Processor-readable medium, apparatus and method for updating hearing aid

• US 10,111,018 B2
• Filed: 09/16/2016
• Issued: 10/23/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Neumeyer, Frederick Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Eason, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Sabrina
• Application Number:
  US15/268,470
• Publication Number:
  US 20170142530A1
• Time in Patent Office: 767 Days
• Field of Search: 381 58, 381 60, 381312, 381314, 381315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/35 using translation techniques
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A system for updating a hearing aid by providing an update to a hearing aid to configure the hearing aid for an acoustic environment with a sound profile different than a physical environment a user is currently located in with an acoustic sample representative of the acoustic environment.

Claims

1. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer usable program code executable to perform operations for adjusting a listening device profile, the operations comprising:

displaying a plurality of listening device profiles at a computing device, wherein each listening device profile corresponds to a different acoustic environment;

receiving a first user input at the computing device indicative of a selection of one of the listening device profiles;

receiving a second user input at the computing device indicative of a selection of a first acoustic environment of a first physical environment and a second acoustic environment of a second physical environment different than the first physical environment;

producing a simulated acoustic environment, wherein producing the simulated acoustic environment includes simultaneously outputting a first sound sample representative of the first acoustic environment and a second sound sample representative of the second acoustic environment in a third acoustic environment of a third physical environment, and wherein the third physical environment is different from the first and second physical environments;

adjusting at least one parameter of the selected listening device profile to generate an adjusted listening device profile associated with the simulated acoustic environment; and

transmitting the adjusted listening device profile to a listening device.

2. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein producing the simulated acoustic environment further includes simultaneously outputting the first and second sound samples from the computing device, wherein the computing device is disposed in the third acoustic environment, and wherein the computing device is communicatively coupled to the listening device.

3. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein adjusting the at least one parameter of the selected listening device profile includes receiving a third user input at the computing device, and wherein the computing device is communicatively coupled to the listening device.

4. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein producing the simulated acoustic environment further includes simultaneously outputting the first and second sound samples in the third acoustic environment from one or more transducers disposed in the third acoustic environment, wherein the one or more transducers are operationally coupled to the computing device, and wherein the one or more transducers are external to the computing device.

5. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein producing the simulated acoustic environment further includes simultaneously outputting the first sound sample, the second sound sample and at least one other sound sample in the third acoustic environment, wherein the at least one other sound sample is representative of an acoustic environment different from the first, second and third acoustic environments.

6. The computer program product of claims 1 wherein the simulated acoustic environment is a first simulated acoustic environment, wherein the adjusted listening device profile is a first listening device profile, and wherein the operations further include operations for producing a second simulated acoustic environment, the operations including:

simultaneously outputting the first sound sample and a fourth sound sample representative of a fourth acoustic environment in the third acoustic environment, wherein the fourth acoustic environment is different from the first, second and third acoustic environments; and

adjusting at least one parameter of a second listening device profile to generate a second adjusted listening device profile associated with the second simulated acoustic environment.

7. The computer program product of claim 1 wherein the simulated acoustic environment is a first simulated acoustic environment, and wherein the operations further include operations for producing a second simulated acoustic environment, the operations including:

applying the adjusted listening device profile to the first and second sound samples to generate first and second adjusted sound samples; and

simultaneously outputting the first and second adjusted sound samples in the third acoustic environment.

8. The computer program product of claim 7 wherein the operations further include operations for repeating the applying and the simultaneous outputting until one or more characteristics of the second simulated acoustic environment are within a predetermined threshold.

9. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer usable program code executable to perform acts for simulating an acoustic environment, the acts comprising:

displaying a plurality of listening device profiles at a computing device, wherein each listening device profile corresponds to a different acoustic environment;

receiving a first operator input at the computing device indicative of a selection of one of the listening device profiles;

receiving a second operator input at the computing device indicative of a selection of a first sound sample and a second sound sample, wherein the first sound sample is representative of a first acoustic environment corresponding to a first physical environment, and wherein the second sound sample is representative of a second acoustic environment corresponding to a second physical environment different from the first physical environment;

simulating the acoustic environment by simultaneously outputting the first and second sound samples in a third acoustic environment corresponding to a third physical environment, wherein the first, second, and third physical environments are different from each other;

receiving a third operator input indicative of an adjustment of at least one sound-related parameter of the listening device profile;

generating an adjusted listening device profile corresponding to the simulated acoustic environment based, at least in part, on the received third operator input; and

transmitting the adjusted listening device profile to a listening device.

10. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the listening device is communicatively coupled to the computing device, and wherein simulating the simulated acoustic environment further includes simultaneously outputting the first and second sound samples from the computing device, wherein the computing device is disposed in the third acoustic environment.

11. The computer program product of claim 9, wherein the listening device is communicatively coupled to the computing device, wherein simulating the simulated acoustic environment further includes simultaneously outputting the first and second sound samples from at least one speaker disposed in the third acoustic environment, and wherein the at least one speaker is remote from the listening device and the computing device.

12. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein simulating the simulated acoustic environment further includes simultaneously outputting the first sound sample, the second sound sample and at least another sound sample in the third acoustic environment, wherein the at least another sound sample is representative of an acoustic environment different from the first, second and third acoustic environments.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further includes computer usable program code executable to perform acts comprising:

applying the adjusted listening device profile to the first and second sound samples to generate first and second adjusted sound samples; and

simultaneously outputting the first and second adjusted sound samples in the third acoustic environment.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further includes computer usable program code executable to perform acts comprising:

receiving operator input indicative of an adjustment of at least one sound-related parameter of the adjusted listening device profile; and

modifying the adjusted listening device profile based on the received operator input.

15. A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing computer usable program code executable to perform acts for adjusting a listening device profile, the acts comprising:

displaying a plurality of listening device profiles at a computing device, wherein each listening device profile corresponds to a different acoustic environment;

receiving a first user input at the computing device indicative of a selection of one of the listening device profiles, wherein the selected listening device profile corresponds to a first acoustic environment;

receiving a second user input at the computing device indicative of a selection of a second acoustic environment and a third acoustic environment;

combining first and second sound samples representative of the second and third acoustic environments, respectively, to generate a third sound sample representative of the first acoustic environment, wherein the first, second, and third acoustic environments are different from each other;

determining one or more sound characteristics of the third sound sample; and

adjusting the selected listening device profile corresponding to the first acoustic environment based, at least in part, on the one or more determined sound characteristics of the third sound sample and one or more predetermined values representative of a user'"'"'s hearing characteristics.

16. The computer program product of claim 15 wherein the non-transitory computer readable storage medium further includes computer usable program code executable to perform acts comprising:

applying the listening device profile to the first and second sound samples to generate first and second adjusted sound samples;

simultaneously outputting the first and second adjusted sound samples in a fourth acoustic environment;

receiving user input indicative of an adjustment of at least one sound-related parameter of the listening device profile, and

modifying the listening device profile based on the received user input.