Apparatus and method for magnetically controlling a hearing aid

• US 5,553,152 A
• Filed: 08/31/1994
• Issued: 09/03/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Argosy Electronics
• Original Assignee: Argosy Electronics
• Inventors: Newton, James R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Isen, Forester W.
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US08/298,774
• Time in Patent Office: 734 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68, 381/68.6, 381/69, 381/69.2, 381/68.3, 381/68.4, 600/25, 607/56, 607/57, 335/2, 335/9, 128/746, 623/10
• US Class Current: 381/328
• CPC Class Codes: H01H 2300/004 Application hearing aid
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements

Abstract

An apparatus and method for controlling a plurality of adjustable operational parameters of a hearing aid by the movement of an external magnetic actuator into and out of proximity with the hearing aid. The hearing aid has a microphone, hearing aid circuitry, an output transducer, and a magnetic switch, such as a reed switch, connected to the hearing aid circuitry. The hearing aid circuitry has a plurality of adjustable operational parameters and includes control processing circuity for switching between and controlling the adjustable operational parameters. The magnetic source is moved into and out of proximity with the hearing aid a selected number of times activating the magnetic switch each time. The control processing circuitry is configured to switch between the adjustable operational parameters on sequential activations of the magnetic switch for selection of an operational parameter to adjust the selected adjustable operational parameter after the activation of the magnetic switch is maintained a predetermined amount of time.

Claims

1. A hearing aid system comprising:

a) a magnetic actuator for utilization external the ear;

b) a hearing aid sized for placement substantially within an ear canal, comprising;

i) a microphone for generating electrical signals from acoustical input;

ii) an output transducer earphone for transforming processed electrical signals into a user compatible form; and

iii) hearing aid circuity connected to the microphone and the output transducer, the hearing aid circuitry comprising signal processing circuitry and control processing circuitry, the signal processing circuitry configured for processing said electrical signals generated by the microphone, the signal processing circuitry including a plurality of adjustable operational parameters,

iv. a single magnetic switch actuatable by the magnetic actuator, when said actuator is moved into proximity with the hearing aid, the actuator and switch sized such that, with the hearing aid in the ear canal, the magnetic switch is actuatable by the actuator positioned exterior of the ear canal, the single magnetic switch connected to the hearing aid circuity, the control processor circuitry configured to sense actuation of the single magnetic switch and to switch between and adjust the operational parameters exclusively by the actuation of the single magnetic switch whereby said adjustable operational parameters may be adjusted exclusively by moving the magnetic actuator into and out of proximity with the hearing aid without insertion into the ear canal and without contacting the hearing aid.

2. The system of claim 1, whereby the control processing circuitry is configured to switch between the adjustable operational parameters upon sequential actuations of the magnetic switch thereby selecting an operational parameter for adjustment, the control processing circuitry further configured to adjust said selected operational parameter after the actuation of the magnetic switch has been maintained for a predefined amount of time.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein one adjustable operational parameter is volume increase and an additional operational parameter is volume decrease.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the hearing aid is a completely in the canal type of hearing aid.

5. A hearing aid for placement completely-in-the-ear-canal and controllable by a magnetic actuator external to the ear canal, the hearing aid comprising:

a housing sized to be worn completely within an ear canal,

b) a microphone for generating electrical signals from acoustical input;

c) a magnetic sensor actuatable by the magnetic actuator when said actuator is moved into proximity with the hearing aid and external the ear canal;

d) a transducer for transforming processed electrical signals into a user compatible form;

e) hearing aid circuity connected to the microphone, the output transducer, and the magnetic switch, the hearing aid circuitry, the microphone, the magnetic sensor, the transducer, and the hearing aid circuitry all contained by the housing, the hearing aid circuitry comprising a volume control with a range of settings, the hearing aid circuitry configured to adjust the volume control through the range of settings exclusively by the actuation of the single magnetic sensor, the magnetic sensor configured to be actuatable by the magnetic actuator held external to the ear.

6. A combination hearing aid and external magnetic actuator, the hearing aid comprising:

a) a microphone for generating electrical signals from acoustical input;

b) a magnetic switch actuatable by the magnetic actuator when said actuator is moved into proximity to but not in contact with the hearing aid;

c) an output transducer for transforming processed electrical signals into a user compatible form;

d) hearing aid circuity connected to the microphone, the output transducer, and the magnetic switch, the hearing aid circuitry comprising signal processing circuitry and control processing circuitry, the signal processing circuitry configured for processing said electrical signals generated by the microphone, the signal processing circuitry having a plurality of adjustable operational parameters, the control processing circuitry comprising a plurality of memories for storing groups of settings of the operational parameters, the control processor circuitry configured to sense actuation of the magnetic switch and independently adjust at least one operational parameter and to switch among the plurality of memories dependant exclusively upon actuations of the magnetic switch.

7. The combination of claim 6, wherein the control processing circuitry is configured to switch among the plurality of memories upon sequential actuations of the magnetic sensor.

8. The combination of claim 7, wherein the output transducer, the microphone, the magnetic switch and the hearing aid circuitry are contained within a housing, the housing configured to be inserted into the ear canal.

9. A hearing aid system comprising:

a) an external magnetic actuator;

b) a hearing aid sized to be worn substantially within the ear canal, the hearing aid comprising;

i) a microphone for generating electrical signals from acoustical input;

ii) a magnetic switch actuatable by the magnetic actuator when said actuator is moved into proximity with the hearing aid and external the ear canal;

iii) an output transducer for transforming processed electrical signals into a user compatible form;

iv) hearing aid circuity connected to the microphone, the output transducer, and the magnetic switch, the hearing aid circuitry comprising signal processing circuitry and control processor circuitry, the signal processing circuitry configured for processing said electrical signals generated by the microphone, the processing of said signals including a plurality of adjustable operational parameters, the control processor circuitry configured to adjust said selected operational parameter after the actuation of the magnetic switch has been maintained for a predetermined amount of time, the control processor circuitry further configured to sense sequential actuations of the magnetic switch and to switch between the adjustable operational parameters upon sensing of said sequential actuations thereby selecting a operational parameter for adjustment.

10. The hearing aid system of claim 9, the output transducer, the microphone, the magnetic switch and the hearing aid circuitry are contained within a shell, the shell configured to be inserted into the ear canal.

11. The hearing aid system of claim 10, wherein the hearing aid is a completely in the canal type of hearing aid.

12. A method of switching between a plurality of groups of operational parameter settings in a programmable hearing aid, the method comprising:

a) programming the hearing aid with a plurality of groups of adjustable parameter settings;

b) configuring the hearing aid to rotate through the groups of settings in response to signals received by a magnetic sensor in the hearing aid;

c) generating a signal by moving a magnetic actuator into and out of proximity with the hearing aid whereby the magnetic sensor senses the proximity of the actuator and causes the hearing aid to rotate to the next group of adjustable parameter settings.