HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY IN A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE

• US 20120289218A1
• Filed: 07/31/2012
• Published: 11/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hawker, Larry Edward, MacIntosh, Scott
• Granted Patent: US 8,750,929 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/418
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A wireless communications device and method for providing an output signal. The device includes a control unit for controlling the operation of the wireless communications device; a selection element connected to the control unit and configured to allow selection of several modes of output coupling for generating the output signal of the device; and, a processor connected to the control unit for processing a received signal with parameters selected according to a selected mode of output coupling. The several modes of output coupling correspond to several modes of input operation for a hearing aid to improve coupling between the device and the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device comprising:

a control unit for controlling the operation of the wireless communications device;

a communication subsystem connected to the control unit for receiving and transmitting wireless signals;

a selection means connected to the control unit and configured to allow selection from at least three output coupling modes comprising a microphone mode, a telecoil mode and a microphone/telecoil mode, each of the at least three output coupling modes for generating at least one output signal of the device;

a display connected to the control unit;

a processor connected to the control unit and configured to process a received signal and to produce at least one processed received signal; and

,

an output stage comprising a speaker with a coil configured to generate the at least one output signal based on the at least one processed received signal,

wherein, in use, the device displays different output coupling modes to a user and in response to a selection by the user the device switches to the selected mode from the at least three output coupling modes and the processor uses parameters to generate the at least one processed received signal according to the selected mode.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the parameters comprise acoustic digital signal processing equalization parameters when the selected mode comprises the microphone mode.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the parameters comprise magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the parameters include acoustic/magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters when the selected mode comprises the microphone/telecoil mode.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a data converter connected to the processor for receiving the at least one processed received signal and producing at least one analog signal;

and wherein the output stage is connected to the data converter for receiving the at least one analog signal and producing the at least one output signal.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the output stage further comprises an additional device telecoil and the processor generates two processed received signals, one of the two processed received signals being provided to the speaker by the data converter and the other of the two processed received signals being provided to the additional device telecoil by the data converter, and wherein one of the two processed received signals is generated using parameters corresponding to the speaker and the other of the two processed received signals is generated using parameters corresponding to the additional device telecoil.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the output stage further comprises an additional device telecoil and the at least one processed received signal is provided to the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processed received signal is provided to the additional device telecoil and not to the speaker when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processed received signal is provided to the speaker and not to the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the microphone mode.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processed received signal is provided to both the speaker and the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the microphone/telecoil mode.

11. A method for operating a wireless communications device to improve coupling between the device, wherein the device is configured to operate in one of at least three output coupling modes comprising a microphone mode, a telecoil mode, and a microphone/telecoil mode, the method comprising:

displaying the at least three output coupling modes on a display to a user;

switching to a selected mode selected by the user from the at least three output coupling modes;

processing a received signal using parameters according to the selected mode to produce at least one processed received signal; and

generating the at least one output signal based on the at least one processed received signal using at least one of a speaker with a coil and an additional device telecoil.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises providing acoustic digital signal processing equalization parameters as the parameters when the selected mode comprises the microphone mode.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises providing magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters as the parameters when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the method comprises providing acoustic/magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters as the parameters when the selected mode comprises the microphone/telecoil mode.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises:

receiving the at least one processed received signal and producing at least one analog signal; and

,

receiving the at least one analog signal and producing the at least one output signal.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the method further comprises generating two processed received signals, one of the two processed received signals being provided to the speaker by a data converter and the other of the two processed received signals being provided to the additional device telecoil by the data converter, and wherein one of the two processed received signals is generated using parameters corresponding to the speaker and the other of the two processed received signals is generated using parameters corresponding to the additional device telecoil.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one output signal is generated by the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one output signal is generated by the additional device telecoil and not by the speaker when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one output signal is generated by the speaker and not by the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the microphone mode.

20. The method of claim 11, wherein the at least one output signal is generated by both the speaker and the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the microphone/telecoil mode.