Earpiece for mobile phone, uses microphone to pick up sound from surrounding environment

(54) NAME Earphone with communication chip (56) PUBLICATIONS QUOTED:

US A 6 041 129, US B 6 233 002, US B 6 587 568 (57) SUMMARY:

The present invention relates to an earpiece 1 comprising an audio reproducing means 7 connected to a signal processor 2 arranged to communicate with an external device via a communication link. Sound transmitted via said communication link may be reproduced by said sound reproducing means 7. The earpiece 1 of the invention comprises at least one microphone 5, connected to said signal processor 2 and arranged to intercept ambient sound for processing in said signal processor. A user can thus hear sounds in his environment even when he has the earplug 1 in his ear.

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Summary

The present invention relates to an earpiece 1 comprising a sound reproducing means 7 connected to a signal processor 2 arranged to communicate with an external device via a communication link. Sound transmitted via said communication link may be reproduced by said sound reproducing means 7. The earbud 1 of the invention comprises at least one microphone 5 connected to said signal processor 2 and arranged to intercept ambient sound for processing in said signal processor. A user can thus hear sounds in his environment even when he has the earplug 1 in his ear.

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Field of the art

The present invention relates to ear muffs, of the kind defined in the preamble of claim 1.

Background of the Invention

The use of hearing aids is constantly increasing, depending in part on the age structure, ie. that more and more people are getting older and are affected by age-related hearing impairment, but also that young people are increasingly affected by hearing damage (eg noise damage, tinnitus). There are many problems associated with hearing aids, one of which is that for various reasons, it can be difficult to get people to use them. Those in need of a hearing aid often deny this, because hearing loss is often equated with illness, and the user does not want to be exposed to people's negative comments about hearing aids. Furthermore, especially elderly people, a hearing aid can be regarded as a very difficult to handle and too small electronic device, which they are unable to use, for example, the battery change often causes great difficulties for older people.

Another problem associated with hearing aids is that these have disadvantages when used in speech in mobile phones. A hearing impaired person talking on the phone does not hear the surrounding sounds, which means he or she may feel isolated from the surroundings. This is perceived by many as extremely unpleasant. Therefore, hearing impaired people often find it difficult to talk on mobile phones, or find it uncomfortable, despite the fact that hearing aids generally become increasingly sophisticated.

Of course, the above-mentioned problem does not only apply to hearing impaired persons, but is also a problem for normal-hearing persons as described above. 2005-04-11

526 085 zones. The problem thus arises even in situations other than in connection with the use of hearing aids. An example is people using a hands-free device connected to a communication device, such as a mobile phone, communication radio, fixed telephone, etc. People who use double earphones (eg where one is used to talk on the phone with, and the other to listening to music with) can also feel isolated from the surroundings. This can also be very dangerous, as the person does not perceive what is happening around him / her when these two earbuds are used.

A hands-free equipment includes an earpiece with a speaker connected to a communication device. Often there is also a separate microphone connected to the communication device.

US 6,021,207 addresses the problem of providing a device for improving hands-free communication with a mobile phone, and shows an earpiece, with microphone and speakers, and with some opportunities to improve audibility by applying anti-noise processing to received audio signals. Thus, this application does not refer to a hearing aid, but to an earphone with certain possibilities to reduce noise in a received audio signal.

There is thus a need for an improved and user-friendly earpiece, which can be used in all situations, for example, so that hearing impaired people can easily speak on the phone without being exposed to the discomfort described above.

The object and the main features of the invention

It is an object of the present invention to provide an ear muffler that solves the above problems. More specifically, it is an object of the present invention to provide a very small earpiece in which a user does not experience

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526 085 themselves become isolated from their surroundings when using the earbud. Another object of the present invention is to provide a hearing enhancing device which is perceived by a user as advantageous to use, by incorporating attractive functions in the form of communication capabilities to the user, which makes the user actually choose to use it.

These and other objects are achieved in accordance with the present invention by an earpiece defined in claim 1.

