KR20210049049A - Mobile hearing aid offering binaural effect - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention relates to a hearing aid. Specifically, the present invention relates to a technology for the hearing aid wherein not only is a binaural effect provided, but also compensates for hearing loss damaged by different auditory characteristics of the left ear and the right ear, and compensates for the degree and characteristics of each user to have the binaural effect as a wireless earphone. To this end, the present invention compensates for a gain of each frequency band independently in a user's mobile device for sound signal data inputted to each microphone disposed at a distance, and transmits a sound transducer through a short-distance communication channel such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi to provide the binaural effect.

Description

Mobile hearing aid offering binaural effect

The present invention relates to a hearing aid, and provides a bilateral effect, as well as a technology related to a mobile hearing aid that compensates for hearing loss damaged by different auditory characteristics of the left ear and the right ear, and compensates for the degree and characteristic of each user to have a bilateral effect. to be.

As a background technology for the present invention, there is a wireless hearing aid technology capable of adjusting the output for each frequency band of Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1055780 B1 shown in FIG. 1. This technology is a microphone module that receives sound from the outside, converts it into electrical sound, and adjusts the output level of the sound by frequency, and wirelessly connects the sound whose output level by frequency is adjusted from the microphone module through Bluetooth, etc. It consists of a receiver module that can receive and listen directly to the user's ear. However, this technology provides a sound mixed with ambient noise by providing a hearing aid using a single microphone, causing user fatigue, and providing the same signal to both ears by adjusting the output level of each frequency for a single microphone input. By doing so, there is a limitation that the ambivalence effect cannot be provided. In addition, this technique has a problem that cannot be applied to the ears having different characteristics of the hearing loss phenomenon.

As another background technology for the present invention, there is a Bluetooth-based voice broadcasting system technology having a tone correction function of Korean Patent Publication No. 10-1055780 B1 shown in FIG. 2. In this technology, the transmitting device corrects the tone of the voice to be transmitted in consideration of the broadcasting environment and transmits it wirelessly, and a plurality of receiving devices outputs the tone-corrected voice by taking the received voice signal into consideration of the user's hearing condition. It features a Bluetooth-based voice broadcast technology that enables the listening of customized voice broadcasts. This technology delivers a voice signal including ambient noise by providing only tone-corrected voice in consideration of the user's hearing condition, and provides only a single channel voice signal without the ambivalence effect. There is a problem that is not suitable as a function.

KR 10-1055780 B1 KR 10-2055187 B1 KR 10-2013-0141819 A KR 10-1630229 B1

Xiuyuan QIN et. al.,"On frequency characteristics of bone conduction actuators by measuring loudness, acceleration and otoacoustic emission", Inter-noise 2014, 16-19 November 2014 Stefan Stenfelt et. al., "Vibration characteristics of bone conducted sound in vitro", J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 107 (1), January 2000 Enrique A. Lopez-Poveda et. al.,"A physical model of sound diffraction and reflections in the human concha", J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 100 (5), November 1996

The present invention provides a bilateral effect by providing a microphone corresponding to each of the left and right ears, and by performing individual voice auditory correction for each of the left and right ears in the user's mobile device, the left ear and the right ear have different auditory characteristics. It is a task to solve the problem of providing a mobile hearing aid that compensates for damaged hearing loss and provides a ambivalent effect that compensates for the degree and characteristics of each user.

In the present invention, two microphones are arranged at spaced intervals, and the gain for each frequency band is independently compensated by the user's mobile for sound signals input to each microphone, and transmitted to the sound transducer through a short-range communication channel such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It provides a mobile hearing aid that provides a ambivalent effect as a means of solving the problem.

According to the mobile hearing aid providing the ambivalence effect of the present invention, a microphone corresponding to the left ear and the right ear is provided to provide the ambivalence effect, as well as the left ear and the left ear by performing individual voice auditory correction for each of the left and right ears. There is a technical effect of providing a bilateral effect by compensating for hearing loss damaged by the right ear with different auditory characteristics, and compensating for the degree and characteristics of each user.

Figure 1 is a background technology of the present invention, a configuration of a wireless hearing aid technology capable of adjusting the output for each frequency band
FIG. 2 is a configuration of a Bluetooth-based voice broadcasting system technology having a tone correction function as another background technology for the present invention.
Figures 3 and 4 are actual examples of hearing loss
Drawing 5 is
Figure 6 is
Figure 7
Figure 8 is
Drawing 9 is

The following content merely exemplifies the principles of the present invention. Accordingly, a person of ordinary skill in the field to which this technology belongs can implement the principles of the present invention and invent various devices included in the concept and scope of the present invention, although not clearly described or illustrated in the present specification. In addition, all conditional terms and examples listed in this specification are, in principle, clearly intended only for the purpose of understanding the concept of the present invention, and should be understood as not limiting to the embodiments and states specifically listed as described above. do. In addition, it is to be understood that all detailed descriptions listing specific embodiments as well as principles, aspects and embodiments of the present invention are intended to include structural and functional equivalents of these matters.

