Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
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A HEARING DEVICE AND A METHOD FOR OPERATING
THEREOF
TECHNICAL FIELD
The present invention relates to a method for operating a hearing device and
particularly,
although not exclusively, to a method for calibrating and operating a hearing
aid that can be
performed by the user of the hearing aid without requiring assistance from a
hearing aid
professional or audiologist.
BACKGROUND
Hearing is one of the traditional five senses of human beings. In a typical
human hearing
process, sound waves are focused by the pinna to travel along the ear canal
and to vibrate the
eardrum. The vibrations of the eardrum are then amplified by the ossicles, and
are
subsequently transformed into fluid vibrations in the fluid-filled cochlea,
where different
sensory hair cells are arranged to resonant with different frequencies of
fluid vibrations.
Upon activation by a sound of a certain frequency, the respective hair cells
transform the
resonations into electrical signals to be propagated through the auditory
nerve to the brain for
processing. The processing of these signals by the brain leads to the
perception of sound, and
hence the interpretation of sound.
The perception of sounds in humans is a complex phenomenon. In fact, the ears
of each
individual do not perceive sounds uniformly over the entire audio frequency
range. For
example, a 60 dB 1,000 Hz sound may have a different loudness compared with a
60 dB
10,000 Hz sound to the same individual. Also, the left ear and right ear of
the same
individual may have different responses to the same sound. On the other hand,
different
people may perceive the same sound of the same sound pressure level, frequency
and/or
quality differently. For example, elderly people tend to have weaker hearing
and are less
sensitive to high frequency sounds. In another example, people who suffer from
partial noise
induced hearing loss may have problems in hearing a certain range of
frequencies of sounds.
Even for normal individuals, the same sound may not appear to be the same in
terms of
loudness, pitch and/or quality, due to the variation of ear and brain
structures of the
individuals, as well as other environmental factors.
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It would be desirable to have a hearing device that has the ability to
compensate for various
degree of hearing impairments, as hearing losses in humans are mostly
irreversible, and the
human sense of hearing can only degrade over age.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
In accordance with a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a method for
operating a hearing device, comprising the steps of: determining, using the
hearing device, a
hearing response of a user over a range of audible frequencies; and storing,
at the hearing
device, the hearing response determined; wherein the hearing device is
arranged to optimize
an audio signal to be transmitted to the user based on the hearing response
determined.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the hearing response comprises a
hearing profile
of minimum audible volume over the range of audible frequencies. Preferably,
the range of
audible frequencies can be any frequency range between 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the range of audible frequencies is
divided into a
plurality of frequency bands. In a specific embodiment in the first aspect,
the range of
audible frequencies is divided into 12 frequency bands. Preferably, the
plurality of frequency
bands is continuous.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of determining a hearing
response of a
user over the range of audible frequencies comprises the step of: determining
a minimum
audible volume of at least one frequency in each of the plurality of frequency
bands.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the at least one frequency in each of
the plurality
of frequency bands comprises a centre frequency of each of the plurality of
frequency bands.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of determining a minimum
audible
volume of a particular frequency in a particular frequency band comprises the
steps of:
transmitting, from the hearing device, a plurality of test audio outputs of
the particular
frequency with different sound pressure levels to the user; and receiving, at
the hearing
device, a plurality of feedback signals from the user indicative of the
audibility of each of the
plurality of test audio outputs to the user. In a specific embodiment of the
first aspect, one
test audio output is transmitted at a time to obtain one feedback signal.
Preferably, the test
audio output is a signal tone or a pure tone of a particular frequency.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of transmitting a plurality of
test audio
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outputs of the particular frequency with different sound pressure levels to
the user comprises
the steps of: transmitting, from the hearing device, a plurality of test audio
outputs of the
particular frequency with different sound pressure levels adjusted in coarse
steps to the user;
and transmitting, from the hearing device, a plurality of test audio outputs
of the particular
frequency with different sound pressure levels adjusted in fine steps to the
user. Preferably,
the coarse step represents a larger change in sound pressure level than the
fine step. For
example, the coarse step may represent a 30 dB difference in sound pressure
level (SPL), and
the fine step may represent a 5 dB difference in sound pressure level.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of transmitting a plurality of
test audio
outputs of the particular frequency with different sound pressure levels
adjusted in coarse
steps to the user comprises the steps of: transmitting, from the hearing
device, a first test
audio output of the particular frequency with a first sound pressure level to
the user;
transmitting, from the hearing device, a second test audio output of the
particular frequency
with a second sound pressure level to the user if the feedback signal
indicates that the first
test audio output is audible to the user; and transmitting, from the hearing
device, a third test
audio output of the particular frequency with a third sound pressure level to
the user if the
feedback signal indicates that the first test audio output is not audible to
the user; wherein the
first sound pressure level is one half of the maximum sound pressure level
that can be
outputted by the hearing device; the second sound pressure level is one fourth
of the
maximum sound pressure level that can be outputted by the hearing device; and
the third
sound pressure level is three fourth of the maximum sound pressure level that
can be
outputted by the hearing device. For example, the first sound pressure level
may be 60 dB,
the second sound pressure level may be 30 dB and the third sound pressure
level may be 90
dB.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of transmitting a plurality of
test audio
outputs of the particular frequency with different sound pressure levels
adjusted in coarse
steps to the user further comprises the steps of: transmitting, from the
hearing device, a
fourth test audio output of the particular frequency with a fourth sound
pressure level to the
user if the feedback signal indicates that the second test audio output is
audible to the user;
and transmitting, from the hearing device, a fifth test audio output of the
particular frequency
with a fifth sound pressure level to the user if the feedback signal indicates
that the third test
audio output is not audible to the user; wherein the fourth sound pressure
level corresponds
to the minimum sound pressure level that can be outputted by the hearing
device, and the
fifth sound pressure level corresponds to the maximum sound pressure level
that can be
outputted by the hearing device. For example, the fourth sound pressure level
may be around
0 dB, and the fifth sound pressure level may be 120 dB.
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In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of transmitting a plurality of
test audio
outputs of the particular frequency with different sound pressure levels
adjusted in fine steps
to the user comprises the step of: transmitting, from the hearing device, a
plurality of test
audio outputs of the particular frequency with a plurality of sound pressure
levels
successively incremented or decremented from the second or third sound
pressure level in
fine steps to the user until a sound pressure level that corresponds to the
minimum audible
volume of the particular frequency is determined.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of transmitting a plurality of
test audio
outputs of the particular frequency with different sound pressure levels
adjusted in fine steps
to the user further comprises the step of: transmitting, from the hearing
device, a plurality of
test audio outputs of the particular frequency with a plurality of sound
pressure levels
successively incremented from the fourth sound pressure level or decremented
from the fifth
sound pressure level in fine steps to the user until a sound pressure level
that corresponds to
the minimum audible volume of the particular frequency is determined.
Preferably, the step of determining a minimum audible volume of a particular
frequency
in a particular frequency band is repeated for the at least one frequency in
each of the
plurality of frequency bands.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of determining a minimum
audible
volume of at least one frequency in each of the plurality of frequency bands
comprises or
further comprises the steps of: transmitting, from the hearing device, a
plurality of test audio
outputs of different frequencies with different sound pressure levels in a
random or
pseudorandom sequence to the user; and receiving, at the hearing device, a
plurality of
feedback signals from the user indicative of the audibility of each of the
plurality of test
audio outputs so as to determine or confirm the minimum audible volume of the
at least one
frequency in each of the plurality of frequency bands. Preferably, in the
random or
pseudorandom sequence, some test audio outputs of the same frequency are
repeated.
