Binaural Hearing Aid Wireless Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing binaural hearing aid systems face high power consumption due to continuous wireless transmission of sound pressure levels, which limits battery life and is not acceptable for users, especially with conventional ZnO2 batteries.
Innovation Solution
A new binaural hearing aid system performs binaural processing with wireless data transmission at a low data rate, where the time period between consecutive signal parameter transmissions is longer than the attack and release times of the compressors, reducing power consumption and maintaining sense of direction by coordinating compressor gains between hearing aids.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If continuous wireless transmission of sound pressure levels is performed between hearing aids, then binaural compression performance is improved, but power consumption increases excessively
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies periodic action by transmitting signal parameters at discrete time intervals rather than continuously. The transmission occurs periodically with a time period longer than the attack and release times of the compressors, reducing power consumption while maintaining adequate binaural compression performance through coordinated gain adjustments between hearing aids.
2Duration of action of moving object
If data transmission rate is reduced to lower power consumption, then battery life is extended, but compression coordination between hearing aids may be degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the transmission parameter from continuous to discrete periodic transmissions. By transmitting signal parameters (such as sound pressure levels) at periodic intervals longer than the compressor attack and release times, the system extends battery life while maintaining compression coordination through controlled parameter updates between hearing aids.
3Use of energy by moving object
If signal parameters are transmitted at intervals longer than compressor attack and release times, then power consumption is reduced, but rapid changes in sound pressure levels may not be captured
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies partial action by transmitting only the essential signal parameters needed for binaural compression coordination, rather than continuously transmitting all audio data. The periodic transmission at intervals longer than attack and release times provides sufficient information for gain coordination while significantly reducing power consumption, accepting that rapid transient changes may not be fully captured.
Data Source
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AI summary
New binaural hearing aid systems and methods are provided in which binaural processing of input sound is performed based on wireless transmission of data between the hearing aids of the system with a low data rate and therefore with low power consumption, and wherein each of the hearing aids of the system comprises a microphone and an A/D converter for provision of a digital input signal in response to sound signals received at the respective microphone, a signal level detector for determining and outputting a signal level that is a first function of the digital input signal, a signal parameter detector for determining and outputting a signal parameter that is a second function of a signal in the hearing aid, a transceiver for wireless data communication of the signal parameter with the other hearing aid, a processor that is configured to process the digital input signal in accordance with a selected signal processing algorithm into a processed digital output signal, including a compressor for compensation of dynamic range hearing loss based on the signal level, and a D/A converter and an output transducer for conversion of the processed digital output signal to an acoustic output signal, and wherein the gain of the compressor is controlled by a compressor control signal that is a function of the signal level and signal parameter of the respective hearing aid, and the signal parameter received from the other hearing aid, and wireless data communication of the signal parameter between the hearing aids of the binaural hearing aid system is performed at a data transmission rate with a time period between consecutive transmissions of the signal parameter from one of the hearing aids that is longer than the attack and release times of the compressors.