External ear canal voice detection

摘要

Ear-level full duplex audio communication systems each include one or two ear attachment devices, such as in-the-ear (ITE) or behind-the-ear (BTE) devices, that wirelessly communicates to a remote device such as a computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, a walkie talkie, or a language translator. When used as a hearing aid, such a system allows a hearing impaired individual to communicate with or through the remote device, such as to talk to another person through a cellular phone. When being used as an ear piece wirelessly extended from the remote device, such system allows an individual with normal hearing to privately communicate with or through the remote device without the need of holding the device or wearing any device wired to the remote device. Each ear attachment device includes a voice operated exchange (VOX), housed within the device, to preserve energy and hence, maximize the period between battery replacement or recharges. The VOX also gates various sounds detected by the system to control possible echoes and ringing.

主权项

1. A system for communication between a remote device and a person having ear canals, comprising:
one or more hearing aids configured to provide full duplex audio allowing for two-way simultaneous communication between the person and the remote device, the one or more hearing aids including:
an ear canal microphone configured to detect a local sound from about an ear canal of the ear canals when being placed in the ear canal;an ear canal speaker configured to transmit a processed remote sound to the person;a processor configured to process the local sound and the remote sound;a transceiver configured to transmit a first wireless signal representing the local sound to the remote device and receive a second wireless signal representing the remote sound from the remote device; anda voice operated exchange (VOX) circuit configured to activate voice-activated portions of the one or more hearing aids in response to detection of the local sound and in response to reception of the second wireless signal, and configured to gate each of the local sound and the remote sound according to programmed gating coordination rules based on whether the local sound is detected and whether the second wireless signal is received, in response to the detection of the local sound and in response to the reception of the second wireless signal.