Optionally, the response to the same test audio output with the same frequency
may be
averaged to obtain a more accurate measurement of the hearing response of the
user.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the method further comprises the steps
of:
collecting, using the hearing device, an audio signal to be processed prior to
transmission to
the user; adjusting, using the hearing device, the audio signal to be
transmitted to the user
based on the hearing response determined; and transmitting, from the hearing
device, the
adjusted audio signal to the user. Preferably, the audio signal to be
processed is a sound of
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the environment of which the user is in.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the step of adjusting the audio signal
to be transmitted
to the user comprises the step of: scaling, averaging and smoothing the audio
signal to adjust
loudness and quality of the audio signal based on the hearing response
determined.
Optionally, the pitch of the audio signal may also be adjusted.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the hearing response of the user
comprises a
hearing response of a left ear of the user or a hearing response of a right
ear of the user or
both.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the hearing device is a self-calibrated
hearing
device that can be calibrated by the user. Preferably, the calibration is
carried out by the user
without the assistance of any hearing aid professional or audiologist, and
without using other
dedicated facilities.
In one embodiment of the first aspect, the hearing device is a digital hearing
aid device.
Preferably, the digital hearing aid device comprises a signal processing unit
and a
multi-microphone earphone cable having a jack. In one example, the signal
processing unit
includes an audio codec, a processor, a memory module, a communication module,
a control
module, a display module, an amplifier, an equaliser (e.g., a multi-band
equaliser), etc., and
the multi-microphone earphone cable comprises microphones, speakers, and ear-
buds that
are preferably noise insulating. Preferably, the digital hearing aid device
implements
adaptive beamforming and adaptive noise cancellation algorithms for processing
audio
signals/sounds collected by the microphones.
In accordance with a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided
hearing
device comprising: a processor arranged to determine a hearing response of a
user over a
range of audible frequencies; and a memory module arranged to store the
hearing response
determined; wherein the hearing device further comprises an equaliser arranged
to optimize
an audio signal to be transmitted to the user based on the hearing response
determined.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the hearing response comprises a
hearing
profile of minimum audible volume over the range of audible frequencies.
Preferably, the
range of audible frequencies can be any frequency range between 20 Hz to
20,000 Hz.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the range of audible frequencies is
divided into
a plurality of frequency bands. In a specific embodiment in the second aspect,
the range of
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audible frequencies is divided into 12 frequency bands. Preferably, the
plurality of frequency
bands is continuous.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor is arranged to determine
a
hearing response of a user over a range of audible frequencies by determining
a minimum
audible volume of at least one frequency in each of the plurality of frequency
bands.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the at least one frequency in each of
the
plurality of frequency bands comprises a centre frequency of each of the
plurality of
frequency bands.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor is arranged to determine
a
minimum audible volume of a particular frequency in a particular frequency
band by:
transmitting, through one or more speakers of the hearing device, a plurality
of test audio
outputs of the particular frequency with different sound pressure levels to
the user; and
receiving, through a control module of the hearing device, a plurality of
feedback signals
from the user indicative of the audibility of each of the plurality of test
audio outputs to the
user. In a specific embodiment of the second aspect, one test audio output is
transmitted at a
time to obtain one feedback signal. Preferably, the test audio output is a
signal tone or a pure
tone of a particular frequency.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor is arranged to transmit
a plurality
of test audio outputs of the particular frequency with different sound
pressure levels to the
user by: transmitting, through the one or more speakers of the hearing device,
a plurality of
test audio outputs of the particular frequency with different sound pressure
levels adjusted in
coarse steps to the user; and transmitting, through the one or more speakers
of the hearing
device, a plurality of test audio outputs of the particular frequency with
different sound
pressure levels adjusted in fine steps to the user. Preferably, the coarse
step represents a
larger change in sound pressure level than the fine step. For example, the
coarse step may
represent a 30 dB difference in sound pressure level, and the fine step may
represent a 5 dB
difference in sound pressure level.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor is arranged to transmit
a
plurality of test audio outputs of the particular frequency with different
sound pressure levels
adjusted in coarse steps to the user by: transmitting, through the one or more
speakers of the
hearing device, a first test audio output of the particular frequency with a
first sound pressure
level to the user; transmitting, through the one or more speakers of the
hearing device, a
second test audio output of the particular frequency with a second sound
pressure level to the
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user if the feedback signal indicates that the first test audio output is
audible to the user; and
transmitting, through the one or more speakers of the hearing device, a third
test audio output
of the particular frequency with a third sound pressure level to the user if
the feedback signal
indicates that the first test audio output is not audible to the user; wherein
the first sound
pressure level is one half of the maximum sound pressure level that can be
outputted by the
hearing device; the second sound pressure level is one fourth of the maximum
sound
pressure level that can be outputted by the hearing device; and the third
sound pressure level
is three fourth of the maximum sound pressure level that can be outputted by
the hearing
device. For example, the first sound pressure level may be 60 dB, the second
sound pressure
level may be 30 dB and the third sound pressure level may be 90 dB.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor is further arranged to
transmit a
plurality of test audio outputs of the particular frequency with different
sound pressure levels
adjusted in coarse steps to the user by: transmitting, through the one or more
speakers of the
hearing device, a fourth test audio output of the particular frequency with a
fourth sound
pressure level to the user if the feedback signal indicates that the second
test audio output is
audible to the user; and transmitting, through the one or more speakers of the
hearing device,
a fifth test audio output of the particular frequency with a fifth sound
pressure level to the
user if the feedback signal indicates that the third test audio output is not
audible to the user;
wherein the fourth sound pressure level corresponds to the minimum sound
pressure level
that can be outputted by the hearing device, and the fifth sound pressure
level corresponds to
the maximum sound pressure level that can be outputted by the hearing device.
For example,
the fourth sound pressure level may be around 0 dB, and the fifth sound
pressure level may
be 120 dB.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor is arranged to transmit
a plurality
of test audio outputs of the particular frequency with different sound
pressure levels adjusted
in fine steps to the user by: transmitting, through the one or more speakers
of the hearing
device, a plurality of test audio outputs of the particular frequency with a
plurality of sound
pressure levels successively incremented or decremented from the second or
third sound
pressure level in fine steps to the user until a sound pressure level that
corresponds to the
minimum audible volume of the particular frequency is determined.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor is further arranged to
transmit a
plurality of test audio outputs of the particular frequency with different
sound pressure levels
adjusted in fine steps to the user by: transmitting, through the one or more
speakers of the
hearing device, a plurality of test audio outputs of the particular frequency
with a plurality of
sound pressure levels successively incremented from the fourth sound pressure
level or
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decremented from the fifth sound pressure level in fine steps to the user
until a sound
pressure level that corresponds to the minimum audible volume of the
particular frequency is
determined.
Preferably, the processor is arranged to determine the minimum audible volume
of at
least one frequency in each of the plurality of frequency bands by repeating
the methods in
the determination of the minimum audible volume of a particular frequency in a
particular
frequency band.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor is arranged to determine
a
minimum audible volume of at least one frequency in each of the plurality of
frequency
bands by: transmitting, through one or more speakers of the hearing device, a
plurality of test
audio outputs of different frequencies with different sound pressure levels in
a random or
pseudorandom sequence to the user; and receiving, through a control module of
the hearing
device, a plurality of feedback signals from the user indicative of the
audibility of each of the
plurality of test audio outputs so as to confirm or determine the minimum
audible volume of
the at least one frequency in each of the plurality of frequency bands.
