1. A hearing assistance system for transmitting sounds to a user, the system comprising:
a streaming source including a processing circuit configured to produce an audio signal and a streaming circuit configured to stream the audio signal;
a hearing aid set configured to be communicatively coupled to the streaming source via a wireless link to receive the streamed audio signal, process the streamed audio signal to produce output sounds, and transmit the output sounds to the user, the output sounds having a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source, the hearing aid set including a left hearing aid configured to deliver a left output sound of the output sounds to the user and a right hearing aid configured to deliver a right output sound of the output sounds to the user;
a positioning system configured to determine the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time; and
a spatialization processor configured to spatially enhance the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source by determining a time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source and introducing the time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound.
2. The system of claim 1, wherein the positioning system comprises one or more stations each including a positioning sensor configured to determine at least one of a distance between the hearing aid set and the streaming device and an orientation of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming device.
3. The system of claim 2, wherein the streaming source comprises a station of the one or more stations.
4. The system of claim 2, wherein the hearing aid set comprises a station of the one or more stations.
5. The system of claim 2, further comprising one or more additional streaming sources each including a station of the one or more stations.
6. The system of claim 2, wherein the positioning sensor is configured to receive an incident signal and sense one or more of an angle of arrival of the incident signal, a received signal strength of the incident signal, and a time of flight associated with the incident signal.
7. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing circuit of the streaming source comprises the spatialization processor configured to spatially enhance the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source, and the hearing aid set is configured to receive and process the spatially enhanced and streamed audio signal to produce the output sounds including the spatialization effect.
8. The system of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid set comprises the spatialization processor configured to spatially enhance the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source and process the spatially enhanced streamed audio signal to produce the output sounds including the spatialization effect.
9. The system of claim 1, wherein the spatialization processor is configured to determine a level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set and spatially enhance the audio signal to introduce the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound.
10. A hearing assistance system for transmitting sounds to a user, the system comprising:
a streaming source including a processing circuit configured to produce an audio signal and a streaming circuit configured to stream the audio signal;
a hearing aid set configured to be communicatively coupled to the streaming source via a wireless link to receive the streamed audio signal, process the streamed audio signal to produce output sounds, and transmit the output sounds to the user, the output sounds having a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source, the hearing aid set including a left hearing aid configured to deliver a left output sound of the output sounds to the user and a right hearing aid configured to deliver a right output sound of the output sounds to the user;
a positioning system configured to determine the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time; and
a spatialization processor configured to spatially enhance the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source by determining a difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using head related transfer functions and the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source and introducing the difference between the left output sound and the right output sound.
11. The system of claim 10, wherein the spatialization processor is configured to add reverberation to the audio signal.
12. The system of claim 11, wherein at least one of the streaming device and the hearing aid set is configured to monitor an environment of the hearing aid set, and the spatialization processor is configured to add reverberation to the streamed audio signal according to the environment.
13. A hearing assistance system for transmitting sounds to a user, the system comprising:
a streaming source including a processing circuit configured to produce an audio signal and a streaming circuit configured to stream the audio signal;
a hearing aid set configured to be communicatively coupled to the streaming source via a wireless link to receive the streamed audio signal, process the streamed audio signal to produce output sounds, and transmit the output sounds to the user, the output sounds having a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source, the hearing aid set including a left hearing aid configured to deliver a left output sound of the output sounds to the user and a right hearing aid configured to deliver a right output sound of the output sounds to the user;
a positioning system configured to determine the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time; and
a spatialization processor configured to process the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source such that the output sounds include the spatialization effect and configured to add reverberation to the audio signal.
14. The system of claim 13, wherein at least one of the streaming device and the hearing aid set is configured to monitor an environment of the hearing aid set, and the spatialization processor is configured to add reverberation to the streamed audio signal according to the environment.
15. A method for transmitting sounds to a user, the method comprising:
streaming an audio signal to a hearing aid set from a streaming source;
producing output sounds using the audio signal, including producing a left output sound for transmission to the left ear canal of the user and a right output sound for transmission to the right ear canal of the user;
transmitting the output sounds to the user using the hearing aid set;
determining a position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time; and
enhancing the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source such that the output sounds include a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source,
wherein producing the output sounds includes at least one of:
determining a time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set and spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound;
determining a level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set and spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound;
determining a difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using head-related transfer functions and the position of the hearing aid set and spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the difference between the left output sound and the right output sound; and
monitoring an environment of the hearing aid set and adding reverberation to the streamed audio signal using an outcome of the monitoring.
