METHOD FOR OPERATING A HEARING DEVICE, AND HEARING DEVICE

Abstract

A hearing aid has at least two input transducers and at least one output transducer. The input transducers generate an input signal from a sound signal from the surroundings. At least two directional signals with different directional characteristics are formed from the input signals and the directional signals are examined for the presence of a useful signal. A first weighting factor is assigned to the directional signal with the largest signal component of the useful signal and a second weighting factor is assigned to the other directional signals. The directional signals are multiplied by the respectively assigned weighting factor, and an output signal is then formed from the multiplication result. The output signal is converted into a sound signal by the output transducer.

Claims

1. A method of operating a hearing device with at least two input transducers and at least one output transducer, the method comprising: acquiring a sound signal from the surroundings by the input transducers and generating an input signal; forming from the input signals at least two directional signals with mutually different directional characteristics; examining the directional signals for a presence of a useful signal; assigning a first weighting factor to a directional signal having a largest signal component of the useful signal and assigning a second weighting factor to the other directional signals; multiplying the directional signals by a respectively assigned weighting factor to form weighted directional signals, forming an output signal from the weighted directional signals, and converting the output signal into a sound signal by the output transducer.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises forming the output signal from a superposition of the directional signals multiplied by the weighting factors.

3. The method according to claim 1, which comprises setting at least one of the first weighting factor or the second weighting factor according to an environmental situation.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first weighting factor is greater than the second weighting factor.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the second weighting factor is greater than or equal to zero and less than or equal to one.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the first weighting factor is greater than or equal to zero and less than or equal to an adjustable parameter.

7. The method according to claim 6, which comprises setting the adjustable parameter according to a signal level of the useful signal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the useful signal is a speech signal.

9. A hearing aid, comprising: at least two input transducers for generating input signals; at least one output transducer for generating a sound signal; and a controller for carrying out a method according to claim 1.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 9 configured as a binaural hearing aid.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0048] FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a binaural hearing aid; and

[0049] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a sequence of a method for operating a hearing aid.

[0050] Equivalent parts and dimensions are provided with the same reference signs throughout the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0051] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, in particular, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a basic structure of a hearing aid 2 according to the invention. In the exemplary embodiment, the hearing aid 2 is designed as a binaural hearing aid with two hearing aid devices or individual devices 4a, 4b which are coupled together for signal transmission. The individual devices 4a, 4b are designed, for example, as behind-the-ear hearing aids (BTE). The individual devices 4a, 4b are or can be coupled to each other for signal transmission via a wireless communication link 6.

[0052] By way of example, the communication link 6 is an inductive coupling between the individual devices 4a and 4b, or alternatively the communication link 6 is implemented for example as a radio link, in particular as a Bluetooth or RFID link, between the individual devices 4a and 4b.

[0053] The design of the individual devices 4a, 4b is explained below using the individual device 4a as an example. As shown schematically in FIG. 1, the individual device 4a comprises a device housing 8 in which one or more microphones, also referred to as (acousto-electric) input transducers 10, are installed. Via the input transducers 10, a sound or the acoustic signals in an environment of the hearing aid 2 are captured and converted into electrical acoustic data as input signals 12.

[0054] The input signals 12 are processed by a controller 14 of a signal processing device 16, which is also arranged in the device housing 10. Using the input signals 12, the signal processing device 16 generates an output signal 18 which is routed to a loudspeaker or receiver 20. The receiver 20 here is designed as an (electro-acoustic) output transducer 20, which converts the electrical output signal 18 into an acoustic signal or sound signal and outputs it. In the case of the BTE individual device 4a, the acoustic signal is transmitted to the eardrum of a hearing aid system user via a sound tube or external receiver, not shown in detail, which is connected to an earmold fitted in the ear canal. However, an electro-mechanical output transducer 20 is also conceivable as the receiver, as in a bone conduction receiver, for example.

[0055] The power supply of the individual device 4a and in particular of the signal processing device 16 is provided by means of a battery 22 accommodated in the device housing 8.

[0056] The signal processing device 16 is connected for signal transmission to a first transceiver 24 and to a second transceiver 26 of the individual device 4a. The transceiver 24 is used in particular to transmit and receive wireless signals via the communication link 6 and the transceiver 26 is used to transmit and receive wireless signals using a communication link to a hearing-aid-external auxiliary device, for example to a smartphone. For example, it is also conceivable that only one transceiver is provided for both communication links 8.

[0057] In FIG. 2, a block diagram shows a method for operating the hearing aid 2 during a listening situation in which a conversation partner 28 is positioned at an angle of approximately 45° with respect to a frontal direction 30 of the hearing aid user (hearing aid wearer). The listening situation is such that the conversation of the hearing aid user with the conversation partner 28 is superimposed by background noise originating from noise sources distributed in the surroundings.

[0058] The conversation partner 28 in this scenario is a useful signal source for the purposes of the signal processing described below or the method described below, wherein the speech or speech signal of the conversation partner 28 represents a useful signal.

[0059] The following text describes the method for an individual device 4a, 4b, which is carried out in the controller 14. However, the method is preferably implemented binaurally, in which case the output signal 18 is generated using the input signals 12 of the input transducers 10 of both individual devices 4a, 4b.

