Recording and retrieval of sound data in a hearing prosthesis

Abstract

A hearing prosthesis for delivering stimuli to a hearing-impaired recipient is disclosed, the hearing prosthesis comprising: a sound transducer for converting received sound signals into electric audio signals; a sound processor for converting said electric audio signals into stimuli signals; a stimulator for delivering said stimuli to the recipient; a memory for storing data representative of sound signals; and a controller configured to cause selected sound data to be retrieved from said memory and processed by said sound processor.

1 . A hearing prosthesis for delivering stimuli to a hearing-impaired recipient, comprising:
 a sound transducer for converting received sound signals into electric audio signals;   a sound processor for converting said electric audio signals into stimuli signals;   a stimulator for delivering said stimuli signals to the recipient;   a memory for storing data representative of said received sound signals; and   a controller configured to cause selected sound data to be retrieved from said memory and processed by said sound processor.   
     
     
         2 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein said stored data is in the form of electric audio signals which said processor, upon retrieval, converts into stimuli signals. 
     
     
         3 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein said stored data is in the form of partially or fully processed stimuli signals. 
     
     
         4 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , further including a user interface for allowing a user to select data stored in said memory and trigger said controller to cause said selected data to be retrieved. 
     
     
         5 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein said system is arranged to detect the presence of a signal with predetermined characteristics, corresponding to data stored in said memory; wherein, upon detecting the presence of a predetermined signal, said controller is triggered to cause said corresponding data to be retrieved. 
     
     
         6 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 5 , wherein said corresponding data represents a voice message describing the predetermined signal or a systematic pattern of stimuli that is recognizable to the user. 
     
     
         7 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein said controller is adapted to cause data, representative of an electric audio signal output from said sound transducer, to be stored in said memory. 
     
     
         8 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 7 , when appended to  claim 4 , wherein said user interface allows said user to actuate said controller into causing said data to be stored. 
     
     
         9 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein said controller, upon being triggered, partially or fully inhibits the delivery of other data to the stimulator while said selected data is being retrieved and conveyed to the user. 
     
     
         10 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 1 , wherein, when said selected data is previously delivered sounds signals, said signals are processed in an alternative manner to those originally conveyed to the user. 
     
     
         11 . The hearing prosthesis according to  claim 1 , wherein said stimulator is incorporated in a cochlear implant. 
     
     
         12 . The hearing prosthesis system according to  claim 12 , wherein said stimulator receives stimuli signals wirelessly from said processor. 
     
     
         13 . A method for delivering stimuli signals to a hearing-impaired recipient using a sound processor in a hearing prosthesis comprising one or more sound processing stages and a storage and retrieval system configured to communicate with said one or more stages, comprising:
 converting received sound signals into electrical audio signals;   receiving, at a data storage module of said system, sound data representative of said electrical audio signals;   storing, with said data storage module, said sound data in memory of said system;   retrieving, with a data retrieval module, selected sound data from said memory;   providing said retrieved sound data to one of said stages;   generating, with at least one of said one or more stages, said stimuli signals from said retrieved sound data; and   delivering said stimuli signals to the recipient.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 receiving a recipient input indicating selected sound data stored in said memory.   
     
     
         15 . A hearing prosthesis for delivering stimuli signals to a hearing-impaired recipient, comprising:
 a sound transducer configured to convert received sound signals into electrical audio signals;   a sound processor comprising:
 one or more sound processing stages in said prosthesis; and 
 a storage and retrieval system in said prosthesis comprising:
 a memory, 
 a data storage module configured to receive and store, in said memory, sound data representative of said electrical audio signals, and 
 a data retrieval module configured to retrieve selected sound data from said memory and to provide said retrieved sound data to one of said stages, wherein at least one of said one or more stages is configured to generate said stimuli signals from said retrieved sound data; and 
 
   a stimulator configured to deliver said stimuli signals to the recipient.   
     
     
         16 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein said data storage module is configured to receive and store said electrical audio signals as said sound data. 
     
     
         17 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein said data storage module is configured to receive and store, as said sound data, signals generated by any one of said one or more stages from said electrical audio signals. 
     
     
         18 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 15 , further including a user interface configured to allow the recipient to select data stored in said memory and trigger said data retrieval module to retrieve said selected data. 
     
     
         19 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein said sound processor further comprises:
 a comparator configured to detect the presence of one or more predetermined characteristics in said sound signals; and wherein said comparator is configured to trigger, upon detecting the presence of said one or more predetermined characteristics, said data retrieval module to retrieve stored sound data corresponding to said sound signals with said one or more predetermined characteristics.   
     
     
         20 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 15 , wherein said selected data is sound data previously delivered to said recipient, and wherein said sound processor is configured to process said previously delivered sound data in an alternative manner than when originally conveyed to the recipient.