Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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CA 02207184 1997-0=,-27
~l~,ARll~G l[NSTRUMENT WITE{ HEAD ACTIVATED SWITClEI
FIELD OF TIIE lNVENTION
The present invention is a hearing instrument having a head activated switch.
DESCRIPTION OF TTIE PRIOR ART
Hearing instruments have evolved considerably since their inception. What were
once bulky and lln.cigh~ly hearing instruments are now available in a variety of formats,
such as hearing instruments which fit behind a user's ear, or which can be inserted in the
ear canal. Recent innovations have also produced what are known as "completely in
canal" (hereinafter CIC) hearing instruments, i.e; those which completely fit within the
15 ear canal of a user and thus are very discreet.
Along with these innovations, it is also now possible to tailor the response
parameters of a hearing instrument to the specific hearing impediment of the user for
whom the instrument is being fitted. Such hearing instruments are generally referred to
as being programmable.
There are presently two types of programmable hearing instruments available
presently: "analog" hearing instruments, where the response parameters are tailored using
analog circuitry for the signal path and digital circuitry for the pro~ ing path, and
"digital" hearing instruments, where the response parameters are tailored using digital
signal processing. The latter hearing instruments may further include a plurality of
response parameters within their signal processing means which can be changed by a
user.
~urthermore, some hearing instruments provide for manual switching between
an omni-directional microphone, a directional microphone or a telephone coil. This
switching is usually effected by the user, with a finger, m~ml~lly activating a switch. In
other cases, particularly in the case of programmable or digital hearing instruments, a
user is provided with a wireless remote control, such as infrared or ultrasonic, which can
control this ~wi~cl~ing and may further switch the hearing instrument prog.~ ,irlg from
-
CA 02207184 1997-0=,-27
one program to another, depending on the acoustical environment the user is in.
A disadvantage with the above methods of switching, either microphones or
prog~ g, is that the user must either use a finger, which is indiscreet, or carry a
remote control, which is impractical. E'urthermore, CIC instruments have a very small
5 surface on which to place potentiometers or switches.
U.S. Patent no. 5,553,152 to Newton is an attempt to overcome this problem.
This patent discloses an apparatus and method for magnetically controlling a hearing aid,
and is particularly directed to a CIC hearing aid. The hearing aid has a plurality of
adjustable operational parameters which can be controlled by the movement of an
10 external m~gnP.tir actuator (a magnet) into and out of pl ~Xi~ y with the hearing aid. In
use, the magnetic source is moved into and out of proximity with the hearing aid a
selected number oftimes to activate the magnetic switch each time. This device has the
same disadvantage as the manual hearing instruments described above, i.e. it is indiscreet
as the user has to physically move a magnet in and out of the ear canal in order to
15 activate the magnetic switch.
SUMMARY OF T13iE INVENTION
It is an object ofthe invention to provide a hearing instrument which obviates the
20 above-noted defects in the prior art. In accordance with the invention, this object is
achieved with a hearing instrument of the type comprising at least one input transducer
having an input for receiving ambient signals and an output for generating an electrical
signal corresponding to the ambient signals, a signal processing means having at least one
input for receiving and processing said electrical signal to produce a processed electrical
25 signal and an output for outputting the processed electrical signal, the processing means
being progl~~ lable and being programmed with at least two di~;lelll sets of response
parameters and incl~ltling means to switch from one program to another, an output
transducer having an input connected to the output of the signal processing means and
an output for generating an audio signal corresponding to the processed electrical signal.
30 The hearing instrument is further provided with a movement activated switch, operatively
connected to the processing means.
The movement activated switch includes a sensor and a decoder. The sensor
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senses head movements ofthe user. The decoder decodes the movements and validates
only those which are specific to the hearing instrument.
In use, a user moves his or her head in pre~let~nined patterns. The sensor relays
these movements to the decoder which analyses all of the movements and responds only
to those specific to the hearing instrument. Once the movements have been validated and
correspond to a predetermined function, the decoder sends a signal to the signalprocessing means to perform the function corresponding to the predetermined pattern.
Thus, it can be readily seen that the novel hearing instrument according to the
invention has the advantage of not requiring a remote control in order to take advantage
10 of the full potential of the hearing instrument. Furthermore, this hearing instrument
obviates the need for manual operation, which can be indiscreet and troublesome,particularly for CIC hearing instruments.
