Remote programming and control means for a hearing aid

• US 20020015506A1
• Filed: 03/13/2001
• Published: 02/07/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2000
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sarnoff Corporation (SRI International, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Songbird Hearing, Inc.
• Inventors: Fritz, Frederick J., Preves, David A., Sjursen, Walter P., Aceti, John G.
• Application Number:
  US09/805,743
• Publication Number:
  US 20020015506A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• 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

In an illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a selector module is provided to a user for selecting one of multiple acoustical formats of a hearing aid device. Generally, a keypad is pressed by a user to select an acoustical format, whereby a command is transmitted to the hearing aid. In a specific application, the command is transmitted via a wireless protocol. A received command is then decoded to program the hearing aid to a selected acoustical format. Preferably, the acoustical format defines an acoustical response of the hearing aid device for an entire continuous range of frequencies detectable by a human ear.

Claims

1. A method for selecting an acoustical response of a hearing aid, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one of multiple acoustical formats of the hearing aid by transmitting a command;

receiving the command at the hearing aid to determine which of the multiple acoustical formats is selected by a user; and

compensating for a variation in a component of the hearing aid device based on a compensation factor that is previously programmed in the hearing aid, the compensation factor being used to adjust the acoustical response of the hearing aid so that a selected acoustical format of the hearing aid conforms to a standard.

2. A method as in claim 1, wherein the command includes digital data that is stored in a memory device of the hearing aid to select an acoustical format.

3. A method as in claim 1, wherein the received command includes digital data that is latched to drive at least one input to a digital filter that defines the acoustical response of the hearing aid.

4. A method as in claim 1, wherein the user presses a keypad of a wireless transmitter module to select the acoustical format and a corresponding command is transmitted via a wireless signal to the hearing aid device to program the acoustical format.

5. A method as in claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is disposable.

6. A method as in claim 1, wherein a selection of a format by a user is permanent so that the hearing aid cannot be reprogrammed.

7. A method as in claim 1, wherein an acoustical format is selected by holding the hearing aid device to a phone receiver and pressing at least one keypad.

8. A method as in claim 1, wherein the command is transmitted via a wireless signal.

9. A method as in claim 2, wherein the digital data for selecting an acoustical format is stored in a volatile memory device.

10. A method as in claim 9, wherein the volatile memory device is RAM (Random Access Memory).

11. A method as in claim 1, wherein a selection of a format by a user is temporary so that the hearing aid can be subsequently reprogrammed with a different acoustical format.

12. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the steps of:

filtering an acoustical input of the hearing aid to detect an audible programming command; and

programming the hearing aid according to the audible programming command.

13. A method as in claim 12, wherein the audible programming command is generated via DTMF (Dual Tone Multiple Frequency) signals.

14. A method as in claim 1 further comprising the step of:

amplifying an acoustical input of the hearing aid based upon a selected acoustical format.

15. A method as in claim 14 further comprising the step of:

storing a compensation factor in memory of the hearing aid corresponding to characteristics of a tested component disposed in the hearing aid; and

modifying an acoustical response of the hearing aid based upon the compensation factor.

17. A method as in claim 16 further comprising the step of:

compensating for the variation in the component of the hearing aid device so that an overall acoustical response of the hearing aid conforms to a standard.

18. A method as in claim 16, wherein the component is a microphone used in the hearing aid.

19. A method as in claim 16, wherein the component is a speaker used in the hearing aid.

20. A method as in claim 16, wherein the component is an assembly including an electronic circuit.

21. A method as in claim 20, wherein the electronic circuit includes an amplifier.

22. A method as in claim 20, wherein the component is an assembly including a memory device in which a compensation factor is stored.

23. A method as in claim 22, wherein the compensation factor is stored in the memory device prior to assembly of the component in a hearing aid.

24. A method as in claim 16, wherein the memory device is EEPROM (Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory).

25. A method as in claim 16 further comprising the step of:

storing encoded data in the memory device for selecting one of multiple programmable acoustical responses of the hearing aid.

26. A method as in claim 16 further comprising the step of:

latching a digitally encoded compensation factor into a register device that drives circuitry disposed between a microphone and speaker of the hearing aid to compensate for the variation in the component.

27. A method as in claim 16 further comprising the step of:

testing multiple components of a similar type and grouping the components based on a corresponding deviation from a standard.

28. A method as in claim 27 further comprising the steps of:

assigning a compensation factor to a group of tested components having similar characteristics; and

programming the hearing aid that includes a component selected from a particular group with a corresponding assigned compensation factor.

29. A method as in claim 16, wherein the compensation factor is used to adjust a gain of the hearing aid device.

30. A method as in claim 16, wherein the compensation factor is used to adjust an offset of the hearing aid device.

31. A method as in claim 20, wherein the characteristic response is an acoustical response.

16. A method for modifying an acoustical response of a hearing aid, the method comprising the steps of:

testing a component to be used in the hearing aid by measuring a characteristic of the component;

identifying an appropriate compensation factor to correct for a variation in the component; and

storing the compensation factor in a memory device to compensate for the component disposed in the hearing aid.

32. A method for selecting an acoustical response of a hearing aid, the method comprising the steps of:

selecting one of multiple acoustical formats of the hearing aid by transmitting a command;

receiving the command at the hearing aid to determine which of the multiple acoustical formats is selected by a user; and

providing a patient with a programmer module that is temporarily coupled to the hearing aid for programming an acoustical format.

33. A method as in claim 32, wherein the command includes digital data that is stored in a memory device of the hearing aid to select an acoustical format.

34. A method as in claim 32, wherein the received command includes digital data that is latched to drive at least one input to a digital filter that defines the acoustical response of the hearing aid.

35. A method as in claim 32, wherein the user presses a keypad of the programmer module to select the acoustical format and a corresponding command is transmitted via a signal to the hearing aid device to program the acoustical format.

36. A method as in claim 32, wherein the hearing aid is disposable.

37. A method as in claim 32, wherein a selection of a format by a user is permanent so that the hearing aid cannot be reprogrammed.

38. A method as in claim 32 further comprising the step of:

amplifying an acoustical input of the hearing aid based upon a programmed acoustical format.

39. A method as in claim 32 further comprising the step of:

storing a compensation factor in memory of the hearing aid corresponding to characteristics of a tested component disposed in the hearing aid; and

modifying an acoustical response of the hearing aid based upon the compensation factor.