JP2010268038A - Hearing aid - Google Patents

Abstract

Provided is a behind-the-ear hearing aid that enables a hearing aid wearer to easily estimate the position of a sound source in the front-rear direction and enhance the aesthetics when wearing a hearing aid.
An ear-mounted hearing aid of the present invention is used by being worn on the ear of a human body, collecting a surrounding sound to generate an input signal, and outputting based on the input signal. It includes at least a signal processing unit 102 that generates a signal, and includes an ear hook 110 that can be worn on the ear and a receiver 103 that reproduces an output sound based on the output signal. When the ear hook 110 is attached to the ear, the microphone 101 is an extension of the external ear canal 920 and is located on the eardrum side of the surface defined by the ear ring 901, the tragus 902, and the ear lobe 903. Arranged in the opening.
[Selection] Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to a behind-the-ear hearing aid in which a microphone is installed in the concha and an receiver is installed in the ear canal.

  As conventional hearing aids, there are ear-hook type hearing aids, concha-type and canal-type hearing aids. Hearing aid wearers feel that they are less noticeable when the ear-type hearing aid is small and placed behind the auricle, and when wearing the ear canal, the wearer feels a sense of blockage to block all or part of the ear canal. From this point of view, there is a tendency to prefer the ear-hook type hearing aid compared to the ear hole type hearing aid. An example of a conventional ear-hook type hearing aid has two components. The two components are an ear hook (Behind The Ear: BTE) and an ear hole (Completly In the Canal: CIC). The ear hook has a microphone, a battery, and signal processing means, and a receiver in the ear canal. Have. Conventionally, the hearing aid body has been transmitted from the body of the hearing aid to the surface of the eardrum via a sound guide tube, but with this hearing aid, it is possible to transmit broadband sound by directly transmitting the sound to the surface of the eardrum by placing the receiver in the ear canal. This is an advantage (see, for example, Patent Document 1). A receiver disposed in the ear canal is referred to as a receiver in canal (RIC). Further, there are hearing aid type hearing aids in which a receiver is installed in the ear canal and a microphone is installed in the ear canal or the auricle. By installing the microphone in the external auditory canal or in the pinna, it is possible to enhance the voice band by receiving the frequency characteristic change due to the pinna when the microphone collects sound. In addition, by installing the microphone in the external auditory canal or the auricle, the sound transmission path from the front direction and the rear direction is changed, and the directionality of the sound source in the front-rear direction can be identified. Here, the effect that the voice band is emphasized by the pinna and the front-back direction of the sound source can be identified is defined as the pinna effect (see, for example, Patent Document 2).

  Further, there are ear-hook type hearing aids, in which a receiver and a microphone are integrated and installed in the ear canal. By installing a microphone in the ear canal opening, natural hearing can be achieved, and by holding a large battery charge in the ear hook, it is possible to extend the hearing aid wearing time and reduce the battery replacement frequency. (For example, refer to Patent Documents 3 and 4).

Japanese Patent No. 3811731 US Pat. No. 5,987,146 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 52-22403 US Patent Application Publication No. 2007/76913

By the way, since a human has two left and right ears, when the sound source position is in a horizontal direction other than right in front or right behind, there is a time difference in which sound reaches the left and right ears from the sound source. This is called the interaural time difference (ITD), and uses horizontal sound source position estimation. In addition, since the distance from the sound source to both ears is different, there is a difference in the sound pressure that reaches. This is called an interaural level difference (ILD), which is also used for sound source position estimation.
On the other hand, when the sound source position is in the vertical direction such as directly in front, directly behind, or directly above, the sound that enters both ears is only slightly due to the asymmetry of the head, the time difference between both ears, the level difference between both ears Hardly occur. In this case, in order to estimate the sound source position, the human being estimates the sound source direction using the fact that the frequency characteristics are different due to diffraction, reflection, and the like by the head, shoulder, and pinna. Here, the characteristic of the transmission path from the sound source to the eardrum of both ears is referred to as a head related transfer function (HRTF).

