Hearing aid responsive to signals inside and outside of the audio frequency range

US4689820A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• Robert Bosch GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Wolfgang Kopke · Berlin, DE
• Albert Eggert · Berlin, DE
• Peter Wiener · Berlin, DE
• Gerd-Wolfgang Gotze · Berlin, DE
• Rainer Maas · Berlin, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 11, 1983
• Grant date: Aug 25, 1987
• Expiry date: Oct 11, 2003

Classification

• Technology area (CPC H): Electricity
• CPC primary: H04R25/554
• WIPO field: Audio-visual technology
• WIPO sector: Electrical engineering

Abstract

A hearing aid having a microphone (10), a microcomputer (12) for digital signal processing of digitized microphone signals and an electroacoustic converter (14) for acoustic reproduction of the processed digitized signals, is equipped with at least one further sensor (16, 18) responsive to signals outside the acoustical range of audibility. These further sensor signals are processed according to a different program stored in a second memory (19) and supplied as additional data via an output (B2) of the microcomputer (12) preferably to the electro-acoustical converter (14). As a result, data such as the signals of a traffic light transmitter, signals from a paging system, or signals announcing a telephone call, door bell or the like, can be superimposed on the normal auditory functions. By appropriately coordinate signal trains, for example generated in accordance with the program stored in the second memory, a hearing-impaired person can easily distinguish among these additional functions.