Method and system for selective coupling of a communication unit to a hearing enhancement device

• US 20060013423A1
• Filed: 07/13/2004
• Published: 01/19/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 07/13/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wieczorek, Alfred B., Adair, Brian L.
• Granted Patent: US 7,106,874 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

The invention concerns a method (200) and system (100) for selectively coupling a communication unit (110) to a hearing enhancement device (112). The method includes the steps of—in the communication unit—selecting (212) between an acoustic coupling setting and an inductive coupling setting, in response to the selecting step, switching (214) an audio output of the communication unit to an acoustic coupling path (136) or an inductive coupling path (138), and outputting (226) through either the acoustic coupling path or the inductive coupling path an audio signal to the hearing enhancement device.

Claims

1. A method for selectively coupling a communication unit to a hearing enhancement device, comprising the steps of:

in the communication unit, selecting between an acoustic coupling setting and an inductive coupling setting;

in response to the selecting step, switching an audio output of the communication unit to one of an acoustic coupling path and an inductive coupling path; and

outputting through one of the acoustic coupling path and the inductive coupling path an audio signal to the hearing enhancement device.

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

in the hearing enhancement device, selecting between an acoustic coupling setting and an inductive coupling setting; and

in response to the selecting step in the hearing enhancement device, switching an audio input of the hearing enhancement device to one of an acoustic coupling path and an inductive coupling path.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of applying an equalization setting to the audio signal based on which of the acoustic coupling path and the inductive coupling path is selected.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the equalization setting is selected from a plurality of equalization settings.

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

feeding the audio signal to a first coil of a speaker;

generating a magnetic field through the first coil of the speaker; and

inducing a corresponding signal in a second coil in the hearing enhancement device.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the communication unit is a wireless communications unit.

7. The method according to claim 4, wherein the applying the equalization setting step comprises the step of selecting one of a plurality of filters, wherein at least one of the filters is a default filter.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the audio signal is output through the acoustic coupling path, the audio signal has a frequency response that at least meets a predetermined acoustic coupling frequency response requirement.

9. The method according to claim 1, wherein when the audio signal is output through the inductive coupling path, the audio signal has a frequency response that at least meets a predetermined inductive coupling frequency response requirement.

10. A system for selectively coupling a communication unit to a hearing enhancement device, comprising:

a speaker for outputting an audio signal;

an equalizing block having an acoustic coupling path and an inductive coupling path;

a switch for selectively coupling one of the acoustic coupling path and the inductive coupling path of the equalizing block to the speaker; and

a processor coupled to the switch, wherein the processor is programmed to cause the switch to couple one of the acoustic coupling path and the inductive coupling path of the equalizing block to the speaker based on the selection of one of an acoustic coupling setting and an inductive coupling setting.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein the hearing enhancement device includes an acoustic coupling path and an inductive coupling path and a switch for selecting between one of the acoustic coupling path and the inductive coupling path.

12. The system according to claim 10, wherein the equalization block applies an equalization setting to the audio signal based on which of the acoustic coupling path and the inductive coupling path is selected.

13. The system according to claim 12, wherein the equalization setting is selected from a plurality of equalization settings.

14. The system according to claim 10, wherein the speaker includes a first coil and the hearing enhancement device includes a second coil, wherein when the audio signal is fed to the first coil, a magnetic field is generated through the first coil and the magnetic field induces a corresponding signal in the second coil in the hearing enhancement device.

15. The system according to claim 10, wherein the communication unit is a wireless communication unit.

16. The system according to claim 10, wherein both of the acoustic coupling path and the inductive coupling path include at least one filter for filtering the audio signal, wherein at least one of the filters in both the acoustic coupling path and the inductive coupling path is a default filter.

17. The system according to claim 10, wherein when the audio signal is output through the acoustic coupling path, the audio signal has a frequency response that at least meets an acoustic coupling frequency response requirement.

18. The system according to claim 10, wherein when the audio signal is output through the inductive coupling path, the audio signal has a frequency response that at least meets an inductive coupling frequency response requirement.

19. The system according to claim 10, further comprising a user interface section, wherein the user interface section includes a display, a keypad and a microphone.