  In many conventional hook-type hearing aids, as in Patent Document 1, the microphone is located at the upper part of the hearing aid body, that is, the upper part of the auricle. That is, the sound picked up by the microphone of the ear-mounted hearing aid does not receive the frequency characteristic change due to the shape of the pinna. Therefore, the present situation is that it is difficult for a wearable hearing aid wearer to estimate the sound source position in the front-rear direction. Moreover, even in the ear-mounted hearing aid in which the microphone is arranged in the ear canal or the pinna as in Patent Document 2, there is a problem that howling occurs with a small gain depending on the place where the microphone is installed. In addition, depending on the location where the microphone is installed, wearing may be conspicuous from the viewpoint of aesthetics, and there may be a problem that it is greatly affected by wind noise. Furthermore, when the microphone and the receiver are integrated and installed in the external auditory canal as in Patent Document 3 and Patent Document 4, there arises a problem that howling occurs with a small gain. Moreover, by integrating, the member put in an external auditory canal becomes large compared with a receiver single-piece | unit, and the hearing aid wearer will feel a feeling of obstruction | occlusion. As this feeling of blockage, there arises a problem that a voice (self-speaking) uttered by itself or a mastication sound when chewing food with meals or the like is generated. In addition, the conventional ear hole type hearing aid has a CIC type hearing aid as a small ear hole type hearing aid that is smaller and more aesthetic. However, all components related to the hearing aid such as a microphone, a speaker, a signal processing unit, and a battery are included in the ear canal. It is necessary to prepare in. In order to arrange the components of the hearing aid in a limited space in the external auditory canal, there is a problem that there is a feeling of obstruction during wearing. In addition, since the battery is included in the external auditory canal space, the battery capacity is limited to a small battery, and the hearing aid user needs to replace the battery frequently. It's hard to say. In addition, there are custom-made hearing aids that match the ear shape of the hearing aid wearer in the ear hole type hearing aid, but it is necessary to collect the ear shape of the hearing aid wearer and make the hearing aid shell match the ear shape, It becomes expensive compared with a ready-made hearing aid.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and it is possible for a hearing aid wearer to provide a natural and easy-to-hear sound due to the pinna effect of a human's original pinna, and occurs when a hearing aid is worn. An object of the present invention is to provide a behind-the-ear hearing aid that can reduce unpleasant howling noise and blockage, can extend the hearing aid wearing time and battery replacement interval, and can enhance aesthetics when wearing a hearing aid.

  The behind-the-ear hearing aid of the present invention is an behind-the-ear hearing aid that is used by being worn on the ear of a human body, collecting a surrounding sound to generate an input signal, and an output signal based on the input signal. A signal processing means for generating an output sound, a receiver for reproducing output sound based on the output signal, and an ear hook section including at least a microphone, the signal processing means, and a battery section for supplying power to the receiver, When the unit is attached to the ear, the microphone is disposed on the concha located on the eardrum side of the surface defined by the earring, tragus, and ear lobe, and the receiver is disposed on the ear canal, The battery part is arranged on the back side of the auricle at the upper part of the auricle. With this configuration, it is possible to hear natural and easy-to-hear sounds due to the pinna effect of human ears, reduce unpleasant howling sounds and obstructions that occur when wearing hearing aids, and reduce hearing aid wearing time and battery power. It is possible to provide an over-the-ear hearing aid that can increase the exchange interval and can enhance aesthetics when the hearing aid is worn.

  In the ear-type hearing aid of the present invention, when the ear hook is attached to the ear, the sound hole of the microphone is preferably opened in the direction of the body as viewed from the front of the auricle. This configuration picks up ambient sounds and conversation sounds with high sensitivity while obtaining an auricular effect, and also prevents dirt and sweat secreted from the body surface from entering through the sound holes of the microphone, resulting in failure. It is possible to provide an in-ear hearing aid that is difficult to perform.

  In the ear-hook type hearing aid according to the present invention, the microphone is housed in a conch boat as viewed from the front of the auricle, and an electric wire connecting the receiver and the microphone is joined to the microphone in the sound hole of the microphone. It is preferable that it exists in the vicinity of a location. . With this configuration, an ear hook type hearing aid is provided that prevents standing waves from standing between the wall surfaces by preventing the sound hole of the microphone from being surrounded by the auricle wall surfaces, and preventing occurrence of howling due to resonance of the standing waves. I can do it.

  In the behind-the-ear hearing aid of the present invention, it is preferable that the cross section of the electric wire connecting the microphone and the receiver is substantially elliptical. With this configuration, when the hearing aid is worn on the ear, the opening direction of the microphone sound hole can be directed to the outside of the body by bringing the surface of the long side of the substantially elliptical shape into contact with the skin of the concha, and Provided is a hook-type hearing aid that can prevent dirt or sweat secreted from the body surface from entering the sound hole of a microphone.

  Moreover, in the ear hook type hearing aid of the present invention, it is preferable that an ear concha part including at least the microphone and an ear canal part including at least the receiver are detachable. With this configuration, it is possible to adjust the length of the wire connecting the concha and the external auditory canal according to the size of the auricle, depending on the size of the auricle that varies depending on the individual. It is possible to provide a hook-type hearing aid adapted to a person's pinna.

