receiver 14. By means of this, in an eighth work step 58, the amplified further sound signal 45 and the counter sound signal 54 are emitted as the output sound 16 through the sound tube 18 in an auditory canal 60 of the user.

[0045] Since the dome 20 is designed to be transmissive, the ambient sound 27, thus both the sound 28 and also the further sound 32, also reaches the auditory canal 60 essentially unobstructed. The sound 28 and the further sound 32 are superimposed in the auditory canal 60 with the output sound 16. Due to the amplifications of the audio signal 38 by means of the signal processor 12, constructive acoustic interference at least partially takes place here in the auditory canal 60, so that the further sound 32 is perceptible for the user. Because of the output of the counter sound signal 54, destructive acoustic interference of this component of the output sound 16 takes place with the sound 28. As a result, the sound 28 is essentially eliminated by means of the output sound 16. In other words, destructive acoustic interference takes place. The sound 28 is thus not perceptible or is only perceptible in a comparatively strongly reduced manner to the user. It is therefore not necessary to select the amplification of the audio signal 38 as comparatively high in the fourth work step 44, wherein nonetheless reliable perception of the further sound 32 is possible for the user either directly or on the basis of the components contained by means of the output sound 16. The counter sound signal 54 or the component of the output sound 16 based thereon only has the frequency of 50 Hz, so that the destructive acoustic interference takes place in a frequency-selective manner. It is thus possible for the user to perceive other sound sources besides the interference source from the preferred direction 30.

[0046] It will be understood that the invention is not restricted to the above-described exemplary embodiment. Rather, other variants of the invention can also be derived therefrom by a person skilled in the art without leaving the subject matter of the invention. In particular, furthermore all individual features described in conjunction with the exemplary embodiment are also combinable with one another in another way without leaving the subject matter of the invention.

[0047] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0048] 2 hearing aid [0049] 4 housing [0050] 6 directional microphone [0051] 8 microphone [0052] 10 signal processing unit [0053] 12 signal processor, DSP [0054] 14 receiver [0055] 16 output sound [0056] 18 sound tube [0057] 20 dome [0058] 22 battery, BAT [0059] 24 method [0060] 26 first work step [0061] 27 ambient sound [0062] 28 sound [0063] 30 preferred direction [0064] 32 further sound [0065] 34 further preferred direction [0066] 36 sound signal [0067] 38 audio signal [0068] 40 second work step [0069] 42 third work step [0070] 44 fourth work step [0071] 45 further sound signal [0072] 46 amplifier [0073] 48 fifth work step [0074] 50 interference noise suppression unit, NSU [0075] 52 sixth work step [0076] 54 counter sound signal [0077] 56 seventh work step [0078] 58 eighth work step [0079] 60 auditory canal