The above objects, features, and advantages will become more apparent through the following detailed description in connection with the accompanying drawings. In describing the present invention, when it is determined that a detailed description of a related known technology may unnecessarily obscure the subject matter of the present invention, a detailed description thereof will be omitted. Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Figures 3 and 4 show actual examples of a hearing loss phenomenon requiring a hearing aid. Hearing aids are used to overcome hearing loss in which the senses are weakened due to damage to the auditory nerve fibers inside the cochlea that transmit sound to the auditory nerve due to aging or disaster. Conventional hearing aids amplify the sound picked up by a microphone to compensate for the sensation caused by damage by transmitting the compensated and amplified sound waves through the path of the eardrum-cleansing bone-coch as an earphone mounted in the user's outer ear. In addition, conventional hearing aids cannot expect the effect by simply amplifying and providing sound, and the state and degree of perception of hearing impairment are different for each user, and the auditory characteristics according to the hearing loss of both ears of the user must be compensated. do.

The illustrated example of hearing loss shows a representative characteristic, and it can be seen that hearing at a high frequency is damaged based on a frequency of 1 KHz, which is most sensitively perceived by humans. Therefore, it can be seen that the basic function as a hearing aid is to compensate and amplify sound waves of 1KHz or more in consideration of the fact that the average distribution of voice frequencies for conversation is 500Hz~4KHz. In addition, since most of the hearing loss is damaged by different auditory characteristics of the left ear and the right ear, it can be seen that each person needs a type of hearing aid in which the degree and characteristics are compensated.

In addition, human hearing has a quantity that includes the ability to judge the direction of the sound source by the difference in time of arrival of the sound source reaching the two ears, the difference in sound pressure, and the phase, and the ability to feel the sound louder when listening with two ears than with one ear. It has a binaural effect. However, the conventional single-channel type hearing aid that does not provide a positive ear effect has a problem that a feeling of fatigue due to unnatural sounds is increased by causing confusion in the perception judgment by the positive ear effect.

The present invention not only provides a bilateral effect by providing microphones corresponding to the left and right ears, but also compensates for hearing loss impaired by different auditory characteristics of the left and right ears by performing individual voice auditory correction for each of the left and right ears. And it provides a mobile hearing aid that compensates for its degree and characteristics for each user to have a positive effect.

Fig. 5 shows the basic configuration of the present invention. The mobile hearing aid providing the ambivalence effect of the present invention includes a microphone L102 and a microphone R103 as two microphones disposed at a spaced distance. The distance between the microphones is arranged at a distance greater than the average distance between the inner eardrums of the left and right ears of a human, and the sound signal input to each microphone is A/D converted and the mobile device of the hearing aid user through a short-range communication channel such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It is sent to 200. The mobile device 200 independently compensates for a gain for each frequency band for sound data input to the microphone L102 and the microphone R103, and provides short-range communication such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi provided in the mobile device 200. It is transmitted to the sound transducer L 104 and the sound transducer R 105 through the channel, amplified as an audible sound, and output to provide a positive effect.

Fig. 6 shows the working relationship of the mobile hearing aid providing the ambivalence effect of the present invention. In the mobile hearing aid providing the ambivalence effect of the present invention, sound signals input to the microphone L 102 and the microphone R 103 as two microphones disposed at a distance apart from each other are respectively It is provided as a transmitting and receiving unit R101. In the wireless transmitter/receiver L100 and the wireless transmitter/receiver R101, sound signals input to the microphone L102 and the microphone R103 are respectively A/D converted, and through a short-range communication channel such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It is transmitted to the mobile device 200 of the hearing aid user. The mobile device 200 independently performs filtering and gain compensation for each frequency band for sound data input to the microphone L102 and the microphone R103, and provides a short distance such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi provided in the mobile device 200. It is transmitted to the wireless transmitting and receiving unit L100 and the radio transmitting and receiving unit R101, respectively, through a communication channel. Each of the wireless transmitter/receiver L100 and the wireless transmitter/receiver R101 converts and amplifies the received sound data by D/A, and outputs it to the sound converter L104 and the sound converter R105. Provides a mobile hearing aid that provides.

