WO2002023948A1

WO2002023948A1 - Method for controlling a transmission system, use of this method, transmission system, receiving unit and hearing aid

Info

Publication number: WO2002023948A1
Application number: PCT/CH2000/000505
Authority: WO
Inventors: Jean-Claude Constantin
Original assignee: Phonak Ag
Priority date: 2000-09-18
Filing date: 2000-09-18
Publication date: 2002-03-21
Also published as: JP2004522333A; EP1319322A1; CA2422449C; CA2422449A1; AU2000269773B2; IL153976A0; AU6977300A

Abstract

The invention relates first to a method for controlling a transmission system consisting of at least one transmitter (S1,... Sn) and at least one receiving unit (1), a signal (SIN) that is transmitted through a service channel (120) being amplitude-, frequency-, and/or phase-modulated. According to the invention, configuration parameters are transmitted to the receiving unit (1) through a control channel (110,, 113). This transmission through the control channel (110,, 113) takes place independently of any transmission that may have taken place through the service channel (120). Based on the configuration parameters that are transmitted, adjustments relating especially to the demodulation of the signal (SIN) that is transmitted through the service channel are made in the receiving unit (1). The invention also relates to an application for the method, to a transmission system, to a receiving unit and to a hearing aid.

Description

Method for controlling a transmission system, application of the method, a transmission system, a receiving unit and a hearing aid

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a transmission system according to the preamble of claim 1, an application of the method, a transmission system, a receiving unit and a hearing aid.

Miniaturized FM (frequency modulated) transmission systems have been used in connection with hearing aids for some time. The transmission system essentially consists of a transmitting part with a microphone and a receiving part which is connected to the hearing aid. It is of the utmost importance that the receiving part is realized as small as possible and with a low weight, so that the unit, consisting of the receiving part and the hearing aid, has a size that is easily portable for the user.

From US-5 734 976 a receiving unit of the type described is known, an FM transmission method being used in this system, in which the carrier frequency is fixed by means of a quartz crystal.

The known teaching thus has the disadvantage that a change in the carrier frequency - and thus the

Transmission channel - requires the replacement of the quartz crystal. It is therefore not possible with this system to switch quickly between different transition channels. Furthermore, that is Known system also disadvantageous for the device manufacturer, because he has to keep a large number of different quartz crystals in stock so that a transmission channel switchover can be carried out in a more or less useful period.

The present invention is therefore based on the object of initially specifying a method which enables rapid switching from one transmission channel to another. At the same time, it should be avoided that

Transmission channel changes lead to interference in the audio signal.

This object is achieved by the measures specified in claim 1. Advantageous embodiments of the invention, an application of the method, a transmission system, a receiving unit and a hearing aid are specified in further claims.

The invention has the following advantages:

Configuration parameters, on the basis of which settings are made in the receiving unit, are transmitted to the receiving unit via a separate control channel, a flawless and interference-free switchover from one amplitude, frequency and / or phase-modulated signal to another can be carried out. Due to the low transmission rate, the control channel can be designed with low power compared to the useful channel. As a result, no special approval procedure for the control channel is required and the necessary components can be implemented extremely inexpensively. Furthermore, the use of a synthesizer in the receiving unit to generate the frequencies necessary for the demodulation of the transmitted signals enables an extremely fast and flexible adaptation to the carrier frequencies used, thus ensuring a quick switchover from one user channel to another.

The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to drawings, for example. Show

1 shows a transmission system according to the invention, in a schematic representation, with a receiving unit according to the invention,

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the receiving unit according to the invention according to FIGS. 1 and

3 shows a control unit for use in the transmission system according to FIG. 1.

1 shows, in a schematic representation, a transmission system according to the invention, consisting of a number of components which are to be provided depending on the application or depending on the operating modes.

The transmission system initially includes at least one transmitter S1,..., Sn and a receiving unit 1, which are connected via a wireless connection, hereinafter referred to as user channel 120. If, as provided in the present case, the signal to be transmitted is an audio signal, this is modulated with a carrier frequency in the transmitter S1, ..., Sn before transmission, for example using a known amplitude, Frequency and / or phase modulation method. As a result, the useful channel 120 is, of course, additionally dependent on the transmission power used and the carrier frequency used, for transmission over large distances or through buildings. Known modulation methods that can be used are described, for example, in Electronic Engineers' Handbook (Donald Christansen, 4th edition, McGraw-Hill, chapter 18).