Preferably, in the
random or pseudorandom sequence, some test audio outputs of the same frequency
are
repeated. Optionally, the response (the minimum audible level) to the same
test audio output
with the same frequency may be averaged to obtain a more accurate minimum
audible level
measurement.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the hearing device further comprises
one or
more microphones arranged to collect an audio signal to be processed prior to
transmission
to the user; and the equaliser (and/or the processor) is further arranged to
adjust the audio
signal to be transmitted to the user based on the hearing response determined;
and the
hearing device further comprises one or more speakers arranged to transmit the
adjusted
audio signal to the user. Preferably, the audio signal to be processed is a
sound of the
environment of which the user is in.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the processor and/or the equaliser is
further
arranged to adjust the audio signal to be transmitted to the user by: scaling,
averaging and
smoothing the audio signal to adjust loudness and quality of the audio signal
based on the
hearing response determined. Optionally, the pitch of the audio signal may
also be adjusted.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the hearing response of the user
comprises a
hearing response of a left ear of the user or a hearing response of a right
ear of the user or
both.
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In one embodiment of the second aspect, the hearing device is a self-
calibrated hearing
device that can be calibrated by the user. Preferably, the calibration is
carried out by the user
without the assistance of any hearing aid professional or audiologist, and
without using other
dedicated facilities.
In one embodiment of the second aspect, the hearing device is a digital
hearing aid
device. Preferably, the digital hearing aid device comprises a signal
processing unit and a
multi-microphone earphone cable having a jack. In one example, the signal
processing unit
includes an audio codec, a processor, a memory module, a communication module,
a control
module, a display module, an amplifier, an equaliser (e.g., a multi-band
equaliser), etc., and
the multi-microphone earphone cable comprises microphones, speakers, and ear-
buds that
are preferably noise insulating. Preferably, the digital hearing aid device
implements
adaptive beamforming and adaptive noise cancellation algorithms for processing
audio
signals/sounds collected by the microphones.
In accordance with a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a method for
operating a self-calibrated digital hearing aid device arranged to be
calibrated and operated
by a user, comprising the steps of: determining, using the hearing device, a
hearing profile of
minimum audible volume of the user over a range of audible frequencies divided
into a
plurality of frequency bands; storing, at the hearing device, the hearing
response determined;
collecting, using the hearing device, an audio signal to be processed prior to
transmission to
the user; adjusting, using the hearing device, a loudness and quality of the
audio signal to be
transmitted to the user based on the hearing response determined by scaling,
averaging and
smoothing the audio signal; and transmitting, from the hearing device, the
adjusted audio
signal to the user; wherein the step of determining a minimum audible volume
of a particular
frequency in a particular frequency band includes the steps of: transmitting,
from the hearing
device, a first test audio output of the particular frequency with a first
sound pressure level to
the user, wherein the first sound pressure level is one half of the maximum
sound pressure
level that can be outputted by the hearing device; transmitting, from the
hearing device, a
second test audio output of the particular frequency with a second sound
pressure level to the
user if the feedback signal indicates that the first test audio output is
audible to the user,
wherein the second sound pressure level is one fourth of the maximum sound
pressure level
that can be outputted by the hearing device; transmitting, from the hearing
device, a third test
audio output of the particular frequency with a third sound pressure level to
the user if the
feedback signal indicates that the first test audio output is not audible to
the user, wherein the
third sound pressure level is three fourth of the maximum sound pressure level
that can be
outputted by the hearing device; and transmitting, from the hearing device, a
plurality of test
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audio outputs of the particular frequency with a plurality of sound pressure
levels
successively incremented or decremented from the second or third sound
pressure level in
fine steps to the user until a sound pressure level that corresponds to the
minimum audible
volume of the particular frequency is determined; receiving, at the hearing
device, a plurality
of feedback signals from the user indicative of the audibility of each of the
plurality of test
audio outputs to the user so as to determine the minimum audible volume of the
particular
frequency in the particular frequency band; wherein the step of determining a
minimum
audible volume of a particular frequency in a particular frequency band is
repeated for the at
least one frequency in each of the plurality of frequency bands; and wherein
the step of
determining a minimum audible volume of the user over a range of audible
frequencies
further comprises the steps of: transmitting, from the hearing device, a
plurality of test audio
outputs of different frequencies with different sound pressure levels in a
random or
pseudorandom sequence to the user; and receiving, at the hearing device, a
plurality of
feedback signals from the user indicative of the audibility of each of the
plurality of test
audio outputs so as to confirm or determine the minimum audible volume of the
at least one
frequency in each of the plurality of frequency bands.
In accordance with a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided
a hearing aid
comprising: one or more microphones arranged to collect sound signals; a
hearing test
module arranged to perform a test to determine a hearing response of a user
over a range of
audible frequencies; a processing module arranged to process and optimize the
collected
sound signals based on the hearing response of the user determined by the
hearing test
module; and one or more speakers arranged to provide test sound signals for
performing the
test, and to provide the processed sound signals to the user.
In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the processing module comprises: an
analog to
digital converter in connection with the one or more microphones for
digitizing the sound
signals; a multi-band equalizer arranged to compensate for the hearing
response of the user
for each frequency band over the range of audible frequencies; and a digital
to analog
converter in connection with the one or more speakers for reproducing analog
sound signals
to be played at the one or more speakers.
In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the processing module further
comprises one or
more of: an amplifier arranged upstream of the multi-band equalizer for
amplifying the
collected sound signal; and a speech signal enhancer arranged upstream of the
multi-band
equalizer for enhancing speech signals and suppressing background signals in
the collected
sound signals.
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In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the speech signal enhancement module
comprises
one or more filters.
In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the hearing test module comprises: a
tone generator
arranged to generate test tones in a random or pseudorandom sequence to be
played by the
one or more speakers; a user control interface arranged to receive user input,
the user input
comprises information associated with the test tones being heard or not being
heard; a
processing and memory module arranged to process and/or store results of the
test.
In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the tone generator and/or the
processing and
memory module comprise one or more processors.
In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the user control interface comprises a
display screen
and a user input device. The user input device may include one or more control
buttons or
incorporated in a touch-sensitive display screen.
In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the processing and memory module is
arranged to
provide a hearing response to the multi-band equalizer based on the results of
the test.
In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the hearing test module further
comprises: a
calibration module in connection with the processing and memory module, the
calibration
module being arranged to average the test results for one or more of the
respective test tones,
and to smoothen the hearing response over the range of audible frequencies
based on the
result of the tests, so as to provide a calibrated hearing response to the
multi-band equalizer.
