Omnidirectional hearing aid

Abstract

A hearing aid device is disclosed providing omnidirectional listening assistance for the hearing impaired individual. The person with the hearing impairment may have greater hearing sensitivity in one ear than the other. Sounds emanating on the opposite side of a person than the more sensitive ear may be lost because the more sensitive ear is not directionally situated to receive the sound most effectively. The invention is directed toward detecting sounds in the auditory field associated with the less sensitive ear and transmitting those detected sounds to the more sensitive ear for amplification therein. Where the dominant ear is also partially impaired, a second sound transducer may be added to detect the sound emanating in a second auditory range associated with the more sensitive, albeit partially impaired, ear. The detected signals from the first and second auditory ranges may be combined in this embodiment for amplification in the more sensitive ear. Thus, this invention provides for more efficient detection of sounds and a more effective sound delivery to the most sensitive ear. Effectively, both embodiments of this invention provide for sound detection in a three hundred and sixty degree (360°) range regardless of head movement or position.