The n transmitters S1 to Sn indicate that different audio signals to be transmitted are modulated with different carrier frequencies, so that different audio signals can be received in a reception area if a corresponding adjustment to the respective carrier frequency is carried out in the receiving unit 1. However, it is also conceivable that instead of the n transmitters S1,..., Sn, only one transmitter is provided which has a plurality of, preferably n transmission channels. The principle according to the invention is not abandoned by this variation of the transmitter design. In the following, one or the other configuration should be understood when mentioning the n transmitters S1 to Sn.

In order to be able to tune the receiving unit 1 to one of the transmitters S1 to Sn - and thus to a specific audio signal - the transmission system according to the invention has a control channel 110, 111, 112, 113, via the configuration parameters which the respective transmitter S1 to Correspond to Sn, are transmitted to the receiving unit 1. For this purpose, the transmitters S1 to Sn themselves or in separate components appropriate means for generating and transmitting the configuration parameters are available. This can optionally be a control unit 102 and / or a remote control 107. With the connections - ie with the control channel - between the receiving unit 1 and the

Control unit 102 or remote control 107 are also wireless connections, which are shown in FIG. 112 are marked. If the transmitters S1 to Sn themselves are provided with appropriate means for generating and transmitting the configuration parameters, these are transmitted to the receiving unit 1 via the control channel 113. It is pointed out that, although different control channels are conceivable according to FIG. 1 (see notes 110 to 113 in FIG. 1), in terms of transmission technology it is one and the same transmission channel, because its specifications, such as transmission rate and carrier frequency, remain , preferably unchanged for one and the same transmission system.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) modulation is used for the control channel, a transmission rate of 1280 bit / s and a channel center frequency of 40.960 kHz being provided.

The switchover or tuning to a specific carrier frequency - and thus to a specific audio signal - is not triggered according to the invention in the receiving unit 1 itself, but preferably via one of the control channels 110, 112, 113. The useful channel 120 provided for the audio signal becomes in the preferred embodiment of the transmission system according to the invention in no way for the transmission of other information used. On the one hand, this makes it possible to switch from one audio signal to another without having to make any manual settings in the receiving unit 1. On the other hand, this enables remote control of the receiving unit 1, which leads to a broad application of the transmission system according to the invention, as will be shown below.

Furthermore, in the transmission system according to the invention, a configuration unit 105 is provided, with the aid of which - again via a wireless connection 111 (control channel) - the receiving unit 1 and any further components connected to it can be configured or programmed. Since the receiving unit 1 can be positioned in the vicinity of the configuration unit 105 in the configuration phase, the demands on the connection 111 are correspondingly low, i.e. Flawless data transmission can take place with low transmission power. This is particularly important because - as can be seen from FIG. 1 - the connection 111 is a bidirectional connection and because, in particular when the receiving unit 1 is implemented in miniature form, the transmitting and receiving unit 1 is only very limited Energy is available.

For programming the receiving unit 1, a computing unit 106, which can be a commercially available PC, is also provided as an input and processing aid. The entire transmission system can thus be managed, in particular new program drivers being loaded onto the receiving unit 1. With the aid of a return process, for example, version information from the receiving unit 1 transmitted to the computing unit 106 via the configuration unit 105 and further evaluated there.

In the application shown in FIG. 1, the receiving unit 1 is detachably coupled to a hearing device 100. All functions relating to wireless signal transmission are implemented in the receiving unit 1. Due to the different requirements for the signal transmission speed and the transmission distance when transmitting

Audio signals and for the transmission of control signals, two antenna systems are provided in the receiving unit 1: an antenna A is provided for the audio signals and a reception coil, which has a much smaller dimensions, is provided for the control signals.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the control unit 102 is connected on the one hand to a loop antenna 101 and on the other hand to an input / computing unit 103. The latter in turn is used for easy entry of

Data and preferably consists of a commercially available PC (personal computer), in which case communication between control unit 102 and input / computing unit 103 takes place, for example, via a standardized USB (Universal Serial Bus) interface.

While the control unit 102 connected to the loop antenna 101 is used for the transmission of control signals to the receiving unit 1 with low transmission power, the remote control 107 is used for the transmission of control signals over short distances, also with low transmission power. The different Embodiments are further explained in connection with the use cases explained below.

The main application of the present invention relates to a transmission system in which the receiving unit 1 is coupled to a hearing device 100, whereby the potential user is not restricted to hearing impaired people, but also includes people who have normal hearing.