In one embodiment of the fourth aspect, the calibration module is arranged to
apply a
weighted smoothing function to one or more of the frequency bands to produce a
smoothed
response to the respective one or more frequency bands.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Embodiments of the present invention will now be described, by way of example,
with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
Figure lA is a hearing device in the form of a hearing aid apparatus in
accordance with one
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 1B is a block diagram of a hearing device of Figure lA in accordance
with one
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embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 2 is a flow diagram illustrating the general steps of calibrating and
operating the
hearing device of Figure lA in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 3 is a flow diagram illustrating the general steps of obtaining a
hearing profile of a
user using the hearing device of Figure lA in accordance with one embodiment
of the
present invention;
Figure 4A is a flow diagram illustrating the steps of obtaining a hearing
profile of a user
using the hearing device of Figure lA in accordance with one embodiment of the
present
invention;
Figure 4B is a flow diagram illustrating the steps of obtaining a hearing
profile of a user
using the hearing device of Figure lA in accordance with another embodiment of
the present
invention;
Figure 5 is a flow diagram illustrating the steps of adjusting the audio
signal to be
transmitted to the user based on the user's hearing profile using the hearing
device of Figure
lA in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 6 is a functional block diagram of a hearing aid apparatus in
accordance with another
embodiment of the present invention;
Figure 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a built-in hearing test method of the
hearing aid
apparatus of Figure 6 in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention;
Figure 8 is a flow diagram illustrating a built-in volume calibration method
of the hearing aid
apparatus of Figure 6 in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention; and
Figure 9 is a flow diagram illustrating a built-in equalizer calibration
method of a user using
hearing aid apparatus of Figure 6 in accordance with one embodiment of the
present
invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT
Figure lA shows a hearing device 10 in the form of a hearing aid apparatus in
accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Figure 1A, the
hearing aid
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apparatus 10 includes one earphone cable 12 coupled with a signal processing
unit 14. In
one embodiment, the earphone cable 12 includes a signal connector jack 16 at
one end for
insertion into a corresponding port in the signal processing unit 14. In the
present
embodiment, the signal processing unit 14 includes a display screen 18 for
displaying
information to the user, and a number of control buttons 20 for allowing the
user to interact
with the unit 14. Preferably, the earphone cable 12 includes an elongated wire
portion 12a
extending from the signal connector jack 16, and a wire loop portion 12b
extending from the
elongated wire portion 12a. Preferably, the wire loop portion 12b allows
the earphone
cable 12 to be worn around the user's neck. The size of the wire loop portion
12b may
adjusted by manipulating the beads 22 arranged on the earphone cable 12 along
the cable. In
the present embodiment, the earphone cable 12 further includes two extended
wire portions
12c, 12d extending from the wire loop portion 12b, and each of them includes
one earbud
24a, 24b and one microphone module 26a, 26b. The length of the extended wire
portion 12c,
12d may be adjusted by manipulating the beads 40, 42 arranged on the earphone
cable 12
along the cable 12. Preferably, the earbuds 24a, 24b are noise isolating
earbuds each with an
integrated speaker, and each microphone module 26a, 26b includes one or more
microphones.
In a preferred embodiment, each microphone module 26a, 26b includes two
microphones,
one frontend microphone for collecting sound in the front (relative to the
orientation of the
microphone module) and one backend microphone for collecting sound at the back
(relative
to the orientation of the microphone module). The earphone cable 12 in the
present
embodiment allows for bi-directional data flow. Sound collected by the
microphone module
26a, 26b may travel along the earphone cable 12 to the signal processing unit
14, and sound
signals processed by the signal processing unit 14 may be transferred through
the earphone
cable 12 to the speaker in the earbuds 24a, 24b.
Figure 1B is a block diagram 100 showing the different functional modules of
the hearing
aid device 10 of Figure lA in accordance with one embodiment of the present
invention.
Reference numerals in Figure 1B that are similar (plus 100) to those used in
Figure lA are
used to refer to the same structure. For example, "12" is used to refer to
earphone cable in
Figure lA and "112 (100+12)" is used to refer to the same earphone cable in
Figure 1B. As
shown in Figure 1B, the block diagram 100 includes a block representing the
earphone cable
112 and a block representing the signal processing unit 114. In the present
embodiment, the
earphone cable 112 includes a left microphone module with one or more left
microphones
126a, a right microphone module with one or more right microphones 126b, a
left speaker
124a and a right speaker 124b; whilst the signal processing unit 114 includes
an audio codec
module 128, an audio amplifier 130, a processor and memory module 132, a
communication
module 134, a display module 118, a control module 120, as well as a multi-
band equaliser
136. In the present embodiment, the processor and memory module 132 is
arranged to
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connect with the different modules in the signal processing unit 114 for
controlling and
coordinating the operation of these different modules.
In the present embodiment, the microphones 126a, 126b in the earphone cable
112 are
arranged to collect sound from the environment. Sound collected by the
microphones 126a,
126b will be transmitted to the audio codec module 128 and hence the processor
and
memory module 132 in the signal processing unit 114 for processing. After
processing the
sound signal, the signal processing unit 114 may transmit the processed sound
signal to the
speakers 124a, 124b in the earphone cable 112 through the audio amplifier 130
so that the
processed sound signal can be played to the user.
Preferably, the audio codec module 128 in the signal processing unit 114 is
arranged to
perform analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog conversions. The audio codec
module 128
may digitize the analog sound signal received from the microphones 126a, 126b,
and may
transform the processed sound signal to be outputted to the audio amplifier
130 and hence to
the speakers 124a, 124b into analog output signals. In the embodiment where
the left and
right microphone modules each includes a front end microphone and a backend
microphone,
the audio codec module 128 may include two separate codec units, one
corresponding to the
front end microphones, one corresponding to the backend microphones.
The signal processing unit 114 further includes a processor and memory module
132
arranged to process incoming sound signals collected by the microphones 126a,
126b for
output to the speakers 124a, 124b, and to communicate data with other
different modules in
the signal processing unit 114. The processor and memory module 132 in one
embodiment is
arranged to store one or more hearing profiles of the user. The hearing
profile may be related
to the sensitivity of the user's hearing towards different frequencies of
sound. The hearing
profile may be created during the initial setup or subsequent calibration
process of the device
by the user. Preferably, the processor and memory module 132 comprises a
digital
signal processor arranged to process the digitized sound signal received from
the audio codec
128. In one embodiment, the processor and memory module 132 may be operable to
perform
adaptive beamforming and adaptive noise cancellation algorithms to process the
sound
signals. An example of these algorithms has been described in US patent
application US
14/287,204, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The
processor and
memory module 132 is further arranged to be in communication with the
equaliser 136 for
adjusting the sound signal collected based on the hearing profile of the user.
Preferably, the
processor and memory module 132 is further arranged to be in communication
with the
communication module 134, the display module 118, and the control module 120.
In an
alternative embodiment, the processor and memory module 132 may include a
processor and
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a memory module that are separated from each other.
The multi-band equaliser 136 arranged in the signal processing unit 114 is
preferably in
communication with the processor and memory module 132. In the present
embodiment, the
equaliser 136 is arranged to adjust the sound signal received from the
processor and memory
module 132 based on the hearing profile of the user. For example, if the user
is less sensitive
towards high frequency sounds, then the equaliser 136 will, based on the
hearing profile of
the user, process the sound signal to boost the high frequency sounds so as to
increase the
audibility of such sounds. Upon adjusting the sound signal, the equaliser 136
may send the
processed/adjusted signal back to the processor and memory module 132. In an
alternative
embodiment, the equaliser 136 may be integrated with the processor and memory
module
132.
The signal processing unit 114 in the present invention further includes an
audio amplifier
130. Preferably, the audio amplifier 130 is arranged to receive the processed
sound signal in
analog form from the audio codec module 128 and transmit the analog processed
sound
signal to the speakers 124a, 124b.
