Method and system for wireless communication between a telephone and a hearing aid
First Claim
1. A telephone having an electronic processing circuit providing a processed audio signal supplied to a loudspeaker via an electrical signal line, and being modified by mounting an interface circuit to the telephone so the modified telephone becomes adapted to transfer a speaker signal from the telephone to a hearing aid via a dedicated wireless link;
- wherein interface circuit includes all of the following;
an input connected to the electrical signal line for receiving the speaker signal,an analog-to-digital converter for converting the speaker signal to a digital signal,a processor for preparing the digital signal for transmission, anda transceiver configured to establish the dedicated wireless link between the telephone and the hearing aid, whereby a signal representing sound picked up from the electronic processing circuit is sent to the hearing aid for processing in accordance with a user'"'"'s hearing impairment.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The present invention relates to a system comprising a telephone (10) and a hearing aid (40). The analog signal to the loudspeaker (11) of the telephone (10) is picked up and digitalized at the telephone where after it is wirelessly transmitted to the hearing aid (40) using a radio transceiver at the telephone (10), coupling with a radio at the hearing aid. The sound from the telephone (10) is hereby transmitted directly to the hearing aid without relying on the acoustic coupling between the telephone speaker (11) and the hearing aid microphones and may further be transmitted to both left and right hearing aid at the same time. The invention provides a telephone, a hearing aid and a method of communicating with a hearing aid.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A telephone having an electronic processing circuit providing a processed audio signal supplied to a loudspeaker via an electrical signal line, and being modified by mounting an interface circuit to the telephone so the modified telephone becomes adapted to transfer a speaker signal from the telephone to a hearing aid via a dedicated wireless link;
- wherein interface circuit includes all of the following;
an input connected to the electrical signal line for receiving the speaker signal, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the speaker signal to a digital signal, a processor for preparing the digital signal for transmission, and a transceiver configured to establish the dedicated wireless link between the telephone and the hearing aid, whereby a signal representing sound picked up from the electronic processing circuit is sent to the hearing aid for processing in accordance with a user'"'"'s hearing impairment. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 17)
- wherein interface circuit includes all of the following;
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5. A method of modifying a telephone so it becomes adapted to transfer a speaker signal from the telephone to a hearing aid via a dedicated wireless link, wherein the telephone includes an electronic processing circuit providing a processed analog audio signal supplied to a loudspeaker via an electrical signal line, the method comprising the steps of:
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mounting an interface circuit integral to the telephone, and connecting the interface circuit to the electrical signal line for picking up the analog audio signal during a call, wherein interface circuit includes all of the following; an input connected to the electrical signal line for receiving the speaker signal, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the speaker signal to a digital signal, a processor for preparing the digital signal for transmission, and a transceiver configured to establish the dedicated wireless link between the telephone and the hearing aid, whereby a signal representing sound picked up from the electronic processing circuit is transmitted to the hearing aid for processing in accordance with a user'"'"'s hearing impairment. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 18)
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11. A hearing system for handling telephone calls and comprising a set of binaural hearing aids each including a radio for inter-ear communication and a telephone,
the telephone having an electronic processing circuit providing a processed audio signal supplied to a loudspeaker via an electrical signal line, and being modified by mounting an interface circuit to the telephone so the modified telephone becomes adapted to transfer a speaker signal from the telephone via a dedicated wireless link to the inter-ear radio of the hearing aids; wherein interface circuit includes all of the following; an input connected to the electrical signal line for receiving the speaker signal, an analog-to-digital converter for converting the speaker signal to a digital signal, a processor for preparing the digital signal for transmission, and a radio configured to establish the dedicated wireless link between the telephone and the hearing aid, whereby a signal representing sound picked up from the electronic processing circuit is transmitted to the hearing aid for processing in accordance with a user'"'"'s hearing impairment. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 19)
Specification