TELEPHONE TO HEARING DEVICE COMMUNICATION

• US 20110007916A1
• Filed: 03/11/2008
• Published: 01/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Chapero-Rueda, Valentin, Haenggi, Stefan, Erni, Lukas Florian, Vonlanthen, Andi
• Granted Patent: US 9,071,916 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2474 Telephone terminals specially adapted for disabled people user interfaces for cordless or mobile telephones specially adapted for disabled users H04M1/72475; network based special services or facilities for hearing-impaired persons H04M3/42391; devices for conversing with the deaf-blind G09B21/04
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/605 involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• 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

Abstract

A telephone handset (1), e.g. a mobile phone, is equipped with an add-on module (41). Thereby, the module (41) comprises a microphone unit (9a) which is operated instead of the microphone unit intrinsically provided in the handset (1). Further, the module (41) comprises a short-range wireless transmission unit (23a) which is operated instead of a speaker unit (7) which is intrinsically provided in the handset (1). The short-range wireless communication unit (23a) establishes communication with a respective short-range wireless communication unit (19a) in a hearing device (10) as soon as a distance between the telephone handset (1) and the hearing device (10) drops below a predetermined threshold value as detected by a distance detection unit (21).

Claims

1. A method for establishing wireless communication between a telephone handset and a hearing device system comprising at least one hearing device with a microphone unit, the output of which being operationally connected to an input of a speaker unit at said one hearing device and comprising the steps of:

monitoring when the mutual distance of said one hearing device and said telephone handset becomes shorter than a predetermined distance threshold;

if latter prevails, establishing a wireless short-range audio signal communication from said telephone handset to at least said one hearing device of said hearing device system and

establishing an input signal to said speaker unit to be at least predominantly governed by audio signals transmitted by said wireless short-range audio signal communication.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said hearing device system comprises two of said hearing devices comprising establishing said short-range audio signal communication to both of said hearing devices.

3. The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising disabling said wireless short-range audio signal communication at or after said mutual distance becomes longer than said threshold.

4. The method of claim 1 or 2, comprising disabling said wireless short-range audio signal communication by operating a key on said telephone handset.

5. The method of one of claims 1 to 4, wherein establishing said input signal of said speaker unit to be at least predominantly governed by an audio signal transmitted by said wireless short-range audio signal communication comprises attenuating an output signal of said microphone unit between said output of said microphone unit and said input to said speaker unit.

6. The method of one of claims 1 to 5, wherein said hearing device system comprises a second hearing device with a second microphone unit, the output of which being , operationally connected to an input of a second speaker unit, and comprising attenuating the output signal of said second microphone unit between said output of said second microphone arrangement and said input to said second speaker unit.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein said one and said second hearing devices are in mutual audio signal communication, further comprising attenuating an output signal from said second microphone unit between said output of said second microphone unit and said input to said one speaker unit of said one hearing device.

8. The method of one of claims 1 to 7, wherein said wireless short-range audio signal communication is established from a wireless short-range audio signal communication ability provided within said telephone handset.

9. The method of one of claims 1 to 7, further comprising the steps of plugging a module to said telephone handset and establishing said wireless short-range audio signal communication from said module to said hearing device.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising plugging said module to said telephone handset in the same way as a wired hands-free communication headset and establishing an interconnection between a pin of said telephone handset for a headset speaker to a wireless short-range audio signal communication unit in said module and establishing an interconnection between a pin of said handset for a headset microphone, to a microphone in said module.

11. A communication system comprising

a telephone handset with a wireless short-range audio signal communication unit;

a hearing device system comprising at least one hearing device,

said one hearing device comprising a microphone unit, the output of which being operationally connected to an input of a speaker unit of said one hearing device, a wireless short-range audio signal communication unit, the output of which being operationally connected to said input of said speaker unit,

said communication system further comprising a distance detecting unit generating a control signal whenever a distance between said telephone handset and said one hearing device falls below a predetermined threshold, said control signal establishing operational connection from said wireless short-range audio signal communication unit of said telephone handset via said wireless short-range audio signal communication unit of said one hearing device to said input of said speaker unit, thereby further establishing increased attenuating of an output signal of said microphone unit between said output of said microphone unit and said input to said speaker unit.

12. The communication system of claim 11, wherein said distance detecting unit generates a further control signal whenever said distance rises above said distance threshold, said further control signal at least initiating disabling of said operational connection from said wireless short, range audio signal communication unit of said telephone handset via said wireless short-range audio signal communication unit of said one device to said input of said speaker unit.