In the present embodiment, the communication module 134 includes one or more
of a
Bluetooth module, a radio (rf) module and a Wi-Fi module. Preferably, the
communication
module 134 is arranged to facilitate data communication between the signal
processing unit
114 and other external electronic devices. The display module 118 in the
present
embodiment may include a display screen that displays information related to
the device 10
to the user. For example, the display module 118 may display the status of the
device 10, a
time, a date, or may display information to guide the user to complete an
initial set-up, or a
subsequent calibration or a troubleshoot process. The control module 120 may
include one or
more control buttons arranged to allow the user to input information into the
unit 114, for
example, during the initial set-up, calibration or troubleshoot process. In
one embodiment,
the display module 118 and the control module 120 may be integrated in the
form of a touch
sensitive screen with interactive display. The arrangement of the display
module 118 and the
control module 120 allows the hearing device 10 to be able to be self-
calibrated by the user
without the assistance of audiologist or hearing device professionals.
Although not shown in
Figure 1B, the signal processing unit 114 may further include a power module
with one or
more rechargeable batteries for powering the operation of the device 10.
Referring now to Figure 2, there is provided a method for operating a hearing
device,
comprising the steps of: determining, using the hearing device, a hearing
response of a user
over a range of audible frequencies; and storing, at the hearing device, the
hearing response
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determined; wherein the hearing device is arranged to optimize an audio signal
to be
transmitted to the user based on the hearing response determined.
Figure 2 illustrates a method 200 for calibrating and operating the hearing
device 10 of
Figure lA in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In the
present
embodiment, steps 202 and 204 are the calibration steps for the hearing device
10 and steps
206-210 are operation steps of the hearing device 10.
In step 202, the method 200 involves determining a hearing response of a user
over a range
of audible frequencies, for either or both ears of the user. In one
embodiment, the hearing
response of the user is a hearing profile of minimum audible volume over the
range of
audible frequencies of the user. The range of frequencies in the present
embodiment may
include any frequency range between 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. Preferably, the range
of audible
frequencies is divided into a plurality of frequency bands, and at least one
frequency is
selected to represent each frequency band. The plurality of frequency bands
need not cover
range of frequencies of the same length (e.g., each band cover 5000Hz range)
but may cover
range of frequencies of various lengths (some bands cover 1000Hz range, some
cover
5000Hz range, etc.). In one example, the frequency range may span from 100 Hz
to 20,000
Hz, and the frequency range may be divided into 12 frequency bands. In this
example, the
centre frequency of each frequency band may be chosen to represent that
particular
frequency band. In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, step 202
involves
determining a minimum audible volume of at least one frequency, e.g., the
centre frequency,
in each of the frequency bands of the frequency range. After determining the
hearing
response of either or both ears of the user in step 202, the method 200
proceeds to step 204,
where the hearing response determined is stored. The hearing response
determined
corresponds to a hearing profile of minimum audible volume of the user over
the frequency
range. Preferably, the hearing profile is stored in the processor and memory
module 132 of
the device 10.
After calibrating the device 10 in steps 202 and 204, the method 200 proceeds
to step 206, in
which the microphones 126a, 126b of the hearing device 10 collect an audio
signal to be
processed prior to transmission to the user through the speakers 124a, 124b.
The audio signal
is transmitted from the microphone 126a, 126b through the earphone wire to the
audio codec
module 128 and the processor and memory module 132 of the signal processing
unit 114.
Preferably, the audio signal may be a sound of the environment of which the
hearing device
is in. For example, the audio signal may be background noise, speech, music,
etc.
Subsequently, in step 208, the hearing device 10 adjusts the collected audio
signal based on
the hearing response determined in the calibration steps 202, 204. In one
embodiment, the
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processor and memory module 132 may apply an adaptive beamforming algorithm
and/or an
adaptive noise cancellation algorithm to the collected signal, prior to
further processing of
the signal by the equaliser 136 based on the user's hearing profile.
Preferably, the equaliser
136 in the signal processing unit 114 are arranged to process the collected
audio signal based
on the hearing profile of the user stored in the processor and memory module
132. Upon
processing the collected sound signal based on the hearing profile of the
user, the processed
sound signal will then be transmitted from the processor and memory module 132
in the
signal processing unit 114 to the speakers 124a, 124b in the earbuds through
the audio codec
module 128, the audio amplifier module 130, in step 210.
Figure 3 shows a method 300 for obtaining a hearing profile of a user of the
hearing device
in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention. In the present
embodiment,
steps 302-308 are steps for obtaining an initial hearing profile of the user,
and steps 310-312
are steps for fine-tuning the hearing profile of the user. In some
embodiments, steps 310-312
may be optional and can be omitted. Yet in some other embodiments, steps 302-
308 may be
optional and can be omitted. In the present embodiment, steps 302-312 may be
performed by
the user through the display module 118 and the control module 120 in the
initial setup
processor or in a subsequent calibration process for the device 10.
In steps 302 and 304, the hearing device 10 is arranged to generate and
transmit a number of
test audio outputs of a particular frequency of sound to the user. Preferably,
the test audio
outputs are tonal sounds. In the present embodiment, test audio outputs with
different sound
pressure levels for the same frequency of sound are firstly generated at the
processor and
memory module 132 of the signal processing unit 114, and are then transmitted
to the user
through the audio codec module 128, the audio amplifier 130, and the speakers
124a, 124b.
Upon hearing (or not hearing) each test audio output, the user may provide a
feedback to the
device 10 to indicate whether he can hear or cannot hear the sound. This can
be done, for
example, by pressing a key in the control module 120 that corresponds to a
selection
displayed on the selection screen of the display module 118. Preferably, test
audio signals
with different sound pressure levels for the same frequency sound are
transmitted to the user
one at a time.
In the present embodiment, in step 302, the test audio signals of the same
frequency sound
provided to the user are increased or decreased with coarse adjustments, and
in step 304, the
test audio signals provided to the user are increased or decreased with fine
adjustments. For
example, the first few test audio signals played to the user in step 302 may
have a sound
pressure level difference of tens of decibels, and the subsequent test audio
signals played to
the user in step 304 may have a sound pressure level difference of a few
decibels. In the
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present embodiment, the main objective of steps 302 and 304 are to determine a
minimum
audible of at least one frequency in each of the frequency bands over the
entire frequency
range to be tested in an efficient manner, and therefore the test audio
signals are played to the
user in a corresponding sequence to achieve this objective in steps 302 and
304.
Upon completing steps 302 and 304, in step 306, the minimum sound pressure
level of that
particular sound frequency is determined. In the present embodiment, the
minimum sound
pressure level corresponds to the minimal audible volume that can be heard by
the user for
that particular frequency. In step 308, operation steps 302-306 are repeated
for different
sound frequencies in different frequency bands. Preferably, the minimum sound
pressure
level of at least one frequency in each frequency band is determined so as to
obtain a hearing
response or a hearing profile of the user over the entire frequency range. In
the example
where there are 12 frequency bands over the entire frequency range, steps 302-
306 are
repeated 12 times, from the lower frequency to the highest frequency in the
various
frequency bands, to determine the hearing profile of the user over the entire
frequency range.
In a preferred embodiment, steps 302-308 are also repeated for each of the
ears of the user.
Preferably, the hearing response or hearing profile determined for one or both
ears of the
user is then stored in the processor and memory module 132 of the signal
processing unit
114.