[0060] The sound signal 32, which results from the useful signal and the background noise (interference, noise signals), is detected by the input transducers 10. Each of the input transducers 10 generates a corresponding input signal 12. By means of a spatial filtering, a number of directional signals 34 with different directional characteristics 36 are then formed from the input signals 12.

[0061] As an example, FIG. 2 shows four directional signals 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d for four different directional characteristics 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d in a schematic view. The directional characteristics 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d are each formed, for example, as lobe-shaped or cone-shaped directional beams, each with the same angular aperture 38 and differing only with regard to a central angle 40 with respect to the frontal direction 30. The central angle 40 is defined here by the angle between the direction of the maximum sensitivity of the directional characteristic 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d and the frontal direction 30 of the hearing aid user.

[0062] A selection unit 42 uses the directional signals 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d of the directional characteristics 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d to determine the presence of the useful signal source or of the conversation partner 28 in the respective direction of the central angle 40 via the corresponding signal levels. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the directional signal 34c has the largest signal component of the useful signal.

[0063] Then, in an assignment unit 44, a first weighting factor bw1 is assigned to the directional signal 34c and a second weighting factor bw2 is assigned to each of the other directional signals 34a, 34b, 34d, and the directional signals 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d are multiplied by the respective weighting factor bw1, bw2. The weighting factors bw1 and bw2 can be multiplied by the directional signals 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d over all frequencies or applied to specific frequencies (i.e., those relevant for speech comprehension, for example). The weighting factors bw1, bw2 can therefore be dimensioned with different sizes in different frequency bands.

[0064] The directional signals 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d multiplied by the weighting factors bw1, bw2 are then mixed together in a mixing unit 46 by means of a linear superposition.

[0065] Expressed in formulas, the superposition signal for two directional signals (Beam1, Beam2), for example, is obtained for a frequency f at a time t as:

Superposition-signal(f,t)=bw1(f,t)×Beam1(f,t)+bw2(f,t)×Beam2(f,t)

[0066] The resulting superposition signal, for example, forms the output signal 18 for the output transducer 20, which converts the output signal 18 into an audible sound signal. However, the superposition signal of the mixing unit 46 is preferably fed to a signal processing block of the signal processor 16, not shown in detail, in which all other processing algorithms specific to the hearing aid 2 are executed. The signal processing block then generates the output signal 18. The signal processing block can also include an amplification in the relevant frequencies in order to make the speaker even clearer in the output signal 18.

[0067] The method described above is implemented in particular as a multi-beam or region beam concept, in which the useful signal or useful signal components are automatically represented in the output signal 18 more prominently and louder by means of the weighting factors bw1, bw2. The method essentially implements a listening mode in which “extended or enhanced listening” (augmented listening) is possible. The user of the hearing aid thus perceives the useful signal source or the conversation partner 28 as (spatially) closer. This means that the useful signal source is “zoomed in on” and more strongly pronounced in the output signal 18.

[0068] For this purpose, the weighting factor bw1 is dimensioned greater than the weighting factor bw2. In particular, the weighting factor bw2 is greater than or equal to zero and less than or equal to one (0≤bw2≤1). The weighting factors bw2 are preferably selected in such a way that ambient sounds in the background are well preserved. The weighting factor bw1 is greater than or equal to zero and less than or equal to an adjustable parameter (0 ≤bw1≤parameter). The value ranges of the weighting factors bw1, bw2, and in particular the parameter, can be set depending on the preference of the hearing aid wearer, for example, either in an adjustment software provided by the hearing care professional or via external auxiliary devices, for example with an application software (application, app) on a smartphone.

[0069] The weighting factors bw1, bw2 or their values and/or the parameter can be set depending on the current ambient situation or listening situation. The ambient situation is identified and characterized, for example, by means of situation detection 48. The weighting factors bw1, bw2 are preferably controlled automatically by a scene analysis, which is based on a combination of speaker localization and tracking, background noise estimations, an estimation of the speech intensity, the signal-to-noise ratio, . . . etc.

[0070] The invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiments described above. Instead, other variants of the invention can also be derived from them by the person skilled in the art, without departing from the subject-matter of the invention. In particular, all individual features described in connection with the exemplary embodiments can also be combined together in different ways without departing from the subject matter of the invention.

[0071] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention: [0072] 2 hearing aid [0073] 4a, 4b individual device [0074] 6 communication link [0075] 8 device housing [0076] 10 input transducer [0077] 12 input signal [0078] 14 controller [0079] 16 signal processor [0080] 18 output signal [0081] 20 output transducer [0082] 22 battery [0083] 24 transceiver [0084] 26 transceiver [0085] 28 conversation partner [0086] 30 frontal direction [0087] 32 sound signal [0088] 34a, 34b, 34c, 34d directional signal [0089] 36a, 36b, 36c, 36d directional characteristic [0090] 38 angular aperture [0091] 40 central angle [0092] 42 selection unit [0093] 44 assignment unit [0094] 46 mixing unit [0095] 48 situation detection [0096] bw1, bw2 weighting factors