According to the present invention, the aforementioned objects are achieved by providing an earphone comprising at least one microphone, a signal processor connected thereto for processing the signal in response to intercepted sound, and a sound reproducing means connected to the signal processor. The earpiece signal processor is further arranged for communication with an external communication device via a wireless communication link and for this purpose is provided with a communication chip, which enables wireless communication with a corresponding communication chip of said external communication device, whereby the earpiece can communicate with said external device. The earplug is in its entirety, that is, with its signal processor and associated communication chip, inserted into a user's ear, whereby the insertable earplug can serve partly as a hearing device for reproducing ambient sound and partly as a wireless communication device in the form of speech via said external device. Thus, the user can hear sounds in his or her environment despite the fact that he is talking on the phone, and does not feel cut off from the environment when using the earbud.

In accordance with a preferred embodiment, the signal processor includes means for amplifying sound captured through the

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526 085 one or more microphones, whereby the earbud functions as a hearing aid. Thereby, a small hearing aid is provided which is integrated into the earpiece. A very small and user-friendly hearing aid is thus provided, which is perceived by a user as advantageous and convenient to use.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the signal processor comprises means for setting a lower threshold value for intercepted sound, whereby the loudspeakers are activated if said threshold value is exceeded. A user can thus set his or her microphones in such a way that all sound does not automatically go to the speaker, whereby some surrounding noise can be filtered out. In an alternative embodiment, there is also an upper threshold value, whereby sounds exceeding this upper threshold value are subtracted. The user is thus spared from too loud ambient noise.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment, at least one microphone is arranged to intercept the user's speech for forwarding this speech to said external device. Thereby a small, handy earpiece can be provided which the user can easily use even for speech in eg a mobile phone.

In accordance with another preferred embodiment, the signal processor is arranged to subtract the user's speech which is intercepted by the at least one microphone. Thereby the user does not have to hear his or her own voice in the earpiece.

Further advantages are achieved by various aspects of the invention and will become apparent from the following detailed description.

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Brief description of the drawings

Fig. 1 schematically shows an earpiece according to the present invention.

Fig. 2 shows a block diagram of the various parts of a system according to the present invention.

Fig. 3 shows a block diagram of an alternative embodiment of the present invention.

Detailed description of preferred embodiments

The ear buds of the present invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying figures.

Referring first to Figure 1, the ear bud of the present invention will now be described. The earpiece 1 comprises a signal processor 2, preferably a digital signal processor, which is commercially available on the market. To the signal processor 2 is connected a microcontroller 3, which microcontroller includes an antenna for communication with an external device, such as, for example, a mobile phone. The microcontroller 3 may also be a commercially available microprocessor. The signal processor 2 and the microcontroller 3 can of course also be arranged on a common chip. The earpiece 1 further comprises an audio reproducing means, such as a loudspeaker 7, for transmitting sound to a user's ear. According to the invention, the earpiece 1 also includes one or more small microphones 5. These microphones may, for example, be silicone microphones that are commercially available on the market. Analog-to-digital (A / D) and digital-to-analog (D / A) converters are also required for the conversion of analog signals to digital signals and vice versa, as is known in the art.

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The one or more microphones 5 are arranged to intercept sounds in the environment and send these sound signals to the signal processor 2. By providing the microphones 5 in the earbud, a user can perceive sounds from the environment and therefore does not feel isolated. The user can hear ambient sounds, such as loudspeakers at an airport, car noises, warnings, etc. and dangerous situations where the user does not hear what is going on in the surroundings can be avoided.

The signal processor 2 can be set to different frequencies, and various threshold values ​​can also be utilized. For example, a user can set the signal processor 2 so that only certain sounds captured by the microphones 5 are passed on to the speaker. The user's own speech can be intercepted and either subtracted from the audio signals before being transmitted to the speaker 7 and the user's ear, or also transmitted to a communication device. If the user's speech is removed from the audio signal transmitted to the speaker 7, he / she will not hear his / her own voice. Said thresholds may include not transmitting certain frequencies captured by the microphones 5, not transmitting sound that exceeds certain sound levels to the speaker 7, etc.

