Remote-controllable, programmable, hearing aid system

• US 5,202,927 A
• Filed: 05/30/1991
• Issued: 04/13/1993
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/1989
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Topholm & Westermann APS
• Original Assignee: Topholm & Westermann APS
• Inventors: Topholm, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Ng, Jin F.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D.
• Application Number:
  US07/688,510
• Time in Patent Office: 684 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68, 381/68.2, 381/68.6, 381/60, 73/585
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A remote-controllable, programmable hearing aid system, including of a hearing aid (2) with incorporated amplifier and with a signal processing circuit whose transmission characteristic can be determined at any time by a set of control parameters, and an external control unit (1) with a transmitter for wireless transmission of control parameters to the hearing aid. A receiving circuit for receiving the control parameters is located in the hearing aid. This system is characterized in that an input device (3) is provided for input of data/information, and a data processing device (4) is provided for derivation of control parameters from the audiometric data/information for transmission from the control unit to the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A remote-controllable, programmable hearing air system, comprising an external control unit (1) and a hear air (2), said external control unit includes an input device (3), a display (7) for operator prompting and a transmitter for optional transmission of different groups of control parameters to said hearing air, said hearing aid having a receiving circuit and a signal processing circuit whose transmission characteristic can be optionally adjusted at any time by a set of said control parameters transmitted by said external control unit, wherein said remote control unit contains a first memory (5) for storing audiometric data, a second memory (6) for storing data characterizing different environmental situations, and a data processing device (4) for determination of a set of control parameters from the contents of said first and second memories.

2. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said data processing device comprises a microprocessor connected to said input device, said display, said first and second memories and said transmitter.

3. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said external control unit includes a third memory for storing at least one algorithm, and wherein said data processing device determines said set of control parameters in accordance with said algorithm.

4. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 3, wherein at least one of said first and second memories and the third memory are integrated in the microprocessor.

5. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, wherein said external control unit is equipped with an additional microphone (16) providing an output representing current environmental conditions, characterized in that the data processing device is responsive to said output of said microphone to derive control parameters corresponding to said current environmental conditions for transmission to said hearing aid.

6. A hearing aid in accordance with claim 5, wherein said external control unit further includes an analysis and evaluation circuit (17) for evaluating said current environmental conditions and for providing an output to said data processing device.

7. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the display is provided for display of data/information stored in the storage media of the hearing aid system, for display of data/information which has been processed or derived by said data processing device as well as for display of the information for operator prompting.