REMOTE COTNROL SYSTEM FOR A HEARING AID

• US 20080049957A1
• Filed: 09/17/2007
• Published: 02/28/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Topholm, Julian
• Granted Patent: US 8,280,086 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• 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

A remote control system for a hearing aid (9) comprises a mobile telephone (1) and a plug-in device (5). The mobile telephone (1) is executing hearing aid remote control software and transmitting commands to the hearing aid (9) via the plug-in device (5). The plug-in device (5) comprises means for transmitting remote control commands or audio to the hearing aid (9) wirelessly. The invention provides a system, a plug-in device and a mobile telephone.

Claims

1. A remote control system for a hearing aid, said hearing aid being provided with a microphone, a first wireless receiver, a first wireless transmitter, and means for streaming audio via the first wireless transmitter, said remote control system comprising a plug-in device and a mobile telephone, said plug-in device being provided with a second wireless transmitter and a second wireless receiver for communicating bidirectionally with the hearing aid and means for connecting with a mobile telephone, and said mobile telephone being provided with a memory for storing an audio stream received from the hearing aid via the plug-in device.

2. The remote control system of claim 1, comprising application software adapted for enabling the mobile telephone to perform remote control commands for remote controlling the hearing aid.

3. The remote control system of claim 2, wherein said application software is embodied as a program embedded in the plug-in device for execution by the mobile telephone when the plug-in device is connected to the mobile telephone.

4. The remote control system of claim 2, wherein said application software is stored in the mobile telephone and executed when the plug-in device is connected to the mobile telephone.

5. The remote control system of claim 1, wherein said mobile telephone is adapted to receive audio and to transmit audio by a wireless connection between the hearing aid and the plug-in device.

6. The remote control system of claim 1, wherein said mobile telephone has means for transmission of an audio stream stored in the memory to the hearing aid.

7. The remote control system of claim 1, wherein said mobile telephone comprises internal means for generating audio signals for transmission to the hearing aid.

8. The remote control system of claim 6, wherein the audio stream transmitted to the hearing aid is an analog audio stream.

9. The remote control system of claim 6, wherein the audio stream transmitted to the hearing aid is a digital audio stream.

10. A plug-in device for use in a remote control system for hearing aids, comprising means for communicating wirelessly with a hearing aid, means for connecting with a mobile telephone, and means for interpreting commands from the mobile telephone in order to transmit remote control commands to the hearing aid.

11. The plug-in device of claim 10 comprising means for transmitting audio from the mobile telephone to the hearing aid.

12. The plug-in device of claim 10, wherein the means for interpreting commands from the mobile telephone comprises application software embedded in the plug-in device for execution by the mobile telephone when the plug-in device is connected to the mobile telephone.

13. A mobile telephone for use in a remote control system for hearing aids, comprising means for displaying a remote control user interface for a hearing aid, means for communicating with a plug-in device adapted for transmitting commands and audio to the hearing aid, means for remote controlling the hearing aid using the remote control user interface, means for transmitting audio to the hearing aid via the plug-in device, and a memory for storing an audio stream.

14. The mobile telephone of claim 13, comprising executable software for performing remote control commands for remote controlling the hearing aid.

15. The mobile telephone of claim 13, comprising means for receiving audio from the hearing aid via the plug-in device.

16. The mobile telephone of claim 13, wherein the mobile telephone is adapted to receive audio and to transmit audio by the wireless connection between the hearing aid and the plug-in device.

17. The mobile telephone of claim 13, comprising internal means for generating audio signals for transmission to the hearing aid.

18. The mobile telephone of claim 13, adapted for transmitting audio to the hearing aid by an analog audio signal.

19. The mobile telephone of claim 13, adapted for transmitting audio to the hearing aid by a digital audio signal.