  In addition, in the ear hook type hearing aid of the present invention, it is preferable that the ear hook portion including at least the battery portion and the ear canal portion including at least the receiver are detachable. With this configuration, it is possible to adjust the length of the wire connecting the upper pinna with the ear hook and the ear canal according to the size of the pinna for different pinna sizes depending on the individual Thus, it is possible to provide a behind-the-ear hearing aid that matches the ears of the hearing aid wearer.

  In the behind-the-ear hearing aid of the present invention, it is preferable that the signal processing means reduce a gain with respect to a frequency band including a resonance frequency when the ear canal or the concha is closed. With this configuration, noise and conversation sound become seeds of howling, and it is prevented from growing to howling by forming a feedback circuit that is amplified by the resonance frequency of the ear canal or concha and reducing howling. it can.

  In the ear-mounted hearing aid according to the present invention, it is preferable that the signal processing means is disposed on the concha when the ear hook is attached to the ear. With this configuration, it is possible to place the microphone and the signal processing means in a position close to each other in terms of electrical circuit, and voltage degradation in the electric wire between the microphone and the signal processing means or signal degradation due to electromagnetic induction due to external noise Can be reduced.

  In the behind-the-ear hearing aid of the present invention, it is preferable that the electric wire connecting the microphone and the receiver is formed of an elastic body. With this configuration, the spring property of the electric wire makes it possible to adhere to the skin surface of the concha, to stably hold the microphone in the concha boat, and to hold the receiver in the ear canal stably. Become. Furthermore, by holding the microphone stably, even when the hearing aid wearer moves, it is possible to reduce the contact noise when the microphone collides with the skin surface of the conch boat, and noise that does not require the microphone The effect that it is difficult to pick up the sound is obtained.

  In the behind-the-ear hearing aid of the present invention, the electric wire connecting the microphone and the receiver may have irregularities in the longitudinal direction. With this configuration, the electric wire is easily bent, so that the mounting is facilitated. Further, even when the wearer moves, it can be stably held, and sweat and dirt can be prevented from accumulating in the concha.

  The present invention enables the ear-wearing hearing aid wearer to hear natural and easy-to-hear sounds due to the pinna effect of the human ear, and reduces unpleasant howling sounds and blockage that occur when wearing a hearing aid. Further, it is possible to provide a hook-type hearing aid that can extend the hearing aid wearing time and the battery replacement interval and can enhance the aesthetics when wearing the hearing aid.

The front view which shows the ear hook type hearing aid in the 1st Embodiment of this invention Front view showing the wearing state (A) is a front view showing the wearing state, (b) is a vertical sectional view with respect to the ear canal part showing the wearing state, and (c) is a horizontal sectional view with respect to the ear canal part showing the wearing state. Enlarged view of part A in FIG. Wire internal configuration diagram It is a figure for demonstrating the electric wire of another example, (a) is an enlarged view corresponding to A part of FIG. 1, (b) is an internal block diagram of an electric wire. Front view of the concha Horizontal section of the concha Diagram showing air column resonance Cross-sectional view perpendicular to the ear canal with the hearing aid attached Front view of a hearing aid in the second embodiment of the present invention

  Hereinafter, a behind-the-ear hearing aid according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.

First, the part visible from the outside of the ear will be briefly described with reference to FIG. FIG. 2 is a front view of an example of the pinna. The pinna 910 is a shell-like protrusion that surrounds the ear canal 920 on both sides of the head. The helix 901 is a soft raised portion of the outer peripheral portion of the auricle 910 that faces the tragus 902. A tragus 902 is a bulge at the entrance of the ear canal 920. The ear canal 920 is a generally S-shaped tube that reaches the eardrum from the ear canal entrance.
The earlobe 903 is an earlobe and a soft part that hangs under the ear. A ring of heel 905 is a portion where the ring 901 extends to the upper part of the ear canal and is raised. The concha 904 is a hollow portion at the entrance of the ear canal 920 and is divided into two parts. The two parts in the concha 904 are one part above the auricle leg 905 is a cymba concha 904a, and the other part is a part below the auricle leg 905. Cavum concha 904b.

(First embodiment)
Next, FIG. 1 shows an example of the configuration of the behind-the-ear hearing aid of the first embodiment of the present invention.
The hook-type hearing aid of this embodiment can be roughly divided into three as components.
The first is an ear hook 110 that is attached to the ear so as to be located on the auricle 910 and on the back side of the auricle 910, and the second is attached to the ear so as to be located inside the external auditory canal 920. The external auditory canal 100 is a third ear concha 120 that is attached to the ear so as to be located in the ear canal opening 904 and the concha 904. The external auditory canal opening is a portion located on the eardrum side of the surface 100p (FIGS. 3B and 3C) defined by the ear ring 901, the tragus 902, and the ear lobe 903. Positioning in the ear canal opening includes positioning on the extension of the ear canal 920 or on the concha 904, for example.