The signal processor 2 may also include a hearing enhancing function which can be utilized by people with hearing impairment.

Thus, both one or more microphones 5 and speaker 7 are included in the earpiece 1, which is very small. A practical and user-friendly earpiece is thus provided, in that the earpiece 1 of the present invention can be used both to hear and to speak.

The earpiece 1 can be used in conjunction with a communication device, such as a mobile phone, for example. The communication link between the earpiece 1 and the communication device is

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526 085 a wireless connection, eg Bluetooth, IR, radio link etc. The communication part of the present invention is described in more detail below, in connection with an embodiment where the earplug is used as a hearing aid. It will be appreciated that the communication module described there may also be used without the earpiece 1 incorporating sound enhancing functions.

Finally, the earbud also includes an energy source, for example in the form of a battery (not shown in the figure). The battery is preferably rechargeable, but any suitable battery can of course be used.

The present invention provides, in an alternative embodiment, a very handy hearing aid, with an additional feature in that it can also be used for communication, for example, with a mobile phone. The hearing aid, which is an earpiece described above with a hearing enhancing function, then comprises a communication chip which enables communication with an external communication device, eg a mobile phone, which has access to a corresponding communication chip. The communication chip may be a standard chip, and includes a microcontroller.

The entire system consists of four different parts which are interconnected with each other so that the aforementioned communication possibilities can be provided, as will now be described below.

The first part is, of course, the hearing aid 8 itself (ie, the earpiece 1 with a hearing gain function), which is provided with a communication chip as above.

The second part consists of a very compact apparatus, which acts as a control tool for the hearing aid 8 and has the properties needed to control information connected to the hearing aid. 2005-04-11

526 085 apparatus 8. This compact apparatus is here referred to as a control unit 9, or control box. The control unit 9 has a corresponding communication chip, which is located in the hearing aid 8. This allows the control unit 9 to communicate with the hearing aid 8 and vice versa. From the control unit 9 there is then a connection to a communication module 10, which will be described below. In the control unit 9 there are among other things. a DSP chip (Digital Signal Processor) for controlling various functions of the hearing aid 8 so that hearing and even speech can be made more efficient. The location of this chip in the controller 9 is such that the battery consumption in the hearing aid 8 can be reduced, as will be described later. The controller 9 communicates directly with the hearing aid 8 and can make various changes regarding all kinds of relevant information and all relevant signals into the hearing aid, eg change volume, make adjustments due to different situations with different conditions for a hearing impaired to perceive the sounds (different hearing situations) , program change, change frequencies on the hearing aid 8, remove interfering sounds, eg background noise.

The third part is a communication module 10 which is connected to an external device, for example a mobile phone. Below, mobile phone is used as an illustrative example of this external device, for the purpose of clarifying the invention. However, it is understood that there are other external devices that the hearing aid could communicate with, such as a laptop, a PDA (Personal Digital Assistant), portable phones, etc. The communication module 10 contains a communication chip that corresponds to one contained in the hearing aid 8, and these two communication chips together enable communication between the hearing aid 8 and the mobile telephone 11. The communication module 10 is connected to the mobile phone 11 in its interface so that the hearing aid can communicate with the mobile phone.

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If the communication unit 10 is a separate unit, it can be made very small. In an alternative embodiment, the communication module 10 may be integrated with the mobile telephone 11, for example it may be included in the mobile telephone 11 already in the manufacture of the mobile telephone 11. In a further alternative embodiment, the communication module 10 is integrated with the control unit 9 described above in a single unit. In this embodiment, the integrated unit is provided with an interface compatible with the interface of a mobile phone 11. The integrated device is then connected to the mobile phone by being designed as a plug-in device. Thereby, the integrated unit can utilize the battery of the mobile phone 11, whereby the control unit 9 need not be provided with its own battery. Furthermore, the integrated unit can utilize the interface of the mobile phone 11 in the form of keys familiar to the user and familiar display. The integrated unit can be made very small, for example with a width of 40 mm, a length of 20 mm and a thickness of 15 mm, and it is easy to connect with the interface of the mobile phone 11. The integrated unit can thus also be made very easy, and it is then easy to bring with you when needed, but can also be left at home when it is not needed.

