Note : Les descriptions sont présentées dans la langue officielle dans laquelle elles ont été soumises.
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S P E C I F I C A T I O N
TITLE
"DATA INPUT FOR HEARING AID MEANS"
REI~TED APPLICATION
The present application is related to Hill Case No. P-92,2255, U S. Serial No.
07/988,973, filed December 10, 1992, and entitled "A HEARING AID DEVICE~, inventor
Wolfram Meyer et al.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Hearing aids and devices for matching their characteristics to the respective
hearing impairment of a hearing-impaired person are known. For example, DE 35 27 112
C2 discloses a remotely controliable hearing aid whose various settings of the controls
that are otherwise arranged at the hearing aid itself can be remotely operated with an
ultrasound transmitter, whereby the actual controls are accommodated in a separate
housing of the remote control. The microphone of the actual hearing aid is also employed
for receiving the ultrasound signals.
Further, EP 0 064 042 B1 corresponding to U.S. Patent No. 4,425,481 discloses
a circuit arrangement for a hearing aid, whereby the parameters for eight different ambient
situations are stored in a memory in the hearing aid itself. By actuating a switch, a first
group of parameters is called in and, via a control unit, controls a signal processor
inserted between microphone and earphone that then sets a first transfer function
intended for a provided environment. All eight transfer functions can be successively
called in via a switch until the one that is suitable at the moment is found. On the other
hand, an automatic matching is also provided by switching to a different transfer function
when the user, for example, comes from a noisy environment into a qulet environment or
viceversa. This swUching also occurs cyclically. When one wishes to set transfer
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functions oth~r than those that are stored, th~n th~ non-volatile memory must b~ ~ras~d
by an external programming unit and can be re-programmed by it.
~ E 36 42 828 C2 corresponding to U.S. Patent No. 4,947,432, discloses a
remotely controllable, programmable hearing aid having an amplifier and transmission part
that can have its transmission properties between microphone and earphone selectively
set to different transmission characteristics. An external control device is provided with
a transmitter for the wireless transmission of control signals to the hearing aid. A receiver
is situated therein for receiving and demodulating control signals. The external control
device thereby contains a first memory in a digital control unit for a plurality of programs
for parameters representing different transmission characteristics of the hearing aid, and
contains a control panel for selectively calling in a respective set of parameters for one of
the transmission characteristics for a transmission to the hearing aid and also contains
a transmitter that can be modulated with these parameters as control signals. The
hearing aid also contains a further control unit for the control of the transmission part of
the hearing aid that can be controlled by the control signals after they are demodulated.
The external control device comprises a high-frequency transmitter that can be modulated
with the control signals.
The user can select between various setting possibilities for the actual hearing
aid, for example a setting for quiet rooms, a setting for travelling in a car, another setting
for listening to music, etc. The hearing aid can be operated in that corresponding keys
f the external control device are pressed. The external control device for the hearing aid
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also enables a matching of the hearing aid to the hearing u~ of the user. The
hearing aid acoustic technician can implement the settings for the various environmental
influences on the basis of an interactive setting procedure ~ogether with the hearing-
impaired person.
Finally, EP-A 0 363 609, corresponding to U.S. Patent No. 5,144,674, and CH-
A 671 131 disclose further devices or means for programming hearing aids.
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SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of the invention is to design a data input for a remote control and/orprogramming unit of a remotely controllable and/or programmable hearing aid moreadvantageously in terms of structure and operation, such that user-friendly miniaturized
electrical components that have low susceptibility to disruption are utilized.
According to a data input of the invention for a remote control and/or
programming unit of a remotely controllable and/or programmable hearing aid, a matrix
field of pressure sensors and/or pressure and position sensors in film design is provided.
The sensors react with variable resistance. They are composed of laminated polymer
plies wherein one ply is coated with two digitizing electrodes and the corresponding other
ply is coated with a semiconductor material. The matrix field is in the form of an input
panel and is arranged on a housing of the remote control or of the programming unit.
The sensors of the matrix are designed as switches and/or as regulators. The setting or
programming selected by pressing the sensors can be transmitted to the hearing aid in
wire bound or via a remote-control such as by ultrasound, on an infrared basis, according
to the radio principles, or the like, after evaluation of the sensor data in an arithmetic unit
connected via a standard interface. The setting or programming data can be stored in
the arithmetic unit and/or in the hearing aid.
