Hearing aid and hearing aid dual use dongle

• US 10,462,582 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2016
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Inventors: Neumeyer, Frederick Charles, Apfel, Russell J., Knox, John Michael Page
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni, Suhan
• Application Number:
  US15/333,110
• Publication Number:
  US 20170118564A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: 381 60, 381312, 381314-315, 381322-323
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• 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 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/09 Applications of special connectors, e.g. USB, XLR, in loudspeakers, microphones or headphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• 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 25/556 External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules H04R25/607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 : of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 : Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A power dongle for a hearing aid includes conductive wires, each wire having a computing device end and a hearing aid end. A first connector is connected to the computing device end of each of the plurality of conductive wires to releasably couple to an input/output port of the computing device and a second connector is connected to the hearing aid end of each of the plurality of conductive wires to releasably couple to an interface of the hearing aid, the second connector configured to deliver at least one of a first power supply and an audio signal from the computing device to the interface of the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A media source comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

displaying a graphical user interface comprising a plurality of user-selectable input options including;

a first input option configured to receive user input corresponding to adjustment of a left listening device profile;

a second input option configured to receive user input corresponding to adjustment of a right listening device profile; and

a third input option configured to receive user input corresponding to an adjustment of at least one parameter of both the right listening device profile and the left listening device profile;

receiving a user input corresponding to one of the plurality of user-selectable input options; and

communicating the left listening device profile to a left listening device and the right listening device profile to a right listening device through a wireless communication channel based on the user input.

2. The media source of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

operate in one of a first device profile and at least a second device profile based on the user input,

wherein, in the first device profile, the one or more processors are configured to separately adjust at least one of the left and the right listening device profiles in response to user input, and

wherein, in the second device profile, the one or more processors are configured to adjust the left listening device profile and the right listening device profile in unison in response to user input.

3. The media source of claim 1, wherein at least one of the left listening device profile and the right listening device profile comprises a volume level of the left listening device and the right listening device, respectively.

4. The media source of claim 1, wherein at least one of the left listening device profile and the right listening device profile comprises a tone of the left listening device and the right listening device, respectively.

5. The media source of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first input option, the second input option, and the third input option is configured to receive user input corresponding to a selection of an acoustic environment.

6. The media source of claim 5, wherein at least one of the left listening device profile and the right listening device profile is configured to enhance performance of the left listening device and the right listening device, respectively, in the acoustic environment.

7. The media source of claim 5, wherein the acoustic environment comprises an outdoor environment or an environment including a crowd of people.

8. The media source of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first input option, the second input option, and the third input option includes an icon indicative of an acoustic environment.

9. The media source of claim 1, wherein the non-transitory computer readable medium further comprises instructions that cause the one or more processors to:

provide a user-selectable input option for creating a new listening device profile;

provide user options for generating the new listening device profile in response to receiving the user input for creating the new listening device profile;

store the new listening device profile in a memory accessible via the one or more processors; and

provide the new listening device profile to the left listening device and the right listening device via the wireless communication channel.

10. A media source having a computer program product, the computer program product comprising:

a non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a computer usable program code executable to perform acts comprising;

displaying a graphical user interface comprising a plurality of user-selectable input options including—

a first input option and a second input option configured to receive a user selection corresponding to independent adjustment of a left listening device profile and a right listening device profile, respectively; and

a third input option configured to receive user selection indicative of a coordinated adjustment of the right listening device profile and the left listening device profile;

receiving a first user selection indicative of a selection of an acoustical environment;

receiving a second user selection corresponding to an adjustment of at least one setting of either the left listening device profile, the right listening device profile, or both the right listening device profile and the left listening device profile; and

transmitting the left listening device profile and the right listening device profile to a left listening device and a right listening device, respectively, via a wireless communication channel based on the first user selection and second user selection.

11. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the third input option is configured to receive input corresponding to an adjustment of at least one of a volume level and a tone of at least one of the left listening device profile and the right listening device profile.

12. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the third input option is configured to receive input corresponding to a coordinated adjustment of a volume level and a tone of both the left listening device profile and the right listening device profile.

13. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein at least one of the left listening device profile and the right listening device profile is configured to enhance performance of the left listening device and the right listening device, respectively, in the acoustic environment.

14. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the acoustic environment comprises an outdoor environment or an environment including a crowd of people.

15. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the acoustic environment comprises an outdoor environment.

16. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the acoustic environment comprises a quiet room.

17. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the third input option is positioned in the graphical user interface between the first input option and the second input option.

18. The computer program product of claim 10, wherein the computer usable program code further performs the acts of:

providing a user-selectable input option for creating a new listening device profile;

providing user options for generating the new listening device profile in response to receiving the user selection for creating the new listening device profile;

storing the new listening device profile in a memory of the media source; and

providing the new listening device profile to the left listening device and the right listening device via the wireless communication channel.