To improve the accuracy of the hearing response or the hearing profile
determined, in step
310, the device 10 may enter a random testing mode in some embodiments. In the
random
testing mode, the processor and memory module 132 of the hearing device 10 is
arranged to
generate and transmit a number of test audio outputs (e.g., tonal sounds) of
different
frequencies with different sound pressure levels to the user in a random or
pseudorandom
sequence. In one embodiment, the user is required to provide feedback through
the control
module 120 for each test audio output, to indicate the audibility of that
particular test audio
output. This process performed in step 310 is similar to that illustrated in
steps 302-304,
except that in step 310 the test audio outputs may be of various frequencies
and various
sound pressure levels, and may be played to either the left or right ear of
the user in a
random or pseudorandom manner. In one embodiment, the same test audio output
of the
same frequency, the same sound pressure level, and the same quality may be
repeated for
more than once for the same ear in the random testing mode.
Upon collecting further user feedback in the random testing mode, in step 312,
the processor
and memory module 132 in the signal processing unit 114 then processes and
averages the
user's feedback of the minimum audible sound pressure level that corresponds
to the
minimum audible volume for the same test audio output to further optimize and
improve the
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accuracy of the hearing response of the user.
Figure 4A illustrates a method 400A for obtaining a hearing profile of a user
using the
hearing device 10 of Figure lA in accordance with one embodiment of the
present invention.
The method 400A in Figure 4A corresponds to steps 302-304 in the method of
Figure 3. In
step 402A, the processor and memory module 132 of the signal processing unit
114 is
arranged to generate and transmit, through the speakers 124a, 124b, a first
test audio output
of a particular frequency to the user with one half of the maximum sound
pressure level that
can be outputted by the device 10. If the feedback from the user upon
transmitting the first
test audio output indicates that the user can hear the first test audio
output, the processor and
memory module 132 then generates and transmits, through the speakers 124a,
124b, a
second test audio output of a particular frequency to the user with one fourth
of the
maximum sound pressure level that can be outputted by the device 10, in step
404A.
Alternatively, if the feedback from the user upon transmitting the first test
audio output
indicates that the user cannot hear the first test audio output, the processor
and memory
module 132 then generates and transmits, through the speakers 124a, 124b, a
third test audio
output of a particular frequency to the user with three fourth of the maximum
sound pressure
level that can be outputted by the device 10, in step 406A. In one embodiment,
the device 10
is operable to generate a maximum sound pressure level of 120 dB, and thus the
first, second
and third outputs are 60 dB, 30 dB, and 90 dB respectively.
Upon completing steps 404A and 406A, the method then progress to step 408A,
where the
audio signal outputs of sequentially increasing or decreasing sound pressure
levels are
transmitted to the user to determine the minimum audible sound pressure level
that
corresponds to the minimum audible volume of that particular frequency of
sound. In one
embodiment, in step 408A, the sound pressure levels are increased or decreased
in steps of,
for example, a few decibels. If, after step 404A, it is determined that the
user cannot hear the
second test audio output, then in step 408A, the device 10 will increase the
sound pressure
level of subsequent test audio outputs, from one fourth of the maximum sound
pressure level,
in steps of a few decibels, until the minimum audible sound pressure level is
determined.
Alternatively, if, after step 404A, it is determined that the user can hear
the second test audio
output, then in step 408A, the device 10 will decrease the sound pressure
level of subsequent
test audio outputs, from one fourth of the maximum sound pressure level, in
steps of a few
decibels, to determine the minimum audible sound pressure level of that
particular sound
frequency. If, after step 406A, it is determined that the user cannot hear the
third test audio
output, then in step 408A, the device 10 will increase the sound pressure
level of subsequent
test audio outputs, from three fourth of the maximum sound pressure level, in
steps of a few
decibels, until the minimum audible sound pressure level is determined.
Alternatively, if,
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after step 406A, it is determined that the user can hear the third test audio
output, then in step
408A, the device 10 will decrease the sound pressure level of subsequent test
audio outputs,
from three fourth of the maximum sound pressure level, in steps of a few
decibels, to
determine the minimum audible sound pressure level of that particular sound
frequency. In
one example, each sound pressure level steps in step 408A has a 5 dB
difference.
Figure 4B illustrates a method 400B for obtaining a hearing profile of a user
using the
hearing device 10 of Figure lA in accordance with another embodiment of the
present
invention. Similar to the method 400A in Figure 4A, the method 400B in Figure
4B also
corresponds to steps 302-304 in the method of Figure 3.
In step 402B, the processor and memory module 132 of the signal processing
unit 114 is
arranged to generate and transmit, through the speakers 124a, 124b, a first
test audio output
of a particular frequency to the user with one half of the maximum sound
pressure level that
can be outputted by the device 10. If the feedback from the user upon
transmitting the first
test audio output indicates that the user can hear the first test audio
output, the processor and
memory module 132 then generates and transmits, through the speakers 124a,
124b, a
second test audio output of a particular frequency to the user with one fourth
of the
maximum sound pressure level that can be outputted by the device 10, in step
404B.
Alternatively, if the feedback from the user upon transmitting the first test
audio output
indicates that the user cannot hear the first test audio output, the processor
and memory
module 132 then generates and transmits, through the speakers 124a, 124b, a
third test audio
output of a particular frequency to the user with three fourth of the maximum
sound pressure
level that can be outputted by the device 10, in step 406B. If the feedback
from the user upon
transmitting the second test audio output indicates that the user can hear the
second test
audio output, the processor and memory module 132 then generates and
transmits, through
the speakers 124a, 124b, a fourth test audio output of a particular frequency
to the user with
a minimum sound pressure level that can be outputted by the device 10, in step
410B. If the
feedback from the user upon transmitting the third test audio output indicates
that the user
cannot hear the third test audio output, the processor and memory module 132
then generates
and transmits, through the speakers 124a, 124b, a fifth test audio output of a
particular
frequency to the user with the maximum sound pressure level that can be
outputted by the
device 10, in step 414B. In one embodiment, the device 10 is operable to
generate a
maximum sound pressure level of 120 dB, and thus the first, second, third,
fourth, and fifth
outputs are 60 dB, 30 dB, and 90 dB, ¨0 dB and 120 dB respectively.
Upon completing steps 404B, 406B, 410B and 414B, the method then progress to
step 408B,
412B or 416B respectively. In step 408B, subsequent test audio outputs of
increasing or
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decreasing sound pressure levels are transmitted to the user to determine the
minimum
audible sound pressure level that corresponds to the minimum audible volume of
that
particular frequency of sound. In one embodiment, in step 408B, the sound
pressure levels of
subsequent test audio outputs are increased or decreased in steps of, for
example, a few
decibels at a time. In step 412B, it is determined that no adjustment is
needed. In step 416B,
the method ends when it is determined that the audio output of that particular
frequency is
not audible to the user even with the largest sound pressure level that can be
outputted by the
device 10.
If, after step 404B, it is determined that the user cannot hear the second
test audio output,
then in step 408A, the device 10 will increase the sound pressure level of
subsequent test
audio outputs, from one fourth of the maximum sound pressure level, in steps
of a few
decibels, until the minimum audible sound pressure level is determined. If,
after step 406A,
it is determined that the user cannot hear the third test audio output, then
in step 408A, the
device 10 will increase the sound pressure level of subsequent test audio
outputs, from three
fourth of the maximum sound pressure level, in steps of a few decibels, until
the minimum
audible sound pressure level is determined.
If after step 410B, it is determined that the user can hear the fourth test
audio output, then in
step 412B, the device 10 will know that no adjustment to that particular
frequency of the test
audio output is needed. If after step 410B, it is determined that the user
cannot hear the
fourth test audio output, then in step 408B, the device 10 will increase the
sound pressure
level of subsequent test audio outputs, from the minimum sound pressure level,
in steps of
a few decibels, until the minimum audible sound pressure level is determined.
