Texas Instruments Corporation

Trudy D Stetzler

John Elliott Whitecar

Pedro Ramon Gelabert

Carl Michael Panasik

Tod David Wolf

Thomas M Siep

Burc A Simsek

The approach shown provides for an efficient implementation of time response, level response and frequency response alignment between two audio sources such as DAB and FM that may be time offset from each other by as much as 2 seconds, and produces an aurally undetectable transition between the sources. Computational load is significantly reduced over the approaches known in the prior art.

Undetectable combining of nonaligned concurrent signals

In a digital radio system including a transmitter unit and at least one receiver unit, changes to the system can implemented without modifying the hardware components by providing the transmitter unit and the receiver unit with processing capability. With respect to the transmitter unit, the principal function of the processing capability is to modify the encoding of the transmitted signal stream. The processing capability of the receiver unit provides the ability to identify when the decoding algorithms are not compatible with the transmitted signal stream. The decoding algorithms of receiver unit can be updated to be compatible with transmitted signals in several different embodiments. According to one embodiment, the updated decoding algorithm can be transmitted to the receiver unit along with, or in place of, the program signal stream. The programmable processor of the receiver unit identifies the decoder algorithm signal stream and installs the decoder algorithm in the programmable processor. In this embodiment of the invention, the upgrade of the receiver unit can be transparent to the user. The upgrade of the receiver unit can also be accomplished by manual intervention by the user.

Apparatus and method for the transparent upgrading of technology and applications in digital radio systems using programmable transmitters and receivers

A hearing assist device ( ) for a person (P). The device comprises a speaker device (SP ) for presenting sound to an ear canal of the person and circuitry for identifying a specified area relative to the person. The device further comprises a first microphone (M ) for providing a first sound signal in response to a first sound source located inside the area and in response to a second sound source located outside the area. Further, the device comprises a second microphone (M ) for providing a second sound signal in response to the first sound source and the second sound source. Still further, the device comprises circuitry ( ) for determining a position of the first sound source and the second sound source in response to the specified area, the first sound signal and the second signal. Finally, the device comprises circuitry ( ) for outputting a processed signal in response to the position. In operation, the speaker device is operable to present processed sound to the ear canal in response to the processed signal, wherein the processed sound represents a different suppression of sound from the second sound source relative to sound from the first sound source.

Hearing assist device with directional detection and sound modification

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a digital hearing device is disclosed. The digital hearing aid includes a microphone for receiving sound, which may include an analog signal. The analog signal is converted by a first converter into a digital signal. Filters are provided to divide the digital signal into multiple signal parts. A signal processor may be provided for each signal part, and performs signal processing on its respective signal part. An adder adds the output of the signal processors, which results in a processed digital signal. A second converter converts the processed digital signal back into an analog signal. A speaker then outputs the analog signal. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method for enhancing sound is provided. The method includes the steps of: (1) receiving sound containing an analog signal; (2) converting the analog signal to a digital signal; (3) dividing the digital signal into signal parts; (4) performing signal processing on the signal parts; (5) adding the processed signal parts, resulting in a processed digital signal; (6) converting the processed digital signal to a processed analog signal; and (7) outputting the processed analog signal. According to another embodiment of the present invention, a digital hearing system is provided. The digital hearing system includes at least one hearing device and a central processing unit. The hearing device includes a microphone for receiving sound that includes an analog signal, a transmitter for transmitting the analog signal, and a receiver for receiving a processed analog signal. The central processing unit includes a receiver for receiving the analog signal from the hearing device, a signal processor for processing the signal, and a transmitter for transmitting the processed signal to the hearing device.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Trudy D Stetzler