METHOD FOR ESTABLISHING SHORT-RANGE, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION BETWEEN A MOBILE PHONE AND A HEARING AID

• US 20110319018A1
• Filed: 09/08/2011
• Published: 12/29/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 03/23/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: KROMAN, Morten
• Application Number:
  US13/227,874
• Publication Number:
  US 20110319018A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A method for establishing short-range, wireless communication between a mobile phone and a hearing aid comprises the steps of: providing a mobile phone having means for short-range, wireless communication, providing a first signal representing an audio signal for reproduction by the mobile phone, providing a hearing aid having means for short-range, wireless communication, pairing the mobile phone to the hearing aid by means of the short-range, wireless communication means, and transmitting the first signal from the mobile phone to the hearing aid by means of the short-range, wireless communication means. The invention further provides a hearing aid (3) comprising means for communication with a mobile phone (2).

Claims

1. A method for establishing short-range, wireless communication between a mobile phone and a hearing aid, said method comprising the steps of:

providing a mobile phone having means for short-range, wireless communication using an NFC communications protocol,

providing a first signal representing an audio signal for reproduction by the mobile phone,

providing a hearing aid having means for short-range, wireless communication using an NFC communications protocol,

pairing the mobile phone to the hearing aid by means of the short-range, wireless communication means, and

transmitting the first signal as a continuous data stream from the mobile phone to the hearing aid by means of the short-range, wireless communication means.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of pairing the mobile phone to the hearing aid is performed using an NFC communications protocol.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of transmitting the first signal from the mobile phone to the hearing aid is initiated by executing a respective program in the mobile phone.

4. A hearing aid comprising a wireless circuit for short-range, two-way, wireless communication with a mobile phone using an NFC communications protocol, said hearing aid comprising means for receiving via said short-range, two-way wireless communication a first signal comprising a continuous data stream representing an audio signal, means for decoding the received data stream into a format suitable for reproduction, means for controlling the reception and decoding of the data stream, and means for reproducing the audio signal.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 4, wherein said wireless circuit is adapted for communicating with another hearing aid.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 5, wherein said wireless circuit is adapted for communicating with another hearing aid using a radio frequency different from the standardized NFC frequency.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 6, wherein said wireless circuit is adapted for communicating with another hearing aid using a radio frequency of approximately 10 MHz.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 5, wherein said wireless circuit uses the same antenna for communicating with a mobile phone and for communicating with another hearing aid.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 6, wherein said wireless circuit uses both frequencies in an alternating manner.