WO2012113646A1

WO2012113646A1 - Hearing system

Info

Publication number: WO2012113646A1
Application number: PCT/EP2012/052095
Authority: WO
Inventors: Stefan Dietrich
Original assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte. Ltd.
Priority date: 2011-02-22
Filing date: 2012-02-08
Publication date: 2012-08-30

Abstract

The invention relates to a hearing system having a portable hearing device (HV) and a visual output device (VA) coupled thereto, wherein the hearing device (HV) is configured to allocate an auditory signal to visual information, wherein - in dependence on a predetermined type of output of the visual information - the hearing device (HV) is operable in a first and/or second mode. According to the invention, the understanding of auditory signals by hearing impaired users is thus significantly improved.

Description

description

Hearing instrument The invention relates to a hearing system comprising a hearing device and a portable coupled thereto visual Ausgabege ^¬ advises according to the preamble of claim 1 and a method of operating such a hearing system according to the preamble of claim. 8

Hearing aids are portable hearing aids that are used to care for the hearing impaired. In order to meet the numerous individual needs, different types of hearing aids such as behind-the-ear hearing aids (BTE), hearing aid with external receiver (RIC: receiver in the canal) and in-the-ear hearing aids (IDO), e.g. Concha hearing aids or canal hearing aids (ITE, CIC). The hearing aids listed by way of example are worn on the outer ear or in the ear canal. In addition, bone conduction hearing aids, implantable or vibrotactile hearing aids are also available on the market. The stimulation of the damaged hearing takes place either mechanically or electrically.

Hearing aids have in principle as essential components an input transducer, an amplifier and an output transducer. The input transducer is usually a sound receiver, z. As a microphone, and / or an electromagnetic receiver, for. B. an induction coil. The output transducer is usually used as an electroacoustic transducer, z. B. miniature speaker, or as an electromechanical transducer, z. B. bone conduction, realized. The amplifier is usually integrated in a signal processing unit. This basic structure is shown in FIG. 1 using the example of a behind-the-ear hearing device. In a hearing aid housing 1 for carrying behind the ear are one or more microphones 2 to

Built-in sound recording from the environment. A signal ^¬ processing unit 3, which is also integrated into the hearing aid housing 1 processes the microphone signals and comparable strengthens her. The output signal of the signal processing unit 3 is transmitted to a loudspeaker or earpiece 4, which outputs an acoustic signal. The sound is optionally through a sound tube which is fixed gear with a otoplasty in the auditory, übertra ^¬ gen to the eardrum of the wearer. The energy supply of the hearing aid and in particular the signal processing unit 3 by a likewise integrated into the hearing aid housing 1 battery 5 hearing aids must be small and light so that they can be comfortably carried by a user. Therefore, as few electrical components are accommodated in a hearing aid un ^¬, namely essentially those for detecting acoustic signals and amplifying the same. For devices for providing additional functions, the space in a conventional hearing device is usually insufficient.

Significant simplification and improvement of listening comprehension are visual output devices that can output acoustic signals in the form of text or symbols.

From the document WO 2007/110551 Al a system for hearing-impaired person is known, which is able to be output from a hearing aid emp ^¬ captured signals into character or phonetic transcription on a display. In this case, the signals received by the hearing aid via a transmitter to another external processing unit - in this case, a conventional PC - forwarded on which they are further processed for subsequent output on a display. The output is done on a pair of glasses, on which the text is displayed, which was generated by the PC from the acoustic signals. In this case, the transmission of the generated visual output takes place simultaneously with an auditory output of the received acoustic signal. The solution shown can only be used locally and thus severely restricts the radius of action of the user hearing the hearing. It is an object of the invention to provide a hearing system that saves space and allows flexible use.

This object is achieved by means of a hearing system which has the features of patent claim 1 and a Ver ^¬ drive for operating such a hearing system, which has the features of claim 9. Advantageous Ausges statements with expedient developments of the invention sin> specified in the dependent claims.

The hearing instrument according to the invention thus provides for a portable listening ^¬ apparatus and coupled thereto visual output device before, wherein the hearing device is adapted for an assignment of an auditory signal to a visual information, wherein the hearing device, depending on a vorbestimm 'th type of output of the visual Information, in a first and / or second mode is operable.

