1. A method for operating a voice-supported system in a motor vehicle, the system including at least one microphone, at least one loudspeaker, and a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker, comprising:
determining a power of a microphone signal as a function of frequency;
adjusting the bandpass filter at least as a function of a derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency; and
determining a local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of the derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the voice-supported system includes at least one of a communications device, an intercom device, a two-way intercom device, and a duplex telephony device.
3. A method for operating a voice-supported system in a motor vehicle, the system including at least one microphone, at least one loudspeaker, and a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker, comprising:
determining a power of a microphone signal as a function of frequency;
adjusting the bandpass filter at least one of as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of the frequency and as a function of a derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency; and
determining the local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of the derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency.
4. A method for operating a voice-supported system in a motor vehicle, the system including at least one microphone, at least one loudspeaker, and a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker, comprising:
determining a power of a microphone signal as a function of frequency;
adjusting the bandpass filter at least one of as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of the frequency and as a function of a derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency; and
determining the local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of a first derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency.
5. A method for operating a voice-supported system in a motor vehicle, the system including at least one microphone, at least one loudspeaker, and a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker, comprising:
determining a power of a microphone signal as a function of frequency;
adjusting the bandpass filter at least one of as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of the frequency and as a function of a derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency;
forming a slope signal from a first derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to the frequency having a first binary value when the first derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency is greater than or equal to zero and a second binary value when the first derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency is less than zero; and
determining the local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of a first derivative of the slope signal.
6. A method for operating a voice-supported system in a motor vehicle, the system including at least one microphone, at least one loudspeaker, and a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker, comprising:
determining a power of a microphone signal as a function of frequency; and
adjusting the bandpass filter at least one of as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of the frequency and as a function of a derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency;
wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step as a function of a first derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency.
7. A method for operating a voice-supported system in a motor vehicle, the system including at least one microphone, at least one loudspeaker, and a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker, comprising:
determining a power of a microphone signal as a function of frequency;
adjusting the bandpass filter at least one of as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the microphone signal as a function of the frequency and as a function of a derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency; and
forming a slope signal having a first binary value when a first derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency is greater than or equal to zero and a second binary value when the first derivative of the power of the microphone signal with respect to frequency is less than zero, the bandpass filter adjusted in the adjusting step as a function of the slope signal.
8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step as a function of a first derivative of the slope signal.
9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising determining all local maxima in one frequency range.
10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising determining a global maximum in the frequency range.
11. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the microphone signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio at least of the power of the microphone signal at a frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the microphone signal at additional frequencies of the microphone signal is greater than a feedback-power threshold.
12. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the microphone signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio at least of the power of the microphone signal at a frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the microphone signal at additional frequencies of the microphone signal is greater than a feedback-power threshold for longer than a time-ratio-threshold.
13. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the microphone signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio of the power of the microphone signal at a frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum plus the power of the microphone signal at frequencies of the microphone signal adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the microphone signal at additional frequencies of the microphone signal is greater than a feedback-power threshold.
14. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the microphone signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio of the power of the microphone signal at a frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum plus the power of the microphone signal at frequencies of the microphone signal adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the microphone signal at additional frequencies of the microphone signal is greater than a feedback-power threshold for longer than a time-ratio-threshold.
15. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the microphone signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio of the power of the microphone signal at a frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum plus the power of the microphone signal at a frequency of the microphone signal that is directly adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum and at which the power is greater than at a frequency that is also directly adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the microphone signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the microphone signal at additional frequencies of the microphone signal is greater than a feedback-power threshold.
16. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio of the power of the signal at a frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum plus the power of the signal at a frequency of the signal that is directly adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum and at which the power is greater than at a frequency that is also directly adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the signal at additional frequencies of the signal is greater than a feedback-power threshold for longer than a time-ratio-threshold.
17. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio of the power of the signal at a frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum plus the power of the signal at a frequency of the signal that is directly adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum and at which the power is greater than at a frequency that is also directly adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the signal of all further frequencies of the signal is greater than a feedback-power threshold.
18. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio of the power of the signal at a frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum plus the power of the signal at a frequency of the signal that is directly adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum and at which the power is greater than at a frequency that is also directly adjacent to the frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the signal of all additional frequencies of the signal is greater than a feedback-power threshold for longer than a time-ratio-threshold.
19. The method according to claim 11, further comprising determining the feedback-power threshold as a function of an output signal of the bandpass filter.
20. The method according to claim 11, wherein the feedback-power threshold is between 20 and 50.
21. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio of the power of the signal at a frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the signal at further frequencies at which the power of the signal includes a local maximum is greater than a power threshold.
22. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step to block a portion of the signal at a notch frequency only when a ratio of the power of the signal at a frequency at which the power of the signal is a maximum to an average value of the power of the signal at all further frequencies at which the power of the signal includes a local maximum is greater than a power threshold.
23. The method according to claim 21, wherein the power threshold is one of between 20 and 50 and between 30 and 40.
24. The method according to claim 22, wherein the power threshold is one of between 20 and 50 and between 30 and 40.
25. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step as a function of an output signal.
26. A device for operating a voice-enhancement system, comprising:
at least one microphone;
at least one loudspeaker configured to reproduce a signal generated by the microphone;
a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker; and
decision logic configured to adjust the bandpass filter at least as a function of a derivative of a power of the signal with respect to frequency.
27. The device according to claim 26, wherein the bandpass filter includes a filter bank having at least one notch filter.
28. The device according to claim 26, further comprising an arrangement configured to determine the power of the signal as a function of frequency.
29. A device for operating a voice-enhancement system, comprising:
at least one microphone;
at least one loudspeaker configured to reproduce a signal generated by the microphone;
a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker;
an arrangement configured to determine a power of the signal as a function of frequency; and
an arrangement configured to adjust the bandpass filter at least as a function of a derivative of the power of the signal with respect to frequency.
30. A device for operating a voice-enhancement system, comprising:
at least one microphone;
at least one loudspeaker for reproducing a signal generated by the microphone;
a bandpass filter arranged between the microphone and the loudspeaker;
means for determining a power of the signal as a function of frequency; and
means for adjusting the bandpass filter at least as a function of a derivative of the power of the signal with respect to frequency.
31. The method according to claim 1, wherein the bandpass filter is adjusted in the adjusting step as a function of the derivative of the power of the signal with respect to frequency and as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the signal as a function of the frequency.
32. The device according to claim 26, wherein the decision logic is configured to adjust the bandpass filter as a function of the derivative of the power of the signal with respect to frequency and as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the signal as a function of frequency.
33. The device according to claim 29, wherein the arrangement configured to adjust the bandpass filter is configured to adjust the bandpass filter as a function of the derivative of the power of the signal with respect to frequency and as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the signal as a function of the frequency.
34. The device according to claim 30, wherein the bandpass filter adjusting means is for adjusting the bandpass filter as a function of the derivative of the power of the signal with respect to frequency and as a function of at least one local maximum of the power of the signal as a function of the frequency.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
What is claimed is:
1. A medical system, comprising:
an array of lead electrodes including a selected electrode;
an assembly of elongated insulated conductors;
a lead connector including a linear array of lead connector contacts each joined to a corresponding lead electrode via the assembly of elongated insulated conductors; the array of lead connector contacts including a selected contact corresponding with the first selected electrode;
a pulse generator device including a connector bore, the connector bore including a length and a device contact positioned along the length of the bore and adapted for electrical engagement of each of the array of lead connector contacts; and
means for reversibly locking the lead connector within the bore at multiple positions along the length of the bore; the multiple positions corresponding to electrical engagement of a different one of the array of lead connector contacts with the device contact;
wherein, at one of the multiple positions, the selected contact of the array of lead connector contacts is electrically engaged by the device contact.
2. The medical system of claim 1, wherein
the array of lead electrodes further includes a second selected electrode;
the array of lead connector contacts further includes a second selected contact corresponding to the second selected electrode; and
the connector bore further includes a second device contact, positioned adjacent to the device contact along the length of the bore; and
the second selected contact of the array of connector contacts is electrically engaged by the second device contact.
