Digital programming device for hearing aids

• US 5,144,674 A
• Filed: 10/13/1989
• Issued: 09/01/1992
• Est. Priority Date: 10/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Larsen, Soeren, Meyer, Wolfram, Kaiser, Eduard, Sigwanz, Ullrich
• Primary Examiner(s): Dwyer, James L.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Cumming, William D.
• Application Number:
  US07/420,934
• Time in Patent Office: 1,054 Days
• Field of Search: 128/746, 364/406, 364/408, 364/481, 364/483, 379/96, 381/58, 381/60, 381/68, 381/68.2, 381/68.4, 381/52, 381/61
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/61 Installation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 8/64 Retargetable
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/556 External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules H04R25/607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

Digitally programmable, single-channel and multi-channel hearing aids of various manufacturers and/or hearing aids having different acoustic characteristics can be set and adjusted with the programming device of the invention. The programming device includes a microcontroller, main memories, interchangeable company program modules with plug-in locations, and a master program module with corresponding plug location. A display is also provided for the programming device.

Claims

1. A digital programming device for programming a plurality of different hearing aids comprising:

a plurality of module plug-in locations each adapted to receive one of a plurality of interchangeable manufacturer program modules each manufacturer program module having characteristics stored therein for setting a hearing aid uniquely associated with said manufacturer program module;

a master program module having a program stored therein for identifying one or more manufacturer program modules in said module plug-in locations;

control means connected to each of said plug-in location can to said master program module for conducting a read operation, using said program in said master program module, of said module plug-in location thereby identifying which module plug-in locations are respectively occupied by which manufacturer program modules;

hearing aid interface means connected to said module plug-in locations and to said control means and adapted for connection to a hearing aid to be set for supplying the characteristics from one of said manufacturer program modules to the hearing aid;

said hearing aid interface means consisting of software-controlled digital-to-analog converter means for producing variable signal levels, software-controlled analog-to-digital converter means for determining external impedance, software-controlled analog switch-over means for adjusting the half- or full-duplex mode, software-controlled analog switch means for connecting or disconnecting different pull-up or pull-down resistors, and hardware-controlled operational amplifiers connected to an external resistor to produce variable signal levels and polarities; and

means connected to said control means for selecting a manufacturer program module uniquely associated with said hearing aid and thereby connecting said hearing aid to said program module uniquely associated therewith via said hearing aid interface means.

2. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a means connected to said control means for displaying a manufacturing company and hearing aid type of said hearing aid.

3. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 2, wherein said means for displaying further indicates read operation information by said master program module of said company modules.

4. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 3, wherein said means for displaying is a graphic display panel.

5. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a main memory means connected to said plurality of plug-in locations, said master program module, and said control means for storing hearing aid adjustments of said hearing aid.

6. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

an interchangeable nonvolatile write/read memory for storing characteristics of said hearing aid; and

a plug-in location in said digital programming device for receiving said nonvolatile write/read memory means.

7. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 6, further comprising:

a plurality of sub-memories in said nonvolatile write/read memory, each of said sub-memories being allocated to one of said company program modules; and

means for connecting said master program module means to said nonvolatile write/read memory means so as to confine access of said company program modules to said allocated sub-memories.

8. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

means for storing a plurality of settable basic hearing aid parameters for fine-tuning said hearing aid; and

means for storing a plurality of settable individual requirement hearing aid parameters for fine-tuning said hearing aid.

9. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 8, wherein said parameters are set by a personal computer connected to said digital programming device;

said parameters are transferred to a printer via a standard interface.

10. A digital programming device as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

a switch-over means for binaural fitting.