Wireless Digital Link Companion Microphone

描述（由申请人提供）：本项目的目标是开发一种助听器和无线配套麦克风系统，该系统基于新的、高度创新的、非常低功耗的超宽带脉冲无线电技术。第一阶段计划成功地确立了将超宽带（UWB）脉冲无线电收发器和天线系统完全集成在耳后式助听器和配套麦克风内的可行性。配套麦克风代表了为噪声环境中的助听器用户提供信噪比改善的既定方法。然而，到目前为止，由于各种原因，它们在商业上的成功有限，这些原因包括需要由听力受损的人佩戴的附加硬件以及相对较大、耗电量大且有时数据不安全的配套麦克风。所提出的技术解决了这些问题，通过简化麦克风和集成一个新的超低功耗UWB无线电直接到助听器，对电池寿命的影响最小。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this project is to develop a hearing aid and wireless companion microphone system based on new, highly-innovative, very low-power ultra-wideband impulse radio technology. The phase I program successfully established the feasibility of fully integrating an ultra-wideband (UWB) impulse radio transceiver and antenna system inside a behind-the-ear hearing aid and companion microphone. Companion microphones represent an established methodology for providing a signal-to-noise ratio improvement for hearing aid users in noisy environments. However, to date they have met with limited commercial success for a variety of reasons including the requirement of additional hardware to be worn by the hearing impaired person and the relatively large, power hungry, and sometimes data insecure companion microphones. The proposed technology addresses these issues by miniaturizing the microphone and integrating a novel ultra-low-power UWB radio directly into the hearing aid with a minimal effect on battery life.