16. The method of claim 15, wherein determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source comprises receiving an incident signal and sensing one or more parameters of the received incident signal.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source comprises using a plurality of sensors each receiving an incident signal and sensing one or more of an angle of arrival of the incident signal, a received signal strength of the incident signal, and a time of flight associated with the incident signal.
18. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source comprises determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source using a sensor in the streaming source.
19. The method of claim 17, wherein determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source comprises determining the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source using a sensor in the hearing aid set.
20. The method of claim 15, wherein producing the output sounds comprises:
determining the time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set; and
spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the time delay between the left output sound and the right output sound.
21. The method of claim 15, wherein producing the output sounds comprises:
determining the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using the position of the hearing aid set; and
spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the level difference between the left output sound and the right output sound.
22. The method of claim 15, wherein producing the output sounds comprises:
determining the difference between the left output sound and the right output sound using head-related transfer functions and the position of the hearing aid set; and
spatially enhancing the audio signal to introduce the difference between the left output sound and the right output sound.
23. The method of claim 15, wherein producing the output sounds comprises:
monitoring the environment of the hearing aid set; and
adding reverberation to the streamed audio signal using the outcome of the monitoring.
24. A method for transmitting sounds to a user, the method comprising:
streaming an audio signal to a hearing aid set from a streaming source;
producing output sounds using the audio signal;
transmitting the output sounds to the user using the hearing aid set;
determining a position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source in real time
enhancing the audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the streaming source such that the output sounds include a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source
streaming an additional audio signal to the hearing aid set from an additional streaming source simultaneously with streaming the audio signal;
producing the output sounds using the audio signal and the additional audio signal;
determining a position of the hearing aid set relative to the additional streaming source in real time; and
enhancing the additional audio signal using the position of the hearing aid set relative to the additional streaming source such that the output sounds include a spatialization effect allowing the user to locate the streaming source and the additional streaming source.
25. The method of claim 24, wherein producing the output sounds comprises producing a left output sound for transmission to the left ear canal of the user and a right output sound for transmission to the right ear canal of the user.
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 folding wheelchair comprising a seat frame and a backrest, wherein the seat frame includes a front U-shaped tube and a rear U-shaped tube coupling with each other in a middle section on two sides through a pin to form a X-shape from sideward, the front U-shaped tube and the rear U-shaped tube having respectively an upward opening, the rear U-shaped tube having a lower end on two sides to couple with a rear wheel, the front U-shaped tube having an upper end on two sides to fasten to a connection plate, the connection plate connecting to the backrest, the front U-shaped tube having a lower section on two sides to pivotally engage with an upright tube, the upright tube having a lower end coupling with a front wheel, the upright tube and the rear U-shaped tube having an upper end bridging a sleeve, the sleeve having a front end forming a notch, the upright tube having an upper end pivotally engaging with the notch through a pin, the sleeve further having an opening formed on a lower section in the longitudinal direction to allow the sleeve to couple with the upper end of the rear U-shaped tube, the sleeve having two lateral sides on a middle section to form respectively a slot to couple with a bolt to engage with the rear U-shaped tube, the sleeve further having a flap extending outwards from an outer side on a rear section thereof, the rear U-shaped tube having a retaining pin corresponding to the flap, the upper ends of the two upright tubes being bridged by a front stretcher, the two connection plates being bridged by a rear stretcher, the front stretcher and the rear stretcher being coupled with a seat canvas.
2. The portable folding wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the backrest includes a U-shaped handle tube which has an opening directing downwards, the U-shaped handle tube being coupled with a transverse backrest canvas, the U-shaped handle tube having two sides, each has a lower end pivotally engaging with the connection plate through a pin, the U-shaped handle tube further having an anchor pin located on a lower section on two sides, the anchor pin having a bigger head and screw threads formed on a rear section, the two anchor pins being coupled respectively with a spring and running through the U-shaped handle tube from an outer side of said handle tube to fasten to two ends of a rope, the connection plate having an anchor hole located above the pivotal connection point of the pin of the U-shaped handle tube, the head of the anchor pin being allowed to wedge in the anchor hole.
3. The portable folding wheelchair of claim 1, wherein two sides of the U-shaped handle tube are fastened respectively to a U-shaped dock which has an opening directing forwards, the U-shaped dock having a lower section pivotally coupled with the U-shaped handle tube through a pin, the U-shaped dock having an outer side to anchor an armrest.
4. The portable folding wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the front U-shaped tube has a lower section with inner sides pivotally coupling with a U-shaped foot pedal, the U-shaped foot pedal having an opening directing rearwards.
5. The portable folding wheelchair of claim 1, wherein the seat canvas has a rear end attaching to a handle.