HEARING DEVICE WITH SERVICE MODE AND RELATED METHOD

• US 20160173997A1
• Filed: 12/17/2014
• Published: 06/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Resound A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: PEDERSEN, Brian Dam, VENDELBO, Allan Munk
• Granted Patent: US 10,785,578 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/123 received data contents, e.g. message integrity
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a hearing device and in particular to hearing device and related method for configuration or operation of a hearing device. Disclosed is a hearing device comprising a processing unit configured to compensate for hearing loss of a user of the hearing device, a memory, and an interface. The processing unit/hearing device may be configured to receive a mode request via the interface; authenticate the mode request; and place the hearing device into the requested mode if authentication of the mode request succeeds.

Claims

1. A hearing device comprising:

a processing unit configured to compensate for hearing loss of a user of the hearing device;

a memory; and

an interface;

wherein the processing unit of the hearing device is configured to

receive a request for a mode via the interface,

process the request for authenticating the request, and

place the hearing device into the requested mode if the processing unit succeeds in authenticating the request.

2. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to place the hearing device into a default mode if the processing unit fails to authenticate the request.

3. The hearing device according to claim 2, wherein when the hearing device is in the default mode, the processing unit is configured for booting the hearing device and operating the hearing device according to operating parameters set during the booting of the hearing device.

4. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to process the request for authenticating the request by authenticating a sender of the request.

5. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to process the request for authenticating the request by verifying an integrity of the request.

6. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the request comprises a service mode request, a fitting mode request, a debug mode request, or any combination of the foregoing.

7. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to place the hearing device into the requested mode by sending a mode response.

8. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the processing unit is configured to receive the request in a session, and wherein the processing unit is configured to terminate the session if the authentication of the request fails.

9. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the request comprises a signature, and wherein the processing unit is configured to process the request for authenticating the request by verifying the signature of the request.

10. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein when the hearing device is in a service mode, the processing unit is configured to generate a session identifier, to transmit the session identifier via the interface, and to store the session identifier in the hearing device.

11. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein when the hearing device is in a service mode, the processing unit is configured to receive data via the interface, and wherein the processing unit is configured to process the received data for authenticating the received data, and to store hearing device data in a part of the memory based on the received data if the processing unit succeeds in authenticating the received data.

12. The hearing device according to claim 11, wherein the received data comprises a session identifier, and wherein the processing unit is configured to process the received data for authenticating the received data by comparing the session identifier in the received data with a session identifier stored in the hearing device.

13. The hearing device according to claim 11, wherein the data is received in a session, and the processing unit is configured to terminate the session if the processing unit fails to authenticate the received data.

14. A method for configuring a hearing device having a processing unit configured to compensate for hearing loss of a user of the hearing device, a memory, and an interface, the method comprising:

receiving a request for a mode via the interface;

processing, by the processing unit of the hearing device, the request for authenticating the request; and

placing the hearing device into the requested mode if the act of processing the request results in a successful authentication of the request.

15. The method according to claim 14, further comprising placing the hearing device into a default mode if the act of processing the request results in a failed authentication of the request.

16. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of processing the request for authenticating the request comprises authenticating a sender of the request.

17. The method according to claim 14, wherein the act of processing the request for authenticating the request comprises verifying an integrity of the request.

18. The method according to claim 14, wherein when the hearing device is in a service mode, the method further comprises:

receiving data via the interface,

processing the received data for authenticating the received data, and

storing hearing device data in a part of the memory based on the received data if the act of processing the received data results in a successful authentication of the received data.