Hearing assistance system

摘要

The present universal wearable computing device relates to a hearing assistance system, device, method, and apparatus that provide a discreet approach to user hearing assistance, without relying on a conventional hearing aid. The hearing assistance system and the requisite electronics may be incorporated into frames that also function as eyeglasses with earphone(s) that may be connected to the frame to assist user hearing. An earphone may be configured with minimal electronics, such that a power source enable sound transmissions to the ear, is provided by a connection to the frame of the eyeglasses. In another example, the earphone is configured without any electronics and sound is transmitted to the user/listener's ear(s) via a psychoacoustic system. The sound quality of the transmissions to the earphones may be optimized using a tuning/equalizer application operating from a computing device, such as an app on a mobile device. The tuning/equalizer application can be used by the user/listener to optimize volume input levels to the earphone(s).

主权项

1. A hearing assistance system, comprising:
a frame configured to be worn on a head of a user, the frame including a bridge configured to be supported on a nose of the user; a first transducer coupled to the frame, the first transducer including at least two microphones, each of the at least two microphones configured to receive a respective audio signal including speech, wherein the at least two microphones are positioned such that:
a first lag microphone is situated at or near a rear portion of a first side of the frame; anda second microphone is situated at or near a front portion of the frame; a first converter configured to amplify the respective audio signal received at the first lag microphone into a first amplified audio signal; a second converter configured to amplify the respective audio signal received at the second microphone into a second amplified audio signal; a signal mixer configured to sum: (i) an inverted representation of the first amplified audio signal and (ii) the second amplified audio signal into a third summed amplified audio signal; an accelerometer configured to generate a control signal from detected noise vibrations, the control signal is mixed with the third summed amplified audio signal into an output audio signal; and a second transducer for emitting the output audio signal to a first earphone coupled to a first ear of the user, where at least a portion of the first earphone is removably coupled to at least a portion of the frame, such that when the first earphone is in communication with the at least a portion of the frame, the first earphone is configured to emit the output audio signal.