Hearing aid built-in real ear measurement

Abstract

A method of operating a hearing aid to verify its amplification through a tube that connect the hearing aid microphone to the ear canal the hearing aid will have a recorded the acoustic stimulus for real ear measurement (e.g., speech at different levels) or if the hearing aid include two microphones, we can use one microphone to receive the stimulus from the load speakers and the other microphone (which connected to ear canal through a tube) to measure the ear canal signal and verify its amplification.

Description

[0001] HEARING AID BUILT-IN REAL EAR MEASUREMENT

[0002] TECHNICAL FIELD

[0003] THE APPLICATION RELATES TO AN AUDIO PROCESSING DEVICE AND IT'S USE LIKE ALL KINDS OF HEARING AIDS.

[0004] THE APPLICATION FURTHER RELATES TO A DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM COMPRISING A PROCESSOR PERFORMING THE METHOD.

[0005] THE DISCLOSURE MAY BE USEFUL IN APPLICATIONS SUCH AS COMMUNICATION DEVICES, E.G. TELEPHONES, OR LISTENING DEVICES, E.G. HEARING INSTRUMENTS, HEADSETS, and HEADPHONES.

[0006] BACKGROUND ART

[0007] REAL-EAR MEASUREMENTS DEVICE PROVIDE A METHOD TO CHECK THAT THE LEVEL OF AMPLIFICATION IN THE HEARING AIDS IS APPROPRIATE. THE DEVICE CONSISTS OF LOAD SPEAKERS, A PROBE MICROPHONE AND A PROCESSING DEVICE. THE PROCEDURE STEPS ARE:

[0008] • LOAD SPEAKERS PRESENT THE STIMULUS (E.G., SPEECH AT DIFFERENT LEVELS)

[0009] • THE HEARING AID MICROPHONE WILL RECEIVE THE ACOUSTIC STIMULUS.

[0010] • THE HEARING AID WILL APPLY THE AMPLIFICATION TO THE SOUND SIGNAL ACCORDING TO THE FORMULAS.

[0011] • THE RECEIVER (SPEAKER)OF THE HEARING AID WILL GENERATE THE AMPLIFIED SIGNAL TO THE EAR CANAL • THE PROBE TUBE CONNECTING THE EAR CANAL ON ONE SIDE AND THE

[0012] PROBE MICROPHONE OF REAL EAR MEASUREMENT DEVICE ON THE OTHER SIDE) WILL CATCH THE AMPLIFIED SIGNAL FROM THE HEARING AID.

[0013] • THE REAL EAR MEASUREMENT DEVICE WILL VERIFY THE AMOUNT OF AMPLIFICATION OF HEARING AID.

[0014] DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

[0015] WE CAN MAKE THE HEARING AID DO THE SAME PROCEDURE AS A REAL EAR MEASUREMENT DEVICE THROUGH ITS RECEIVER (SPEAKER) AND ITS OWN MICROPHONE.

[0016] THE PROCEDURE STEPS ARE:

[0017] • THE HEARING AID WILL HAVE A RECORDED THE ACOUSTIC STIMULUS FOR REAL EAR MEASUREMENT ( E.G., SPEECH AT DIFFERENT LEVELS) OR IF THE HEARING AID INCLUDE TWO MICROPHONES, WE CAN USE ONE MICROPHONE TO RECEIVE THE STIMULUS FROM THE LOAD SPEAKERS AND THE OTHER MICROPHONE (WHICH CONNECTED TO EAR CANAL THROUGH A TUBE) TO MEASURE THE EAR CANAL SIGNAL.

[0018] • THE HEARING AID WILL APPLY THE AMPLIFICATION TO THE SOUND SIGNAL ACCORDING TO THE FORMULAS.

[0019] • THE RECEIVER (SPEAKER)OF THE HEARING AID WILL GENERATE THE AMPLIFIED SIGNAL TO THE EAR CANAL

[0020] • A TUBE THAT FITS ON THE HEARING AID MICROPHONE ON ONE SIDE AND THE EAR CANAL (AT THE SAME LOCATION AS THE PROBE TUBE OF REAL- EAR MEASUREMENT DEVICE) ON THE OTHER SIDE WILL CATCH THE AMPLIFIED SIGNAL FROM THE HEARING AID.

[0021] • THE HEARING AID WILL VERIFY THE AMOUNT OF ITS OWN AMPLIFICATION.

[0022] • AFTER COMPLETION OF THE REAL EAR MEASUREMENT BY THE HEARING AID, THE TUBE COULD BE REMOVED. SO THE HEARING AID CAN PRESENT THE SPEECH STIMULUS TO THE EAR THROUGH ITS OWN RECEIVER(SPEAKER), THEN MONITOR THE REAL EAR RESPONSE WITH ITS OWN MICROPHONE.

[0023] FEATURES OF INVENTION

[0024] - DISPENSING WITH REAL EAR MEASUREMENT DEVICE.

[0025] - HEARING AID VERIFICATION WILL BE EASY.

[0026] - HEARING AID VERIFICATION WILL BE LOW COST

[0027] BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING: -

[0028] FIG (1): CONNECTING A HEARING AID MICROPHONE TO THE EAR CANAL.

[0029] 1=TYMPANIC MEMBRANE, 2= EARMOLD, 3= EAR CANAL, 4= CONNECTING TUBE, 5= RECEIVER TUBE, 6= HEARING AID RECEIVER, 7= HEARING AID MICROPHONE, 8=

[0030] AURICLE

Claims

CLAIMS: -1- A METHOD OF OPERATING AN HEARING AID TO VERIFY ITS AMPLIFICATION.2- THE METHOD OF CLAIM 1, FURTHER COMPRISING A TUBE THAT CONNECT THE HEARING AID MICROPHONE TO THE EAR CANAL3- THE METHOD OF CLAIM 1, FURTHER COMPRISING THE SAID HEARING AID RECORD THE ACOUSTIC STIMULUS FOR REAL EAR MEASUREMENT (E.G., SPEECH AT DIFFERENT LEVELS).4- THE METHOD OF CLAIM 1, FURTHER COMPRISING THE SAID HEARING AID USE ONE MICROPHONE TO RECEIVE THE REAL EAR MEASUREMENT STIMULUS FROM THE LOAD SPEAKERS AND THE OTHER MICROPHONE (WHICH CONNECTED TO EAR CANAL THROUGH A TUBE) TO MEASURE THE EAR CANAL SIGNAL.5- THE METHOD OF CLAIM 1, FURTHER COMPRISING THE SAID HEARING AID PERFORM REAL EAR MEASUREMENTS THROUGH ITS RECEIVER AND ITS OWN MICROPHONE THEN VERIFY THE AMPLIFICATION.

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