  The concha portion 120 is configured to include a microphone 101. The ear hook 110 includes the signal processing unit 102, the battery unit 104, and the connection unit 108. Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the ear canal unit 100 includes a receiver 103, an ear tip 202, and a connection unit 109. As the electrical connection, the microphone 101, the signal processing means 102, and the battery unit 104 are connected by the electric wires 140 and 150 as can be understood from FIG. 1, and the receiver 103 is also understood from FIG. The signal processing means 102 and the battery unit 104 are connected by an electric wire 150. The electric wire 140 and the electric wire 150 are examples of signal lines through which various types of information are transmitted on the line.

Next, the flow of processing performed by the behind-the-ear hearing aid of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG.
First, the microphone 101 converts an input sound into an input sound signal. The converted input audio signal is transmitted to the signal processing means 102. The signal processing means 102 processes the input audio signal to generate an output audio signal. The generated output audio signal is transmitted to the receiver 103, and the receiver 103 converts the output audio signal into an output sound, and reproduces the output sound for the hearing aid wearer. The battery unit 104 supplies driving power to the microphone 101, the signal processing unit 102, and the receiver 103. Here, the processing content of the signal processing means 102 will be supplemented. The processing content of the signal processing means 102 differs depending on whether it is an analog hearing aid or a digital hearing aid.
In the case of an analog hearing aid, the signal processing means 102 amplifies the input voice signal according to the hearing level of the hearing aid wearer and generates an output voice signal. It also limits the maximum acoustic gain to protect hearing aid wearers. On the other hand, in the case of a digital hearing aid, since the signal processing means 102 can perform frequency analysis / synthesis, nonlinear compression processing that changes the amplification factor for each frequency signal in accordance with the shape of the audiogram of the hearing aid wearer is performed. Do. The audiogram is a graph obtained by measuring the minimum audible sound for each frequency signal of the hearing aid wearer. The audiogram can express the degree, type and progression of hearing loss. Further, the signal processing means 102 is a howling suppression process that suppresses a howling sound that is likely to occur when a hearing aid is worn, a directivity synthesis process that emphasizes a sound whose sound source direction is the forward direction, and a non-speech section, that is, a noise section included in the input signal. Noise suppression processing to suppress, wind noise suppression processing to suppress unpleasant wind noise, speech enhancement processing to enhance an audio signal included in the input signal, and the like are performed. Here, an example of the processing content of the signal processing means 102 is shown, but the present invention is not limited to this example.

The hook-type hearing aid of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1 is worn as shown in FIG.
As shown in FIG. 3, the ear hook 110 is attached to the upper part of the auricle 910 and the back side of the auricle 910. The battery unit 104 of FIG. 1 is accommodated in the ear hook part 110, but the ear hook part 110 is hidden by the auricle 910 and has a wide space conspicuous from the outside, so that the aesthetics are not impaired. It becomes possible to hold a battery having a large battery capacity. In addition, the concha portion 120 is disposed so as to be held in a hollow portion in the concha boat 904a. By doing so, the conchal portion 120 is hidden from the shadow of the conch boat 904 and is not conspicuous from the outside, so that it is possible to obtain the auricular effect with the microphone 101 without impairing the aesthetics. In addition, since the distance between the concha portion 120 including the microphone 101 and the external auditory canal portion 100 including the receiver 103 is increased, the probability of howling sound being generated can be reduced. Furthermore, by holding the microphone 101 on the conch boat 904a, it is possible to reduce wind noise generated when the wind hits the microphone 101 directly.