The acoustic transducer L 104 and the acoustic transducer R 105 may be configured as an open air small speaker, an auditory canal sealing earphone, or a bone conduction transducer.

Fig. 7 shows a detailed configuration of a mobile hearing aid that provides the yangyi effect of the present invention. The mobile hearing aid providing the ambivalence effect of the present invention is connected to the mobile device 200 through a short-range communication channel, A/D converts the electrical output signal of the microphone, and provides it to the mobile device 200 as voice data. A left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and a right wireless transmission/reception unit R101 for D/A converting, amplifying and outputting the data of the hearing sound transmitted from the 200; A left microphone L102 and a right microphone R103 which are arranged at a spaced distance to pick up sound and provide them to the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101, respectively; And an acoustic transducer L 104 and an acoustic transducer R 105 respectively providing hearing sound output from the left wireless transmitting and receiving unit L 100 and the right radio transmitting and receiving unit R 101 to the left and right ears, respectively, and the left side of the above. The mobile device 200 corresponding to the wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101 is transmitted through the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101. Short-range communication in which the voice data of is provided through a short-range communication channel, and data of left and right hearing sounds processed by the mobile device 200 are transmitted to the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101. Interface 120; An L-channel reception buffer 106 and an R-channel reception buffer 107 respectively storing left and right voice data received through the short-range communication interface 120; In order to filter the data of the L-channel reception buffer 106 by three voice bands, bandpass filters BPF L1 (108) and BPF L2 (110) comprised of an infinite impulse response (IIR) or finite impulse response (FIR) filter. ), BPF L3 (112); Bandpass filters BPF R1 (109) and BPF R2 (111) composed of an infinite impulse response (IIR) or finite impulse response (FIR) filter to filter the data of the R-channel reception buffer 107 for each of three voice bands. ), BPF R3 (113); A gain adjustment/mixing unit L 114 for adjusting and mixing the gains of the output signals of the BPF L1 108, BPF L2 110, and BPF L3 112 for each band, and the BPF R1 109 , A gain control/mixing unit R 115 for adjusting and mixing the gains of the output signals of the BPF R2 111 and BPF R3 113 for each band; An L-channel transmission buffer 116 for storing the voice data output of the gain adjusting/mixing unit L 114 and providing the output to be transmitted through the short-range communication interface 120; And an R-channel transmission buffer 117 that stores the voice data output of the gain control/mixing unit R 115 and provides it to be transmitted through the short-range communication interface 120. Here, the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101, which are connected to the mobile device 200 through a short-range communication channel, have separate power supplies (not shown).

Therefore, in the hearing aid providing the ambivalence effect of the present invention, since the signals of the left and right microphones picked up at a separation distance are compensated and amplified in the voice band, respectively, and provided as left and right sound transducers, it is possible to provide a ambivalent effect. In addition, by performing individual voice auditory correction for each of the left and right ears, there is a technical feature capable of compensating for hearing loss damaged by different auditory characteristics of the left ear and the right ear, and compensating for the degree and characteristics of each user. In addition, since the processing for voice band compensation is performed in the user's mobile device 200, there is also an advantage that it is not necessary to expose the user's mobile device 200.

FIG. 8 shows a frequency allocation relationship between bandpass filters that are compensated and amplified in the hearing aid providing the bipolar effect of the present invention. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the hearing loss phenomenon has a characteristic that occurs in an audible frequency band of 1 KHz or more. Therefore, in the present invention, band-pass filters BPF L1 (108), BPF L2 (110), and BPF L3 (112) for compensation and amplification of the left hearing, and band-pass filters BPF R1 (1079) for compensation and amplification of the right hearing. , BPF R2 (111) and BPF R3 (113) are allocated as an octave band. The bandpass filters are designed as IIR (infinite impulse response) or FIR (finite impulse response) filters for compensation and amplification of left and right hearing. The center frequency fc1 of BPF L1(108) and BPF R1(109) is 1KHz, the center frequency fc2 of BPF L2(110) and BPF R2(111) is 2KHz, and the center frequency of BPF L3(112) and BPF R3(113) fc3 is set to 4KHz. In addition, the bandwidth of BPF L1(108) and BPF R1(109) is f0~f1, the bandwidth of BPF L2(110) and BPF R2(111) is f1~f2, and the bandwidth of BPF L3(112) and BPF R3(113) Can be represented by f2 to f3. The bandwidth is determined as an upper and lower limit frequency at which the gain decreases by 3 dB with respect to the center frequency gain, and at this time, the upper limit frequency f1 of the band of BPF L1 (108) and BPF R1 (109) is BPF L2 (110) and BPF R2 ( 111) is the same frequency as the lower limit frequency f1, and the upper limit frequency f2 of BPF L2(110) and BPF R2(111) should be designed to be the same frequency as the lower limit frequency f2 of BPF L3(112) and BPF R3(113). . This is because when the -3dB gain frequency is matched, a flat gain is guaranteed in the process of mixing the output signals of each band.

