Abstract: A directional acoustic receiving system is constructed in the form of a necklace including an array of two or more microphones mounted on a housing supported on the chest of a user by a conducting loop encircling the user's neck. Signal processing electronics contained in the same housing receives and combines the microphone signals in such a manner as to provide an amplified output signal which emphasizes sounds of interest arriving in a direction forward of the user. The amplified output signal drives the supporting conducting loop to produce a representative magnetic field. An electroacoustic transducer including a magnetic field pickup coil for receiving the magnetic field is mounted in or on the user's ear and generates an acoustic signal representative of the sounds of interest.The microphone output signals are weighted (scaled) and combined to achieve desired spatial directivity responses. The weighting coefficients are determined by an optimization process.

Abstract: Disclosed is a convenient way of mounting the microphone array and associated electronics of a hearing aid on the person, and providing a convenient wireless means for delivering the microphone signals to the ear, and providing a signal processing technique that yields sharp directivity at audio frequencies. The wearer positions her/his body to receive the desired signal and to attenuate surrounding background noise and multipath interference.