In other words, depending on a predetermined way of outputting the visual information, a distinction is made as to whether a signal processing unit of the hearing device can instantly translate the auditory signals into visual information - such as phonetic transcription, symbols or characters - where they are directly linked to a visual output coupled thereto ^¬ device can be output, or whether they require further processing.

In the first mode, the computing power provided by the signal-processing unit of the hearing device is sufficient. By eliminating the need for further intermediate steps to convert the auditory signals into visual information, money can be saved for additional processing and space.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the portable hearing device is configured in a second mode for: converting the auditory signal into information that further transmits the information in the visual output device works and the processed information visually ^¬ can be made. Such an embodiment is particularly advantageous if the visual information has to be output in the form of a sign language and / or a lip language. The presentation of sign language and / or lip language places high demands on the graphical processing of the converted auditory signals. Nevertheless, the hearing aid and the associated visual output device are able to provide such a data processing to a hearing-impaired user of the hearing system. In addition, the sign language by anyone can be verstan ^¬ especially as it applies internationally and needs no further translation more.

The output of the auditory signals also makes sense on a loudspeaker of the hearing device, which can be synchronized with the output of the visual information on the visual output device. The simultaneous output of the information in auditory and visual form considerably facilitates the understanding of the hearing-impaired user.

It is especially useful when the output of visual information on the output device has all possible symbols

and / or characters and / or sign language and / or lip language and / or phonetic transcription. Characterized can be provided simultaneously to a Ge ^¬ bärden- or lip language subtitling, for example, by means of symbols or characters available to a hearing impaired on the output device.

To provide the user with maximum mobility and flexible use, the visual output device is portable.

As a portable visual output device, in particular, a conventional smartphone or a PDA or a portable PC is suitable. These devices have found their way into the daily lives of users today. Furthermore, they are multifunctional devices which, in addition to being used as a visual output device, Liehe applications. Apart from that, no further visual output device is necessary, which would have to carry the schwerhö ^¬ rende user constantly with him. Furthermore, the prices for the mentioned output devices are: Smartphone, PDA in an affordable financial framework for each user.

A further aspect of the invention relates to a method for operating a hearing system with a portable hearing device and a visual output device coupled thereto, wherein in a first step an auditory signal is assigned to visual information by the hearing device, and in a further step, the operation of the hearing device in a first and / or second mode, depending on a predetermined way of outputting the visual information.

In a particularly advantageous embodiment, the output on a loudspeaker of the hearing device and the output of the information on the visual output device are synchronized. By simultaneously providing the ^information which belongs to an auditory signal, the understanding of the content is particularly simplified and improved.

In the following the invention and its imple mentation forms will be explained with reference to a drawing. It shows:

1 shows a schematic view of a hearing aid according to the

State of the art;

2 shows a signal flow diagram in a hearing system according to the invention when operating in a first mode, and

3 shows a signal flow diagram in a hearing system according to the invention when operating in a second mode. In FIG 2, the signal flow is one of a microphone M emp ^¬ captured auditory signal to an output on a speaker L and playback of visual information of the auditory signal on a visual output device VA illustrated.

An auditory signal, for example sound, speech or audible warning signals are received by the microphone M of a portable hearing device HV of a hearing system. By means of a signal-processing unit SV, the auditory signal is adapted for better auditory understanding to an audible frequency spectrum of a hearing-impaired user. The width ^¬ ren the processed auditory signal in the portable listening device HV is converted to visual information. In the present case, the assignment Z of the auditory signal takes place in symbols, phonetics or characters. For this purpose, the computing power of the signal processing unit SV of a current portable hearing device HV suffices.

In a preferred embodiment, an assignment of auditory signals to a corresponding phonetic transcription can thus be implemented particularly simply and effectively. This is possible because the phonetic transcription includes only a few sound symbols. As a result, the selection for an allocation of parts of an auditory signal to a sound is very time-saving.

An assignment or conversion U of auditory signals into characters requires a considerably higher computing power of the signal processing unit SV.

