Remotely controlling a hearing device

• US 10,206,024 B2
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fleizach, Christopher Brian, Foo, Edwin E., Fisch, Ian M., Seymour, Eric Taylor
• Primary Examiner(s): Etesam, Amir H
• Application Number:
  US14/633,575
• Publication Number:
  US 20150245128A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• Field of Search: 381315
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0258 for a headset device
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/39 Aspects relating to automatic logging of sound environment parameters and the performance of the hearing aid during use, e.g. histogram logging, or of user selected programs or settings in the hearing aid, e.g. usage logging
• 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 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media are provided for remotely controlling a hearing device. A hearing device configured to communicate with a control device transmits status data, including settings, to the control device. The control device displays the status data in an interface configured to receive input specifying new settings, upon which a command is sent to the hearing device to change the current setting. The control device can automatically change the settings based on a determined current environment to be a stored program optimized to the current environment. The current environment can be determined based on the location of the hearing device or another device connected to the control device. Quick mode allows settings to be viewed and changed quickly by displaying multiple related settings as one and overriding interface buttons. Remote listen mode receives audio data from a microphone and transmit it to the hearing device.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

at an electronic device that is in communication with a hearing aid that is distinct from the electronic device, the electronic device having a device audio detection component, the device audio detection component including an integral microphone incorporated in the electronic device, and one or more input components, wherein the hearing aid includes a hearing-aid audio-detection component and a hearing-aid audio-output component;

while the hearing aid is in a proximate-audio mode of operation in which the hearing aid is configured to detect audio with the hearing-aid audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the audio detected with the hearing-aid audio-detection component, receiving by the one or more input components of the electronic device an input; and

in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, the hearing aid to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation into a remote-audio mode of operation, in which the hearing aid is configured to receive audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the detected audio.

2. The method of claim 1, including, while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, storing in a data buffer of the electronic device audio data corresponding to audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device and enabling a user to manipulate transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein enabling a user to manipulate transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid includes enabling the user to rewind or pause the transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid.

4. The method of claim 1, including, while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, detecting audio with the integral microphone of the electronic device and transmitting the audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device to the hearing aid.

5. The method of claim 1, including, in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, a plurality of distinct hearing aids to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation to the remote-audio mode of operation, wherein each hearing aid of the plurality of distinct hearing aids receives the audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device and outputs audio corresponding to the detected audio.

6. The method of claim 1, further including, while the hearing aid is in the remote audio mode of operation, the electronic device translating speech received by the integral microphone of the electronic device into text, and displaying the text on a display of the electronic device or a display of another device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is a first hearing aid, and the method further includes:

concurrently displaying one or more controls for adjusting an audio setting of only the first hearing aid, and one or more controls for adjusting an audio setting of the first hearing aid and a second hearing aid;

receiving an input specifying adjusting the audio setting of the first hearing aid, or adjusting the audio setting of both the first and second hearing aids;

in response to receiving the input,

in accordance with a determination that the input specifies adjusting the audio setting of the first hearing aid, sending, by the electronic device, first audio setting data to only the first hearing device; and

in accordance with a determination that the input specifies adjusting the audio setting of both the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid, sending, by the electronic device, second audio setting data to both the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device is a smart phone.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of an electronic device that is in communication with a hearing aid that is distinct from the electronic device, the electronic device having a device audio detection component, the device audio detection component including an integral microphone incorporated in the electronic device, and one or more input components, wherein the hearing aid includes a hearing-aid audio-detection component and a hearing-aid audio-output component, cause the electronic device to perform operations, comprising:

while the hearing aid is in a proximate-audio mode of operation in which the hearing aid is configured to detect audio with the hearing-aid audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the audio detected with the hearing-aid audio-detection component, receiving by the one or more input components of the electronic device an input; and

in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, the hearing aid to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation into a remote-audio mode of operation, in which the hearing aid is configured to receive audio detected with the device audio-detection component integral microphone of the electronic device and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the detected audio.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to further perform operations, comprising:

