Method for the identification of an earpiece, hearing aid system and earpiece set

Abstract

A method for the identification of a receiver belonging to one of a plurality of receiver types in a hearing aid system includes supplying an electrical input signal to the receiver for sound output. The input signal is a primary signal, and a secondary signal that depends on the input signal is generated on the basis of the sound output. The secondary signal is captured by a sensor which generates an electrical sensor signal depending on the secondary signal. A phase measurement is furthermore carried out by determining a phase difference between the input signal and the sensor signal. The receiver is then identified by assigning the receiver to one of the plurality of receiver types on the basis of the phase difference. A corresponding hearing aid system and an receiver set are also provided.

Claims

1. A method for the identification of a receiver belonging to one of a plurality of receiver types in a hearing aid system, the method comprising the following steps: supplying an electrical input signal to the receiver for sound output; defining the input signal as a primary signal, and generating a secondary signal in dependence on the input signal based on the sound output; using a sensor to capture the secondary signal and using the sensor to generate an electrical sensor signal in dependence on the secondary signal; carrying out a phase measurement by determining a phase difference between the input signal and the sensor signal; identifying the receiver by assigning the receiver to one of the plurality of receiver types based on the phase difference; providing the receiver with two signal contacts; using the signal contacts to connect the receiver with reverse-polarity protection to a hearing device of the hearing aid system; and providing a difference between a first receiver type and a second receiver type of the plurality of receiver types by configuring the receiver types with mutually opposed reverse-polarity protection, for generating two phase differences by a receiver of the first receiver type and by a receiver of the second receiver type differing by 180.

2. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: providing the hearing aid system as a binaural hearing aid system; designating a first of the plurality of receiver types as a left-hand receiver provided for use on a left-hand side of the hearing aid system; designating a second of the plurality of receiver types as a right-hand receiver provided for use on a right-hand side of the hearing aid system; and carrying out a side recognition by identifying the receiver as a left-hand receiver or as a right-hand receiver based on the phase difference.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: supplying the electrical input signal to the receiver through the signal contacts; and locating the sensor outside the receiver and independently of the receiver.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: integrating the sensor into the receiver and permanently connecting the sensor to the receiver; and transferring the sensor signal through the signal contacts.

5. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: providing the secondary signal as a sound signal generated by the receiver during the sound output; and providing the sensor as a microphone picking up the sound signal.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: providing the secondary signal as a magnetic field generated by the receiver during the sound output; and providing the sensor is a magnetic field sensor measuring the magnetic field.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: providing the secondary signal as a vibration generated by the receiver during the sound output; and providing the sensor as a vibration sensor or an acceleration sensor picking up the vibration.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the electrical input signal as a start signal being played when the hearing aid system is switched on.

9. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises: providing an amplification control of the hearing aid system being calibrated in a calibration operating mode by using a test signal as the input signal, and generating a calibration signal to adjust a maximum amplification of the hearing aid system; and using the calibration signal concurrently as the sensor signal.

10. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the receiver with a power class being determined through an additional amplitude measurement with the sensor.

11. The method according to claim 10, which further comprises carrying out the amplitude measurement simultaneously with the phase measurement.

12. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises providing the receiver with a power class being determined through an additional impedance measurement.

13. The method according to claim 12, which further comprises carrying out the impedance measurement simultaneously with the phase measurement.

14. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises carrying out the phase measurement at a frequency of at most 500 Hz.

15. A hearing aid system, comprising: a hearing device; a receiver belonging to one of a plurality of receiver types to be identified, said receiver having two signal contacts for connecting said receiver to said hearing device with reverse-polarity protection; said plurality of receiver types including different first and second receiver types configured with mutually opposed reverse-polarity protection, for generating two phase differences by a receiver of said first receiver type and by a receiver of said second receiver type differing by 180; said receiver receiving an electrical input signal as a primary signal for sound output and generating a secondary signal in dependence on the input signal based on the sound output; a sensor capturing the secondary signal, said sensor generating an electrical sensor signal in dependence on the secondary signal; and a control unit carrying out a phase measurement by determining a phase difference between the input signal and the sensor signal for identifying said receiver by assigning said receiver to one of said plurality of receiver types based on the phase difference.

