HEARING AID WITH DISTRIBUTED PROCESSING IN EAR PIECE

• US 20130329926A1
• Filed: 05/07/2013
• Published: 12/12/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/07/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Sacha, Michael Karl
• Granted Patent: US 10,492,009 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/330
• 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 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired

Abstract

Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatus for hearing assistance devices, and in particular to behind the ear and receiver in canal hearing aids with distributed processing. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a hearing assistance device including hearing assistance electronics in a housing configured to be worn above or behind an ear of a wearer. The hearing assistance device includes an ear piece configured to be worn in the ear of the wearer and a processing component at the ear piece configured to perform functions in the ear piece and to communicate with the hearing assistance electronics, in various embodiments.

Claims

1. A hearing assistance device, comprising:

hearing assistance electronics in a housing configured to be worn above or behind an ear of a wearer;

an ear piece configured to be worn in the ear of the wearer; and

a processing component at the ear piece configured to perform functions in the ear piece and to communicate with the hearing assistance electronics using a wired connection.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component includes a microcontroller.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component includes a microprocessor.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component includes a digital signal processor (DSP).

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component includes a custom chip design.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component includes combinational logic.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to communicate with the hearing assistance electronics using a single wire.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the ear piece includes a receiver configured to convert an electrical signal from the hearing assistance electronics to an acoustic signal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the ear piece includes a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the processing component is configured to provide GMR switching.

11. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to provide ear piece identification.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component is configured to provide component activation and deactivation for power conservation.

13. The device of claim 1, wherein the ear piece includes a microphone, a valve for controlling sound passage, and a capacitive switch.

14. The device of claim 1, wherein the ear piece includes a telecoil.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the processing component includes an amplifier.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the ear piece includes a capacitor configured to store energy in the ear piece

17. The device of claim 1, wherein the hearing assistance device includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid.

18. The device of claim 1, wherein the hearing assistance device includes a receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid.

20. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the processing component to communicate with the hearing assistance electronics using a one-wire hardware protocol.

21. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the processing component to store ear piece identification information.

22. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the processing component to control a switch in the ear piece.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the switch includes a GMR switch.

24. The method of claim 15, further comprising using the processing component to employ digitization of one or more of a microphone or a telecoil.

19. A method, comprising:

providing a processing component at the ear piece portion of a hearing aid to perform functions in the ear piece and to communicate using a wired connection with hearing assistance electronics in a housing configured to be worn above or behind the ear.