  Further, the electric wire 140 connecting the microphone 101 and the receiver 103 has a curved shape as shown in FIG. 1, is formed of an elastic body having a spring property, and the curvature of the curve can be changed. When the wire 140 is in contact with the ear canal 100 and the angle between the wire 140 and the ear concha 120 is not worn, the angle is 180 degrees or less and 90 degrees or more. . In this way, when the hook-type hearing aid of the present embodiment is worn on a human ear, the electric wire 140 is bent so that the spring 140 can be brought into close contact with the skin surface of the concha 940. It becomes. As an effect of bringing the electric wire 140 into close contact with the skin, the concha 120 can be stably held on the concha boat 904a, and the external auditory canal 100 can be stably held on the external canal 920. Further, by stably holding the concha portion 120, even when the hearing aid wearer moves, the contact noise when the concha portion 120 collides with the skin surface of the concha boat 940a is reduced. Therefore, the microphone 101 included in the concha 120 can hardly collect unnecessary noise. Further, since the external auditory canal 100 is held by the external auditory canal 920 at the center of the auricle 910, it is not conspicuous because it is a shadow on the external auditory canal 920 from the outside, and the aesthetics are not impaired. Furthermore, since the ear canal unit 100 does not include the microphone 101, the signal processing unit 102, and the battery unit 104, but includes only the receiver 103, it is possible to reduce the sense of blockage of the ear canal 920. In addition, by reducing the feeling of occlusion, the air permeability of the external ear canal 920 is increased, and there is an effect of preventing the ear wax from being accumulated in the external ear canal 920.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the behind-the-ear hearing aid of this embodiment includes an ear tip 202 at the tip of the receiver 103. This exists to hold the receiver 103 inside the ear canal 920. In addition, since ear wax is generated inside the ear canal 920, it is useful to attach an ear wax prevention film to a portion where a sound hole exists at the tip of the ear tip 202. The ear tip 202 can be detached from the receiver 103, and can be exchanged and washed when a hearing aid wearer becomes dirty. In addition, by making a hole in the ear tip 202, it is possible to reduce the sense of blockage of the ear canal 920.

  Further, by installing the microphone 101 in the conch boat 904a, howling can be reduced while obtaining the auricular effect. Howling occurs when the microphone 101 and the receiver 103 come close to each other, and a feedback path is formed. However, in the case of a hearing aid, the output sound from the receiver 103 resonates in the external ear canal 920 and becomes the input sound of the microphone 101. Howling may occur. In order to reduce howling due to the air column resonance, it is desirable that the microphone 101 be separated from the ear canal 920. The reason why the howling can be reduced will be explained together with air column resonance. First, for the frequency f, the following equation (Equation 1) is established from the sound velocity v and the wavelength λ.

Based on this relationship, the resonance frequency f (n) at which air column resonance occurs will be considered. However, n is a positive integer of 1, 2, 3, and n = 1 is referred to as a fundamental vibration.

  FIG. 9 shows the relationship between the closed tube length l, the open end correction la, and the closed tube radius r. FIG. 9 shows a case where a standing wave of λ / 4 is generated as air column resonance. The eardrum side of the closed tube is a node of the standing wave, and the opening side of the ear canal is an antinode of the standing wave. Recognize. When opening end correction in considering air column resonance is defined as la, it is considered that the eardrum side of the ear canal is closed, and the opening side of the ear canal is considered to be open, and the following relationship is established.

However, it is a positive integer of n = 1,2. The meaning of (Equation 2) is that a standing wave is generated by air column resonance when the length of the air column is approximately 1/4, 3/4, 5/4,... Of the wavelength. It is to occur. Here, when (Equation 2) is substituted for (Equation 1) in order to derive the resonance frequency f (n), the following equation (Equation 3) can be calculated.

Further, the opening end correction la can be approximated to la = 0.6r using the radius of the air column, that is, the radius r of the ear canal.

  Here, the shape of the ear canal will be considered numerically as the resonance frequency fc at which air column resonance occurs in the ear canal. The length lc of the ear canal varies depending on individual differences and also varies depending on the measurement location. The eardrum is inclined with respect to the ear canal, and the length of the ear canal is reported to be 24 [mm] on the upper wall and 27 [mm] on the lower wall, so this average length lc = 25.5 [mm] ] Is used as an example. The radius rc of the external auditory canal also varies depending on individual differences, and there are reports of a longitudinal radius 3.3 [mm] and a lateral minor radius 2.3 [mm], so the average radius rc = 2.8 [mm]. Is used as an example.

FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view in the vertical direction with respect to the ear canal portion in a state in which the hearing aid is worn, and describes measurement points of the length lc of the ear canal and the radius rc of the ear canal. It should be noted that the length lc of the external auditory canal is a length between the outer end of the portion not including the concha 904 and the eardrum 930 as the inner end. Furthermore, although the sound speed varies depending on the temperature, it is considered that the temperature in the ear canal is close to the body temperature, and assuming that the Celsius t is 30 [° C.], the sound speed v = 331.5 + 0.6 t [m / s] = 350 [m / s]. Use the value of. From the above, the resonance frequency fc in the ear canal is obtained by substituting the length lc of the ear canal into the length l of (Equation 3) and substituting the radius rc of the ear canal into the radius r.
The following equation (Equation 4) is obtained.

Here, the resonance frequency fc in the ear canal is fc (1) = 3219 [Hz] in the case of fundamental vibration, that is, n = 1. As the seeds that generate howling, thermal noise and ambient noise of microphones and signal processing means can be considered, and it is considered that this noise and speech sounds become seeds and are amplified by air column resonance of the ear canal. That is, it is considered that the resonance frequency in the ear canal is amplified in noise and speech content, and this grows into howling.