13. The communication system of claim 11 or 12, further comprising a manually operable key of said telephone handset interrupting upon operation said operational connection from said wireless short-range audio signal communication unit of said telephone handset via said wireless short-range audio signal communication unit of said one hearing device to said input of said speaker unit.

14. The communication system of one of claims 11 to 13, wherein said hearing device system comprises a further hearing device with a further microphone unit, the output of which being operationally connected via a controlled attenuation unit with a control input, to an input of a further speaker unit at said further hearing device, said control signal generated by said distance detecting unit being operationally connected to said control input and establishing an increased attenuation.

15. The communication system of claim 14, further comprising a further controlled attenuation unit with a control input operationally interconnected between an output of said further microphone unit and said input of said one speaker unit at said one device, said control signal being operationally connected to said further control input and establishing at said further controlled attenuation unit an increase of attenuation.

16. The communication system of one of claims 11 to 15, wherein said wireless short-range audio signal communication unit of said telephone handset is integrated into said telephone handset.

17. The communication system of one of claims 11 to 16, wherein said telephone handset comprises a telephone handset unit and a plug-on module removably applicable to said telephone handset unit, said telephone handset unit having a plug-in pin for tapping off an input signal to a speaker unit of said telephone handset unit, said module comprising said wireless short-range audio signal communication unit of said telephone handset, the input of which being operationally connected and plugged to said pin.

18. The communication system of claim 17, said telephone handset unit having a further plug-in pin for input audio signals to said telephone handset unit, said module comprising a microphone unit operationally connected and plugged to said further pin.

19. The communication system of claim 17 or 18, wherein said telephone handset unit comprises a connecting pin arrangement for a wired hands-free operation unit, said module being plugged to said pin arrangement.

26. The method of one of claims 19 to 21, wherein generating said control signal comprises establishing said control signal by manually operating a key on one of said first and second hearing devices.

20. A plug-in module for a telephone handset with a connector for said module comprising an input pin for audio signals operationally connected to an input of a wireless short-range audio signal communication unit in said module and an output pin operationally connected to an output of a microphone unit in said module, said pins of said module being part of a connector to said connector of said telephone handset.

21. A method for establishing wireless audios signal communication from an audio device having an audio signal output connector and a hearing device system comprising a wireless audio signal reception unit comprising adapting said audio device for wireless audio signal communication with said hearing device system by removably applying a wireless audio signal transmission unit as a removable module to said output connector.

22. An audio system comprising an audio device with an audio signal output connector and a hearing device system with a wireless audio signal reception unit, a plug-on module with a wireless audio signal transmission unit removably plugged to said output connector and communicating with said wireless audio signal reception unit of said hearing device system.

23. A method for controlling operation of a hearing device system comprising a first hearing device with a first microphone unit, the output of which being operationally connected to an input of a first speaker unit of said first hearing device and a second hearing device comprising a second microphone unit with an output operationally connected to the input of a second speaker unit of the second hearing device, comprising manually generating a control signal controlling an increase of attenuation of an audio signal transmitted from one of said first and second microphone units respectively to one of said first and second speaker units.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said control signal controls an increase of an attenuation of an audio signal transmitted from one of said first and second microphone units to the input respectively of said second or first speaker units.

25. The method of one of claim 23 or 24, wherein manually generating said control signal comprises approaching a member towards one of the hearing devices.

27. A hearing device system comprising a first hearing device with a first microphone unit, the output of which being operationally connected to a first speaker unit of said first hearing device, a second hearing device comprising a second microphone unit, the output of which being operationally connected to an input of a second speaker unit of said second hearing device, a first controllable attenuation unit with a control input operationally interconnected between the output of said first microphone unit and the input of said first speaker unit and a second controlled attenuation unit with a control input interconnected between said output of said second microphone unit and an input of said second speaker unit, a manually operable control member generating a control signal upon manual operation, said control signal being operationally connected to one of said control inputs of said first and second attenuation units, thereby controlling via said one control input attenuation in said respective attenuation unit to increase.

28. The system of claim 27, further comprising a third controlled attenuation unit with a control input, interconnected between said output of said second microphone unit and said input of said first speaker unit and a fourth controlled attenuation unit with a control input, interconnected between said output of said first microphone unit and said input of said second speaker unit, said control signal further being operationally connected to one of said control inputs of said third and fourth controlled attenuation units and controlling said respective attenuation unit to increase attenuation.

29. The system of claim 27 or 28, said manually operable control member comprising a first manually operable member for said first hearing device and a second manually operable member for said second hearing device.

30. The system of one of claims 27 to 29, wherein said manually operable control member comprises a distance detection unit generating said control signal whenever a solid member is approached nearer to one of said hearing devices than a pre-established distance threshold.