Hearing Aid Relay Device for Noise Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
In noisy environments, existing hearing aid systems struggle to effectively enhance internal conversations while suppressing external noise, leading to reduced intelligibility of speech.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for establishing a conversation group among hearing aids using wireless communication, with a relay device for short-range transmission and a shared wireless communication unit, such as a WLAN router, to reduce noise attenuation and improve speech intelligibility, allowing users to select and manage participants and using directional microphones for better sound reception.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Length of stationary object
If sound is transmitted through air over long distances (1-2 meters) to reach other hearing aids, then the coverage area is sufficient, but the sound attenuation increases and external noise interference worsens
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a relay device as an intermediary component between the hearing aid and the wireless communication unit. The relay device receives audio signals from the hearing aid via short-range transmission and forwards them to the shared wireless communication unit, enabling long-distance transmission without requiring the hearing aid itself to transmit over long distances, thus avoiding noise attenuation issues
Solution Approach 2:
The transmission path is segmented into two separate stages: first, short-range transmission from the hearing aid to the relay device (where noise interference is minimal), and second, long-range transmission from the relay device to the shared wireless communication unit. This segmentation allows each transmission stage to operate in its optimal range, preserving sound quality while achieving long-distance coverage
2Length of stationary object
If the hearing aid transmitter uses high power to transmit over long distances, then the transmission range is sufficient, but the power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relay device serves as a mediator that assumes the burden of long-distance transmission. The hearing aid only needs to transmit audio signals over a short distance to the relay device using low power, while the relay device handles the power-intensive long-range transmission to the shared wireless communication unit, thus dramatically reducing the hearing aid's power consumption
3Measurement precision
If manual selection of conversation group participants is implemented, then user control and precision are improved, but the operation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The relay device provides visual feedback by displaying information about available hearing aids and current conversation group participants. This feedback mechanism allows users to easily identify and select desired participants or exclude undesired ones, making the manual selection process intuitive and simple while maintaining high precision in participant selection
4Ease of operation
If automatic range-based selection of participants is implemented, then ease of operation is improved, but selection precision may decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements automatic selection based on range detection as a partial solution that works well in typical use scenarios. While not perfectly precise in all cases, it provides sufficient precision for most situations and dramatically improves ease of operation, allowing users to simply approach each other for the system to automatically form conversation groups based on detected ranges
Data Source
AI summary
A system for establishing within a communication network a conversation group between a number of hearing aids (1, 2; 3, 4, 5) used by different users, comprises a number of hearing aids (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) adapted for wireless communication, means for detecting hearing aids (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) available for participation in the communication network, means for selecting hearing aids for participation (1, 2, 3, 4, 5) in said network, and a shared wireless communication unit (10) adapted for transmitting to and from the hearing aids (1, 2; 3, 4, 5) participating in said communication network. The invention further provides a method for establishing a conversation group.