Hearing assistance device eavesdropping on a bluetooth data stream

• US 10,321,244 B2
• Filed: 01/10/2013
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 01/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Solum, Jeffrey Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Dinh, Tan X
• Application Number:
  US13/738,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20140192988A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,343 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/353 Frequency, e.g. frequency shift or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• 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

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for eavesdropping on a data stream for hearing assistance devices. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a hearing assistance system for a wearer including a Bluetooth host device having a transmitter configured to send data including one or more encoded audio streams, and a data channel having an advertisement that includes frequency information, frequency hop sequences, information for decoding audio streams, and security keys for decoding audio stream information. The system also includes one or more Bluetooth slave devices identified by the Bluetooth host device. The Bluetooth slave devices are configured to actively participate in a connection with the host device to aid the host transmitter in deciding which frequencies to use for frequency hopping and in determining which frequencies are being interfered with and should not be included in a channel map, according to various embodiments.

Claims

1. A hearing assistance system for a wearer, comprising:

a Bluetooth host device including a transmitter configured to send data including one or more encoded audio streams to one or more Bluetooth slave devices, and a data channel having an unencoded advertisement that includes frequency information, frequency hop sequences, information for decoding audio streams, and security keys for decoding audio stream information, the one or more Bluetooth slave devices paired with the Bluetooth host device and configured to actively participate in a bidirectional connection with the host device to aid the host transmitter in deciding which frequencies to use for frequency hopping and in determining which frequencies are being interfered with and should not be included in a channel map, wherein the Bluetooth host device and at least one of the one or more Bluetooth slave devices share an antenna; and

one or more hearing assistance devices not paired with the Bluetooth host device and configured to receive the unencoded advertisement, the one or more hearing assistance devices configured to use the frequency information and the frequency hop sequences to eavesdrop on the connection between the Bluetooth host device and the one or more slave devices paired with the Bluetooth host device, the one or more hearing assistance devices configured to use information from the advertisement to begin frequency hopping in sequence with the host device and to receive the audio streams, and unencode the audio streams without having to transmit back to the Bluetooth host device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more Bluetooth slave devices are adapted to receive and decode the audio streams or other data information after receiving the advertised frequency information and other information used to synchronize and decode receptions from the host device.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of the Bluetooth slave devices is included in a hearing assistance device.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the hearing assistance device includes a hearing aid.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid.

8. The system of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid.

9. The system of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid includes a completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid.

10. The system of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aid.

11. A method of using a Bluetooth receiver, comprising:

receiving a data stream from a Bluetooth host device without pairing the Bluetooth receiver to the Bluetooth host device, the Bluetooth host device including a transmitter, the data stream including unencoded advertisements, frequency hop code sequences and security codes; and

passively listening on potential channels, including receiving the unencoded advertisement, and using information from the unencoded advertisements and the frequency hop sequences to eavesdrop on a connection between the Bluetooth host device and a slave device paired with the Bluetooth host device, and using information from the advertisements to begin frequency hopping in sequence with the host device and to receive audio streams, and unencode the audio streams without having to transmit back to the Bluetooth host device, wherein the Bluetooth host device and the slave device share an antenna.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a data stream from a Bluetooth host device includes receiving a channel map.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein receiving a channel map from a Bluetooth host device includes receiving the channel map periodically to reacquire signals if the Bluetooth receiver has lost synchronization with the Bluetooth host device.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a data stream from a Bluetooth host device includes receiving cipher codes.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a data stream from a Bluetooth host device includes receiving information to begin hopping in sequence with the Bluetooth host device.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a data stream from a Bluetooth host device includes receiving information to listen to both a right and left channel.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the tight and left channel include data for left and right worn hearing assistance devices.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the hearing assistance devices include hearing aids.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising receiving data indicative of delay between the right and left channels.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising using the data indicative of delay to synchronize a rendering of each channel to allow for synchronized stereo listening.

21. The method of claim 11, wherein receiving a data stream from a Bluetooth host device includes receiving an address to listen.