16. The hearing aid system according to claim 15, wherein said receiver is one of two receivers to be used for different respective ears of a user.

17. A receiver set, comprising two receivers according to claim 15.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

(1) FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic, plan view of a binaural hearing aid system;

(2) FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the hearing aid system of FIG. 1;

(3) FIGS. 3A and 3B are schematic illustrations of a first variant of a hearing aid system;

(4) FIGS. 4A and 4B are schematic illustrations of a second variant of a hearing aid system; and

(5) FIGS. 5A and 5B are schematic illustrations of a third variant of a hearing aid system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

(6) Referring now to the figures of the drawings in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is seen a binaural hearing aid system 2 with one or two hearing devices 4, each of which is worn by a user in or at the ear. The following explanations are, however, also analogously applicable to a hearing aid system 2 with only one hearing device 4. In the exemplary embodiment shown, a respective hearing device 4 includes a receiver 6 for sound output which, depending on the hearing device type, is either inserted into the ear or is worn outside the ear. In the present case a so-called RIC hearing device is shown, only by way of example, in which the receiver 6 is worn in the ear and is connected to the rest of the hearing device 4 through an electrical connection 8.

(7) The hearing aid system 2 illustrated serves generally for the amplification of sound signals from the environment with the aim of compensating for a deficient hearing capacity of the user. For this purpose, the hearing aid system 2 is adapted individually to the user and is adjusted in order to be appropriate for that user's individual hearing capacity and to compensate for the individual restriction of the hearing capacity. In a variant, not shown, the hearing aid system 2 is in general a receiver set.

(8) The receiver 6, which serves for sound output and is available in a wide range of variants, is an important component of a hearing aid system 2. Depending on the hearing capacity, a suitable receiver 6 is selected and used in the hearing aid system 2. The hearing aid system 2 is now so constructed that the risk of a confusion of the receiver 6, i.e. the risk that a receiver 6 of an receiver type that is not intended for the user is incorrectly employed, is reduced. A method by which the receiver 6 is identified, i.e. assigned to one of a plurality of receiver types, is carried out for this purpose. The method is carried out in the present case by a control unit 10 which is a part of the hearing aid system 2 and is housed in one of the hearing devices 4.

(9) The method is explained in more detail with reference to FIG. 2, in which one of the hearing devices 4 of FIG. 1 is illustrated in a greatly schematic form as a circuit diagram. Fundamentally, the hearing aid system 2 is in the first place so constructed that a microphone 12 picks up sound signals 100 from the environment and converts them into a microphone signal 102. This microphone signal is passed on to the control unit 10 and amplified there. The control unit 10 thus generates an amplified microphone signal which is an electrical input signal 104 that is passed to the receiver 6 for output. The receiver 6 converts the input signal 104 in the course of a sound output into a sound signal 106 which is output to the user. It is the nature of the present case that the receiver 6 in this case also generates a magnetic field 108. The sound signal 106 and the magnetic field 108 thus depend on the input signal 104 which is also referred to as the primary signal 110. The sound signal 106 as well as the magnetic field 108 are therefore also each referred to as a secondary signal 112. Other secondary signals 112 which are not shown are, for example, a vibration or an acceleration generated by the sound output.

(10) The method is now used for identification of the receiver 6 which belongs to one of a plurality of different receiver types. At least one of the secondary signals 112 is now captured by a sensor 14 which, depending on the secondary signal 112, generates an electrical sensor signal 114. The dependency of the sensor signal 114 on the input signal 112 is determined in particular by a transfer function T, which does not necessarily have to be known, and which describes the change that the input signal 104 undergoes along a transfer path in the conversion into the sensor signal 114. Two transfer functions T accordingly result in FIG. 2 for the two transfer paths indicated by arrows, namely once from the receiver 6 to the sensor 14 and once from the receiver 6 to the microphone 12 which can also be used as a sensor 14. A phase measurement is furthermore carried out in the present case by the control unit 10, in that a phase difference between the input signal 104 and the sensor signal 114 is determined. The receiver 6 is then assigned to one of the plurality of receiver types, and thereby identified, on the basis of the phase difference.