  As a means for preventing howling due to the resonance frequency in the ear canal, the microphone 102 is installed at a position away from the ear canal 920 and installed in the conch boat 904a. The effect is high that howling using the resonance frequency of the ear canal 920 as a seed is difficult to occur. As another means for preventing this howling, it is conceivable that the signal processing means 102 can suppress the occurrence of howling by lowering the gain of this frequency. However, since the resonance frequency and gain vary depending on individual differences, it is considered that a higher effect can be obtained by adjusting according to the hearing aid wearer.

In addition, consider the resonance in the concha 904. Although the size of the concha 904 varies depending on individual differences, the length ld at the concha 904 is considered. As the length ld, the depth of the hollow portion of the concha 904 corresponds to it, but it is difficult to define the depth of the concha 904 in general because it varies greatly depending on the measurement location, but it is difficult to define the depth from the receiver 103 in the external auditory canal 920. When the sound resonates, the measurement location is set near the front of the face near the tragus 902. Here, the depth ld = 10 [mm] of the concha 904 is about. Moreover, the radius with respect to the hollow of the concha 904 is about rd = 10 [mm].
FIG. 10 also describes the measurement points of the length ld of the concha 904 and the radius rd of the concha. However, in FIG. 10, a 2rd portion is illustrated as the diameter of the concha 904. The length of the concha 904 is such that a portion not including the external auditory canal 920 is the inner end, a surface 100p defined by the ear ring 901, the tragus 902, and the ear lobe 903 is the outer end surface, and the concha 904 is used as a measurement location. Between the inner end and the outer end in the vicinity of the tragus 902.
In order to calculate the resonance frequency fd in the concha from these values, the depth ld of the concha 904 is substituted for the length l of (Equation 3), and the radius rd of the concha 904 is substituted for the radius r. Then, the following equation (Formula 5) is obtained.

Here, since the resonance frequency fd in the concha is not sufficiently longer than the length radius of the air column, in the case of fundamental vibration, that is, n = 1, in this example, fd (1) = 5468. [Hz]. As described above, noise and utterance sound become seeds as the seeds that generate howling. However, this may be amplified by air column resonance of the concha 904. That is, it is conceivable that the resonance frequency in the concha 904 is amplified in the noise and the utterance content, and this grows into howling.

  As an experiment, when a hook-type hearing aid was attached to the ear, the gain was increased to create a howling state, and the hearing aid input sound at the time of the howling occurrence was recorded. The recorded signal was subjected to frequency analysis processing, and the peak frequency at the time of howling was measured. As a result, the peak frequency at the time of howling was measured as a value close to the resonance frequency fd in the concha. From this experiment, it is inferred that howling occurs due to the resonance frequency in the concha. As means for preventing howling due to the resonance frequency in the concha 904, the microphone 102 is directed to the inside of the concha 904, the microphone sound hole is directed to the outside of the body, and the body surface of the concha 904 is close to the skull. By installing at the position, the microphone sound hole 122 is brought close to the node of the resonance frequency, and as a result, it is considered that the influence of the air vibration due to the resonance frequency is reduced. From these, the effect that howling using the resonance frequency by the concha 904 as a seed hardly occurs is obtained. Further, in order to reduce howling, it is also conceivable to apply gain limitation to the resonance frequency fc of the external auditory canal and the resonance frequency fd of the concha, by the howling suppression processing of the signal processing means 102 or the nonlinear compression processing. Specifically, the input signal is amplified by the nonlinear compression unit, but the gain characteristic is changed to a setting suppressed to −6 [dB] or the like for the frequency band including the resonance frequencies fc and fd, Howling due to resonance of the ear canal and concha can be reduced.

Further, the connecting portion 108 shown in FIG. 1 connects the ear hook portion 110 and the electric wire 150. The reason for the presence of the connecting portion 108 is that there are individual differences in the size of the auricle 910, and there are individual differences in the length of the electric wire 150, and there is an individual difference in the output and characteristics of the receiver 103 to be used. There is an advantage that it can cope with any case.
In addition, if the hearing aid is used for a long time, even if the receiver 103 breaks down and needs to be replaced, it is possible to cope with it by replacing only the ear canal unit 100 including the receiver 103 without replacing the entire hearing aid. There is.