If, after step
414B, it is determined that the user cannot hear the fifth test audio output,
then in step 408B,
the device 10 will know that no adjustment to that particular frequency of the
test audio
output is helpful to the user. In one embodiment, the device may still provide
maximum
amplification of that signal in subsequent audio processing. If, after step
414B, it is
determined that the user cannot hear the fifth test audio output, then in step
408B, the device
will decrease the sound pressure level of subsequent test audio outputs, from
the
maximum sound pressure level, in steps of a few decibels, until the minimum
audible
sound pressure level is determined. In one example, each sound pressure level
steps in step
408B has a 5 dB difference.
Figure 5 illustrates a method 500 for adjusting the audio signal to be
transmitted to the user
based on the user's hearing profile using the hearing device 10 of Figure lA
in accordance
with one embodiment of the present invention. In one embodiment, method 500
corresponds
to step 208 in Figure 2.
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In step 502, the audio signal collected by the microphones 126a, 126b and pre-
processed by
the processor and memory module 132 (by applying adaptive beamforming and
adaptive
noise cancellation algorithms) is first scaled by the processor and memory
module 132
and/or the equaliser 136 based on the hearing profile of the user stored in
the processor and
memory module 132. In one embodiment, the audio signal is amplified or
suppressed by
increasing or decreasing the sound pressure level based on the hearing
response or profile of
the user. For example, if the audio signal includes a 5,000 Hz signal, and the
hearing profile
indicates that the user has a certain degree of hearing loss for 5,000 Hz
frequency sounds, the
processor and memory module 132 and/or the equaliser 136may amplify the audio
signal to
be transmitted to the user. On the other hand, if the audio signal includes a
10,000 Hz signal,
and the hearing profile indicates that the user has minimal hearing loss for
10,000 Hz
frequency sounds, the processor and memory module 132 and/or the equaliser
136may
suppress the audio signal to be transmitted to the user. For an audio signal
that contains
different frequency components, the processor and memory module 132 and/or the
equaliser
136 may adjust each of the frequency components accordingly based on the
hearing profile
or response of the user.
In step 504, the amplified or suppressed audio signal may be further averaged
and smoothed
by the processor and memory module 132 and/or the equaliser 136 based on the
hearing
profile of the user stored in the processor and memory module 132. In one
embodiment, the
processor and memory module 132 and/or the equaliser 136 are arranged to
average adjacent
frequency bands or all frequency bands in the entire frequency range contained
in the audio
signal to improve clarity of quality of the sound signal. Step 504 is
particularly useful for
processing audio signals containing a broad range of frequencies. Upon
completion of steps
502 and 504, the processor and memory module 132 will transmit the processed
audio signal
to the audio codec module 128 for digital to analog conversion. The analog
processed audio
signal is then transmitted to the user through the audio amplifier 130 and the
speakers 124a,
124b.
Figure 6 shows a hearing aid apparatus 600 in accordance with another
embodiment of the
present invention. As shown in Figure 6, the hearing aid apparatus 600
includes four
microphones 602 for collecting sound from the environment. The microphones 602
are
connected with an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 604, which digitize the
sound signals
received by the microphones 602. The ADC 604 is in turn connected with an
amplifier 606
and a speech enhancement module 608. The amplifier 606 can amplify the
digitized sound
signals, and the speech enhancement module 608 can process the amplified
digitized sound
signals to, for example, suppress background noise and boost speech signals.
In one
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embodiment, the speech enhancement module 608 may use phase shifting, spatial
filtering,
and/or adaptive filtering techniques to enhance the speech signals, based on
the frequency
characteristics of the sound. The amplifier 606 and speech enhancement module
608 may
perform binaural processing and localization of sound based on the spatial-
temporal
information of the sound signals collected at the different microphones 602.
The sound
signals processed by the speech enhancement module 608 will be transmitted to
a multi-band
equalizer 610, which renders the sound by adjusting the frequency response and
amplitude of
sounds of different frequency bands based on a predetermined hearing response
of the user.
For example, if the user has a weaker hearing response for frequency band A,
the multi-band
equalizer 610 may process and enhance the hearing signal of that particular
frequency band
A, before transmitting it back to the user. In one embodiment, the multi-band
equalizer 610
may also assist in performing binaural processing and localization of the
sound signals.
Finally, the processed sound signals are converted to analog signals through a
digital-to-analog converter (DAC) 612, and are played to the user through the
two speakers
614. Preferably, the two speakers 614 are stereo output speakers.
In the present embodiment, a combination of one or more of the ADC converter
604, the
amplifier 606, the speech signal enhancer 608, the multi-band equalizer 610
and the DAC
612 may be referred to as a "processing module"; and a combination of one or
more of the
control interface 618, the processing and memory module 620, the calibration
module 624,
the random generator 626 and the tone generator 628 may be referred to as a
"hearing test
module". A person skilled in the art would understand that the hearing aid 600
may include
any number of microphones and/or speakers, and that the more the number of
microphones,
the higher the spatial-temporal resolution of the sound may be achieved.
The hearing aid 600 in the present embodiment further includes a built-in
calibration and test
method that can be easily operated by the user, without requiring specific
testing facilities
and/or professionals. In the present embodiment, the hearing aid 600 includes
a control panel
or interface 618 that can receive user input 616. The control panel 618 may be
in the form of
a display screen with control buttons, or may be a touch sensitive screen.
Through the
control panel 618, the user can input command into the apparatus 600 and
receive response,
so as to perform the hearing test and/or calibration. In the present
embodiment, the hearing
aid 600 includes a random generator 626 and a tone generator 628 connected to
the speakers
614. The random generator 626 and tone generator 628 may be one or more
processors that
are arranged to generate random sound signals of different frequencies,
amplitude (e.g.,
sound pressure level), and quality to be played to the user through the two
speakers 614 for
performing hearing test. In particular, the random generator 626 enables the
selection of
different frequency bands at a random or pseudorandom manner. On the other
hand, the tone
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generator 628 enables generation of sound or tone in a particular frequency
band. In one
embodiment, the tone generator 628 may operate on its own to generate tones in
a
predetermined sequence, without receiving or using the input from the random
generator 626.
Upon hearing the tones being played, the user can then indicate the audibility
of the tone by
providing a user input through the control panel 618. In a simplified example,
the user may
click "CAN HEAR" on a display screen when a sound or tone could be heard, or
otherwise
the use may click "CANNOT HEAR". Preferably, the hearing test is performed
over the
entire audible frequency range across different frequency bands. The test
result, i.e., the
hearing response of the user, may be stored and may be further processed by
the processing
and memory module 620. A calibration module 624 is connected with the
processing and
memory module 620 and with the multi-band equalizer 610 to effect the
adjustment of
different frequency bands based on the hearing response of the user. In one
embodiment, the
calibration module 624 is operable to further process the hearing test result
or hearing
response prior to transmitting it to the multi-band equalizer 610 or prior to
using it for
adjusting the multi-band equalizer 610. The calibration module 624 is
preferably operable to
performing averaging and/or smoothing of the hearing test results across the
entire frequency
range for both channels (corresponding to the speakers 614), either together
or individually.
Figure 7 illustrates the operation of the built-in test method 700 of the
hearing aid apparatus
600 of Figure 6 in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention.
The method is
preferably mainly performed using modules 616-628 of Figure 6. In the present
embodiment,
the test begins in step 702, in which the left channel (corresponding to the
left speaker) is
first selected. In step 704, the first test i=1 is initialized. In step 706,
the random generator
626 generates a random number Ni to select a frequency band Bi to be tested.
