1. A hearing aid with detection and automatic selection of an input signal, comprising:
at least two analog input signal sources,
at least one analog-to-digital converter for generating, from an analog input signal, a corresponding digital input signal,
further processing means for digital processing of input signals,
input signal routing means for selectively routing each one of one or more selected input signals to the further processing means, the input signal routing means being an analog input multiplexer,
signal detection means configured to perform an analysis of the analog input signal and to control the signal routing means according to results of said analysis,
signal detection means configured to analyse a single signal, and
a further input multiplexer for alternately selecting one of the analog input signal sources and feeding the analog input signal to the signal detection means.
2. The hearing aid according to claim 1, configured to cause, when the signal detection means detects a relevant signal on a given analog input signal, an analog-to-digital converter to digitise said analog input signal and to transmit the corresponding digital input signal to the further processing means.
3. The hearing aid according to claim 2, wherein the analog input multiplexer selectively routes each one of one or more selected analog input signals to an associated analog-to-digital converter, and wherein the analog input multiplexer is configured to be controlled according to the results of the analysis of the signal detection means.
4. The hearing aid according to claim 2, configured to maintain circuitry associated with audio signal processing in a powered down state while the signal detection means does not detect a relevant signal, and to power up said circuitry if the signal detection means does detect a relevant signal on the analog input signal.
5. The hearing aid according to one of claims 1 to 3 and 4, wherein the signal detection means is configured to indicate the presence of a relevant signal in an input signal if an amplitude of the input signal exceeds a predetermined amplitude threshold during a predetermined minimum time within a predetermined time window.
6. The hearing aid according to one of claims 1 to 3 and 4, wherein the signal detection means are implemented by analog components or within a mixed-signal integrated circuit.
7. A method for detecting and automatically selecting an input signal in a hearing aid in which at least two analog input signals are available, comprising the steps of
analysing the at least two analog input signals and detecting, for each of the at least two analog input signals, whether it comprises a relevant signal, the analysing being accomplished by providing a single detection circuit through a further input multiplexer alternately with each of the at least two analog input signals,
selecting, according to results of said analysing, at least one selected input signal that comprises a relevant signal for further processing, and
controlling a signal routing means to selectively route each one of the at least one selected input signal to further processing means, the signal routing means being an analog input multiplexer.
8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of
causing, when a signal detection means detects a relevant signal on a given analog input signal, an analog-to-digital converter to digitise said given analog input signal and to transmit a resulting digital input signal to the further processing means.
9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising the step of
controlling, according to the results of said analysing of the signal detection means, an analog input multiplexer to forward each one of the at least one selected input signal to an associated analog-to-digital converter.
10. The method according to claim 8, comprising the further step of
maintaining circuitry associated with audio signal processing in a powered down state while the signal detection means does not detect a relevant signal, and
powering up said circuitry if the signal detection means does detect a relevant signal on an analog input signal.
11. The method according to one of claims 9 and 10, further comprising the steps of
determining whether the amplitude of the input signal exceeds a predetermined amplitude threshold during a predetermined minimum time within a predetermined time window, and
indicating the presence of a relevant signal in the input signal if this is the case.
12. The method according to one of claims 9 and 10, wherein the step of detecting whether an analog input signal comprises a relevant signal involves analog comparison operations of the analog input signal or of analog signals derived from the analog input signal to analog reference signals.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A portable container for holding golf clubs and golf accessories, said container comprising:
a semi-circular container, said container comprising a plurality of longitudinal compartments opening to a top side of said container for holding a plurality of golf clubs and a planar side;
a plurality of vertically aligned storage compartments oriented generally flush with the planar side when in closed orientations;
at least one second compartment positioned on said top side of said container, said at least one second compartment being accessible from the top side of said container;
a recessed bottom portion of said container, said recessed bottom portion including a recess and one of said storage compartments, said recessed bottom portion and said one of said compartments each accessible from the planar side and a bottom side of said semi-circular container; and
a cart having a plurality of wheels allowing the container to be maneuvered along the ground, and a central raised portion said central raised portion securely received within the recess in the bottom portion of the golf bag when the cart is attached to the bag.
2. The portable container of claim 1, wherein said semi-circular container further comprises at least one pair of foldable legs, said legs attached by pivotal attachment means attached to the planar side of said container to swing out from the golf bag at a bottom end, said foldable legs normally stored in a parallel, closed orientation in grooves created adjacent said planar side of said container.
3. The portable container of claim 1, wherein said central raised portion of said cart contains a powered drive means.
4. A portable container for holding golf clubs and golf accessories, said container comprising:
a semi-circular container, said container comprising a plurality of longitudinal compartments opening to a top side of said container for holding a plurality of golf clubs and a planar front side;
a recessed bottom portion of said container, said recessed bottom portion including a recess and a compartment accessible from each of the planar front side and a bottom side of said semi-circular container; and
a cart having a plurality of wheels to allow the container to be maneuvered along the ground and a central raised portion, the central raised portion securely received within the recess in the bottom portion of the container to attach the cart to the container.
5. The portable container of claim 4, wherein said semi-circular container further comprises at least one pair of foldable legs, said legs attached by pivotal attachment means attached to the planar side of said container to swing out from the golf bag at a bottom end, said foldable legs normally stored in a parallel, closed orientation in grooves created adjacent said planar side of said container.
6. A portable container for holding golf clubs and golf accessories, said container comprising:
a semi-circular container, said container comprising a plurality of longitudinal compartments accessible from a top side of said container for holding a plurality of golf clubs positioned around the periphery of a semi-circular portion of said semi-circular container;
a plurality of storage compartments positioned within a planar side of said semi-circular container, accessible from the planar side of said container and positioned flush with the planar side in a closed orientation;
at least one zippered storage compartment positioned on said top side of said container, said at least one zippered storage compartment being accessible from the top side of said container;
a recessed bottom portion of said container, said recessed bottom portion including one of said plurality of storage compartments accessible from the planar side and a recess in a bottom side of said semi-circular container.
7. The portable container of claim 6, wherein said semi-circular container further comprises at least one pair of foldable legs, said legs attached by pivotal attachment means attached to the planar side of said container to swing out from the golf bag at a bottom end, said foldable legs normally stored in a parallel, closed orientation in grooves created adjacent said planar side of said container.
8. The portable container of claim 6, wherein said container further comprises a cart having a plurality of wheels for allowing the container to be maneuvered along the ground, said cart having a central raised portion detachably attaching to a complimentary shaped recess in the bottom side of said container to attach said container and said cart.
9. The portable container of claim 8, wherein said central raised portion of said cart contains a powered drive means.