Note that, in order to simplify the configuration and reduce development costs, a configuration in which the connection unit 108 is not provided and the electric wire 150 is directly connected to the signal processing unit 102 is naturally conceivable.
The connection part 109 connects the ear canal part 100 and the electric wire 140. The reason for the presence of the connecting portion 109 is that there is an individual difference in the size of the pinna, and there is an individual difference in the length of the electric wire 140. Further, if the hearing aid is used for a long time, even if the microphone 101 breaks down and needs to be replaced, it can be dealt with by replacing only the concha 120 including the microphone 101 without replacing the entire hearing aid. There are advantages. In order to simplify the configuration and reduce development costs, a configuration in which the connecting portion 109 is not provided and the electric wire 140 is directly connected to the ear canal portion 100 is naturally conceivable.
In addition, the implementation method of the connection part 108 and the connection part 109 can be implemented by applying the existing method, such as using the multipolar small connector described in Unexamined-Japanese-Patent No. 9-219264 as an example.

  FIG. 7 is a configuration diagram of the concha portion 120. In FIG. 7, the concha portion 120 is a housing that supports the microphone 101, and has a sound hole 121 for inputting sound from the outside. ing. The microphone 101 is a cylindrical microphone as an example, and the microphone sound hole 122 for inputting sound from the outside is provided at the center of the cylindrical circle, but this is not restrictive. Here, FIG. 7 is a front view with respect to the auricle 910, and it can be seen that the sound hole 121 faces the outside of the body. By doing so, it is possible to obtain an auricle effect and collect a natural input sound. Further, since the sound hole 121 faces the outside of the body, it is possible to prevent perspiration and earwax from entering the sound hole 121 and provide a hearing aid with few failures.

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the concha 120 of the electric wire 140 in the long side direction and the direction perpendicular to the skull surface in the state where the hook-type hearing aid of the present embodiment is mounted.
4 and 5 are diagrams for explaining the configuration of the electric wire 140. FIG. 4 is an enlarged view of a portion A in FIG. 1, and FIG. 5 is an internal configuration diagram of the electric wire. The electric wire 140 connects the ear canal 100 and the concha 120, and includes a signal line 105a from the signal processing means 102 to the microphone 101, a ground 105b, and a power supply line 105c. The electric wire 140 is desirably arranged along the skin on the cylindrical surface inside the substantially cylindrical shape as shown in FIG. 3 as a hollow portion of the concha 904 when viewed from the front of the auricle 910. As the hollow portion of the concha 904, the electric wire 140 runs along the skin on the cylindrical surface inside the substantially cylindrical shape, so that the auricular effect in the concha 904 can be obtained and from the viewpoint of aesthetics. The effect of not being noticeable is obtained.
In FIG. 5, the cross section of the electric wire 140 has a substantially elliptical shape (flat shape). By doing so, the surface in the long side direction of the electric wire 140 is curved to the inner surface of the concha 904. Therefore, the concha 120 can be held without applying a large stress to the concha 904. Moreover, by making the cross section of the electric wire 140 into a substantially elliptical shape, the direction in which the sound hole 121 of the concha portion 120 faces when the hearing aid is attached to the ear can be controlled, and as described above, it can be directed to the outside of the body. It becomes possible.
Furthermore, by making the cross section substantially elliptical, it is possible to eliminate the sharp corners of the electric wire 140 and to prevent the hearing aid wearer's ear from being damaged. In FIG. 5, an ellipse is described as the cross-sectional shape, but it is also possible to adopt a cross-section that is a polygon such as a triangle or a quadrangle and has no sharp corners.

  The electric wire 140 connects the external auditory canal portion 100 and the concha portion 120. The electric wire 140 is formed as a hollow portion of the concha 904 instead of a straight line. In order to arrange along the skin on the surface, it is conceivable that the shape of the electric wire 140 is previously curved as shown in FIG. By adopting this configuration, an inexpensive component can be used by using the electric wire 140 having a substantially circular cross section as the electric wire 140.

