Hearing aid having plural microphones and a microphone switching system
US5524056A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Apr 13, 1993 |
| Grant date | Jun 4, 1996 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Apr 13, 2013 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04R3/005
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A hearing aid apparatus is disclosed that employs both an omnidirectional microphone and at least one directional microphone of at least the first order. The electrical signals output from the directional microphone are supplied to an equalization amplifier which at least partially equalizes the amplitude of the low frequency electrical signal components of the electrical signal with the amplitude of the mid and high frequency electrical signal components of the electrical signals of the directional microphone. A switching circuit accepts the signals output from both the omnidirectional microphone and the directional microphone. The switching circuit connects the signal from the omnidirectional microphone to an input of a hearing aid amplifier when the switching circuit is in a first switching state, and connects the output of the equalization circuit to the hearing aid amplifier input when the switching circuit is in a second switching state. The switching circuit may be automatically switched in response to sensed ambient noise levels.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.