Subsequently, the converted auditory signal is transmitted via an output A of the hearing device HV to a receiving unit E of the visual output device VA.

Conveniently, the coupling of the portable Hörvor ^¬ direction with the visual output device is wireless. In particularly preferred embodiments, these are an infrared connection, a Bluetooth connection or a radio link. Connection. In other embodiments, however, a wired transmission of the processed auditory signal to the portable visual output device VA is possible.

The output of the information - the processed auditory signal in a speaker L of the portable listening device HV - as well as the output of the converted auditory signal on the visual output device VA is preferably carried syn ^¬ chron. Depending on requirements, it is also conceivable to turn on only the loudspeaker L of the portable hearing device HV or the output on the visual output device VA or off ^¬ .

In FIG. 3, the operation of the hearing system according to the invention is illustrated in a second mode. Here, a akusti ^¬ signals are available via a microphone of a hearing device M HV is received and transmitted to a signal processing unit SV of Hörvor ^¬ direction HV. Analogously to the operation in the first mode, the auditi ^¬ ve signal received by means of the microphone M is further processed in the signal processing unit SV.

The operation of the hearing system in the second mode provides that the data processed by the signal processing unit SV signal via an output A of the portable listening device HV to a receiving unit E of the visual output device VA will carry over ^¬.

This visual output device VA is adapted to convert the received signals into visual information. For this, the visual output device is equipped with its own computer unit, which makes it possible to also process compute-intensive Aufga ^¬ ben. For this purpose, the computing power must meet the demands on the graphic or visual output of sign language and / or lip language.

Also in this embodiment, the transmission of the signals from the portable hearing device HV to the visual is carried out Output device VA preferably wireless. In further exporting ^¬ approximately embodiments of the invention but a wired transmission may be provided.

In the second mode, it is also desirable that the output of the auditory signal via the loudspeaker L loudspeaker L is synchronized with the output of the visual information on the visual output device VA.

In a further embodiment, either one of the two outputs can be hidden or switched off.

Both the first mode of operation and the second mode of operation ^¬ can be combined with each other as desired, so that, for example, in addition to an output of Gebär ^¬ den and / or lips and symbols and / or Schriftzei ^¬ Chen on the visual output device VA simultaneously Darge ^¬ be presented.

Claims

claims

1. hearing system comprising:

a portable hearing device (HV) and a visual output device (VA) coupled thereto,

characterized in that

the hearing device (HV) is set up to assign an auditory signal to a visual information,

wherein, depending on a predetermined way of outputting the visual information, the hearing device (HV) is operable in a first and / or second mode.

2. Hearing system according to claim 1,

characterized in that

the portable hearing device (HV) is designed in the first mode for such conversion U of the auditory signal into visual information that the visual information can be displayed directly on the visual output device (VA).

3. Hearing system according to claim 1,

characterized in that

the portable hearing device (HV) is formed in said second mode for such a transformation U of the auditory signal into information that the information in the visual Ausga ^¬ begerät (VA) further processed and further processed in ^¬ formation is represented visually.

4. Hearing system according to one of claims 1 to 3,

characterized in that

an output of the auditory signals on a speaker (L) of the hearing device (HV) with the output of the visual information on the visual output device (VA) are synchronized.

5. Hearing system according to one of claims 1 to 4,

characterized in that

the output of the visual information on the visual output device (VA) comprises: Symbols and / or characters and / or sign language and / or lip language and / or phonetics.

6. Hearing system according to one of claims 1 to 5,

characterized in that

the visual output device (VA) is portable.

7. Hearing system according to one of claims 1 to 6,

characterized in that

the visual output device (VA) is a smartphone or a PDA or a portable PC.

8. Method for operating a hearing system

with a portable hearing device (HV) and a visual output device (VA) coupled thereto

characterized by the steps:

Assigning an auditory signal to a visual information by the hearing device (HV),

Operating the hearing device (HV) in a first and / or second mode in response to a vorbe certain type of output of the visual information.

9. The method according to claim 8,

characterized in that

the output on a loudspeaker (L) of the hearing device (HV) and the output of the information on the visual off begerät (VA) takes place synchronously.