  FIG. 6 is a diagram for explaining another example of the electric wire 140. (A) is an enlarged view corresponding to A part of Drawing 1, and (b) is an internal lineblock diagram of an electric wire. In the example of FIG. 6, the coating thickness with respect to the longitudinal direction of the electric wire 140 is not uniform. That is, in the state where the hearing aid of this embodiment is worn on the ear, the surface where the electric wire 140 contacts the skin is uneven. The reason why the electric wire 140 is uneven is that when the hearing aid according to the present embodiment is worn, the uneven surface of the electric wire 140 is easily bent so that the electric wire 140 is easily attached. As another effect, even when the wearer moves, the concha 120 can be stably held on the concha boat 904a, and the area where the electric wire 140 contacts the skin is reduced. The effect of improving the air permeability between 904 and the electric wire 140 and preventing the accumulation of sweat and dirt on the concha 904 can be considered. The electric wire 140 covers the signal line 105a, the ground 105b, and the power supply line 105c.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 11 is a configuration diagram of a hearing aid according to the second embodiment of the present invention. The description of the same parts as those in FIG. 1 is omitted, but the difference from FIG. 1 is that the signal processing means 102 is not included in the ear hook part 110 but is included in the ear concha part 120. By including the signal processing means 102 in the concha part 120, the microphone 101 and the signal processing means 102 can be disposed close to each other. As a result, there is an effect that it is possible to prevent signal degradation due to voltage drop when the input signal picked up by the microphone 101 is transmitted to the signal processing means 102 and signal degradation due to electromagnetic induction from an external device or the like. . In recent years, the signal processing means 102 has been further miniaturized due to the miniaturization of circuit design and process development. Therefore, even when the signal processing means 102 is included in the concha portion 120, the ear processing is not performed. It is possible to provide a hearing aid that hides the concha 120 in the hollow portion of the conch boat 904a and is difficult to see from the outside of the body and has high aesthetics.

  Since the installation position of the signal processing means 102 is different, the electric wire 301 that connects the concha portion 120 and the ear canal portion 100 and the electric wire 302 that connects the ear canal portion 100 and the ear hook portion 110 are the electric wires described in FIG. Since it is different from this, it is supplemented that another code is given.

  As described above, in the hearing aid according to the present invention, in the ear-mounted hearing aid, the microphone is installed in the concha boat, the receiver is installed in the ear canal, and the battery is installed in the upper part of the auricle. Is the input sound that reflects the frequency characteristics of the pinna, and as a result, the hearing aid user can hear a natural and easy-to-hear sound due to the pinna effect, and the unpleasant howling sound and blockage that occur when wearing the hearing aid. It is useful as a hook-type hearing aid or the like that can reduce hearing loss, extend the hearing aid wearing time and battery replacement interval, and increase the aesthetics when wearing a hearing aid.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 100 External auditory canal part 110 Ear hook part 120 Ear concha part 121 Sound hole 122 Microphone sound hole 101 Microphone 102 Signal processing means 103 Receiver 104 Battery part 108 Connection part (ear hook part)
109 Connection (ear canal)
140 Electric wire (between the concha and ear canal)
150 Electric wire (between ear canal and ear hook)
202 Ear tip 910 Auricle 920 External ear canal 901 Ear ring 902 Tragus 903 Ear lobe 904 Ear conch 904a Ear conch boat 904b Ear concha space 905 Ear ring leg 930 Tympanic membrane

Claims (10)

A hook-type hearing aid that is used by being worn on the human ear,
A microphone that collects ambient sounds and generates an input signal;
Signal processing means for generating an output signal based on the input signal;
A receiver for reproducing output sound based on the output signal;
An ear hook including at least a battery unit for supplying power to the microphone, the signal processing unit, and the receiver;
When the ear hook is attached to the ear,
The microphone is disposed on the concha located on the eardrum side of the surface defined by the ear ring, tragus, and ear lobe,
The receiver is disposed in the ear canal;
The battery part is arranged on the back side of the auricle at the upper part of the auricle.
Hearing aid. The hook-type hearing aid according to claim 1,
When the ear hook is attached to the ear,
The sound hole of the microphone is opened in the external direction as seen from the front of the auricle,
Hearing aid. The hook-type hearing aid according to claim 1 or 2,
The microphone fits into the conch boat as seen from the front of the pinna,
The sound hole of the microphone is in the vicinity of a place where an electric wire connecting the receiver and the microphone is joined to the microphone.
Hearing aid. A hook-type hearing aid according to any one of claims 1 to 3,
The cross section of the electric wire connecting the microphone and the receiver is substantially elliptical,
Hearing aid. The hook-type hearing aid according to any one of claims 1 to 4,
An ear concha including at least the microphone;
The ear canal part including at least the receiver is removable.
Hearing aid. The hook-type hearing aid according to any one of claims 1 to 5,
The ear hook part including at least the battery part and the ear canal part including at least the receiver are detachable.
Hearing aid. The hook-type hearing aid according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The signal processing means is configured to reduce the gain for the frequency band, including the resonance frequency when the ear canal or concha is closed.
Hearing aid. An ear hook type hearing aid according to any one of claims 1 to 7,
When the ear hook is attached to the ear,
The signal processing means is disposed in the concha;
Hearing aid. The hook-type hearing aid according to any one of claims 1 to 8,
The electric wire connecting the microphone and the receiver is formed of an elastic body,
Hearing aid. A hook-type hearing aid according to any one of claims 1 to 9,
An ear hook type hearing aid in which an electric wire connecting the microphone and the receiver has irregularities in the longitudinal direction.