Method and apparatus for communicating to a hearing aid using an aimed electro-magnetic field

• US 20090060243A1
• Filed: 09/05/2007
• Published: 03/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Technology LLC (Avaya Incorporated)
• Inventors: Michaelis, Paul Roller
• Application Number:
  US11/899,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20090060243A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A method and apparatus configure an audio device to communicate audio information to a hearing aid by receiving location information defining a location of a receiving inductive coil of the hearing aid; aiming a transmitting inductive coil of the audio device at the location; and controlling the transmitting inductive coil to generate an electro-magnetic field to communicate the audio information.

Claims

1. A method for configuring an audio device to communicate audio information to a hearing aid, comprising:

receiving location information defining a location of a receiving inductive coil of the hearing aid;

aiming a transmitting inductive coil of the audio device at the location; and

controlling the transmitting inductive coil to generate an electro-magnetic field to communicate the audio information.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the aiming comprises selecting one of a plurality of transmitting inductive coils.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the aiming comprises controlling a motor to position the transmitting inductive coil.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the receiving comprises obtaining the location information from the user of the audio device.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio device is a handheld audio device.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein the handheld audio device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, desk telephone, a two-way radio, or a personal digital assistant.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the audio device is a headset.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the aiming comprises selecting one of a plurality of transmitting inductive coils.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 1 wherein the aiming comprises controlling a motor to position the transmitting inductive coil.

8. A method for configuring an audio device to communicate audio information to a hearing aid, comprising:

allowing a user to manually adjust a position of a transmitting inductive coil of the audio device; and

controlling the transmitting inductive coil to generate a electro-magnetic field to communicate the audio information.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the audio device is a handheld audio device.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the handheld audio device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a two-way radio, or a personal digital assistant.

11. The method of claim 8 wherein the audio device is a headset.

12. A computer-readable medium for configuring an audio device to communicate audio information to a hearing aid, comprising computer-executable instructions configured for:

computer-executable instructions for receiving location information defining the location of a receiving inductive coil of the hearing aid; and

computer-executable instructions for aiming a transmitting inductive coil of the audio device at the location.

15. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the computer-executable instructions for receiving comprise computer-executable instructions for obtaining the location information from the user of the audio device.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the audio device is a handheld audio device.

17. The computer-readable medium of claim 16 wherein the handheld audio device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a desk telephone, a two-way radio, or a personal digital assistant.

18. The method of claim 12 wherein the audio device is a headset.

19. An audio device for communicating audio information to a hearing aid, comprising:

a manually adjustable transmitting inductive coil wherein the user of the audio device can aim the manually adjustable transmitting inductive coil at a location of a receiving inductive coil of the hearing aid; and

a circuit for driving the manually adjustable transmitting inductive coil to communicate the audio information as an electro-magnetic field.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the audio device is a handheld audio device.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20 wherein the handheld audio device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a desk telephone, a two-way radio, or a personal digital assistant.

22. The method of claim 19 wherein the audio device is a headset.

23. An audio device for communicating audio information to a hearing aid, comprising:

a transmitting inductive coil;

a motor for positioning the transmitting inductive coil to direct a electro-magnetic field produced by the transmitting inductive coil;

a computer for receiving location information defining the location of a receiving inductive coil of the hearing aid; and

the computer further controlling the motor to aim the electro-magnetic field generated by the transmitting inductive coil at the location.

24. The audio device of claim 23 further comprises a user interface;

and

the computer further receives the location information by a user entering the location information via the user interface.

25. The method of claim 23 wherein the audio device is a handheld audio device.

26. The audio device of claim 25 wherein the handheld audio device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a desk telephone, a two-way radio, or a personal digital assistant.

27. The method of claim 23 wherein the audio device is a headset.

28. An audio device for communicating audio information to a hearing aid, comprising:

a plurality of transmitting inductive coils;

a computer for receiving location information defining the location of a receiving inductive coil of the hearing aid; and

the computer further selecting one of the plurality of transmitting inductive coils to communicate the audio information as a electro-magnetic field to the hearing aid in response to the received location information.

29. The audio device of claim 28 further comprises a user interface;

and

the computer further receives the location information by a user entering the location information via the user interface.

30. The method of claim 28 wherein the audio device is a handheld audio device.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30 wherein the handheld audio device is at least one of a mobile telephone, a cellular telephone, a cordless telephone, a desk telephone, a two-way radio, or a personal digital assistant.

32. The method of claim 28 wherein the audio device is a headset.