The fourth part consists of the mobile telephone 11 itself, and it may be a conventional mobile telephone provided with an integrated communication module 10, or alternatively provided with means for receiving a plug-in unit comprising a communication module 10, as described above.

There are a number of alternatives for providing communication between the hearing aid 8 and the mobile phone 11. The first alternative, indicated in Figure 2 with Roman one, is that the communication is via the control unit 9 to the communication module 10 and then to the mobile phone 11. This communication module 10 is connected to mobile phone 11 (integre72297anp.description..doc; 2005-04-11

526 085 dial or as a plug-in unit, as above), which sends back information to the hearing aid 8 the same way. A second alternative, indicated in Figure 2 with Roman II, is that the communication goes directly between the hearing aid 8 and the communication module 10, which is connected to the mobile phone 11. A third alternative, indicated in figure 3 with Roman three, is that the communication between the hearing aid 8 and the mobile phone 11 goes directly from the hearing aid 8 to the mobile phone 11, which then has an integrated communication chip, as described above. A fourth alternative, indicated in Figure 3 with a Roman four, is that the communication goes to an integrated unit consisting of the controller 9 and the communication module 10, which is connected to a mobile phone 11.

In Figures 1 and 2 these four different alternatives are shown schematically. The dashed squares in the figures indicate possible variants of integrated units, ie the mobile telephone 11 and the communication module 10 can constitute an integrated unit, see figure 2, or the control unit 9 and the communication module 10 can constitute an integrated unit, see figure 3. The four alternatives shown for communication between the hearing aid 8 and a mobile phone 11 is shown with the solid arrows.

The hearing aid 8 is designed to amplify certain sounds and possibly weaken others. Thus, it comprises a speaker and the hearing aid of the present invention also includes, in one embodiment, a microphone, for capturing speech and transmitting it to a mobile phone. The embodiment with a microphone thus provides an earset. When it comes to silencing background noise, this can be done by the hearing aid sending out counter-phase sounds to the noise that surrounds the person in question. In this way it becomes silent at the eardrum. For this purpose, use the speaker located in the hearing aid.

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Requested information is then sent via the speaker inside the hearing aid so that it is perceived by the person with the hearing aid.

When it comes to amplifying different types of sources in the environment and suppressing others, this can be done with a set of amplifiers and filters, respectively. Filters that filter out certain frequencies or pass through others may be placed in the hearing aid 8. What is needed to accomplish this is the inclusion of a DSP chip integrated in the hearing aid 8, or alternatively in the control unit 9.

The present invention is partly made possible by the fact that digital signal processing is entering a second generation now, when it comes to developing so-called DSP (Digital Signal Processor) chips. This means that hearing aids can be equipped with completely new features. Another important step in the development is that these chips are now getting a size that allows them to be integrated into hearing aids. This means that the hearing aid can be used for both hearing and speaking. The hearing aid, or the earpiece, can thus communicate with other devices having a corresponding chip, for example a mobile phone, as described above.

As mentioned above, it is not only hearing impaired that can benefit from an apparatus for hearing. Anyone who wants to be able to communicate with someone else via a communication device would benefit from a device according to the present invention. For example, a person who wants to have a headset / earset could utilize the present invention. Thus, employees at a call center can utilize a hearing aid according to the present invention to handle incoming and outgoing telephone calls. For example, since it has no interfering cord, and because it can be customized with tailor-made solutions to the individual's ears, it is a very

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526 085 effective working tools, especially as hearing impaired can also use the device.

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