WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN DEVICES OF A HEARING PROSTHESIS

• US 20090067653A1
• Filed: 07/07/2008
• Published: 03/12/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Meskens, Werner, Van den Heuvel, Koen
• Granted Patent: US 8,175,306 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

A method of wireless communication between hearing aid devices of a hearing prosthesis. A first device selects a frequency channel for bidirectional wireless communication from a predefined series of frequency channels. A second device transmits a command signal repeatedly over the series of frequency channels until it transmits the command signal over the frequency channel selected by the first device. Subsequent commands send by the second device to the first device are initially transmitted over the selected frequency channel.

Claims

1. A hearing prosthesis comprising a first device and a second device arranged for receiving commands from said first device, wherein:

said first and the second devices each comprise a transmitter and receiver system configured for communication over a wireless communications link;

said second device is configured to select a frequency channel for bidirectional wireless communication from a predefined series of frequency channels;

said first device is configured to transmit a command signal repeatedly over a plurality of frequency channels comprising the frequency channel selected by said second device; and

said first device is further configured to initiate transmission of a subsequent command over said frequency channel selected by said second device.

2. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said second device is further configured to transmit a reply signal over said frequency channel selected by said second device.

3. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said receiver system of said second device is configured to be idle between two consecutively received commands.

4. The hearing prosthesis according to claim 1, wherein said wireless link is an electromagnetic RF link.

5. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said wireless link is a magnetic induction RF link.

6. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said communication over said wireless link is arranged in packets or bursts at a symbol rate greater than or equal to 100K symbols per second.

7. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said first device comprises a digital modulator coupled to said transmitter system of said first device and a digital demodulator coupled to said receiver system of said first device, and wherein said second device comprises a digital modulator coupled to said transmitter system of said second device and a digital demodulator coupled to said receiver system of said second device.

8. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said second device is configured to select the least interfered frequency channel of the predefined series of frequency channels for bidirectional wireless communication.

9. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said transmitter and said receiver of said first and second devices are embodied in an CMOS integrated circuit.

10. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said first device is a remote control unit comprising a human interface.

11. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, wherein said second device is a device for behind the ear.

12. The hearing prosthesis of claim 1, comprising a third device configured to communicate with said second device and said first device over a wireless link, wherein said third device is further configured to be carried by the same recipient of said second device and wherein said second and said third devices are each configured for wireless communication with each other.

13. A method of wireless communication between a first device and a second device of a hearing prosthesis, comprising:

selecting, by said second device, a frequency channel for bidirectional wireless communication from a predefined series of frequency channels;

sending a command from said first device repeatedly over a plurality of frequency channels comprising the frequency channel selected by said second device, until a reply signal is received by said first device; and

using said frequency channel selected by said second device as one of a few initial frequency channels to transmit a subsequent command to said second device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein sending a command comprises:

selecting a first frequency channel;

transmitting the command over the first frequency channel and waiting during a first idle time for a reply signal from the second device; and

repeating the selecting and transmitting steps for a second frequency channel if no reply signal is received during said first idle time or halting said selecting and transmitting steps upon reception of the reply signal.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said transmitting the command comprises:

transmitting said command repeatedly for a predefined number of times over a same frequency channel.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein in said transmitting said command comprising transmitting said as one or more RF bursts.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein said one or more bursts are transmitted at a symbol rate higher than or equal to 100K symbols per second.

18. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

transmitting, by said second device, a reply signal upon reception of said command.

19. The method of claim 13, wherein said transmitting said command comprising:

encoding said command by a digital modulation scheme.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said digital modulation scheme is based on phase shift keying, frequency shift keying, amplitude shift keying, minimum shift keying, on/off keying, orthogonal frequency division multiplexing, or quadrature amplitude modulation.

21. A method of wireless communication between multiple devices of a hearing prosthesis, the hearing prosthesis comprising a first device, a second device and a third device, wherein the method comprising:

transmitting a signal from the first device to the second device;

receiving the signal by the second device, optionally modifying the signal in a predetermined manner and transmitting the signal, unmodified or modified in a predetermined manner, from the second device to the third device;

receiving the signal by the third device, optionally modifying the signal in a predetermined manner and transmitting the signal, unmodified or modified in a predetermined manner, from the third device to the first device and receiving the signal by the first device and comparing the signal that is received with the signal that was transmitted.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said second and said third devices comprise devices for behind the ear and the first device is a remote unit for controlling and programming the second and the third devices.