In such a data input, input keys, switches, sliding switches, control elements,
regulators, potentiometers or the like are replaced by pressure sensors and/or pressure
and position sensors arranged in a matrix field. Such a pressure sensor is a touch
contact sensor responding to pressure that reacts with variable resistance. The electrical
resistance decreases all the more greatly the greater the force of pressure acting on the
film layout. This pressure sensitivity is optimally suited for manual actuation of the switch
elements, controi elements and regulating elements of the remote control or programming
unit for the hearing aid, namely both in the remote control of the hearing aid as well as
in the programming ~matching the hearing aid to the hearing loss of the respective user),
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as well as for readjustment of the hearing aid or for volume control thereof. In a hearing
aid having stored parameters for different transmission characteristics, a pressure sensor
can form a switch-over means for setting the hearing aid to a specific aural situation (for
example, quiet or loud environmental situations).
The pressure sensorg can be designed point shaped, strip-shaped or planarly,
particularly as a matrix, can be arranged at ~he operating side of the remote control clevice
or of the programming unit, and can be actuated by direct pressurization with a finger or
an operating pin.
Superficially viewed, pressure sensors of the type employed are membrane
switches but, by contrast to conventional switches, vary the reslstance given pressure
applied in the normal direction. A finger pressure of approximately 10g on a pressure
sensor causes the resistance to decrease linearly from, for example, 400 kOhm to 40
kOhm. These sensors are therefore ideally suited for touch controls wherein semi-
quantitative sensors are desired that are relatively cost-beneficial, thin (less than 0.15 mm),
extremely durable (approximately 10 million actuations), and resistant to environmental
influences. The sensors are combined to form sensor fields. Pressure and position
sensors can recognize the posltion and the pressure load applled in the normal direction
by a single actuator, for example, by a fin~er or by a pin, either along a line (linear
potentiometer) or on a planar surface (XYZ pad). Dependent on ~he arrangement,
positional resolutions of 0.05 mm can be achieved.
Pressure and position sensors as well as film pressure sensors and film position
sensors in film design ("Force Sensing Resistors" or, respectively, "Force and Position
Sensing Resistors" of Interlink Electronics Inc.) of the type employed are inherently known
(U.S. Patent 4,810,992, U.S. Patent 4,963,702, and U.S. Patent 5,053,585).
BRI~ DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Figure 1 shows a data input for a programming unit o1 the invention in
combination with an arithmetic unit and a hearing aid;
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Figure 2 illustrates a data input for a remote control of the invention in
combination with a remotely controllable hearing aid;
Figure 3 shows a data input for a programming unit according to Figure 1
having a form with audiogram curves placed onto the matrix fields;
Figure 4 illustrates a matrix field in which the interdigiti~ing electrodes of
pressure sensors Joined to one another are arranged in uniformly distributed fashion;
Figure 5 is an enlarged, schematic illustration and a section through a pressureand/or pressure and position sensor 10 in film design that can be actuated by a finger
22 or by a switch means/operating pin;
Figure 6 is a sensor according to Figure 5 composed of laminated polymer
plies, whereby one ply 8 is coated with interdigitizing electrodes and the second ply 9 is
coated with a semiconductor material; given the influence of a force according to arrow
17, the sensor can thereby be employed as a sensor switch, for example on/off switch,
or, given the influence of a force in the arrow directions 18, can be employed as a sensor
regulator, for example, as a potentiometer; and
Figure 7 is a sensor 10 onto which a force 19 exerted via a switch means or by
a finger tip acts, the force direction thereof being potentially different according to the
arrows 20, whereby the sensor can form a control means corresponding to a Joy stick.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
An input panel 6 is situated at the control part of a programming unit 1 that can
be connected via an interface 2 to a computer 3, such as a personal computer or the like,
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and that can be ce~e~ed to a hearing aid 5 via a wiring 4 or via a known remote control
unit (not shown), or that can be brought into a functional connection with a hearing aid.
The input panel 6 comprises a matrix field 7 of pressure sensors and/or pressure and
position sensors in film design. The matrix is composed of laminated polymer plies,
whereby one ply 8 is coated with interdigitizing electrodes and the corresponding other
ply is coated with a semiconductor material 9. The matrix field thereby lorms a plurality
of pressure sensors and/or pressure and poshior.~ sensors 10.
