Remotely controlled, especially remotely programmable hearing aid system

• US 5,710,819 A
• Filed: 05/10/1995
• Issued: 01/20/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 03/15/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Topholm & Westermann APS
• Original Assignee: To Slashed Pholm & Westermann APS
• Inventors: Westermann, S.o slashed.ren Erik, T.o slashed.pholm, Jan
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US08/424,472
• Time in Patent Office: 986 Days
• Field of Search: 381/68, 381/68.2, 381/68.4, 128/746
• US Class Current: 381/316
• 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 25/556 External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules H04R25/607 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

In a remotely controllable, especially remote-control-programmable heating aid with an external control device (1) with a keyboard (2), display device (3) and a data processing device (4) and also a hearing aid (9) controllable by the control device (1), in the control device there is a signal generator (11) actuatable and controllable via the keyboard (2) and the data processing device (4). This generator is releasably connected by a cable (12, 13, 14) to the heating aid so that the control device (1) can be used together with a heating aid to determine the hearing curve or, in general, the audiometric values of the wearer of the hearing aid in real conditions.

Claims

1. A remotely controllable hearing aid system, especially with remote-control-programmable transmission characteristics, comprising an external control device (1) with a keyboard (2) for input and control functions and a display device (3) for operator prompting, with a data processing device (4) with assigned program memories and data memories, and with a transmitter (8) for wireless transmission of control parameter groups to a heating aid (9) equipped with a receiver (10) and other signal processing circuits, characterized by a signal generator (11) contained in the control device (1) and controllable by the data processing device (4) for generation of signals located mainly in the audible frequency range, and with a releasable, conductive connection (12, 13, 14) between the output of the signal generator (11) and an audio input of the hearing aid, as well as with a memory (5) for audiological or audiometric data located in the control device, whereby said memory is also operationally connected with the data processing device (4).

2. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the signal generator (11) can be operated by means of the keyboard (2) through the data processing device (4) in conjunction with corresponding programs/algorithms to generate and output tone signals, noise signals, signal mixtures of all kinds, individually, in arbitrary sequence, in arbitrary mixture and with selectable and controllable intensity.

3. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the determined intensity values or amplitudes of the signals generated by the signal generator (11) in each case and output to the hearing aid (9) via the conductive connection (12, 13, 14) can be stored directly as audiological or audiometric data in the memory (5) by means of the keyboard (2), and in that groups of control parameters for controlling the transmission characteristic of the hearing aid can be determined from the data by means of given mathematical operations and stored in a control parameter memory (6).

4. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the intensity values or amplitudes of the signals generated by the signal generator (11) and output to the hearing aid (9) can be determined individually, controlled via the keyboard (2), and directly in each case by way of given mathematical operations to obtain a corresponding group of control parameters for controlling the characteristic of the hearing aid and can be stored in the control parameter memory (6).

5. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that, in addition to the first memory (5) which stores the audiometric data and the control parameter memory (6), a third memory (7) is provided for recording, storing and reproduction of data characteristic of different ambient situations, and in that groups of control parameters for setting the transmission characteristics of the heating aid (9) can be determined by the data processing device from the stored audiometric data and the data characteristic of the ambient situations by means of given mathematical operations.

6. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a microprocessor is provided as the data processing device (4) in the external control device (1) which is connected with the keyboard (2) and the display device (3), the memory (5) for the audiometric data, the control parameter memory (6), the memory (7) for data characteristic of different ambient situations, with the signal generator (11) and with the transmitter (8).

7. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the memory for the audiometric data, the memory for the control parameters and the memory for the data characteristic of different ambient situations as well as a memory for the algorithms/programs controlling the mathematical operations are integrated in the microprocessor.

8. A hearing aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that a serial interface circuit (21) is provided in the external control device (1) which can be connected via a connection (22) and which is connected with the microprocessor in the control device.

9. A heating aid system in accordance with claim 1, characterized in that the external control device (1) possesses an additional input (23), which is connected with the data processing device (4) via a measuring amplifier (24) and an analog-to-digital converter (25), and in that a miniature microphone connectable via a cable is provided which permits the sound pressure occurring in the residual volume between an ear mold, an otoplasty or a hearing aid fitted in the ear canal and the eardrum to be measured, transmitted to the external control device and stored there.