3. The medical system of claim 1, further comprising:
an additional electrode; and
an additional elongated insulated conductor; and
wherein the lead connector further includes a longer connector contact joined to the additional electrode, via the additional conductor, and positioned adjacent the array of connector contacts, the longer contact having a length approximately equal to a length of the array; and
the connector bore further includes a second device contact positioned adjacent the device contact along the length of the bore, the second device contact electrically engaging the longer connector contact at each of the multiple positions.
4. The medical system of claim 1, further comprising an insertion tool and wherein the connector bore further includes a proximal opening and a distal opening; the insertion tool adapted to be inserted into the proximal opening of the bore and to pull the lead connector through the distal opening of the bore and into the multiple positions.
5. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the means for reversibly locking the lead connector within the bore at the multiple positions along the bore includes a deflectable member projecting into the bore.
6. The medical system of claim 5, wherein:
each connector contact in the array of connector contacts includes a surface depression; and
the deflectable member is adapted to rest within the surface depression of each connector contact at each of the multiple positions.
7. The medical system of claim 5, wherein:
the linear array of lead connector contacts further includes a set of spacers, each spacer of the set of spacers separating each connector contact in the array of connector contacts and each spacer including a surface depression; and
the deflectable member is adapted to rest within the surface depression of each spacer at each of the multiple positions.
8. The medical system of claim 5, wherein:
the lead connector further includes an array of surface depressions positioned apart from the array of lead connector contacts; and
the deflectable member is adapted to rest within each surface depression of the array of surface depressions at each of the multiple positions.
9. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the means for reversibly locking the lead connector within the bore at the multiple positions along the bore includes an actuated member.
10. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the array of lead electrodes is substantially circumferential.
11. The medical system of claim 1, wherein the array of lead electrodes is substantially linear.
12. A method for selectively coupling a lead electrode, from an array of lead electrodes, to a pulse generator device, comprising:
positioning a lead connector, including an array of connector contacts corresponding to the array of lead electrodes, within a connector bore of the pulse generator device for electrical engagement of a selected connector contact, from the array of connector contacts, with a device contact positioned within the bore; the selected connector contact corresponding to the selected electrode.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein the step of positioning the lead connector comprises:
inserting an insertion tool into a proximal opening of the connector bore;
coupling the insertion tool to the lead connector; and
pulling the lead connector into the bore.
14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:
reversibly locking the lead connector in the electrically engaged position within the connector bore.
15. A method for directing electrical stimulation toward an epicardial surface of a heart comprising:
implanting a circumferential array of lead electrodes in a cardiac vein;
selecting one or more electrodes in contact with the epicardial surface of the heart from the array of lead electrodes;
positioning a lead connector including an array of connector contacts corresponding to the array of lead electrodes within a pulse generator connector bore such that one or more connector contacts corresponding to the one or more selected electrodes are electrically engaged by one or more device contacts positioned within the connector bore for electrical coupling of the selected one or more electrodes to the pulse generator.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein the step of positioning the lead connector comprises:
inserting an insertion tool into a proximal opening of the connector bore;
coupling the insertion tool to the lead connector; and
pulling the lead connector into the bore.
17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:
reversibly locking the lead connector in the electrically engaged position within the connector bore.
18. A method for selecting a pair of lead electrodes for electrical coupling to a pulse generator device, comprising:
implanting a linear array of lead electrodes; the array of lead electrodes including at least one electrode of the selected pair of lead electrodes;
positioning a lead connector, including an array of connector contacts corresponding to the array of lead electrodes, within a connector bore of the pulse generator device for electrical engagement of at least one selected connector contact from the array of connector contacts with a device contact; the at least one selected connector contact corresponding to the at least one electrode of the selected pair of lead electrodes.
19. The method of claim 18, wherein the step of positioning the lead connector comprises:
inserting an insertion tool into a proximal opening of the connector bore;
coupling the insertion tool to the lead connector; and
pulling the lead connector into the bore.
20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:
reversibly locking the lead connector in the electrically engaged position within the connector bore.