Systems and methods for hearing assistance RF multi-band operation

• US 10,149,073 B2
• Filed: 08/04/2014
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Polinske, Beau Jay, Flood, Stephen Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Dabney, Phylesha
• Application Number:
  US14/451,098
• Publication Number:
  US 20160037270A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,583 Days
• Field of Search: 381315, 381 231, 381 60, 455 412, 4555691
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• 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

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a multi-band wireless communication of information for a hearing assistance device, where the multi-band operation is adapted to provide communications at different radio frequency (RF) bands. In applications of hearing aids, the processor is adapted to perform correction of sound for a hearing impaired user. In certain examples, the present subject matter provides an improved data transmission integrity and reliability.

Claims

1. A method for multi-band operation in a hearing assistance device, the method comprising:

detecting, in a hearing assistance device, a degraded performance of a first communication link, the first communication link being used as a current communication link to conduct wireless communication, the first communication link having an associated first communication link quality, the first communication link associated with a first radio frequency (RF) band; and

in response to detecting the degraded performance;

identifying a second RF band communication link from among a plurality of RF band communication links available for use by the hearing assistance device, the second communication link having an associated second communication link quality;

comparing the second communication link quality to the first communication link quality;

determining, based on the comparison between the second communication link quality and the first communication link quality, that the second communication link quality is higher than the first communication link fatality; and

selecting the second communication link as the current communication link to conduct wireless communication by the hearing assistance device in response to the determination that the second communication link quality is higher than the first communication link quality.

2. The method of claim 1, further including detecting a second degraded performance of the second communication link;

and

in response to detecting the second degraded performance;

identifying a third RF band communication link from among the plurality of RF band communication links, the third communication link quality determined to use a communication protocol different from the first and second RF band communication links; and

selecting the third communication link for wireless communication by the hearing assistance device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first RF band communication link has an associated first radio frequency band;

the second RF band communication link has an associated second radio frequency band; and

determining the first RF band communication link quality is higher than the second RF band communication link quality includes determining that the second radio frequency band performs better than the first radio frequency band.

4. The met hod of claim 1, wherein detecting the degraded performance of the first communication link includes determining a degraded performance level falls below a minimum performance threshold.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the second communication link quality with the first communication link quality includes comparing a plurality of received signal strength indications (RSSIs).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein comparing the second communication link quality with the first communication link quality includes comparing a plurality of packet error rates (PERs).

7. The method of claim 1, further including receiving a geographic location, wherein:

identifying the second RE band communication link includes using the geographic information to identify a plurality of locally permissible RF bands; and

selecting the second RF band communication link includes selecting the second RF band communication link from among the plurality of locally permissible RF bands.

8. The method of claim 1, further including detecting a multipath event on the first communication link, wherein selecting the second communication link is further in response to determining a second RF band multipath environment performance is better than a first RF band multipath environment performance.

9. The method of claim 1, further including detecting a low battery event, wherein selecting the second communication link is further in response to determining a second RF band power consumption is lower than a first RF band power consumption.

10. A hearing aid for a wearer having a hearing impairment, the hearing aid adapted to perform wireless communications, the hearing aid comprising:

a multi-band antenna;

a receiver comprising a multi-band radio with frequency control adapted to provide operation in a plurality of RF bands, the receiver adapted to receive signals from one or more antennas; and

a processor in communication with the multi-band radio, the processor adapted to;

detect a degraded performance of a first communication link, the first communication link being used as a current communication link to conduct wireless communication, the first communication link having an associated first communication link quality, the first communication link associated with a first radio frequency (RF) band; and

in response to detecting the degraded performance;

identify a second RF band communication link from among a plurality of RF band communication links available for use by the hearing aid, the second communication link having an associated second communication link quality;

comparing the second communication link quality to the first communication link quality;

determining, based on the comparison between the second communication link quality and the first communication link quality, that the second communication link quality is higher than the first communication link quality; and

select the second communication link as the current communication link to conduct wireless communication by the hearing aid in response to the determination that the second communication link quality is higher than the first communication link quality.

11. The hearing aid of claim 10, the processor is further adapted to detect a second degraded performance of the second communication link;

and

in response to detecting the second degraded performance;

the processor further adapted to identify a third RF band communication link from among the plurality of RE band communication links, the third communication link quality determined to use a communication protocol different from the first and second RF band communication links; and

the processor further adapted to select the third communication link for wireless communication by the hearing assistance device.

12. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein:

the first RF band communication link has an associated first radio frequency band;

the second RF band communication link has an associated second radio frequency band; and

the processor determining the first RF band communication link quality is higher than the second RF band communication link quality includes the processor determining that the second radio frequency band performs better than the first radio frequency band.

13. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein detecting the degraded performance level on the first communication link includes determining a degraded performance level falls below a minimum performance threshold.

14. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the processor comparing the second RF band communication link quality with the first RF band communication link quality includes comparing a plurality of received signal strength indications (RSSIs).

15. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the processor comparing the second RF band communication link quality with the first RF band communication link quality includes comparing a plurality of packet error rates (PERs).

16. The hearing aid of claim 10, the processor further adapted to receive a geographic location, wherein:

the processor identifying the second RF band communication link includes using the geographic information to identify a plurality of locally permissible RF bands; and

the processor selecting the second RF band communication link includes selecting the second RF band communication link from among the plurality of locally permissible RF bands.

17. The hearing aid of claim 10, the processor further adapted to detect a multipath event on the first communication link wherein the processor determining the second communication link quality is higher than the first communication link quality includes determining the second RF band multipath environment performance is better than the first RF band multipath environment performance.

18. The hearing aid of claim 10, the processor further adapted to detect a low battery event wherein the processor determining the second communication link quality is higher than the first communication link quality includes determining the second RF band power consumption is lower than the first RF band power consumption.

19. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the multi-band radio is adapted to perform one or more of:

ear-to-ear communications, ear-to-remote device communications, wireless programming, configuration and data logging streaming audio, bi-directional audio, or remote control.

20. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the multi-band radio performs transmissions controllable by the processor.

21. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the processor is adapted to perform frequency control of a local oscillator of the multi-band radio.

22. The hearing aid of claim 10, further comprising a first radio associated with the first RF band and a second radio associated with the second RF band, the first radio and second radio connected to the processor to provide received information to the processor.

23. The hearing aid of claim 22, further comprising a multiplexer configured to selectably receive the information from the first radio and from the second radio and provide the information to the processor.

24. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the multi-band radio is realized at least partially using an integrated circuit.

25. The hearing aid of claim 10, further comprising a microphone to receive sound and convert it to an electrical signal that is provided to the processor.

26. The hearing aid of claim 25, further comprising a receiver adapted to receive processed signals from the processor and to play sound for the wearer using the signals.

27. The hearing aid of claim 10, wherein the multi-band antenna includes a plurality of antenna elements, each antenna element configured to operate at a selected RF band.