METHOD FOR OPERATING A HEARING AID AND HEARING AID

Abstract

A method operates a hearing aid, in particular a classic hearing aid. The hearing aid includes an input transducer, a signal processing device, and an output transducer. Wherein an occurrence of a comb filter effect is determined by the signal processing device, and wherein a countermeasure is controlled by the signal processing device as a function of the determined occurrence of the comb filter effect.

Claims

1. A method for operating a hearing aid, the hearing aid having an input transducer, a signal processing device, and an output transducer, the method comprises the steps of: determining an occurrence of a comb filter effect by means of the signal processing device; and controlling a countermeasure by means of the signal processing device in dependence on the occurrence of the comb filter effect determined.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: determining an assessment variable by means of the signal processing device, the assessment variable represents an intensity of an occurring said comb filter effect; and controlling the countermeasure in dependence on the assessment variable.

3. The method according to claim 2, which further comprises determining the assessment variable in dependence on an auxiliary variable and wherein the auxiliary variable corresponds to a difference or a quotient.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the auxiliary variable is determined in that two values of a base variable are compared to one another, wherein the base variable corresponds to a sound variable or has a functional relationship to the sound variable, wherein a first value of the two values is assigned to a constructive interference frequency of the comb filter effect and wherein a second value of the two values is assigned to a destructive interference frequency of the comb filter effect.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the signal processing device is configured for a plurality of operating modes, wherein a set of frequencies to be monitored is stored for each of the operating modes.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises determining a current delay time value by means of the signal processing device and wherein current frequencies to be monitored are determined in dependence on the current delay time value determined, at which constructive or destructive interferences are to be expected due to the comb filter effect.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises determining the occurrence of the comb filter effect and/or a current delay time value by evaluation of an additional input signal by the signal processing device and wherein the additional input signal is generated by an additional input transducer, which is provided for positioning in an auditory canal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein at least three intensities are implemented for the countermeasure and wherein the countermeasure is controlled in that the signal processing device changes between the intensities.

9. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises performing an adaptation of an amplification by the signal processing device as the countermeasure.

10. The method according to claim 9, which further comprises applying an auxiliary filter to adapt the amplification in the signal processing device.

11. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises activating a settable vent as the countermeasure.

12. A hearing aid, comprising: an input transducer; a signal processing device; an output transducer; and the hearing aid is configured to execute a method according to claim 1 in at least one operating mode.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0040] The figure of the drawing is a block diagram of a hearing aid.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0041] Turning now to the single figure of the drawing in detail, there is shown a hearing aid 2 described by way of example is configured as a classic hearing aid. The hearing aid 2 in the exemplary embodiment corresponds in the structural form to an in-the-ear hearing aid, abbreviated ITE hearing aid, and has a so-called vent 4.

[0042] Furthermore, the hearing aid includes as essential components a first input transducer 6, a signal processing device 8, and an output transducer 10. The first input transducer 6 is used here to generate first electrical input signals based on acoustic input signals which are incident on the hearing aid 2 on the input side. The first electrical input signals generated in operation of the hearing aid 2 are then evaluated and processed in the signal processing device 8, wherein electrical output signals are generated based on the first electrical input signals. Finally, acoustic output signals are generated by the output transducer based on the electrical output signals and emitted from the hearing aid 2 on the output side.

[0043] In addition, the hearing aid 2 has an additional second input transducer 12, using which additional second electrical input signals are generated in operation based on acoustic input signals. The first input transducer 6 and the second input transducer 12 are arranged here on opposite sides of the hearing aid 2. The first input transducer 6 is then used to generate first electrical input signals based on acoustic input signals, which are incident on the hearing aid 2 on the input side, and the additional second input transducer 12 is used to generate second electrical input signals based on acoustic input signals, which are incident on the hearing aid 2 on the output side, thus on the side of the hearing aid 2 which faces toward an eardrum of a user when the hearing aid 2 is being worn.

[0044] The signal processing device 8 is furthermore configured for multiple operating modes in the exemplary embodiment. A set of frequencies to be monitored is stored here for each of these operating modes. Such a set of frequencies to be monitored includes at least one constructive interference frequency and at least one destructive interference frequency, wherein the interference frequencies are derived from a fixed delay time value. The delay time value is selected here so that it reflects at least in good approximation how long the signal processing lasts in the hearing aid 2 when the hearing aid 2 is operated in the corresponding operating mode.

[0045] Constructive interference frequencies designate in this case those frequencies at which amplitude maxima occur due to a comb filter effect because of constructive interference of sound signals in the auditory canal of the user. Accordingly, destructive interference frequencies designate those frequencies at which amplitude minima occur because of destructive interference of sound signals in the auditory canal.

[0046] The frequencies to be monitored are furthermore monitored by the signal processing device 8, in that the additional second input signals are evaluated by the additional second input transducer 12. The current sound amplitudes are determined in this case for the frequencies to be monitored in the exemplary embodiment. Furthermore, at least one auxiliary variable is determined by the signal processing device 8 in the exemplary embodiment. This at least one auxiliary variable corresponds by way of example to the difference of two current sound amplitude values. The first of these sound amplitude values is assigned to the at least one constructive interference frequency from the set of the frequencies to be monitored and the second of these sound amplitude values is assigned to the at least one destructive interference frequency from the set of frequencies to be monitored.

[0047] The at least one auxiliary variable represents a representative variable for the occurrence or the intensity of a comb filter effect and, based on the at least one auxiliary variable, an assessment variable is derived by the signal processing device 8 in the exemplary embodiment, which is used to control a countermeasure against the comb filter effect.

[0048] As a countermeasure, for example, an adaptation of the amplification is carried out by the signal processing device 8, thus the signal amplification by the hearing aid 2. The amplification is typically adapted individually here for individual frequencies, namely in particular for the interference frequencies, or individual frequency bands.

[0049] Alternatively or additionally, an activation of the vent 4 is carried out as a countermeasure by the signal processing device 8, at least in cases in which the vent 4 is configured as a vent 4 settable via an activation. In these cases, the vent 4 has a mechanism 14, by the activation of which at least one geometric parameter of the vent 4 is adjustable or settable, thus, for example, its effective cross section.

[0050] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMERALS

[0051] 2 hearing aid [0052] 4 vent [0053] 6 input transducer [0054] 8 signal processing device [0055] 10 output transducer [0056] 12 additional input transducer [0057] 14 mechanism