The random
generator 626 and/or the tone generator 628 sets the sound pressure level
output
(SPL Output) to 50% of the maximum sound pressure level that can be outputted
by the
hearing aid 600, and sets the sound pressure level adjustment steps (SPL Step)
to also be
50% of the maximum sound pressure level in step 708. The tone generator 628
then
generates a tone with a frequency corresponding to the selected frequency band
Bi and with a
SPL Output corresponding to 50% of the maximum sound pressure level in step
710. In
steps 712 and 714, the hearing test result is recorded in the processing and
memory module
620 and the method determines whether the sound pressure level adjustment step
is equal to
the difference between the maximum and minimum sound pressure levels divided
by 128
(i.e., whether there has been eight test results for the same tone). If no,
the method proceeds
to step 716 to determine whether the user can hear that particular test tone.
If yes, the method
sets SPL dir as -1 in step 718A, otherwise the method sets SPL dir as 1 in
step 718B. In
step 720, the method steps the adjustment step SPL step as SPL step/2, i.e.,
divide the
previous SPL step by 2; and sets the sound pressure level output SPL Output as
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SPL Output + SPL dir* SPL step/2. In other words, the new sound pressure level
output is
set to the previous sound pressure level output plus the SPL dir (can be +1 or
-1 depending
on the test result) times the new sound pressure level adjustment step. The
method then
returns to step 710 with the new setting and substantially repeats the cycle,
i.e., steps 712 to
720.
In step 714, upon determining that the SPL Step is equal to the difference
between the
maximum and minimum sound pressure levels divided by 128 (i.e., there are
already eight
test results for the same tone), the method exits the cycle and proceeds to
step 722, in which
the test count i is updated. In step 724, the method determines whether eight
tests (e.g.
correspond to the eight frequency bands) have been performed. If not, the
method proceeds
to step 706 to perform the test of different frequency bands. Number eight is
chosen in this
embodiment as the frequency range is divided into eight bands. In other
embodiments, the
method in step 724 may determine whether other numbers of tests have been
performed
depending on the number of frequency bands.
If it is determined in step 724 that all eight bands have been performed, then
in step 726, the
method may proceed to initiate the test for the right channel (corresponding
to the right
speaker) by returning back to step 702 and hence the cycle. In step 726, if it
is determined
that the right channel has also been tested, the method then proceeds to step
728 to determine
whether a calibration is needed. In one embodiment, the user inputs a signal
through the user
input 616 and/or control panel 618 to indicate whether to perform the
calibration procedure.
If the user indicates that a calibration procedure is to be performed then the
method proceeds
to step 730 to initiate the calibration mode or algorithm, which may be
performed by the
processing and memory module 620 and/or the calibration module 624. Otherwise,
the
method proceeds to step 732 and the hearing test ends. In the present
embodiment, all the
test result may be stored in the processing and memory module 620 of the
hearing aid
apparatus 600. Further details of the calibration mode will be described with
respect to
Figures 8 and 9.
Figures 8 and 9 illustrate a built-in volume calibration method 800 and a
built-in equalizer
calibration method 900 for the hearing aid apparatus 600 of Figure 6, applied
to both
channels (corresponding to the speakers). In the volume calibration method 800
of Figure 8,
the processing and memory module 620 and/or the calibration module 624 of the
apparatus
600 computes an average of the eight test results 802A-802H for each tones to
determine an
average hearing loss level for that particular frequency tone of that
frequency band. Method
800 is preferably repeated for each frequency tones across all frequency
bands. The average
hearing loss level information 804 obtained using method 800 may be used for
adjustment
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(e.g., of the volume level 806) of or in the multi-band equalizer 610 of the
apparatus 600. In
the equalizer calibration method 900 of Figure 9, the processing and memory
module 620
and/or the calibration module 624 of the apparatus 600 performs a weighted
smoothing
process to the hearing response. In one embodiment, for each individual
frequency band 900,
the hearing test result in the adjacent upper and lower bands 900A, 900B will
be used for
smoothing the hearing response of the frequency band. Each of the hearing
result 900, 900A
and 900B is preferably applied with a respective weight function WL, Wc, WR
that may have
different weightings. The smoothed frequency band information or result 904 is
used for
adjustment (of the respective frequency bands 906) of or in the multi-band
equalizer 610.
Preferably, method 900 is applied to all frequency bands and for both
channels.
A person skilled in the art would readily appreciate that the hearing device
10 of Figures
1A-1B and the hearing aid apparatus 600 of Figure 6 of the present invention
may have
additional or reduced structures in other variations, and the different
methods 200-500 and
700-900 in the various embodiments of Figures 2-5 and 7-9 of the present
invention may
include additional steps or reduced number of steps without departing from the
spirit of the
present invention. For example, the different function modules in the device
10 and
apparatus 600 may be combined and may be implemented using the same or
different
processors, memory chips, etc. in communication through a bus. It should also
be noted that
the methods 200-500 and 700-900 in the various embodiments of Figures 2-5 and
7-9 can be
implemented separately or together, on any type of hearing device, not
necessarily restricted
to the hearing device 10 illustrated in Figures lA and 1B or the hearing aid
apparatus 600
illustrated in Figure 6.
The embodiments of the hearing device, the hearing aid apparatus, and the
method for
calibrating and operating the hearing devices in the present invention are
particularly
advantageous in a number of aspects. The hearing device/hearing aid apparatus
in the present
invention can be calibrated easily and reliably, and can be operated
effectively to compensate
for different hearing response or weakness of different individuals towards
particular sound
frequencies or frequency ranges, as well as for different ear structures,
e.g., pinna
morphology which is highly individual. The hearing device/hearing aid
apparatus in the
present invention is portable, and can be used by all walks of people,
including those with or
without hearing impairments. The hearing device/hearing aid apparatus readily
used as it can
be calibrated by the user without requiring any assistance from a hearing aid
professional or
audiologist, and without using any specific testing facilitates. A user may re-
calibrate the
device/apparatus from time to time for best operation performance. More
importantly, the
device/apparatus in the present invention can be readily re-calibrated for use
by different
people. In terms of calibration and operation methods, the calibration steps
implemented in
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the hearing device/hearing aid apparatus of the present invention initially
uses a one-half of
the maximum sound pressure level for testing each frequency of sound. This
arrangement
effectively prevents unnecessary and excessive initial sound exposure to the
user which may
be harmful. The subsequently adjustment of the sound pressure levels of the
test outputs in
coarse and fine steps allow for time-efficient testing and hearing profile
determination. The
implementation of a random testing mode in the calibration or setup process
significantly
reduces the error in calibration process, and substantially improves the
accuracy of the
determination of the hearing response or profile of the user. The subsequent
scaling,
averaging and smoothing of the audio signal collected by the microphone and
processed by
the processor and equaliser during operation of the device is advantageous for
improving the
overall audibility of the audio signal and for the comfort of the user. Other
advantages of
hearing device and the method in the present invention in terms of structure,
cost, function,
operation, effectiveness, efficiency, manufacturing ease, etc., will become
apparent to a
person skilled in the art upon referring to the above detailed description.
It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations
and/or
modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific
embodiments without
departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The
present
embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative
and not restrictive.
Any reference to prior art contained herein is not to be taken as an admission
that the
information is common general knowledge, unless otherwise indicated.
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