HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE WITH A LOW-POWER MODE

• US 20140321682A1
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Published: 10/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Bernafon AG (William Demant Fonden), Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: PETERSEN, Svend Oscar, ALDAZ, Gabriel, PEDERSEN, Michael Syskind, PRESUTTI, Dennis, LAMM, Jesko, REBER, Monika Bertges, KOFOD-HANSEN, Andreas, GUDNASON, Gunnar, LEGLER, Bjrn, ANDERSSON, Poul Hilding, MLLER, Christian
• Granted Patent: US 9,781,521 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural

Abstract

A portable hearing assistance device comprises an input unit, an output unit, a forward path between the input unit and the output unit, and an energy source for energizing components of the hearing assistance device. The hearing assistance device further comprises a control unit to control activation (or deactivation) of a low-power mode of operation of the hearing assistance device. When the low-power mode is activated—the draw of current from said energy source is reduced compared to a normal mode of operation of the device, the activation (or deactivation) being influenced by a combination of at least two different control input signals to the control unit, each control input signal being a signal selected from 1) signals relating to current physical environment, 2) signals relating to current acoustic environment, 3) signals relating to current wearer state, and 4) signals relating to current state or operation mode.

Claims

1. A portable hearing assistance device comprising

an input unit for providing an electric input signal comprising an audio signal,

an output unit for providing on output signal originating from the audio signal,

a forward path between the input unit and the output unit,

an energy source for energizing components of the hearing assistance device,

the hearing assistance device further comprising

a control unit configured to control the activation of a low-power mode of operation of the hearing assistance device, wherein—

when said low-power mode is activated—

the draw of current from said energy source is reduced compared to a normal mode of operation of the device, the activation being influenced by a combination of at least two different control input signals to the control unit, each control input signal being a signal selected from the group of signals comprising

1) signals relating to a current physical environment of the hearing assistance device,

2) signals relating to a current acoustic environment of the hearing assistance device,

3) signals relating to a current state of a wearer of the hearing assistance device, and

4) signals relating to a current state or mode of operation of the hearing assistance device and/or of another device in communication with the hearing assistance device.

2. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein one or more of said control input signals is/are received from another device.

3. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein said at least two different control input signals are selected from at least two different of said types of signals 1), 2), 3) or 4).

4. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein the control unit is configured to dynamically select the at least two control input signals—

among a larger number of control input signals—

that influence the decision on activation of a low-power mode at a given point in time depending on the classification of the current situation.

5. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 1, wherein a deactivation of the low-power mode is also controlled by the control unit.

6. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 5, wherein at least one of the control input signals to the control unit for deciding on a deactivation of the low-power mode is different from the control input signals used to decide on an activation of the low-power mode.

7. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the number of control input signals used by the control unit to decide on a deactivation of the low-power mode is smaller than the number of control input signals used to activate the low-power mode.

8. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 5, wherein the control unit is configured to delay the deactivation of the low-power mode with a predefined time period after a condition for leaving the low-power mode has been fulfilled.

9. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 1 comprising a user operable activation element configured to allow deactivation of the low-power mode.

10. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 9, configured to provide that an automatic decision by the control unit to enter the low-power mode is disabled for a predefined time after an operation of the manual activation element to deactivate the low-power mode has been performed.

11. A hearing assistance system comprising a hearing assistance device according to claim 1 AND an auxiliary device, the system being adapted to establish a communication link between the hearing assistance device and the auxiliary device to provide that information signals can be exchanged between or forwarded from one to the other.

12. A hearing assistance system according to claim 11 wherein the auxiliary device comprises an audio gateway device, a remote control device for controlling functionality and operation of the hearing assistance device, an audio delivery device, a telephone apparatus, a PC or a combination thereof.

13. A portable hearing assistance system according to claim 11 wherein the auxiliary device comprises a user interface adapted to allow a user to add and/or configure a particular external sensor to provide a control input signal to the control unit.

14. A portable hearing assistance system according to claim 11 wherein the auxiliary device comprises a user interface adapted to allow a user to deactivate a particular external sensor to provide a control input signal to the control unit.

15. A hearing assistance system according to claim 11 wherein the auxiliary device comprises another hearing assistance device, and the two hearing assistance devices form part of a binaural hearing assistance system.

16. A hearing assistance system according to claim 15 wherein the two hearing assistance devices of a binaural hearing assistance system are adapted to exchange at least one of their respective corresponding control input signals, and to compare their respective corresponding control input signals, and to use the result thereof as an input to controlling the activation of said low-power mode of operation of the hearing assistance device.

17. A method of providing a low-power mode in a portable hearing assistance device, the portable hearing assistance device comprising

an input unit for providing an electric input signal comprising an audio signal,

an output unit for providing an output signal originating from the audio signal,

a forward path between the input unit and the output unit, and

an energy source for energizing components of the hearing assistance device,

the method comprising

providing a low-power mode and a normal mode of operation of the hearing assistance device, wherein—

when said low-power mode is activated—

the draw of current from said energy source is reduced compared to a normal mode of operation of the hearing assistance device;

controlling the activation of said low-power mode of operation of the hearing assistance device by providing that the activation is influenced by a combination of at least two different control input signals, each control input signal being a signal selected from the group of signals comprising

1) signals relating to a current physical environment of the hearing assistance device,

2) signals relating to a current acoustic environment of the hearing assistance device,

3) signals relating to a current state of a wearer of the hearing assistance device, and

4) signals relating to a current state or mode of operation of the hearing assistance device and/or of another device in communication with the hearing assistance device.

18. A portable hearing assistance device comprising

an input unit for providing an electric input signal comprising an audio signal,

an output unit for providing on output signal originating from the audio signal,

a forward path between the input unit and the output unit,

an energy source for energizing components of the hearing assistance device,

a control unit configured to control the activation and deactivation of a low-power mode of operation of the hearing assistance device, wherein —

when said low-power mode is activated—

the draw of current from said energy source is reduced compared to a normal mode of operation of the device, wherein the number of control input signals used by the control unit to decide on a deactivation of the low-power mode is smaller than the number of control input signals used to activate the low-power mode.

19. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 18 wherein the control unit is configured to control the deactivation of the low-power mode by a control input signal from a movement sensor.

20. A portable hearing assistance device according to claim 19 wherein one or more additional sensors providing one or more additional control input signals, which in a low-power mode is/are initially deactivated, is/are activated when a first control input signal indicates that a deactivation of the low-power mode should be initiated.