(11) The receiver 6 is connected to a receiver connection 16 of the hearing aid system 2, and the input signal 104 is passed to the receiver 6 through the receiver connection 16. The receivers 6 of different receiver types are now so constructed that they engender different phase differences at the same receiver connection 16 and for the same input signal 104. Different phase differences thus result in the phase measurement for different receiver types. Different receivers 6 of the same receiver type, on the other hand, also yield the same phase difference. It is in the nature of the system that a so-called transfer phase difference has possibly already arisen due to the transfer function T between the input signal 104 and the sensor signal 114. For the purposes of identifying the receiver 6, in addition to the transfer phase difference, an identification phase difference, referred to for short as the ID phase difference, is now added depending on the receiver type. All told, different phase differences then also result for different receiver types with transfer paths that are constant. Thus, along the transfer path T an additional phase is impressed for identification, that is to say an identification phase or ID phase, which is then present in the sensor signal 114 in addition to a possible transfer phase difference resulting from the transfer path T itself. In general, the ID phase can be impressed at different locations along the transfer path.

(12) A variant in which the secondary signal 112 is a sound signal 106 which is generated by the receiver 6 during the sound output is shown in FIG. 1. The sensor 14 in this case is the microphone 12 which serves during hearing operation to pick up noises from the environment in order to then amplify them and output them through the receiver 6 of the hearing device 4. Alternatively, another microphone is used.

(13) A variant in which the secondary signal 112 is a magnetic field 108 which is generated by the receiver 6 during the sound output is also shown in FIG. 1. The sensor 14 is a magnetic field sensor which measures the magnetic field 108. The sensor 14 is, for example, a Hall sensor, a coil or a telephone coil of the hearing device 4, also referred to as a T-coil.

(14) A further variant in which the secondary signal 112 is a vibration which is generated, in particular at least indirectly, by the receiver 6 during the sound output, wherein the sensor 14 is then a vibration sensor which picks up the vibration, is not shown. A variant in which the secondary signal 112 is an acceleration which is generated, at least indirectly, by the sound output, wherein the sensor 14 is then an acceleration sensor that measures the acceleration, is also not shown.

(15) These variants, both shown and not shown, can also be applied individually or combined in any desired manner.

(16) The method is used in the present case to establish whether, on a respective side of the binaural hearing aid system 2, a receiver 6 that belongs to a receiver type that is also intended for use on this side is also connected. A first of the plurality of receiver types is then a left-hand receiver which is provided for use on the left-hand side of the hearing aid system 2, and a second of the plurality of receiver types is a right-hand receiver which is provided for use on the right-hand side of the hearing aid system 2. A side recognition is then carried out in the context of the method in that the receiver 6 is identified as a left-hand receiver or as a right-hand receiver on the basis of the phase difference.

(17) The way in which different phase differences can be generated by receivers 6 of different receiver types is illustrated in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B and 5A, 5B. FIGS. 3A and 3B in this case show a first variant, FIGS. 4A and 4B a second variant, and FIGS. 5A and 5B a third variant. In all variants the receiver 6 can be connected with reverse-polarity protection to a hearing device 4 of the hearing aid system 2, and is thus constructed with reverse-polarity protection. The first receiver type, shown respectively in FIGS. 3A, 4A and 5A, and the second receiver type, shown respectively in FIGS. 3B, 4B and 5B, now differ from one another in that they are constructed with mutually opposed reverse-polarity protection, so that the two phase differences that are generated by an receiver 6 of the first receiver type and by a receiver 6 of the second receiver type differ by 180. The one of the two receiver types thus has the result that an additional phase of 180 is impressed during the conversion of the input signal 104 to the sensor signal 114, so that a corresponding phase difference results relative to the other receiver type. In the present case, merely by way of example, the first receiver type is provided for the left-hand side of the binaural hearing aid system 2, and the second receiver type for the right-hand side. If now one of the two receivers 6 is incorrectly connected, in reverse, to the other side, then a phase difference will be measured in the course of a side recognition that differs by 180 from an expected phase difference, wherein the expected phase difference is the phase difference that would be generated by the other receiver 6.

