MEDIA PLAYER AND ADAPTER FOR PROVIDING AUDIO DATA TO A HEARING AID

• US 20110216928A1
• Filed: 03/03/2011
• Published: 09/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/05/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: Audiotoniq, Inc
• Inventors: Landry, David Mathew, Eisenberg, Andrew Lawrence
• Granted Patent: US 8,565,458 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• 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 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A media player includes a processor configured to receive media content from a content source and to process the media content produce an audio signal. The media player further includes a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the audio signal to a hearing aid through a communication channel.

Claims

1. A media player comprising:

a processor configured to receive media content from a content source and to process the media content produce an audio signal; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to transmit the audio signal to a hearing aid through a communication channel.

2. The media player of claim 1, further comprising an input interface coupled to the processor and configurable to couple to receive a broadcast signal including the media content from the content source.

3. The media player of claim 2, further comprising a tuner coupled to the input interface and to the processor, the tuner configured to extract the media content associated with a particular frequency band from the broadcast signal, the tuner to provide the media content to the processor.

4. The media player of claim 1, further comprising

a receiver coupled to the processor and configured to receive hearing aid configuration data from at least one of an input interface, a remote control device, a computing device associated with the hearing aid, and the hearing aid;

and

wherein the processor is configured to receive the hearing aid configuration data, and to apply a hearing aid profile in response to receiving the hearing aid configuration data to shape an audio component of the media content to produce a shaped audio signal; and

wherein the processor provides the shaped audio signal to the hearing aid through the communication channel.

5. The media player of claim 1, further comprising a memory coupled to the processor, the memory to store the media content;

and

wherein the memory is the content source.

6. The media player of claim 1, wherein the media player is a set-top box device configurable to receive media content from a content source.

7. The media player of claim 1, wherein the media player is a stereo receiver.

8. The media player of claim 1, wherein the media player comprises a music playback device configured to reproduce digitally compressed audio files.

9. A device comprising:

an input configurable to receive an audio signal from a content source;

a processor coupled to the transmitter and configurable to apply hearing aid configuration data to the audio signal to produce a shaped audio signal; and

a transmitter coupled to the input and configured to send the shaped audio signal to a hearing aid through a communication channel.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the content source comprises a media player including an audio output;

and

wherein the device is an adapter coupled to the audio output of the media player,

11. The device adapter of claim 9, further comprising a receiver coupled to the processor configured to receive configuration data from at least one of a remote control device, a controller device, a computing device associated with the hearing aid, and the hearing aid.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the configuration data includes the hearing aid configuration data.

13. The device of claim 9, wherein the content source is a memory coupled to the processor.

14. The media player adapter of claim 9, further comprising an audio interface configured to provide the audio signal to an audio device.

15. A device comprising:

an input interface configured to be coupled to a cable to receive media content from a content source;

a memory to store configuration data for a hearing aid including a hearing aid profile;

a processor coupled to the input interface and the memory, the processor configured to decode the media content from the input interface to produce an audio signal and to apply the hearing aid profile to the audio signal to produce a shaped audio signal; and

a transmitter coupled to the processor and configured to send the shaped audio signal to a hearing aid through a communication channel.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the device comprises at least one of a cable television set-top box device, a digital video disk (DVD) player, a satellite receiver, a stereo receiver, a digital video recorder (DVR), and a portable music player.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the device comprises a media player adapter.

18. The device of claim 15, further comprising a receiver configured to receive the configuration data from at least one of a remote control, a portable computing device, and the hearing aid.

19. The device of claim 18, further comprising:

an audio output coupled to the processor;

wherein the configuration data includes configuration settings; and

wherein the processor selectively provides one of the audio signal and the shaped audio signal to the audio output according to the configuration settings.

20. The device of claim 15, further comprising a docking interface configurable to couple to a docking station.