Fig. 9 shows an example of mounting a mobile hearing aid that provides the ambivalence effect of the present invention. The hearing aid providing the yangyi effect of the present invention may be configured on the rim of the glasses as shown in the drawing. The mobile hearing aid of the present invention includes a microphone L102 and a microphone R103 disposed at a spaced distance, respectively, on the front left and right sides of the eyeglass frame. Each of the microphone L102 and the microphone R103 is connected to the mobile device 200 through a short-range communication channel to A/D convert the electrical output signal of the microphone and provide it to the mobile device 200 as voice data, It is connected to the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101, which D/A converts and amplifies the data of the hearing sound transmitted from the mobile device 200, and outputs the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100. ) And the right wireless transmission/reception unit R 101 may be disposed inside the eyeglass frame together with the power supply unit. The output signals of the left wireless transmitter/receiver L100 and the right wireless transmitter/receiver R101 are connected to an acoustic transducer L104 and an acoustic transducer R105, respectively, to provide a bilateral effect hearing sound, and the sound The transducer L 104 and the acoustic transducer R 105 are fixedly disposed on the spectacle frame corresponding to the front or upper side of the ear.

The mobile hearing aid providing the ambivalence effect of the present invention described above, not only provides the ambivalence effect by having microphones corresponding to the left and right ears respectively, but also provides individual voice auditory correction for each of the left and right ears. There is a technical feature of compensating for hearing loss damaged by different auditory characteristics of the left ear and the right ear by performing the performance, and compensating for the degree and characteristics of each user and having a bilateral effect.

The mobile hearing aid technology providing the ambivalence effect of the present invention, although described by the limited embodiments and drawings, the present invention is not limited thereto, and by those of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention pertains. It goes without saying that various modifications and variations are possible within the scope of the technical spirit of the present invention and the claims to be described below.

100: wireless transmission/reception unit L 101: wireless transmission/reception unit R
102: microphone L 103: microphone R
104: sound transducer L 105: sound transducer R
106: L channel reception buffer 107: R channel reception buffer
108: BPF L1 109: BPF R1
110: BPF L2 111: BPF R2
112: PBF L3 113: PBF R3
114: gain adjustment/mixing unit L 115: gain adjustment/mixing unit R
116: L channel transmission buffer 117: R channel transmission buffer
200: mobile device

Claims (10)

