Hearing aid and hearing aid system

• US 20050259838A1
• Filed: 05/19/2005
• Published: 11/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 05/21/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Frohlich, Mathias, Barthel, Roland, Eggers, Joachim, Beimel, Bernd
• Granted Patent: US 7,577,267 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 31/371 with remote indication, e.g. on external chargers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/48 Accumulators combined with arrangements for measuring, testing or indicating the condition of cells, e.g. the level or density of the electrolyte constructional details of current conducting connections for detecting conditions inside cells or batteries, e.g. details of voltage sensing terminals, H01M50/569
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

For a hearing aid, the information for the hearing aid wearer relating to the state of charge of the power source (4, 4′) or the remaining life of the hearing aid with the relevant power source (4, 4′) is to be improved. To this end means are provided for operating the hearing aid by which the state of charge or remaining life can be interrogated at any time, with the information about the state of charge or remaining life being provided to the hearing aid wearer by emitting an acoustic signal indicating the state of charge or remaining life. The hearing aid wearer can thus be informed conveniently and discretely at any time about the state of charge or the remaining life.

Claims

1-13. -13. (canceled)

14. A hearing aid, comprising:

an input converter for acquiring an input signal and converting the input signal into an electrical signal;

a signal processing unit for processing and amplifying the electrical signal, the amplification of the electrical signal depending on a frequency included in the input signal;

an output converter for generating and outputting acoustic output signals;

a power source for supplying power to the hearing aid; and

an operating device for operating the hearing aid, wherein the operating device is configured to determine a property of the power source, the property chosen from the group consisting of a current capacity and an expected remaining operating time, and the output converter is configured to generate an acoustic output signal based on the determined property.

15. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 14, further comprising an input device for entering data identifying the power source, wherein the property is determined based on the data.

16. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 14, further comprising a computing device for analyzing the power source and generating data identifying the power source.

17. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 14, wherein the operating device includes a control element.

18. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 17, wherein the control element is included a remote control for operating the hearing aid.

19. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 14, wherein the hearing aid is configured to be operated by an acoustic command.

20. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 19, wherein the acoustic command includes a voice command.

21. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 14, wherein operating the hearing aid includes switching the hearing aid on or off.

22. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 14, wherein the acoustic output signal includes a tone having a rising or a falling frequency, the tone output if the determined property violates a pre-defined threshold value.

23. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 22, wherein a duration of the tone or a change in frequency of the tone represents a degree of the threshold violation.

24. The hearing aid in accordance with claim 14, wherein the acoustic output signal includes a voice signal.

25. A hearing aid system for binaural supply of a hearing aid wearer, comprising:

a first and a second hearing aid;

a first output converter for generating and outputting a first acoustic output signals, the first output converter assigned to the first hearing aid;

a second output converter for generating and outputting a second acoustic output signals, the second output converter assigned to the second hearing aid;

a first power supply assigned to the first hearing aid;

a second power supply assigned to the second hearing aid; and

a system operating device for operating the hearing aid system, wherein the system operating device is configured to determine a first property of the first power source and a second property of the second power source, the first and second properties chosen from the group consisting of a current capacity and an expected remaining operating time,

the first and second output converters are configured to generate a first and a second acoustic output signal based on the first and second properties, and

the first and second acoustic output signals are output consecutively upon an operating command.