PORTABLE TERMINAL FOR CONTROLLING HEARING AID AND METHOD THEREFOR

• US 20140233774A1
• Filed: 02/14/2014
• Published: 08/21/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: KIM, Ik-Soo, KIM, Jung-Soo
• Granted Patent: US 9,549,264 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• 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 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/556 External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules H04R25/607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

A method for controlling a hearing aid using a portable terminal is provided. The method includes taking a photo, generating a control signal to control a hearing mode of the hearing aid according to an analysis of a surrounding condition based on the photo, and transmitting the control signal to the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a hearing aid using a portable terminal, the method comprising:

taking a photo;

generating a control signal to control a hearing mode of the hearing aid according to an analysis of a surrounding condition based on the photo; and

transmitting the control signal to the hearing aid.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the control signal is generated by taking into account the surrounding condition and a surrounding sound detected by the portable terminal and is used to select a proper hearing mode suitable for the surrounding condition from among multiple hearing modes that the hearing aid offers.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

running an application to control change of the hearing mode,

wherein the application includes at least one of a photo shoot menu to take the photo, an analysis menu to analyze the taken photo, a volume menu to control the volume of the hearing aid, a threshold menu to adjust thresholds to be set for analysis of the taken photo, and a hearing mode menu to select a proper hearing mode suitable for the surrounding condition.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the application includes at least one menu, and

wherein the at least one menu included in the application is automatically or manually established based on analysis of the surrounding condition.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the hearing mode is newly added or removed based on the surrounding condition of the photo.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the control signal comprises:

extracting features of at least one object contained in the photo;

comparing an object having an outline formed by the extracted features with a stored object; and

determining the surrounding condition based on the comparison.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the features are formed along an outline of the object based on at least one of brightness and color to distinguish a size and type of the object.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

determining whether the determined surrounding condition matches a surrounding sound detected by the portable terminal.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the hearing mode comprises at least one of silent mode, concert mode, crowd mode, landscape mode, rainy mode, and class mode.

10. The method of claim 2, wherein the control signal comprises at least one of absolute sound level information, signal envelope information, spectral content information, and directional microphone information.

11. A portable terminal for controlling a hearing aid, the portable terminal comprising:

a camera configured to take a photo;

a controller configured to analyze a surrounding condition based on the photo and to generate a control signal to control a hearing mode of the hearing aid according to the analysis result; and

a transceiver configured to transmit the control signal to the hearing aid.

12. The portable terminal of claim 11, further comprising:

a microphone to detect a surrounding sound to generate the control signal.

13. The portable terminal of claim 11, wherein the controller extracts features of at least one object contained in the photo, compares an object having an outline formed by the extracted features with a stored object, and determines the surrounding condition based on the comparison.

14. The portable terminal of claim 13, wherein the controller determines whether the determined surrounding condition matches a surrounding sound detected by the portable terminal.

15. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the control signal is generated by taking into account the surrounding condition and the surrounding sound, and is used to select a proper hearing mode suitable for the surrounding condition from among multiple hearing modes the hearing aid offers.

16. The portable terminal of claim 12, wherein the controller determines whether a hearing mode determined from the surrounding sound matches the determined surrounding condition, and if the hearing mode determined from the surrounding sound does not match the determined surrounding condition, changes the hearing mode to a hearing mode corresponding to the surrounding condition.

17. A method of changing a hearing mode in a hearing aid, the method comprising:

receiving a control signal to control the hearing mode of the hearing aid from a portable terminal;

extracting a hearing mode according to an analysis of the control signal; and

changing the hearing mode of the hearing aid to the extracted hearing mode.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:

taking a photo;

determining a surrounding condition from the photo;

determining if the surrounding condition matches the extracted hearing mode; and

changing the hearing mode of the hearing aid to a hearing mode suitable for the surrounding condition if the surrounding condition does not match the extracted hearing mode.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the control signal controls a hearing mode of the hearing aid according to an analysis of a surrounding condition from a photo captured by the portable terminal.

20. The method of claim 17, wherein the control signal controls a hearing mode of the hearing aid according to an analysis of a photo captured by the portable terminal and a surrounding sound detected by the portable terminal.

21. A hearing aid comprising:

a Radio Frequency (RF) unit configured to transmit to a portable terminal at least one hearing mode that the hearing aid offers, and to receive from the portable terminal a control signal to change a hearing mode of the hearing aid to another hearing mode; and

a controller configured to extract a hearing mode from the control signal and to control a hearing mode of the hearing aid to be changed to the hearing mode extracted from the control signal.

22. The hearing aid of claim 21, further comprising:

a photo shoot unit configured to take a photo.

23. The hearing aid of claim 22, wherein the controller determines a surrounding condition from the photo, and changes a hearing mode of the hearing aid to a hearing mode suitable for the surrounding condition if the determined surrounding situation does not match the extracted hearing mode.

24. The hearing aid of claim 21, wherein the control signal control a hearing mode of the hearing aid according to an analysis of a surrounding condition from a photo captured by the portable terminal.

25. The hearing aid of claim 21, wherein the control signal controls a hearing mode of the hearing aid according to an analysis of the determined surrounding condition and a surrounding sound detected by the portable terminal.

27. The method of claim 25, wherein the determining of the surrounding condition comprises:

extracting features of at least one object contained in the photo;

comparing the extracted features with a stored object; and

determining a surrounding condition based on the comparison.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the features are formed along an outline of the object based on at least one of brightness and color to distinguish a size and type of the object.

29. The method of claim 27, further comprising:

determining if the determined surrounding condition matches a surrounding sound detected by the hearing aid.

26. A method for changing a hearing mode in a hearing aid, the method comprising:

taking a photo;

determining a surrounding condition from the photo;

controlling the hearing mode of the hearing aid according to the determined surrounding condition; and

outputting a sound in the hearing mode.

30. The method of claim 26, wherein the hearing mode comprises at least one of silent mode, concert mode, crowd mode, landscape mode, rainy mode and class mode.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the hearing mode is determined based on at least one of absolute sound level information, signal envelope information, spectral content information, and directional microphone information.

32. A hearing aid comprising:

a photo shoot unit configured to take a photo;

a controller configured to control a hearing mode of the hearing aid by determining a surrounding condition from the photo; and

an output unit configured to output a sound in the hearing mode.

33. The hearing aid of claim 32, wherein the controller extracts features of at least one object contained in the photo, and compares the extracted features with a stored object.

34. The hearing aid of claim 33, wherein the controller determines if the determined surrounding condition matches a surrounding sound detected by the hearing aid.