(18) In the illustrated exemplary embodiments this concept is realized by way of example as follows using two receiver types constructed with mutually opposed reverse-polarity protection: the receiver 6 includes a signal interface 18 for connection to one of the hearing devices 4, or more precisely to the receiver connection 16, which is thus an accordingly complementary hearing device signal interface. The signal interface 18 includes a first signal contact 20 and a second signal contact 22. The hearing device 4, or more precisely the receiver connection 16, now includes two poles 24, 26 for connection of the signal contacts 20, 22. The signal interface 18 is now constructed with reverse-polarity protection in such a way that one of the signal contacts 20, 22 can only be connected to a first pole 24 of the hearing device, and the other of the signal contacts 20, 22 only to a second pole 26, and precisely not the other way around. This is for example realized, as shown in FIGS. 3A, 3B, 4A, 4B, 5A, 5B, through different geometries of the individual signal contacts 20, 22 and poles 24, 26. The first receiver type and the second receiver type then differ from one another in that, in the case of the first receiver type, the first signal contact 20 can only be connected to the first pole 24 and the second signal contact 22 only to the second pole 26, whereas the second receiver type is constructed with polarity reversal in comparison with the first receiver type in such a way that in this case, conversely, the first signal contact 20 can only be connected to the second pole 26 and the second signal contact 22 only to the first pole 24. It is achieved in this way that the two phase differences that are generated by the two receiver types differ by 180 if these are connected on the same side, i.e. to the same hearing device signal interface 18.

(19) In the case of the one receiver type in FIGS. 3A, 4A and 5A, the first signal contact 20 is a positive pole and can be connected to the first pole 24, which is also a positive pole. The second signal contact 22 is a negative pole, and can be connected to the second pole 26, which is also a negative pole. In the case of the other receiver type illustrated in FIGS. 3B, 4B and 5B, the first signal contact 20 is also a positive pole, but unlike in FIGS. 3A, 4A and 5A, can be connected to the second pole 26, which is now a negative pole. The second signal contact 22 is then a negative pole, and can be connected to the first pole 24, which is now a positive pole. The receivers 6 of FIGS. 3A and 3B are thus constructed with mutual polarity reversal. The two receivers 6 shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B together also constitute a receiver set. Both also apply correspondingly to the two receivers 6 of FIGS. 4A and 4B and to the two receivers 6 of FIGS. 5A and 5B.

(20) The variant of FIGS. 3A, 3B is now distinguished in that the electrical input signal 104 is supplied to the receiver 6 through the signal contacts 20, 22, and that the sensor 14 is disposed outside the receiver 6 and independently thereof, in this case as a part of the hearing device 4. The polarity reversal is thus realized in that the transmission of the input signal 104 to the receiver 6 is configured with polarity reversal, so that then, as a result of the principle, the secondary signal 112 that is generated by the receiver 6 of the first receiver type in FIG. 3A has an opposite arithmetic sign in comparison with the secondary signal 112 that is generated by a receiver 6 of the second receiver type in FIG. 3B. The phase difference for identification of the receiver 6 is thus generated during the transfer of the input signal 104 to the receiver 6, and hence at the beginning of the transfer path.