It is important for the present invention that the user of the hearing device 100 coupled to the receiving unit 1 according to the invention does not have to worry about which channel, i.e. sometimes to which carrier frequency, he has to tune his device or which signal processing is necessary so that he can receive and hear the desired audio signal, because this is done by the receiving unit 1, which is configured on the basis of configuration parameters received via the receiving coil 15. The required configuration parameters are sent from the control unit 102, from the remote control 107 or from one of the transmitters S1 to Sn directly to the receiving unit 1 via a universal communication channel, i.e. Control channel 110 resp. 112 resp. 113, transmitted without a possibly transmitted

Audio signal is disturbed. This control channel 110, which can only be used over short distances. 112 resp. 113 has its own modulation method, which has a carrier frequency which is in accordance with international standards. For applications in Europe, the EN standard is used

300 330 (Radio Equipment and Systems - RES; Short ranks devices technical characteristics and test methods for radio equipment in the ranks 9 kHz to 25 MHz and inductive loop systems in the frequency range from 9 kHz to 30 MHz) and for applications in the USA, reference is made to the standard 47 CFR "Code of Federal Regulations" (Telecommunication FCC Part 15, Subpart C: Intentional Radiators).

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the following parameters are via the control channel 110 respectively. 112 resp. 113 transferred:

• carrier frequency of a desired audio signal;

• A switching signal for completely switching off the receiving unit 1;

• A switching signal that causes the received audio signal to be superimposed on a microphone signal that is located in the hearing aid;

• A mute command to turn off the audio signal;

• A signal to control the volume of the received audio signal;

The reception unit 1 is configured accordingly on the basis of all or individual configuration parameters which are transmitted exclusively via the control channel 110 to 113.

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the control channel 110 to 113 is used in the following situations:

First, by means of the remote control 107, via which the user can control the receiving unit 1 with the hearing aid 100 of the transmission system according to the invention.

Secondly, by the control unit 102, which is connected to the loop antenna 101, which makes it possible is to supply each user or his / her receiving unit 1 with respective configuration parameters if he is within or. located in the reception area of the loop antenna 101. It is intended to assign one or more codes to each user, with which the users can be addressed individually or in groups. Such a transmission system is mainly used in schools, with all the advantages of automatic matching taking effect, especially the fact that no knowledge of the transmission channel (carrier frequency, etc.) is required. Further applications are conceivable in public areas - for example in conference rooms, churches or train stations - as soon as a public area equipped with the transmission system is entered, the

Receiver unit on the hearing aid automatically matched to the public transmission channel.

In this context it should be mentioned that a further embodiment consists in that instead of a

Hearing aid only an electro-acoustic transducer is coupled to the receiving unit. In this case, the various functions that are normally offered by a hearing aid are dispensed with.

Third, the control channel is used to transmit data that is stored in a storage unit of the receiving unit, i.e. the receiving unit or its storage unit can be programmed via the control channel.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is that individual or more transmitters S1 to Sn with a transmitter unit for generating a control signal resp. are equipped to transfer the configuration parameters. The transmitted configuration parameters are enriched with a code, on the basis of which an expressly addressed receiver unit 1 makes corresponding settings based on the configuration parameters.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of a receiving unit 1 according to the invention, which according to FIG. 1 can be detachably connected to a hearing aid 100.

An antenna A receives a frequency and / or phase-modulated signal S _IN which is first applied to a filter / amplification unit 2 which has an externally connected adjustment unit 19 for setting the desired frequency band. The output of the filter / amplification unit 2 is connected to the one input of a mixer 3. A second input of the mixer 3 is connected to the output signal of a synthesizer 6 to be explained. Downstream of the mixer 3 and connected to it is a demodulation unit 4, in which - together with the mixer 3 - a demodulated signal S is generated, which is subsequently fed to an amplification unit 5 which can be set via a control unit 7. The output _signals S _outl and S _out2 adapted in the amplification unit 5 are either connected directly to a loudspeaker or else to a hearing aid (not shown in FIG. 2).

In an embodiment variant of the receiving unit 1 according to the invention, an I ² S unit 13 with the Reinforcement unit 5 connected. The I ² S unit 13 is an interface unit for controlling a digital three-line bus. In this regard, reference is made to the international patent application PCT / CH99 / 00009 with the publication number WO 99/13699 by the same applicant. This application is an integral part of the present application. The I ² S unit 13 has a digital output, via which a digital audio signal ^S _{DIGITAL is} fed, for example, directly to the hearing aid 100 (FIG. 1).

