METHOD FOR PHYSICALLY ADJUSTING A HEARING DEVICE, HEARING DEVICE AND HEARING DEVICE SYSTEM

Abstract

A hearing device is physically adjusted to suit a hearing device wearer. A position sensor of the hearing device is used to ascertain a characteristic measure of a current actual wearing position of the hearing device. The characteristic measure of the actual wearing position is then taken as a basis for ascertaining a discrepancy between the actual wearing position and a prescribed desired wearing position. On the basis of this discrepancy, an instruction is output to the hearing device wearer to adjust the receiver connector based on the ascertained discrepancy.

Claims

1. A method for physically adjusting a hearing device to suit a hearing device wearer, wherein the hearing device has a hearing device body and a receiver connector couplable or coupled to the hearing device body, the method comprising: using a position sensor of the hearing device to ascertain a characteristic measure of a current actual wearing position of the hearing device; taking the characteristic measure of the actual wearing position as a basis for ascertaining a discrepancy between the actual wearing position and a prescribed desired wearing position; and outputting an instruction to the hearing device wearer to adjust a length of the receiver connector on a basis of the ascertained discrepancy between the actual wearing position and the desired wearing position.

2. The method according to claim 1, which comprises: providing a plurality of receiver connectors having mutually different lengths; and directing the instruction toward taking the ascertained discrepancy as a basis for coupling a receiver connector that has a shorter or longer length in comparison with the receiver connector that is currently connected to the hearing device body.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the position sensor is an acceleration sensor.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the characteristic measure used for the current actual wearing position is an inclination of the hearing device body.

5. The method according to claim 1, which comprises reading a selectable length of the receiver connector from a reference curve stored in the hearing device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the desired wearing position is stored with a microphone axis connecting at least two microphones of the hearing device that forms a basis for directivity oriented along a horizontal plane.

7. A hearing device, comprising: a hearing device body housing at least two microphones, a position sensor and a control unit configured to carry out the method according to claim 1; a loudspeaker; a receiver connector coupled or couplable to said hearing device body for transmitting output signals to an auditory canal of a hearing device wearer.

8. The hearing device according to claim 7, wherein said position sensor is an acceleration sensor.

9. A hearing device system, comprising: a hearing device according to claim 7; and a plurality of receiver connectors having mutually different lengths.

10. The hearing device system according to claim 9, wherein said receiver connectors are sound tubes or receiver cables.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

[0060] FIG. 1 shows a schematic side view of a hearing device having a hearing device body, a receiver connecting means and an earmold;

[0061] FIG. 2 shows the hearing device in a desired wearing position as intended on the ear of a hearing device wearer in a view according to FIG. 1;

[0062] FIG. 3 shows the hearing device in an actual wearing position in a view according to FIG. 2; and

[0063] FIG. 4 shows a schematic flowchart for a method for physically adjusting the hearing device to suit the ear of the hearing device wearer.

[0064] Mutually corresponding parts and dimensions are provided with the same reference symbols throughout all the figures.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0065] Referring now to the figures of the drawing in detail and first, particularly, to FIG. 1 thereof, there is shown a hearing device 1. The hearing device 1 comprises a hearing device body 2 that carries multiple electronic components of the hearing device 1, and also an earmold 3 that is set up and provided for insertion into an auditory canal of a hearing device wearer. The hearing device body 2 has a housing 4 inside which a processor unit (referred to as processor 5 for short), two microphones 6 and a loudspeaker 7 are arranged as components of the hearing device 1. In this case, the processor 5 has a signal processor for processing the input signals captured by the microphones 6 and a control processor (or: a control unit) integrated in it. The latter is set up and provided for interaction with the hearing device wearer (for example for the purpose of selecting different hearing programs, volume control etc.). As a further component, a position sensor 8, specifically an acceleration sensor that is sensitive to the earth's gravitational field, is arranged on the hearing device body 2. The components are interconnected with the processor 5 by means of respective associated signal lines. For supplying power to the components, the hearing device 1 has a battery unit 9. The battery unit 9 is in this case specifically in the form of a rechargeable battery with associated charging electronics.

[0066] During operation, the earmold 3 is coupled to the hearing device body 2, specifically to a sound output of the loudspeaker 7, via a receiver connecting means, or receiver connector, which, in the present example, is formed by a sound tube 10. During operation, the sound tube 10 transmits the sound signals output by the loudspeaker 7 to the eardrum of the hearing device wearer audibly via the earmold 3.

[0067] In an alternative exemplary embodiment, which is not depicted in more detail, the loudspeaker 7 has been relocated from the hearing device body 2 and is arranged in the earmold 3. In this case, the receiver connector is formed by a receiver cable.

[0068] During the operation of the hearing device 1, the input signals that are output by the two microphones 6 (on reception of ambient sound) are mixed with one another in a directivity mode such that a direction-dependent sensitivity arises for the captured ambient sound. That is to say that the microphones 6 capture sound components from different spatial directions at different intensity. In a basic setting, the preferred spatial direction, i.e. the direction from which sound arriving is captured at the highest intensity (also referred to as the preferred direction), is oriented along a horizontal plane—provided that the hearing device 1 is worn in a position as intended (subsequently referred to as the desired wearing position TP.sub.S) behind the ear, specifically on the auricle 12, and the head is kept straight at the same time (cf. FIG. 2). In the present exemplary embodiment, the microphones 6 are arranged in succession along a microphone axis 14. When the hearing device 1 is arranged in the desired wearing position TP.sub.S, this microphone axis 14 coincides with the horizontal plane and a direction oriented frontally with respect to the face of the hearing device wearer (“frontal direction 16”) (see FIG. 2). As a result, in directivity mode, the sound components that arrive at the microphones 6 from this frontal direction 16 are captured in boosted fashion in comparison with sound components arriving from the side. This is advantageous on the assumption that the hearing device wearer usually has his front facing an interlocutor. The preset directivity described therefore allows a particularly high level of speech intelligibility. It is recognized that the directivity is not fixed in terms of location, but rather is firmly prescribed relative to the head of the hearing device wearer. That is to say that when the head turns, the preferred direction of the microphones 6 also moves with it accordingly. Therefore, the preferred direction and hence the highest speech intelligibility are always oriented parallel to the orientation of the head of the hearing device wearer (approximated by a “normal” perpendicular to the “facial plane”).

