Portable case for modular hearing assistance devices

• US 10,659,859 B2
• Filed: 09/19/2018
• Issued: 05/19/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2018
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Solum, Jeffrey Paul, Kasahara, Yoshi, Young, Christopher D., Haubrich, Gregory JOhn, Varghese, Preetham
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian C
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hamid, Ammar T
• Application Number:
  US16/135,712
• Publication Number:
  US 20190268680A1
• Time in Patent Office: 608 Days
• Field of Search: 381 87, 381 74
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0456 Apparatus provided with a docking unit
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0022 Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6815 Ear
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 50/20 for computer-aided diagnosis, e.g. based on medical expert systems
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2207/10 Control circuit supply, e.g. means for supplying power to the control circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00 Circuit arrangements for charging or depolarising batteries or for supplying loads from batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00712 the cycle being controlled or terminated in response to electric parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/028 associated with devices performing functions other than acoustics, e.g. electric candles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1025 Accumulators or arrangements for charging secondary cells per se H01M10/00; charging in general H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/021 Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/025 In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
• 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 2225/55 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 2460/03 : Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 : Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 : Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• 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 25/554 : 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 25/602 : of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 : Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture

Abstract

A portable case for storing and charging hearing assistance devices is described. The portable case includes at least one retention structure configured to retain at least part of a hearing assistance device, an energy storage device, a charging circuitry electrically coupled to the energy storage device. The at least one processor is configured to detect when the at least one retention structure retains the at least part of the hearing assistance device, and responsive to detecting the at least one retention structure retaining the at least part of the hearing assistance device, cause the charging circuitry to charge, via an electrical connection shared by the at least part of the hearing assistance device and the charging circuitry, a power source of the hearing assistance device.

Claims

1. A portable case for storing and charging hearing assistance devices, the portable case comprising:

two or more retention structures, each configured to retain at least part of a respective, single hearing assistance device;

an energy storage device;

charging circuitry electrically coupled to the energy storage device;

a housing; and

a cover configured to reveal an opening of a single retention structure of the two or more retention structures after mechanical manipulation of the cover,

at least one processor configured to;

detect when a first retention structure of the two or more retention structures retains the at least part of the hearing assistance device; and

responsive to detecting the first retention structure retaining the at least part of the hearing assistance device, cause the charging circuitry to charge, via an electrical connection shared by the at least part of the hearing assistance device and the charging circuitry, a power source of the hearing assistance device.

2. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the at least part of the hearing assistance device retained by the first retention structure comprises a behind-ear portion of the hearing assistance device.

3. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the at least part of the hearing assistance device retained by the first retention structure excludes an in-ear portion of the hearing assistance device.

4. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the portable case comprises a housing and the two or more retention structures are arranged at different circumferential positions in the housing.

5. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the two or more retention structures are arranged linearly in the housing.

6. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the mechanical manipulation of the cover comprises rotating the cover.

7. The portable case of claim 6, wherein the cover is configured, upon rotating the cover, to reveal the opening of the first retention structure while concealing at least one of one or more second retention structures of the two or more retention structures.

8. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the mechanical manipulation of the cover comprises sliding the cover linearly.

9. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the mechanical manipulation of the cover comprises detaching the cover from the housing.

10. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the first retention structure comprises an electro-permanent magnet, and the at least one processor is further configured to control circuitry to strengthen a magnetic connection between the electro-permanent magnet and the at least part of the hearing assistance device that is retained by the first retention structure while causing the charging circuitry to charge the power source of the hearing assistance device.

11. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to cause the charging circuitry to cease charging the power source of the hearing assistance device in response to determining when the power source of the hearing assistance device is charged to a specified level.

12. The portable case of claim 11, wherein the first retention structure comprises an electro-permanent magnet, and the at least one processor is further configured to control circuitry to weaken a magnetic connection between the electro-permanent magnet and the at least part of the hearing assistance device that is retained by the first retention structure after causing the charging circuitry to cease charging the power source of the hearing assistance device.

13. The portable case of claim 11, wherein the first retention structure comprises one or more mechanical features that are configured to eject the at least part of the hearing assistance device that is retained by the first retention structure after the magnetic connection between the electro-permanent magnet and the at least part of the hearing assistance device is weakened.

14. The portable case of claim 1, wherein the first retention structure includes one or more attachment features configured to mate with corresponding attachment features of the at least one part of the hearing assistance device.

15. The portable case of claim 14, wherein the one or more attachment features include at least one of mechanical features, magnetic features, or electro-magnetic features.

16. The portable case of claim 14, wherein the one or more attachment features include two or more electrical contacts configured to conduct electrical current between the energy storage device and the at least part of the hearing assistance device.

17. The portable case of claim 1, further comprising one or more communication units configured to exchange information between the portable case and one or more of:

a computing device, the hearing assistance device, or at least one other hearing assistance device.

18. A method comprising:

detecting, by a portable case of a hearing assistance system, when a retention structure of the portable case retains at least part of a hearing assistance device of the hearing assistance system;

responsive to detecting the retention structure retaining the at least part of the hearing assistance device, charging, by the portable case, via an electrical connection shared by the at least part of the hearing assistance device and charging circuitry of the portable case that is electrically coupled to an energy storage device of the portable case, a power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device;

determining, by the portable case, whether the power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device is charged to a predetermined charging level; and

responsive to determining that the power source is charged to the predetermined charging level;

ceasing, by the portable case, charging the power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device; and

releasing, by the portable case, the at least part of the hearing assistance device from the retention structure.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one retention structure comprises an electro-permanent magnet, and charging the power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device comprises:

strengthening, by the portable case, a magnetic connection between the electro-permanent magnet and the at least part of the hearing assistance device that is retained by the retention structure while charging the power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the at least one retention structure comprises an electro-permanent magnet, and charging the power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device comprises:

weakening, by the portable case, a magnetic connection between the electro-permanent magnet and the at least part of the hearing assistance device that is retained by the retention structure in response to completing charging of the power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the retention structure comprises one or more mechanical features that are configured to eject the at least part of the hearing assistance device that is retained by the retention structure, the method further comprising:

ejecting, by the portable case, using the one or more mechanical features, the at least part of the hearing assistance device after weakening the magnetic connection between the electro-permanent magnet and the at least part of the hearing assistance device that is retained by the retention structure.

22. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, of a portable case for storing and charging hearing assistance devices, comprising instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of the portable case, cause the at least one processor to:

detect when a retention structure of the portable case retains at least part of a hearing assistance device;

responsive to detecting the retention structure retaining the at least part of the hearing assistance device, cause charging circuitry of the portable case to charge, via an electrical connection shared by the at least part of the hearing assistance device and the charging circuitry of the portable case, a power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device

determine whether the power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device is charged to a predetermined charging level; and

responsive to determining that the power source is charged to the predetermined charging level;

cease charging the power source of the at least part of the hearing assistance device; and

release the at least part of the hearing assistance device from the retention structure.