Furthermore, a tone generator unit 14 is provided, which is coupled to the amplification unit 5 and which generates a signal for superimposition with the signal S. This allows the user a certain state of

Receiving unit 1, such as a low battery charge or the setting of the standard carrier frequency, are acoustically displayed. In order to receive corresponding control signals, the tone generator unit 14 is connected to the control unit 7 to be explained.

The transmit / receive coil, already explained with reference to FIG. 1, is designated by 15, via which configuration parameters are received via the so-called separate control channel. In order to tune this transmitting / receiving coil 15, which acts as an antenna, a capacitor 16 connected in series with it is provided, which is preferably designed to be variably adjustable. Transceiver coil 15 and capacitor 16 are connected to a transceiver unit 8, which in turn is connected to the control unit 7. The control unit 7 is the actual control center of the receiving unit 1 and, in addition to the components amplification unit 5, tone generator unit 14 and transceiver unit 8 already mentioned, also controls the synthesizer 6, in which the mixing frequencies for use in the mixer 3 are generated, and a monitoring unit 10, which controls the energy balance monitored and optimized in the receiving unit 1 so that the longest possible and flawless operation is guaranteed.

The control unit 7 takes the sequence control and further information from a memory unit 11 which is connected to the control unit 7 via a bus system. The storage unit 11 is a non-volatile, programmable memory, for example a so-called EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read-Only-Memory). It is known that higher voltages are required for programming such memory modules than are usually used to supply the other components. For this reason, furthermore is a

Voltage multiplier 9 provided with capacitors 18. This enables voltage values to be achieved which can be a multiple of the basic supply voltage.

In Fig. 2 the components are contained within a dashed frame with a few exceptions. These are the components which are preferably integrated on a chip, using CMOS technology. All other components - such as the capacitors 18, the antenna A, the

Transmit / receive coil 15, the adjustment unit 19, a quartz 20 connected to the synthesizer 6 and adjustment unit 21, etc. - are located outside the integrated one Circuit and are connected to this via appropriate contact points. This also includes the storage unit 11, which experience has shown is subject to rapid technological revision and consequently has a shorter average lifespan than the other components.

Finally, a single switching element 17 which can be actuated by the user is provided on the receiving unit 1, with the aid of which, for example, the following functions can be triggered:

• By closing the switch 17 "briefly", a switch is made between the following operating modes: "switching through the audio signal", "audio signal with superimposed signal of the microphone" and "no audio signal". (Toggle Mode)

• By closing the switch 17 "long", the frequency band is scanned for receivable audio signals ("scan mode").

• By closing the switch 17 "for a very long time", the receiving unit 1 is switched off. By closing the switch 17 again, the receiving unit 1 is switched on again.

The above-mentioned functions or their transitions can accordingly be triggered with the aid of the remote control 107, the transmitters S1 to Sn or possibly also by the control unit 102 (FIG. 1).

In order to keep the energy consumption in the receiving unit 1 as small as possible, in addition to the measures carried out by the monitoring unit 10 Demodulation unit 4 precautions. It is provided that the amplification unit 5 is automatically throttled as soon as the demodulation unit 4 has determined that no audio signal is being received. This is signaled to the control unit 7 and the amplifier unit 5 via the connection SQ, with which the components involved in the demodulation of the transmitted audio signal S _IN can be switched off. This reduces the energy consumption in the receiving unit 1 as desired. At the same time, any interference noises are also eliminated by not transmitting them to the following hearing aid 100 (FIG. 1).

In Fig. 3 is a block circuit diagram of one with a

Loop antenna 101 connected control unit 102 shown in FIG. 1. The control unit 102 essentially consists of a microcomputer 200, which is connected in a star shape to a storage unit 204, an input / output unit 203, a display unit 202, a modulator unit 201 and an interface unit 205. The interface unit 205 is preferably designed to operate a bus system of the USB (Universal Serial Bus) type.

In a further embodiment of the invention it is provided to send the receiving unit 1 information for correcting the transmission function of the user channel. This correction information is determined from calculations of a desired overall transmission function of the user channel, starting from the uncorrected overall transmission function. This enables any undesirable characteristics of the to correct the original overall transfer function.

It is again pointed out that - although the receiver unit and the transmission system according to the invention have been explained in connection with a hearing aid - the application is in no way limited to this area. Rather, the invention is particularly suitable for any application in which user channels are to be controlled.