[0069] Since the shape and size of the auricle 12 is individual in each hearing device wearer, the length of the sound tube 10 means that it is possible, however, for the hearing device body 2 to be shifted relative to its desired wearing position TP.sub.S. As a result, the microphone axis 14 and the frontal direction 16 no longer coincide (cf. FIG. 3) and speech intelligibility in the directivity mode falls. To individually adjust the hearing device 1 to suit the hearing device wearer, the hearing device 1 is therefore accompanied, as part of the hearing device system, by multiple sound tubes 10 of different length (not depicted in more detail). In this case, the hearing device system forms a sales unit for the hearing device 1.

[0070] To allow even a hearing device wearer who does not get the hearing device 1 from a specifically trained hearing device acoustician or technician to nevertheless obtain individual, precise adjustment to suit his ear shape, the processor 5 stores a method sequence (depicted schematically in FIG. 4) for an adjustment mode. This is started when the hearing device 1 first starts (or optionally upon an input from the hearing device wearer).

[0071] In a first method step 30, the hearing device 1 gives the hearing device wearer, via the loudspeaker 7, the instruction to keep his head straight and look straight ahead along the horizontal (for example look himself in the eye in the mirror) with the hearing device 1 donned, so that the frontal direction 16 coincides with a horizontal plane. In a second method step 40, the position sensor 8 is used to ascertain a characteristic measure of a current actual wearing position TP.sub.l (cf. FIG. 3). This characteristic measure is an angle of inclination about a “pitch axis” 45 (running horizontally and from ear to ear). This angle of inclination (“pitch angle N” for short) is ascertained with regard to the earth's gravitational field in this case. A comparison with a pitch angle N applicable to the desired wearing position TP.sub.S is subsequently used to ascertain a discrepancy, specifically an angle difference, between the actual wearing position TP.sub.l and the desired wearing position TP.sub.s of the hearing device 1.

[0072] In an optional exemplary embodiment, method steps 30 and 40 are repeated multiple times and the angle difference is averaged over all repetitions in this case.

[0073] The (optionally averaged) angle difference is used in a subsequent method step 50 to ascertain whether the sound tube 10 is too long or too short. This ascertainment is effected on the basis of a table from which the processor 5 reads whether (the value of) the ascertained angle difference has an associated longer or shorter sound tube 10.

[0074] Subsequently, in a method step 60, the loudspeaker 7 is used to output an instruction to the hearing device wearer to couple a longer or shorter sound tube 10, according to the discrepancy, to the hearing device body 2 and the earmold 3 and then to put on the hearing device 1 again. Subsequently, the sound tube 10 is checked by repeating method steps 30 and 40 before the hearing device 1 changes to a normal mode of operation.

[0075] In an alternative exemplary embodiment (likewise depicted in FIG. 4), this angle difference is used to ascertain a length difference D for the sound tube 10 in method step 50. The value of the length difference D associated with the value of the ascertained angle difference is in this case stored in a table that has been set up on the basis of empirical examinations on a multiplicity of test subjects and stored in the processor 5. The length difference D is in this case chosen such that when a correspondingly longer or shorter sound tube 10 is coupled to the hearing device body 2 and the earmold 3, said length difference leads to a reduction in the angle difference between the actual wearing position TP.sub.l and the desired wearing position TP.sub.S, and hence the microphone axis 14 is brought closer to the frontal direction 16.

[0076] Subsequently, in method step 60, the loudspeaker 7 is used to “voice” an instruction to the hearing device wearer to couple a longer or shorter sound tube 10, according to the length difference D, to the hearing device body 2 and the earmold 3 and then to put on the hearing device 1 again.

[0077] In all the exemplary embodiments described above, it is possible for method steps 30 to 60 to be repeated until the angle difference between the actual wearing position TP.sub.l and the desired wearing position TP.sub.S is negligibly small and/or has dropped below a prescribed limit value. The hearing device 1 then changes to a normal mode of operation.

[0078] Provided that the ascertained angle difference does not exceed a prescribed limit value, an instruction is not output to the hearing device wearer and the hearing device 1 changes to the normal mode of operation.

[0079] The subject matter of the invention is not limited to the exemplary embodiment described above. Rather, further embodiments of the invention can be derived from the description above by a person skilled in the art.

[0080] The following is a summary list of reference numerals and the corresponding structure used in the above description of the invention:

[0081] 1 Hearing device

[0082] 2 Hearing device body

[0083] 3 Earmold

[0084] 4 Housing

[0085] 5 Processor

[0086] 6 Microphone

[0087] 7 Loudspeaker

[0088] 8 Position sensor

[0089] 9 Battery unit

[0090] 10 Sound tube

[0091] 12 Auricle

[0092] 14 Microphone axis

[0093] 16 Frontal direction

[0094] 30 Method step

[0095] 40 Method step

[0096] 45 Pitch axis

[0097] 50 Method step

[0098] 60 Method step

[0099] TP.sub.S Desired wearing position

[0100] TP.sub.l Actual wearing position

[0101] N Pitch angle

[0102] D Length difference