Portable Electronic Device and Computer-Readable Medium for Remote Hearing Aid Profile Storage

• US 20120183163A1
• Filed: 01/14/2011
• Published: 07/19/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/14/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Original Assignee: Audiotoniq, Inc
• Inventors: Apfel, Russell J.
• Granted Patent: US 8,761,421 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• 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 portable electronic device includes a transceiver configurable to communicate with a hearing aid through a radio frequency (RF) communication channel and a memory configured to store a plurality of hearing aid profiles executable by a digital signal processor of the hearing aid to shape audio signals to compensate for a user'"'"'s hearing deficiency. The portable electronic device further includes a circuit configured to receive a selection corresponding to a selected one of the plurality of hearing aid profiles and to provide the selected one to the hearing aid in response to receiving the selection.

Claims

1. A portable electronic device comprising:

a transceiver configurable to communicate with at least one hearing aid through a radio frequency (RF) communication channel;

a memory configured to store a plurality of hearing aid profiles executable by a digital signal processor of the hearing aid to shape audio signals to compensate for a user'"'"'s hearing deficiency; and

a circuit configured to receive a selection corresponding to a selected hearing aid profile of the plurality of hearing aid profiles and to selectively provide the selected hearing aid profile to the at least one the hearing aid in response to receiving the selection.

2. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the portable electronic device comprises at least one of a portable media player and a cell phone.

3. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the at least one hearing aid includes a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid;

the circuit selectively provides the selected hearing aid profile to the first hearing aid and selectively provides a second selected hearing aid profile to the second hearing aid.

4. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first hearing aid profile and the second hearing aid profile are independently adjustable by the circuit to generate a modified hearing aid profile as the selected hearing aid profile and a second modified hearing aid profile as the second selected hearing aid profile.

5. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first hearing aid profile and the second hearing aid profile are adjustable in combination by the circuit to provide a hearing aid profile scheme, consisting of a modified hearing aid profile as the selected hearing aid profile and a second modified hearing aid profile as the second selected hearing aid profile.

6. The portable electronic device of claim 3, wherein the first hearing aid profile and the second hearing aid profile are individually adjustable by the circuit to generate a modified hearing aid profile as the selected hearing aid profile and a second modified hearing aid profile as the second selected hearing aid profile.

7. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the second hearing aid profile is adjusted automatically by the circuit in response to the generation of the modified hearing aid profile.

8. The portable electronic device of claim 1, further comprising an input interface coupled to the circuit and configured to receive a user input corresponding to the selection.

9. The portable electronic device of claim 1, wherein the circuit comprises a processor configured to execute instructions to perform a variety of functions.

10. The portable electronic device of claim 6, wherein the instructions include at least one of a phone function, a calendar function, a music playback function, a calculator function, and a web browser function.

11. An device comprising:

a transceiver configurable to communicate with a hearing aid through a wireless communication channel;

an input interface for receiving user input;

a processor coupled to the transceiver and to the input interface; and

a memory configured to store a plurality of hearing aid profiles executable by a digital signal processor of the hearing aid to shape audio signals to compensate for a user'"'"'s hearing deficiency, the memory accessible to the processor and configured to store instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a user input indicating a selection of one of the plurality of hearing aid profiles;

retrieve a selected hearing aid profile of the plurality of hearing aid profiles in response to the user input; and

transmit the selected hearing aid profile to the hearing aid via the transceiver to alter operation of the hearing aid.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the input interface comprises a touch screen display.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises adjustment instructions that, when executed by processor, cause the processor to:

receive a user input indicating an adjustment to a parameter of a selected one of the plurality of hearing aid profiles; and

adjust the selected one of the plurality of hearing aid profiles in response to the user input.

14. The device of claim 11, wherein the memory further comprises hearing aid profile generation instructions that, when executed by processor, cause the processor to:

receive a user input to initiate generation of a new hearing aid profile;

generate the new hearing aid profile in response to the user input; and

transmit the new hearing aid profile to the hearing aid.

15. The device of claim 11, further comprising:

a housing defining an enclosure including the transceiver, the input interface, the processor, and the memory;

wherein the housing is sized to fit a user'"'"'s hand.

16. A device comprising:

a display interface for displaying information to a user;

an input interface for receiving user input;

a transceiver configurable to communicate with a hearing aid through a radio frequency (RF) communication channel;

a memory configured to store a plurality of hearing aid profiles executable by a digital signal processor of the hearing aid to shape audio signals to compensate for a user'"'"'s hearing deficiency, the memory further configured to store a plurality of instructions including graphical user interface instructions and hearing aid configuration instructions;

a processor coupled to the memory and to the transceiver, the processor configured to execute the graphical user interface instructions to produce a graphical user interface and to provide the graphical user interface to the display interface, the processor further configured to receive a first user input corresponding to a user-selectable element of the graphical user interface, to execute the hearing aid configuration instructions in response to receiving the first user input, to receive a second user input corresponding to the hearing aid configuration instructions, and to selectively provide a selected hearing aid profile to the hearing aid in response to the second user input.

17. The device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions includes hearing aid profile adjustment instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a selection input indicating a selected one of the plurality of hearing aid profiles;

provide a graphical user interface including one or more user-selectable options for adjusting the selected one of the plurality of hearing aid profiles to produce an adjusted hearing aid profile;

store the adjusted hearing aid profile; and

provide the adjusted hearing aid profile to the hearing aid as the selected hearing aid profile.

18. The device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions includes hearing aid profile adjustment instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

receive a selection input to create a new hearing aid profile;

provide a graphical user interface including one or more user-selectable options for generating and programming the hearing aid profile; and

communicate the hearing aid profile through the communication channel to the hearing aid as the selected hearing aid profile.

19. The device of claim 16, wherein the plurality of instructions includes phone instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to provide telephone functionality by communicating audio data to a communications network.

20. A computer readable medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to:

provide a graphical user interface including multiple user-selectable options to a display;

receive a user input corresponding to one of the multiple user-selectable options; and

communicate a hearing aid profile to a hearing aid through a wireless communication channel based on the user input.

21. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising second instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide a first user-selectable option for selecting one of a plurality of hearing aid profiles;

provide a second user-selectable option for providing the one of the plurality of hearing aid profiles to the hearing aid as the hearing aid profile; and

provide a third user-selectable option for modifying the one to produce a modified hearing aid profile before providing the modified hearing aid profile to the hearing aid.

22. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising second instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

providing a user-selectable option for creating a new hearing aid profile;

provide user options for generating the new hearing aid profile in response to a user input corresponding to the user-selectable option;

store the new hearing aid profile in a memory; and

provide the new hearing aid profile to the hearing aid through the wireless communication channel.

23. The computer-readable medium of claim 20, further comprising second instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

communicate a second hearing aid profile to a second hearing aid through a wireless communication channel based on the user input.