Hearing aid systems

• US 20050283263A1
• Filed: 08/26/2005
• Published: 12/22/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 01/20/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Eaton, Anthony M., Ruzicka, Jerome Charles
• Granted Patent: US 8,503,703 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/94
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

Systems, structures, and methods are provided to fit, program, or upgrade a hearing aid system to a patient. One embodiment includes the use of a mobile device to interact with the hearing aid system through a short-range network. The mobile device is also adapted to communicate with a server through a long-range wireless network. The server may reside on the Internet.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a mobile device adapted to communicate with a remote server through a network that includes an Internet connection using packets of data; and

a listening device adapted to be worn by a user, the device including a microphone, a speaker, and a signal processing system connected to the microphone and the speaker, the signal processing system being adapted to decompress digital audio data, the listening device being adapted to communicate with the mobile device, the listening device being adapted to receive a digital audio signal from the mobile device and generate an audible signal from the speaker.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the listening device is adapted to compress digital audio data.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the listening device and the mobile device are both adapted compress and decompress digital audio.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the packets of data includes packets of digital audio data.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the packets of digital audio data includes ambient information for the listening device, the server includes a server application to receive the ambient information for use to adjust audiological parameters for the signal processing system of the hearing aid.

6. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wired communication link between the mobile device and the listening device.

7. The system of claim 1, further comprising a wireless communication link between the mobile device and the listening device.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication link includes a picocellular network.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication link includes a radio transmission network.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the radio transmission network uses a Bluetooth digital wireless protocol.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the radio transmission network includes a wireless local area network (WLAN).

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless communication link includes an optical transmission network.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the network used to communicate between the mobile device and the remote server includes a wireless network and the Internet connection.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless network includes a cellular network.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless network includes a paging network.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the wireless network includes a multimedia communications network.

17. The system of claim 13, wherein the mobile device is adapted to access the Internet connection through the wireless network.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the listening device includes a hearing aid with the microphone, the speaker, and the signal processing system; and

the server includes a programming fitting server adapted to derive an adjustment for an audio signal processing component in the signal processing system of the hearing aid.

19. A method, comprising:

transmitting packets of data between a mobile device and a remote server through an Internet connection;

transmitting communication signals between the mobile device and a listening device adapted to be worn by a user, the device including a microphone, a speaker, and a signal processing system connected to the microphone and the speaker, the communication signals including a digital audio signal; and

converting the digital audio signal into an audible acoustic signal from the speaker of the listening device.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting packets of data between the mobile device and the remote server through the Internet connection includes transmitting packets of information through a wireless network and the Internet connection.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting communication signals between the mobile device and a listening device includes transmitting the communication signals through a wired connection between the mobile device and the listening device.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting communication signals between the mobile device and a listening device includes transmitting the communication signals through a wireless connection between the mobile device and the listening device.

23. The method of claim 19, wherein the remote server includes a programming fitting server and the listening device includes a hearing aid with the microphone, the speaker, and the signal processing system, the method further comprising using the programming fitting server to derive an adjustment for an audio signal processing component in the signal processing system of the hearing aid.

24. The method of claim 19, wherein transmitting communication signals between the mobile device and the listening device includes compressing and decompressing digital audio signals.

25. A system, comprising:

a mobile device adapted to communicate with a remote server through a network using packets of data; and

a listening device adapted to be worn by a user, the device including a microphone, a speaker, and a signal processing system connected to the microphone and the speaker, both the mobile device and the listening device being adapted to compress and decompress digital audio data, the listening device and the mobile device being adapted to communicate with each other, the listening device being adapted to receive a digital audio signal from the mobile device and generate an audible signal from the speaker.