Identifying hearing prosthesis actuator resonance peak(s)
An auditory prosthesis comprising an actuator for providing mechanical stimulation to a recipient. The auditory prosthesis comprises a measurement circuit for use in determining the resonance peak(s) of the actuator. In an embodiment, the measurement circuit measures the voltage drop across the actuator and/or current through the actuator during a frequency sweep of the operational frequencies of the actuator. These measured voltages and/or currents are then analyzed for discontinuities that are indicative of a resonance peak of the actuator. In another embodiment, rather than using a frequency sweep to measure voltages and/or currents across the actuator, the measurement circuit instead applies a voltage impulse to the actuator and then measure the voltage and/or current across the actuator for a period of time after application of the impulse. The measured voltages and/or currents are then analyzed to identify resonance peak(s) of the actuator.
1 . An apparatus, comprising:
an actuator configured to apply mechanical stimulation to a recipient to cause a hearing percept by the recipient as a result of a signal provided to the actuator; and
a measurement circuit, wherein
the apparatus is configured to apply a signal to the actuator at a plurality of frequencies within an operational frequency range of the actuator to actuate the actuator,
the measurement circuit is configured to measure an electrical phenomenon of the apparatus for respective applied signals at the plurality of frequencies,
the measured phenomenon enables identification of at least one resonance frequency of the actuator, and
the apparatus is configured to avoid feedback of the apparatus at the at least one resonance frequency based on the identification of the at least one resonance frequency.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the actuator is configured to apply mechanical stimulation to a middle ear of the recipient.
3 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement circuit is configured to obtain a signal from opposite sides of the actuator, and obtain a difference of the signals from opposite sides of the actuator in measuring voltage drop across the actuator.
4 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein:
the measured phenomenon enables identification of at least one resonance peak of the actuator.
5 . The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to:
analyze the measured electrical phenomenon to identify the at least one resonance peak of the actuator.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is an auditory prosthesis.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a bone conduction device.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is a transcutaneous auditory device.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to communicate transcutaneously to evoke the hearing percept.
10 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to analyze the measured phenomenon to identify a discontinuity in the measured phenomenon, and identify the at least one resonance frequency based on the identified discontinuity.
11 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is configured to compensate for the identified at least one resonance frequency.
12 . The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein compensating for the identified at least one resonance frequency includes compensating for at least one resonance peak.
13 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the measurement circuit is configured to measure over a range of frequencies from less than 250 Hz to more than 5000 Hz.
14 . An apparatus, comprising:
an actuator configured to apply mechanical stimulation to a recipient to cause a hearing percept by the recipient as a result of a signal provided to the actuator; and
a measurement circuit, wherein
the apparatus is configured to apply a signal to the actuator at a plurality of frequencies within an operational frequency range of the actuator to actuate the actuator,
the measurement circuit is configured to measure an electrical phenomenon of the apparatus for respective applied signals at the plurality of frequencies,
the measured phenomenon enables identification of at least one resonance frequency of the actuator, and
at least one of:
the measurement circuit is grounded;
the apparatus is further configured to analyze the measured electrical phenomenon to identify the at least one resonance frequency of the actuator; or
the apparatus is configured to apply a voltage to the actuator at a plurality of frequencies to cause actuation of the actuator and measure at least one of a voltage across the actuator or a current through the actuator for respective applied voltages at the plurality of frequencies, thus measuring the electrical phenomenon.
15 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to analyze the measured electrical phenomenon to identify the at least one resonance frequency of the actuator.
16 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the apparatus is configured to apply the voltage to the actuator at the plurality of frequencies to cause actuation of the actuator and measure the at least one of the voltage across the actuator or the current through the actuator for respective applied voltages at the plurality of frequencies, thus measuring the electrical phenomenon.
17 . The apparatus of claim 14 , wherein the measurement circuit is grounded.
18 . An apparatus, comprising:
an actuator configured to apply mechanical stimulation to a recipient to cause a hearing percept by the recipient as a result of a signal provided to the actuator; and
a measurement circuit, wherein
the apparatus is configured to apply a signal to the actuator at a plurality of frequencies within an operational frequency range of the actuator to actuate the actuator,
the measurement circuit is configured to measure an electrical phenomenon of the apparatus for respective applied signals at the plurality of frequencies,
the measured phenomenon enables identification of at least one resonance frequency of the actuator, and
the apparatus is configured to manage power consumption of the apparatus based on the identification of the at least one resonance frequency.
19 . The apparatus of claim 18 , wherein the apparatus is configured to avoid feedback of the apparatus at the at least one resonance frequency based on the identification of the at least one resonance frequency.