Hearing assistance device ear-to-ear communication using an intermediate device

• US 10,484,804 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2017
• Issued: 11/19/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/09/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Solum, Jeffrey Paul, Flood, Stephen Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Tuan D
• Application Number:
  US15/714,626
• Publication Number:
  US 20180014131A1
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• 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 relaying wireless communication from ear-to-ear for hearing assistance devices using an intermediate device. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method of using a first hearing assistance device in a first ear of a wearer to communicate with a second hearing assistance device in a second ear of the wearer using wireless communication, and determining whether quality of the communication between the devices has fallen below a programmable threshold such that communication can be improved by relaying the communication using an external intermediary device such as a smart phone. One method of determining the quality is to monitor a number of retransmissions that are used to maintain communication between the left and right devices.

Claims

1. A system for wireless communication, comprising:

a first audio device configured to be worn in a first ear of a wearer;

a second audio device configured to be worn in a second ear of the wearer; and

an external device in wireless communication with at least one of the first device and the second device, the external device including;

a wireless communication transceiver; and

a processor in communication with the wireless transceiver, the processor configured to;

monitor communication between the first device and the second device;

determine whether communication between the first device and the second device has fallen below a programmable threshold, wherein the programmable threshold includes a link margin threshold; and

if communication between the first device and the second device has fallen below the programmable threshold, using the wireless communication transceiver to switch dynamically between direct communication and relay communication between the first and second devices, to improve link quality, latency and power consumption.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to monitor a number of retransmissions used to communicate between the first and second devices to determine whether communication between the first device and the second device has fallen below a programmable threshold.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to monitor a receive signal strength between the first and second devices to determine whether communication between the first device and the second device has fallen below a programmable threshold.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is configured to monitor a number of retransmissions between the first and second devices to determine whether communication between the first device and the second device has fallen below a programmable threshold.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is configured to use 2.4 GHz communication to relay communication between the first and second devices.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device includes a smart phone.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device includes a remote control.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device includes a tablet.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the external device includes a personal computer.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first device and the second device includes a hearing aid.

11. A device, comprising:

a wireless communication transceiver; and

a processor in communication with the wireless transceiver, the processor configured to;

monitor communication between a left audio device and a right audio device worn by a wearer;

determine whether communication between the left device and the right device has fallen below a programmable threshold, wherein the programmable threshold includes a link margin threshold; and

if communication between the left device and the right device has fallen below the programmable threshold, using the wireless communication transceiver to switch dynamically between direct communication and relay communication between the first and second devices, to improve link quality, latency and power consumption.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to measure link quality of communication between a left audio device and a right audio device.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein link quality is measured using a packet error rate.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein link quality is measured using a bit error rate.

15. The device of claim 12, wherein link quality is measured using a number of retransmissions.

16. The device of claim 12, wherein link quality is measured using overall latency of communication.

17. The device of claim 12, wherein link quality is measured using a receive signal strength.

18. The device of claim 11, wherein the processor is configured to eavesdrop on communication between the left audio device and the right audio device.

19. The device of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is configured to use Bluetooth communication to relay communication between the first and second devices.

20. The device of claim 11, wherein the wireless communication transceiver is configured to use Wi-Fi communication to relay communication between the first and second devices.