WIRELESS STEREO HEARING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM

• US 20160286323A1
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Published: 09/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: BUEHL, Markus
• Granted Patent: US 9,936,310 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/041 Adaptation of stereophonic signal reproduction for the hearing impaired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• 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

Abstract

A hearing assistance system having an audio signal wireless transmission unit for transmitting a stereo audio signal with left and right ear channels, a first ear unit for being worn at a user'"'"'s ear and having a hearing instrument and a wireless audio signal receiver unit, the hearing instrument providing the first receiver unit with information as to which ear of the user the hearing instrument is being worn and information as to whether, or not, there is a like second ear unit. The first receiver unit is adapted to decide, depending on the received information as to which ear the first hearing instrument is fitted and whether a second ear unit is worn at the other ear, to receive one of the right and left ear channels, and, in absence of a stereo channel, to supply the respective mono channel of the audio signal to the first hearing instrument.

Claims

1. A hearing assistance system comprising

an audio signal transmission unit (10) for wireless transmission of a stereo audio signal comprising a left ear channel (20L) and a right ear channel (20R),

a first ear unit (12, 12L, 112L) to be worn at one ear of a user and comprising a first hearing instrument (16, 16L) and a first wireless audio signal receiver unit (14, 14L), the hearing instrument being adapted to provide the first receiver unit with the information as to whether the first hearing instrument is fitted to the left ear or the right ear of the user (18, 118) and with information as to whether, or not, there is a second ear unit (12, 12R) worn at the other ear of the user, the second ear unit comprising a second hearing instrument (16, 16R) and a second wireless audio signal receiver unit (14, 14R), and

wherein the first receiver unit is adapted to decide, depending on the received information as to which ear the first hearing instrument is fitted to and as to whether a second ear unit is worn at the other ear, to receive one of the left ear channel, the right ear channel, and, in absence of a stereo channel, the respective mono channel of the audio signal and to supply it to the first hearing instrument.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first audio receiver unit (14, 14L) is detachably connected to the first hearing instrument (16, 16L).

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first receiver unit (14, 14L) is adapted to decide, in case that it receives information that no second ear unit (12, 12R) is worn at the other ear, to receive and supply that ear channel (20L) of the audio signal only to which ear the first hearing instrument (16, 16L) is fitted to.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first receiver unit (14, 14L) is adapted to decide, in case that it receives information that no second ear unit (12, 12R) is worn at the other ear, to receive and supply the mono channel of the audio signal only.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a second ear unit (12, 12R) comprising a second hearing instrument (16, 16R) and a second wireless audio signal receiver unit (14, 14R), the second ear unit being adapted to provide the second receiver unit with information as to which the second hearing instrument is fitted to, wherein the second ear unit is adapted to provide the second receiver unit with information as to whether there is a first ear unit (12, 12L) worn at the other ear of the user, the first ear unit comprising a first hearing instrument (16, 16L) and a first wireless audio signal receiver unit (14, 14L), and wherein the second receiver unit is adapted to decide, in case that it receives information that a first ear unit is worn at the other ear, to receive that ear channel of the audio signal only to which ear the second hearing instrument is fitted to.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the first and second hearing instruments (16, 16R, 16L) comprise means (52, 54) for binaural communication with the other one of the first and second hearing instruments, wherein the information as to whether a second ear unit (12, 12R) is present is derived from whether binaural communication with a second hearing instrument is possible, and wherein such information is supplied from the first hearing instrument to the first receiver unit (14, 14L).

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the first and second hearing instrument (16, 16R, 16L) are adapted for establishing a wireless link (32) for achieving the binaural communication.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the binaural wireless link (32) is an inductive link.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second receiver unit (14, 14R, 14L) are adapted to communicate with each other via a wireless link, and wherein the information as to whether a second ear unit (12, 12R) is present is derived from whether communication with a second receiver unit is possible.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the information as to whether a second ear unit (12, 12R) is present is stored in a memory (56) the first hearing instrument (16, 16L), and wherein such information is supplied from the first hearing instrument to the first receiver unit (14, 14L).

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio signal transmission unit (10) is adapted for analog transmission of the stereo audio signal.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio signal transmission unit (10) is adapted for digital transmission of the stereo audio signal.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio signal transmission unit (10) is adapted for transmission of the audio signal via an inductive link or an FM link.

14. A method of providing hearing assistance to a user (18, 118),

providing a stereo audio signal to an audio signal transmission unit (10) and wirelessly transmitting a left ear channel (20L) and a right ear channel (20R) of the audio signal,

providing a first wireless audio signal receiver unit (14, 14L) of a first ear unit (12, 12L, 112L) worn at one ear of the user and also comprising a first hearing instrument (16, 16L) with the information as to whether the first hearing instrument is fitted to the left ear or the right ear of a user (18, 118) and with information as to whether, or not, there is a second ear unit (12, 12R) worn at the other ear of the user, the second ear unit comprising a second hearing instrument (16, 16R) and a second wireless audio signal receiver unit (14, 14R), and

wherein the first receiver unit decides, depending on the received information as to which ear the first hearing instrument is fitted to and as to whether a second ear unit is worn at the other ear, to receive one of the left ear channel, the right ear channel, and, in absence of a stereo channel, the respective mono channel of the audio signal and to supply it to the first hearing instrument.