Loss protection system for hearing aid devices

• US 20100027822A1
• Filed: 07/29/2009
• Published: 02/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Dietz, Ferdinand
• Granted Patent: US 8,189,835 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/49 Reducing the effects of electromagnetic noise on the functioning of hearing aids, by, e.g. shielding, signal processing adaptation, selective (de)activation of electronic parts in hearing aid
• 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 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

The miniaturization and wearing comfort of hearing aid devices increasingly runs the risks of a hearing aid device worn on or in the ear of a user getting lost without user realizing. The invention relates to a hearing aid device system comprising a first and a second hearing aid device which is worn on the head or body of a user to provide an electronic loss protection system which is reliable and easily manageable for a user. The first hearing aid device controls a presence of a radio link and/or a signal level of a signal sent from the second hearing aid device and received in the first hearing aid device. If the radio link breaks or the signal level drops below a threshold value, an information signal is generated by the first hearing aid device to inform the user of the loss of the second hearing aid device.

Claims

1-12. -12. (canceled)

13. A hearing aid device system, comprising:

a first device;

a second device; and

a radio link for wirelessly transmitting a signal between the first device and the second device,

wherein the hearing aid device system is configured to;

generate an information signal if the radio link between the first device and the second device breaks or if a signal level of a signal sent by the first device and received by the second device does not reach a threshold value at a site of the second device, and

transmit the information signal to a user of the hearing aid device system.

14. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first device and the second device can be worn on a head or a body of the user.

15. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first device is a first hearing aid device which can be worn on or in a left ear of the user and the second device is a second hearing aid device which can be worn on or in a right ear of the user.

16. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the information signal is emitted from one of the first and the second hearing aid devices.

17. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first device is a hearing aid device which can be worn on or in an ear of the user and the second device is a remote controller for the hearing aid device.

18. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 17, wherein the information signal is emitted from the hearing aid device or the remote controller.

19. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the information signal is an acoustic signal that is detectable by the user.

20. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the information signal is emitted if the radio link is interrupted for a certain period of time or if the signal level at the site of the second hearing aid device drops below the threshold value for a certain period of time.

21. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 20, wherein the period of time is adjustable.

22. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 21, wherein different periods of time are adjustable for different operating states of the hearing aid device system.

23. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 22, wherein a period of time for an operating state is adjustable immediately after the hearing aid device system has been switched on.

24. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the threshold value is adjustable

25. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13, wherein the information signal is adjusted to the user.

26. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13, wherein a search function is activated for retrieving a lost component of the hearing aid device system.

27. A method for protecting a loss of a component of a hearing aid device system, comprising:

providing a first device;

providing a second device;

wirelessly transmitting a signal between the first device and the second device by a radio link;

generating an information signal if the radio link between the first device and the second device breaks or if a signal level of a signal sent by the first device and received by the second device does not reach a threshold value at a site of the second device; and

transmitting the information signal to a user of the hearing aid device system.