As an example, the movement activated switch sensor can be of any type such as
gravitational, displacement, velocity, acceleration or Hall-effect type and can be omni-
15 directional or directional on one or more directions or even two- or three-dimensional.
However, for the purposes of simplicity, it is pl erell ed that the head movements be few
and simple so as to not discourage users from taking advantage of the potential of this
novel hearing instrument.
20 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF TIIE DRAWINGS
The present invention and its advantages will be more easily understood after
reading the following non-restrictive description of pl~r~;lled embodiments thereof, made
with reference to the following drawings in which:
Figure 1 is a schematic representation of a hearing instrument according to a
pl~;r~lled embodiment ofthe invention;
Figures 2a and 2b are a representation of a sensor for the hearing instrument ofFigure 1, in use;
~igure 3 is a representation of another sensor for the hearing instrument of Figure
30 1;
Figure 4 is a representation of yet another sensor for the hearing instrument ofFigure 1;
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Figure 5 is a schematic representation of the hearing instrument of Figure 1,
including a plurality of input transducers;
Figure 6 is a schematic representation of the functioning of the movement
activated switch according to the invention; and
l~ig. 7 is a schematic representation of a three-dimensional matrix for use with a
sensor.
DESCRIPTION OF A PRI~FERRED lEMBODIM:l~NT QF TH~ INVI~NTION
The invention lies principally in the combination of a movement actuated switch
with a traditional hearing instrument. Pigure 1 shows schematically a typical hearing
instrument 10 comprising at least one input transducer 20 having an input 21 forreceiving ambient signals and an output 23 for generating an electrical signal
corresponding to the ambient signals.
The hearing instrument 10 also has signal processing means 30 having at least one
input 31 for receiving and processing the electrical signal to produce a processed
electrical signal and an output 33 for outputting the processed electrical signal. The
processing means is programmable through a proglil"llllil~g port 35 and is programmed
with at least two di~elell~ sets of response parameters. The signal processing means 30
20 includes means 37 to switch from one program to another.
The hearing instrument 10 has an output transducer 40 having an input 41
connected to the output 33 of the signal processing means and an output 43 for
generating an audio signal corresponding to the processed electrical signal.
In accordance with the invention, the hearing instrument 10 is further provided
25 with a movement activated switch 50, operatively connected to the signal processing
means 30 through a port 39.
The movement activated switch 50 includes a sensor 51 and a decoder 53. The
sensor 51 senses head movements of the user. The decoder 53 decodes the movements
and validates only those which are specific to the hearing instrument 10.
In use, a user moves his or her head in predetermined patterns. The sensor 51
relays these movements to the decoder 53 which analyses all of the movements andresponds only to those specific to the hearing instrument 10. Once the movements have
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been validated and correspond to a prçdet~rmin~-l function, the decoder 53 sends a signal
to the signal processing means 30 through port 39 to perform the function corresponding
to the predetermined pattern.
Thus, it can be readily seen that the novel hearing instrument 10 according to the
5 invention has the advantage of not requiring a remote control in order to take advantage
ofthe full potential ofthe hearing instrument. Furthermore, this hearing instrument 10
obviates the need for manual operation, which can be indiscreet and troublesome,particularly for CIC hearing instruments.
The movement activated switch sensor 51 can be of any type such as
10 gravitational, displacement, velocity, acceleration or Hall-effect type and can be omni-
directional or directional on one or more directions or even two- or three-dimensional.
However, for the purposes of simplicity, it is prere..ed that the head movements be few
and simple so as to not discourage users from taking advantage of the potential of this
novel hearing instrument 10.
In a pl~r~lled embodiment which is for illustration purposes only, the sensor 51is a gravitational sensor. Figures 2a and 2b shows such a sensor, comprising a semi-
circular h~ .tic~lly sealed container 60 having a first fixed conductor 61 at the bottom
thereof, and a second fixed conductor 63 at the top and around the periphery of the
container 60. The container 60 contains a predetermined amount of a substance 65,
20 preferably liquid, that conducts electricity. For example, the substance 65 could be
mercury.
The first 61 and second 63 conductors are operatively connected to the decoder
53. In use, when a user tips his or her head by a predetermined amount, as shown on Fig.
2b, the mercury 63 makes contact with the two conductors 61, 63 and closes the circuit.
