Embedded internet for hearing aids

• US 20030138109A1
• Filed: 01/15/2003
• Published: 07/24/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 01/15/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Meyer, Wolfram, Bindner, Joerg
• Granted Patent: US 7,286,673 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A hearing aid has an embedded Internet interface so that the hearing aid can automatically communicate error diagnosis data to a hearing aid acoustician via the Internet so that the hearing aid user need not visit the hearing aid acoustician and so that acoustician can initiate appropriate maintenance, training or repair measures. An appertaining method is also provided.

Claims

1. A method for operating a hearing aid comprising:

determining, with the hearing aid, at least one quantity relating to an abnormal operating condition of the hearing aid, and

transmitting the determined at least one quantity or a message relating to this at least one quantity to an external system with the hearing aid, the external system comprising a data network that is the Internet or other wide-area network, the transmission utilizing an embedded Internet functionality of the hearing aid, and the transmission including an Internet address stored in the hearing aid.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing more than one Internet address that is stored in the hearing aid; and

selecting an internet address for transmitting based on the at least one quantity or message.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

providing a bidirectional communication between the hearing aid and the data network; and

receiving data by the hearing aid from the data network.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the transmitting ensues wirelessly.

5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

generating a message to be transmitted based on the at least one quantity.

6. The method according to claim 1, the step of transmitting further comprising:

transmitting the at least one quantity or message to a higher-performance transmitter via a short hop transmission; and

forwarding the at least one quantity or message to the data network.

7. The method according to claim 6, further comprising:

further processing the at least one quantity or message before the forwarding.

8. A hearing aid, comprising:

an analysis device configured to determine at least one quantity relating to at least one abnormal operating condition of the hearing aid;

a transmission device configured to transmit the determined at least one quantity or a message relating to this at least one quantity to an external system, the external system comprising a data network that is the Internet or other wide-area network, the transmission device comprising;

an embedded Internet or wide-area network communication module; and

an address register comprising an address to which a respective quantity or message is to be sent.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 8, wherein the transmission device is a transmitter/receiver device that comprises a receiver configured to receive data.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 8, wherein the transmission device comprises a radio interface.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 8 comprising a message generator configured to generate a message based on the at least one quantity.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 8, wherein the transmission device comprises a short hop transmitter having a range of less than one meter.