(21) In the second variant in FIGS. 4A, 4B, in contrast, the receivers 6 are not themselves of reverse polarity with respect to the input signal 104, but rather the sensors 14 on the two sides of the hearing aid system 2. The respective sensor 14 is integrated in this case into the respective receiver 6, and is permanently connected to it, forming with it, as shown, an inseparable assembly. The sensor signal 114, and not the input signal 104, is now transferred through the signal contacts 20, 22. The phase difference for identification of the receiver 6 is thus generated at the generation of the sensor signal 114, or more precisely at the transfer of the sensor signal 114 to the control unit 10, i.e. at the end of the transfer path. The input signal 104 is transferred to the receiver 6 separately over an additional signal line with, accordingly, two additional signal contacts 28, 30. These signal contacts 28, 30 for the input signal 104 are then not of reverse polarity in different receiver types. In terms of the input signal 104, different receiver types are thus always connected with the correct phase, and in particular, also, always connected with the correct phase independently of the side. Altogether the receiver 6, in particular its signal interface 18, in FIGS. 4A, 4B, thus includes four signal contacts 20, 22, 28, 30, two signal contacts 28, 30 for the input signal 104 and two further signal contacts 20, 22, for the sensor signal 114.

(22) FIGS. 5A and 5B now show a combination of the two variants of FIGS. 3A, 3B and 4A, 4B. In FIGS. 5A, 5B the two receiver types are constructed with polarity reversal with respect to the input signal 104, i.e. are constructed like in the variant of FIGS. 3A and 3B. In contrast to the variant of FIGS. 3A, 3B, however, in the variant of FIGS. 5A, 5B the sensor 14 is in each case integrated into the receiver 6, like in the variant of FIGS. 4A, 4B. In terms of the sensor signal 114, however, the receiver types of the variant according to FIGS. 5A, 5B are not constructed with polarity reversal, but rather always have the correct phase. The variant of FIGS. 5A, 5B is thus based on the variant of FIGS. 3A, 3B, wherein the sensor 14 is now integrated into the respective receiver 6.

(23) Any signal can, in principle, be used as the input signal 104, for example an electrical audio signal can also be used as an alternative or in addition to the amplified microphone signal 102. In a variant, not illustrated, a start signal which is played when switching on, i.e. when operation of the hearing aid system 4 begins and is, for example, generated by the control unit 10 or is stored in it, is used as the input signal 104. An identification of the receiver 6 thus takes place even before an actual hearing operation.

(24) In a variant, also not shown, the receiver 6 is identified in the course of an open-loop gain measurement of the hearing aid system 4. This open-loop gain measurement is also referred to as a calibration operating mode and, put more precisely, is a calibration operating mode for calibration of a maximum amplification of the hearing device 4, which usually depends on the respective, actually present and possibly changing environmental conditions. The hearing aid system 2 in this case thus includes an amplification control which is calibrated in the calibration operating mode in that a test signal is used as the input signal 104, whereby a calibration signal is generated in order to adjust the maximum amplification of the hearing aid system 4. The calibration signal is in particular used in combination with the test signal to determine the transfer function from the receiver 6 of the hearing aid system 4 to the eardrum of the user and, depending on that, to adjust the maximum amplification. The calibration signal is then used at the same time as the sensor signal 114. Alternatively or in addition, the described measurement takes place adaptively in ongoing operation and not, or not exclusively, in the calibration operating mode.

(25) In a variant, not illustrated, in addition to the identification of the receiver 6 by the phase measurement described, a power class of the receiver 6 is also determined by an impedance measurement or by an amplitude measurement or both. The power class is, for example, defined by an electrical resistance of the receiver 6, i.e. an electrical resistor is integrated into the receiver 6, similarly, for example, to the sensor 4 in FIGS. 4A, 4B. The resistor has a specific resistance value which is assigned to a specific power class, so that the power class of the receiver 6 is determined through a measurement of the resistance.

(26) The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

(27) 2 Hearing aid system 4 Hearing device 6 Receiver 8 Connection 10 Control unit 12 Microphone 14 Sensor 16 Receiver connection 18 Signal interface 20, 22 Signal contact 24, 26 Pole 28, 30 Signal contact 100 Sound signal 102 Microphone signal 104 Input signal 106 Sound signal 108 Magnetic field 110 Primary signal 112 Secondary signal 114 Sensor signal T Transfer function