25 The decoder 53 senses the closing of the circuit and processes the information. For
example, the decoder 53 may be programmed to recognize three such closings within a
short period of time, indicating that the hearing instrument 10 change the progr~mming
from the one presently active to the next one in sequence.
As can be seen, this sensor 51 is omni-directional, in that notwithst~ntling the30 orientation of the "tipping", as long as the circuit is closed a predetermined amount of
times, or for a predetermined length of time, the decoder 53 will analyze the signal and
respond accordingly if the pattern matches one that is stored in the decoder 53.
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Alternatively, such a sensor 51 can be directional, as shown on Fig. 3, where the
circuit will be closed only when there is movement along the axis, any other movement
failing to close the circuit.
Yet another alternative is shown in Fig. 4, where the sensor there again is
5 directional, but in two perpendicular directions. One of the directions could be for going
fol w~rd in the prog~ , lin3~ sequence, whereas the other direction could be for going
backward in the progli.",~ g sequence.
Yet another alternative is shown in Fig. 7, where the sensor is gravity type, but
on three dimensions. The sensor is in the shape of a semi-sphere, such as the one on
10 Figs. 2a and 2b, but the container is provided with a matrix of conductors. Thus, when
a user moves his or her head, the quantity of mercury makes contact with diaele.lL
conductors. This type of sensor can be particularly beneficial in the case where the
hearing instrument 10 is equipped with a directional microphone and an omni-directional
microphone. In use, a user may move his or her head, for example, gradually fulw~ld,
15 with the result that the sensitivity ofthe omni-directional microphone decreases in favour
ofthe directional microphone in a desired direction. Such a sensor would be referred to
as "analog", since the "zoom" ofthe directional microphone is proportional to the degree
of tilting of the head with respect to the original position.
In a standard hearing instrument 10, the input transducer 20 is usually an omni-
20 directional microphone. However, a hearing instrument can be provided with adirectional microphone or a telephone coil, or both as mentioned above. As such, the
sensor 51, and the detector 53, may be used to switch from one to the other, depending
on the configuration of the hearing instrument 10.
In a case where the hearing instrument 10 includes more than one input
25 tr~n.c~ cf~r as shown on Pig. 5, each of the input transducers 20, 20', 20" are operatively
connected to a respective input 31, 31', 31" of the signal processing means 30.
Furthermore, the signal processing means 30 includes means 39 for switching between
one or the other of the input transducers. Accordingly, the decoder 53 is appl opliately
configured to send a signal to the signal processing means 30 to switch between one or
3 0 the other of the input transducer 20 in response to a predetermined movement pattern.
The decoder 53 according to a prer~lled embodiment of the invention is a
microprocessor, which, due to advances in mini~tllrization of such electronic
CA 02207184 1997-0~-27
components, can be comp~etely inserted within the hearing instrument in the limited space
available. The decoder 53 may also be provided with a "learning circuit" 55. This allows
for differences in movement between one person and another. For example, a person
may execute a predetermined pattern in a very short time, whereas another will take
longer to execute the same pattern. As such, the decoder 53 of the hearing instrument
can "learn" that a user executes the predetermined pattern in a given manner, and will
respond accordingly. It is also possible to conceive a decoder 53 which may itself be
programmed with predet~.rmined patterns by a user, instead of having the patterns "hard-
wired" by the m~mlf~cturer of the hearing instrument and/or the decoder.
In any event, it should be understood that the patterns should be kept simple, and
the dilrerelll movements be kept to a minimllm This encourages users to benefit from
the potential of the hearing instrument 10, rather than be discouraged by it due to
movements that are too complicated or too conspicuous, particularly when one is in a
social context.
Advantageously, the decoder 53 also includes an "enable" and "disable" pattern.
Thus, should a user be participating in strenuous physical activity or be in a position
where head movements are frequent and uncontrolled, the user may disable the decoding
function to avoid having the decoder 53 respond to llnintentional movements, and thus
accidentally or inadvertently send a code to the signal processing means.
It should be stressed that the invention described herein is not limited to a
particular embodiment described, but is concerned with the combination of a hearing
instrument with a movement activated switch whereby a user may, upon making
predetermined head movements, benefit from the full potential of a programmable
hearing instrument, including the possibility to switch between a plurality of input
25 transducers.
Although the present invention has been explained hereinabove by way of a
preferred embodiment thereof, it should be pointed out that any modifications to this
preferred embodiment within the scope of the appended claims is not deemed to alter or
change the nature and scope of the present invention.