In a mobile hearing aid that performs and compensates for individual voice auditory correction for each of the left and right ears to have a bilateral effect,
A microphone L102 and a microphone R103 as two microphones disposed at a spaced distance;
The sound signal input to each microphone is A/D converted and transmitted to the mobile device 200 of the hearing aid user through a short-range communication channel,
The mobile device 200,
The gain for each frequency band is independently compensated for the sound data input to the microphone L102 and the microphone R103,
A yangyi effect, characterized in that it is transmitted to the sound transducer L 104 and the sound transducer R 105 through a short-range communication channel provided in the mobile device 200, is amplified as an audible sound, and is output to perform voice auditory correction. Mobile hearing aids provided
The mobile hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
Sound signals input to the microphone L102 and the microphone R103 are provided to the wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the wireless transmission/reception unit R101, respectively, as two microphones disposed at a spaced distance,
In the wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the wireless transmission/reception unit R101, each of the sound signals input to the microphone L102 and the microphone R103 is A/D converted,
It is transmitted to the mobile device 200 of the hearing aid user through a short-range communication channel,
The mobile device 200,
Filtering and gain compensation for each frequency band independently for sound data input to the microphone L102 and the microphone R103,
Transmits to the wireless transmission and reception unit L100 and the wireless transmission and reception unit R101, respectively, through a short-range communication channel provided in the mobile device 200,
Each of the wireless transmitter/receiver L100 and the wireless transmitter/receiver R101 is configured to D/A convert and amplify the received sound data and output them to the sound converter L104 and the sound converter R105. A mobile hearing aid that provides a positive effect
The mobile hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
It is connected to the mobile device 200 through a short-range communication channel, A/D converts the electrical output signal of the microphone, and provides it to the mobile device 200 as voice data, and the data of the hearing sound transmitted from the mobile device 200 is D/ A left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and right wireless transmission/reception unit R101 for converting, amplifying, and outputting;
A left microphone L102 and a right microphone R103 which are arranged at a spaced distance to pick up sound and provide them to the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101, respectively;
And an acoustic transducer L 104 and an acoustic transducer R 105 respectively providing hearing sound output from the left wireless transmitting and receiving unit L 100 and the right wireless transmitting and receiving unit R 101 to the left and right ears, respectively. Mobile hearing aids that provide a bilateral effect
The mobile hearing aid of claim 3, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
The mobile device 200 receives left and right voice data transmitted through the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101 as a short-range communication channel, and processed by the mobile device 200. A short-range communication interface 120 for transmitting left and right hearing sound data to the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101;
An L-channel reception buffer 106 and an R-channel reception buffer 107 respectively storing left and right voice data received through the short-range communication interface 120;
Bandpass filters BPF L1 (108), BPF L2 (110), and BPF L3 (112) for filtering data in the L-channel reception buffer 106 for each of three voice bands;
Bandpass filters BPF R1 (109), BPF R2 (111), and BPF R3 (113) for filtering data of the R-channel reception buffer 107 for each of three voice bands; A gain adjustment/mixing unit L114 that adjusts and mixes the gains of the output signals of the BPF L1 (108), BPF L2 (110), and BPF L3 (112) for each band,
A gain adjustment/mixing unit R 115 that adjusts and mixes the gains of the output signals of the BPF R1 (109), BPF R2 (111), and BPF R3 (113) for each band;
An L-channel transmission buffer 116 for storing the voice data output of the gain control/mixing unit L 114 and providing the audio data to be transmitted through the short-range communication interface 120;
An R-channel transmission buffer 117 for storing the audio data output of the gain control/mixing unit R 115 and providing it to be transmitted through the short-range communication interface 120;
Mobile hearing aid that provides a ambivalence effect, characterized in that consisting of
The mobile hearing aid according to claim 4, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
The band-pass filters BPF L1 (108), BPF L2 (110), and BPF L3 (112) are each composed of an infinite impulse response (IIR) or finite impulse response (FIR) filter. Mobile hearing aid band pass filters BPF L1 (108), BPF L2 (110), BPF L3 (112);
The mobile hearing aid according to claim 4, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
The band pass filters BPF R1 (109), BPF R2 (111), and BPF R3 (113) are each composed of an IIR (infinite impulse response) or FIR (finite impulse response) filter. Mobile hearing aid
The mobile hearing aid of claim 3, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
Bandpass filters BPF L1(108), BPF L2(110), BPF L3(112) for compensation and amplification of left hearing, and bandpass filters BPF R1(1079), BPF R2(for compensation and amplification of right hearing) 111), a mobile hearing aid that provides a ambivalence effect, characterized in that the BPF R3 (113) is allocated and configured as an octave band.
The mobile hearing aid according to claim 7, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
The center frequency fc1 of BPF L1(108) and BPF R1(109) is 1KHz, the center frequency fc2 of BPF L2(110) and BPF R2(111) is 2KHz, and the center frequency of BPF L3(112) and BPF R3(113) fc3 is a mobile hearing aid that provides a bilateral effect, characterized in that it is set to 4KHz
The mobile hearing aid according to claim 7, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
The upper limit frequency f1 of the bands of BPF L1(108) and BPF R1(109) is the same frequency as the lower limit frequency f1 of BPF L2(110) and BPF R2(111). The upper limit frequency f2 is set to be the same frequency as the lower limit frequency f2 of BPF L3 (112) and BPF R3 (113).
The mobile hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the mobile hearing aid has a bilateral effect,
A microphone L102 and a microphone R103 disposed at a spaced distance are provided on the front left and right sides of the eyeglass frame, respectively,
Each of the microphone L102 and the microphone R103 is connected to the mobile device 200 through a short-range communication channel to A/D convert the electrical output signal of the microphone and provide it to the mobile device 200 as voice data, It is connected to the left wireless transmission/reception unit L100 and the right wireless transmission/reception unit R101 that D/A converts, amplifies and outputs the data of hearing sound transmitted from the mobile device 200,
The output signals of the left wireless transmitter/receiver L100 and the right wireless transmitter/receiver R101 are connected to an acoustic transducer L104 and an acoustic transducer R105, respectively, to provide a bilateral effect hearing sound,
The sound transducer L 104 and the sound transducer R 105 are configured to be fixedly disposed on a frame corresponding to the front or upper side of the ear

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