Advanced electronic features for hearing aids and other portable devices /
Hearing aids have been greatly improved over the years because of better technology and more innovative ideas. Currently, most hearing aid users choose cosmetic appearance or perceived invisibility over acoustic performance. For this reason, the industry has emphasized miniaturization. However, this...
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| Format: | Thesis Book |
| Language: | English |
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[Place of publication not identified] :
[publisher not identified] ;
1999.
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://proxy.library.tamu.edu/login?url=http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=730298431&sid=1&Fmt=2&clientId=2945&RQT=309&VName=PQD |
| Summary: | Hearing aids have been greatly improved over the years because of better technology and more innovative ideas. Currently, most hearing aid users choose cosmetic appearance or perceived invisibility over acoustic performance. For this reason, the industry has emphasized miniaturization. However, this trend will change in the next few years, and only the smaller hearing aids with more sophisticated features will be able to capture users' attention. An interdisciplinary design approach has been used to transform marketing and customer needs into obtainable research goals. Thus, it was used to establish a systematic design methodology. In addition, the design process took into account relevant information regarding current hearing aids, new-technology trends and customer feedback. As a result, this document introduces three novel features, which can be conveniently implemented in an existing or future hearing aid device. First, a Volume Control Receiver that detects incoming wireless commands and controls the output level of the hearing aid. Then, a Programmable Interface Receiver that also processes encoded signals, and stores a pre-programmed setting that fits the user's pattern of hearing loss. Finally, a Noise Reduction System that improves hearing capabilities and speech intelligibility for hearing aid users exposed to noisy environments. Each feature will be able to perform independently. However, these features have been designed to share as many blocks as possible in order to optimize their size and power consumption. The features mentioned before have an immediate application in today's market and their demand will only increase in the near future. More important, their applications are not only limited to hearing aid devices, but to any design that requires a wireless interface or other state-of-the-art portable devices. In short, this research work describes in great detail the design, implementation and testing of three new hearing-aid features. Furthermore, each feature will not only be proven successful conceptually, but also experimentally with the implementation of physical prototypes on single integrated circuit (IC) microchips. |
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| Item Description: | Vita. "Major Subject: Electrical Engineering". |
| Physical Description: | xii, 108 leaves : illustrations ; 28 cm. Issued also on microfiche from University Microfilm Inc. |
| Bibliography: | Includes bibliographical references (leaves 102-107). |