The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 12, 2019
Filed:
Jun. 21, 2016
Oticon Medical A/s, Smørum, DK;
Mathias Dietz, London, CA;
Bradford Backus, Vallauris, FR;
Oticon Medical A/S, Smørum, DK;
Abstract
According to an embodiment, a method for producing stimulation pulses in a bilateral cochlear implant (CI) is disclosed. The method includes receiving a sound at a first microphone or a first microphone array positioned at or in the vicinity of a first ear of a user of the bilateral CI and receiving the sound at a second microphone or a second microphone array positioned at or in the vicinity of a second ear of the user of the bilateral CI. Furthermore, generating, using the first microphone or first microphone array, a first microphone signal in response to the sound received at the first microphone or first microphone array and generating, using the second microphone or second microphone array, a second microphone signal in response to the sound received at the second microphone or second microphone array. This is followed by filtering the first microphone signal into a plurality of band limited first microphone signals and a filtering the second microphone signals into a plurality of band limited second microphone signals. Later, determining a major sound based on analysis of the first microphone signal and/or the second microphone signal and/or at least one of the plurality of band limited first microphone signals and/or at least one of the plurality of band limited second microphone signals and extracting direction of arrival of the major sound. Based on the determined major source, a primary pulse pattern is generated and a secondary pulse pattern comprising for example a delayed and/or attenuated copy of the generated primary pulse pattern is then generated. The amount of delay and/or attenuation is based on the extracted direction of arrival. Finally, stimulating one cochlea using a primary stimulation pulse that is based on the primary pulse pattern and stimulating the other cochlea using a secondary stimulation pulse that is based on the secondary pulse pattern.