Disruption-prone contacts of traditional switches, known potentiometers, and
known miniature control elements can be replaced with such sensors, whereby the
switchin~ and control is possible dependent on the force and/or the direction of the force
acting nn the pressure sensor. In a simple embodiment, components like a Joy stick or
a linear potentiometer or a programming field can be created. Whereas a status that has
already been switched has its value varied given a traditional potentiometer, the linear
potentiometer provided in the invention - formed, for example, by a section A of the matrix
field 7 or by a matrix field strip 11 - enables a specific value to be selected and to then
process it as a signal. Thus, a force that selects a desired value can be exerted on a
scaling 12 of pressure sensors joined to one another. This value can be confirmed by
increased pressure, i.e. the signal processing can then occur. Particular advantages
derive due to an embodiment of the sensors protected against environmental influences,
by a considerable space-saving on the actuation surface, since the sensors lie closer to
one another than would be possible given individual keys of a keyboard, and in that the
control values can be more precisely selected, particularly with nearly continuous
variation, this being of significance for the setting/programming. Whereas the
semiconductor material 9 in pressure sensors switches the interdigitizing electrodes 8
more or less parallel, linear potantiometers constructed of pressure and position sensors
implement two measurements, given only one pressure contacting. Two types of
connections are available: one corresponds to the position of an exerted force along a
strip and the other measures the strength of the exerted force. A clocking of these two
terminals allows the multiplexed, independent measurement of the force/position that
recognizes positional changes up to 0.05 mm. A three-ply X-Y-Z digitizer pad sensor
embodiment supplies a multiplexed force/position output in one plane. The measurement
position can be an arbitrary set of coordinates in the apparatus plane. The force exerted
onto the sensor can be independently measured. This sensor design is specifically
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suitable for the measurement of the position of a punctiform object, for example a finger
tip or a pin. For uses that require muiti-point measurements, a matrix field sensor
arrangement composed of a plurality of pressure sensors is available, these being
arranged on a common carrier substrate. These sensors can be addressed serially or
in parallel.
The pressure sensors that are employed are distinguished by an especially
good durability and can be designed as relatively thin profiles in thicknesses from 0.02
through 0.7 mm. Further, the pressure sensors have no moving parts and are insensitive
to vibrations. Further, the pressure sensors that are provided are especially resistant to
temperature, chemicals and moisture. Finally, the pressure sensors can work withextremely low currents.
In the embodiment of Figure 1, input fields in the form of keys F, through Fn for
selecting various hearing aid functions are provided in the lower section of the matrix field
7. These function keys F1 - Fn are allocated, for example, to the volume, to one or more
AGCs ~automatic gain control circuits), to a PC (output acoustic pressure level limitation),
to a treble or base reduction, or to a separating frequency setting given multi-channel
devices. The further section A of the matrix field has its sensors serving the purpose of
varying the hearing aid functions. As partially shown in section, an LC dlsplay 13 via
which data can be displayed is provided over the matrix field 7 according to Figure 1.
For programming, forms 14 having data or program curves 15, graphlcs or
audiograms of the hearing aid user can be placed onto the matrix 7 of the input panel 6
(Figure 3). Fixing elements 16 are provided at the programming unit 1 for fixing and
holding the forms 14. In accordance therewith, the audiogram curve 15 of the hearing-
irnpaired person can be transferred onto the matrix field 7 with a pressure pin, whereby
the data supplied by the sensors 10 are converted by the computer 3 into a target-gain
curve (target gain for the hearing aid) and can be supplied to the hearing aid 5.
In the embodiment of Figure 2, a remote control 21 comprises an input panel
6 on which a matrix 7 and over which a display 13 are arranged. The matrix is sub-
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divided into four fields/sections A-D and forms sel~ction switches S1, S2, and, potentially,
an on/off switch S3 in the lower edge section. Via the selection switches Sl, S~, the
hearing aid user can select or call in functions with the remote control that are
programmed in the hearing aid or in the remote control unit such as, for example, specific,
stored signal processing proçlrams matched to different aural situations (loud or quiet
environment, street noise, concerts), or can switch the hearing aid from microphone mode
to the induction or telephone coil mode. On the basis of a corresponding adaptation of
the electronics, the remote control can also automatically shut off in chronologically
delayed fashion, so that an additional off switch is superfluous. ~urther, the remote
control can always be kept ready to operate, so that an on switch is also superfluous.
By pressing or stroking along the sensors of the fields A-D of the matrix, the user can
modify function variations of the function modes of the hearing aid that have been
selected and are displayed on the display 13, for example volume control, varying the
output acoustic level pressure, etc. The matrix strip 11 with scaling 12 illustrates the
function of a linear potentiometer. According to the exemplary embodiment of Figure 2,
a microprocessor-controlled remote controlled device is provided that drives a receiver
of the hearing aid S by ultrasound, on an infrared basis or according to radio principles.
Figure 4 shows a portion of a matrix field 7 composed of a ply 8 having
interdigitizing electrodes that is coated with a ply 9 of semiconductor material and forms
pressure or pressure and position sensors 10 adjoining one another.
An especially advantageous employment of a pressure and position sensor
derives in the form of a loystick, as schematically indicated in Figure 7. Function changes
can then be implemented dependent on the position of the pressure and/or on the force
of the pressure, andtor on the direction of the pressure of a force 19 on the sensor.
Although various minor changes and modifications might be proposed by those
skilled in the art, it will be understood that we wish to include within the clairns of the
patent warranted hereon all such changes and modifications as come within our
contribution to the art.