while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, storing in a data buffer of the electronic device audio data corresponding to audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device and enabling a user to manipulate transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10, wherein enabling a user to manipulate transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid includes enabling the user to rewind or pause the transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform operations, comprising:

while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, detecting audio with the integral microphone of the electronic device and transmitting the audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device to the hearing aid.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device to perform operations, comprising:

in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, a plurality of distinct hearing aids to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation to the remote-audio mode of operation, wherein each hearing aid of the plurality of distinct hearing aids receives the audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device and outputs audio corresponding to the detected audio.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, cause the electronic device, while the hearing aid is in the remote audio mode of operation, to translate speech received by the integral microphone of the electronic device into text, and to display the text on a display of the electronic device or a display of another device.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the hearing aid is a first hearing aid, and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors of the electronic device, further cause the electronic device to:

concurrently display one or more controls for adjusting an audio setting of only the first hearing aid, and one or more controls for adjusting an audio setting of the first hearing aid and a second hearing aid;

receive an input specifying adjusting the audio setting of the first hearing aid, or adjusting the audio setting of both the first and second hearing aids;

in response to receiving the input,

in accordance with a determination that the input specifies adjusting the audio setting of the first hearing aid, send, by the electronic device, first audio setting data to only the first hearing device; and

in accordance with a determination that the input specifies adjusting the audio setting of both the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid, send, by the electronic device, second audio setting data to both the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the electronic device is a smart phone.

17. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

an audio detection component including an integral microphone incorporated in the electronic device;

one or more input components;

a wireless transceiver; and

a non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes;

establishing, using the wireless transceiver, communication with a hearing aid that is distinct from the electronic device wherein the hearing aid includes a hearing-aid audio-detection component and a hearing-aid audio-output component;

determining that the hearing aid is in a proximate-audio mode of operation, where when in the proximate-audio mode of operation the hearing aid is configured to detect audio with the hearing-aid audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the audio detected with the hearing-aid audio-detection component;

while the hearing aid is in the proximate-audio mode of operation, receiving by the one or more input components an input; and

in response to receiving the input, causing the hearing aid to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation into a remote-audio mode of operation, where when in the remote-audio mode of operation the hearing aid is configured to receive audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the detected audio.

18. The electronic device of claim 17, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform additional operations, comprising:

while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, storing in a data buffer of the electronic device audio data corresponding to audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device and enabling a user to manipulate transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid.

19. The electronic device of claim 18, wherein enabling a user to manipulate transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid includes enabling the user to rewind or pause the transmission of the audio data stored in the audio buffer to the hearing aid.

20. The electronic device of claim 17, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform additional operations, comprising:

while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, detecting audio with the integral microphone of the electronic device and transmitting the audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device to the hearing aid.

21. The electronic device of claim 17, the non-transitory computer-readable medium further including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device to perform operations, comprising:

in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, a plurality of distinct hearing aids to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation to the remote-audio mode of operation, wherein each hearing aid of the plurality of distinct hearing aids receives the audio detected with the integral microphone of the electronic device and outputs audio corresponding to the detected audio.

22. The electronic device of claim 17, the non-transitory computer-readable medium including instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the electronic device, while the hearing aid is in the remote audio mode of operation, to translate speech received by the integral microphone of the electronic device into text, and to display the text on a display of the electronic device or a display of another device.

23. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the hearing aid is a first hearing aid, and the instructions, when executed by the one or more processors, further cause the electronic device to perform operations, comprising:

concurrently displaying one or more controls for adjusting an audio setting of only the first hearing aid, and one or more controls for adjusting an audio setting of the first hearing aid and a second hearing aid;

receiving an input specifying adjusting the audio setting of the first hearing aid, or adjusting the audio setting of both the first and second hearing aids;

in response to receiving the input,

in accordance with a determination that the input specifies adjusting the audio setting of the first hearing aid, sending, by the electronic device, first audio setting data to only the first hearing device; and

in accordance with a determination that the input specifies adjusting the audio setting of both the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid, sending, by the electronic device, second audio setting data to both the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid.

24. The electronic device of claim 17, wherein the electronic device is a smart phone.