PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICE HAVING APPLICATION SOFTWARE FOR CONTROLLING THE OPERATION OF AT LEAST ONE HEARING AID

• US 20170208401A1
• Filed: 07/10/2014
• Published: 07/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: JOHANSEN, Morten Kjaer
• Granted Patent: US 10,462,585 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 76/14 Direct-mode setup

Abstract

A hearing system includes at least one hearing aid (10) and a personal communication device (17) both having a short range radio transceiver for providing a short range radio communication link. The personal communication device includes application software for controlling the operation of said at least one hearing aid. The at least one hearing aid has a user operable control for opening the user interface of the application software on said personal communication device.

Claims

1-14. -14. (canceled)

15. A hearing aid for connecting to a personal communication device via a short range radio communication link, said personal communication device including application software for providing a user interface for controlling the operation of the hearing aid, wherein the hearing aid has a user operable control for opening the user interface of the application software on said personal communication device.

16. The hearing aid according to claim 15, wherein the user operable control of the hearing aid in a first mode provides access to change a hearing aid program or to adjust the volume of the hearing aid, and wherein the user operable control of the hearing aid in a second mode initiates the transmission of a signal via the short range radio communication link to said personal communication device for opening the application software.

17. The hearing aid according to claim 16, wherein the hearing aid enters said second mode upon connection to said personal communication device via the short range radio communication link.

18. The hearing aid according to claim 15, wherein the user operable control is a depressible button.

19. A hearing system including a hearing aid and personal communication device according to claim 15, each including a respective short range radio transceiver for providing said short range radio communication link, said personal communication device including said application software and said at least one hearing aid having said user operable control.

20. The hearing system according to claim 19, wherein the short range radio communication link is a Bluetooth™

connection.

23. A method for controlling the hearing aid according to claim 15 connected to said personal communication device via said short range radio communication link, the method comprising opening the application software on said personal communication device by operating said user operable control on said hearing aid.

27. A personal communication device adapted to connect the personal communication device with the hearing aid according to claim 15 via said short range radio communication link, wherein said personal communication device includes said application software, and wherein the personal communication device is adapted to launch the user interface of the application software on said personal communication device in response to reception of an activation signal caused by operation of said user operable control on the hearing aid.

21. A hearing system including a personal communication device with a body-worn transmission accessory for connecting the personal communication device to at least one hearing aid via a short range radio communication link,

said personal communication device including application software for controlling the operation of said at least one hearing aid, and

said body-worn transmission accessory having a user operable control for opening the application software on said personal communication device.

22. The hearing system according to claim 21, wherein the short range radio communication link is an inductive communication link based upon a proprietary communication protocol.

24. A method for controlling the hearing aid in the system according to claim 21, said method comprising opening the application software on said personal communication device by operating said user operable control.

28. A personal communication device for use in a system according to claim 21, wherein said personal communication device includes said application software and wherein the personal communication device is adapted to launch the user interface of the application software on said personal communication device in response to reception of an activation signal caused by operation of said user operable control on the body-worn transmission accessory.

25. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed in a personal communication device:

connect the personal communication device with at least one hearing aid via a short range radio communication link;

provides a user interface for controlling the operation of the at least one hearing aid; and

launches the user interface of the application software on said personal communication device in response to the operation of a user operable control on the hearing aid.

26. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 25 having computer-executable instructions, wherein the step of launching the user interface of the application software takes place even though the personal communication device is in locked mode.