Claims

claims:

1. Method for controlling a transmission system, consisting of at least one transmitter (Sl, ..., Sn) and at least one receiving unit (1), wherein a signal (S _IN ) transmitted via a useful channel (120) is amplitude, frequency and / or is phase-modulated, characterized in that • configuration parameters are sent to the receiving unit

(1) are transmitted via a control channel (110, ..., 113), the transmission via the control channel (110, ..., 113) being carried out independently of any transmission that may have taken place via the useful channel (120); and

• that, based on the transmitted configuration parameters, settings are made in the receiving unit (1) which in particular enable the demodulation of the signal (S _IN ) transmitted via the useful channel.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that an identification code is transmitted via the control channel (110, ..., 113), that the identification code is checked in the receiving unit (1) and that the settings in the receiving unit () 1), in particular in accordance with the corresponding configuration parameters.

3. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the receiving unit (1) is programmed from a configuration unit (105), the transmission of the programming data via the Control channel (111) takes place.

4. The method according to claim 3, characterized in that information is sent from the receiving unit (1) via the control channel (111) to the configuration unit (105).

5. The method according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that several receiving units (1) are addressed by one or more identification codes.

6. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that • the demodulation of the signal (S _IN ) based on the configuration parameters, in particular with the aid of the frequency generated, for generating at least one demodulated signal (S, S _0DT1 , S _0UT2 , S _DIGITAL ) is made; and • that the demodulated signal or the demodulated signals (S, S _0ÜT1 , S _oατ2 , S _DIGITAL ) are _fed to a further processing unit, in particular a hearing device (100) and / or an electro-acoustic transducer.

7. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that a total transmission function resulting from the transmitter (Sl, ..., Sn) and the receiving unit (1) in the receiving unit (1) is modified by parameters of the transmission function of the transmitter (Sl, ..., Sn), in particular amplification and transmission frequency, are transmitted to the receiving unit (1) via the control channel (110, ..., 113) and the. Transfer function of the receiving unit (1) is changed with regard to a desired overall transfer function.

8. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that an antenna (A) provided for receiving the modulated signals (S _IN ) is tuned to the respective transmission frequency.

9. The method according to any one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the transmission in the control channel (110, ..., 113) takes place with the aid of an FSK (Frequency Shift Keying) modulation.

10. Application of the method according to one of claims 1 to 9 for the transmission of audio signals from a transmitter (S1, ..., Sn) to at least one receiver unit (1) connected to a hearing device (100) or an electro-acoustic transducer.

11. Wireless transmission system, consisting of a receiver (1) and at least one transmitter (Sl, ..., Sn), wherein an amplitude, frequency and / or phase-modulated signal (S _IN ) from one of the transmitters (Sl,. .., Sn) is transmitted to the receiving unit (1), for which the

Receiving unit (1) has an antenna (A), characterized in that means (S1, ..., Sn; 102, 105, 107) for generating and sending configuration parameters and in the receiving unit (1) means (15) for receiving and processing the configuration parameters.

12. Transmission system according to claim 11, characterized in that the means for generating and sending the Configuration parameters are contained in a remote control (107), in a transmitter (S1, ..., Sn), in a control unit (102) connected to a loop antenna (101) and / or in a configuration unit (105).

13. Transmission system according to claim 11 or 12, characterized in that the receiving unit (1) is connected to a hearing aid (100) or an electro-acoustic transducer.

14. Receiving unit (1) for receiving frequency and / or phase modulated signals (S _IN ), these being received via an antenna unit (A), which is transmitted via a filter / amplification unit (2) and via a mixer () 3) with a demodulation unit (4) for generating the demodulated signals (S; S _0UT1 , S _0ÜT2 , ^S _DIGITAI _) is connected, and wherein the mixer (3) is further acted upon by the output signal of a synthesizer (6) which in turn can be checked via a control unit (7), characterized in that means (8, 16, 17) connected to the control unit (6) are provided for receiving and / or sending configuration parameters.

15. receiving unit (1) according to claim 14, characterized in that the means for receiving and / or sending configuration parameters from a transceiver unit (8), a transmission / reception coil (15) and a capacitor (16) for matching the transmission / reception coil (15) exist.

16. receiving unit (1) according to claim 14 or 15, characterized characterized in that the filter / amplification unit (2), the mixer (3), the demodulation unit (4), the synthesizer (6) and the control unit (7) can be implemented as an integrated circuit on a chip in CMOS technology.

17. Hearing aid with a receiving unit (1) according to one of claims 14 to 16.