Hearing aid telephone interconnect system

• US 5,796,821 A
• Filed: 08/08/1995
• Issued: 08/18/1998
• Est. Priority Date: 01/05/1994
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Life Mounts, LLC
• Original Assignee: Life Mounts, LLC
• Inventors: Waldron, Joan Phillips, Potter, James D., Crouch, Shirley Aline
• Primary Examiner(s): Chiang, Jack
• Application Number:
  US08/512,563
• Time in Patent Office: 1,106 Days
• Field of Search: 379/442, 379/430, 379/433, 379/52, 381/68, 381/68.4, 381/68.2, 381/68.5, 381/68.6, 381/68.7
• US Class Current: 379/430
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/05 specially adapted for use on head, throat or breast
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/215 by non-intrusive coupling means, e.g. acoustic couplers
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/2475 for a hearing impaired user
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A hearing aid telephone interconnect system for permitting hearing impaired persons to use conventional telephone instruments employs a T-coupler adapted to hook over the ear of a user of a conventional behind-the-hear, in-the-ear, or eyeglass hearing aid of the type employing an input T-coil. The T-coupler, as well as the telephone base unit and the telephone receiver, are connected to an adaptor box that permits switching the telephone receiver signal between the telephone receiver and the T-coupler to permit use of the telephone by persons with and without hearing impairment. When interfacing the T-coupler to cellular telephones and princess style landline telephones in which the touchtone keypad and receiver form an integrated unit, the adaptor box may be eliminated because switching of the receiver signal is not necessary. In order to permit the use by hearing impaired persons of various other products that produce an audible sound, it is only necessary to provide an electrical connection between the T-coupler and an output audio signal of those products.

Claims

1. A method for enabling use of a conventional landline telephone employing separate base and receiver units by a hearing impaired person, said hearing impaired person using a conventional hearing aid employing an input T-coil within an earpiece, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a T-coupler separate from the hearing aid, the T-coupler being adapted to be hooked over the user'"'"'s ear proximate said earpiece and being arcuate in shape to correspond with a shape of the user'"'"'s ear;

hooking the T-coupler over the user'"'"'s ear proximate said earpiece;

switching a telephone receiver audio signal from the telephone receiver to the T-coupler;

transmitting the telephone receiver audio signal to the T-coupler; and

inductively coupling the telephone receiver audio signal from the T-coupler into the input T-coil of the hearing aid earpiece.

2. A method for enabling use of a cellular telephone by a hearing impaired person, said hearing impaired person using a conventional hearing aid employing an input T-coil within an earpiece, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a T-coupler separate from the hearing aid, the T-coupler being adapted to be hooked over the user'"'"'s ear proximate said earpiece and having a T-coupler cable;

hooking the T-coupler over the user'"'"'s ear proximate said earpiece;

connecting the T-coupler cable to the cellular telephone;

transmitting a telephone receiver audio signal from the cellular telephone to the T-coupler through the T-coupler cable; and

inductively coupling the telephone receiver audio signal from the T-coupler into the input T-coil of the hearing aid earpiece.

3. A method for enabling use of a cellular telephone by a hearing impaired person, said hearing impaired person using a conventional hearing aid employing an input T-coil within an earpiece, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a T-coupler separate from the hearing aid, the T-coupler being adapted to be hooked over the user'"'"'s ear proximate said earpiece and having a T-coupler cable;

receiving an incoming telephone call on the cellular telephone;

hooking the T-coupler over the user'"'"'s ear proximate said earpiece;

connecting the T-coupler cable to the cellular telephone;

transmitting a telephone receiver audio signal from the cellular telephone to the T-coupler through the T-coupler cable;

inductively coupling the telephone receiver audio signal from the T-coupler into the input T-coil of the hearing aid earpiece;

completing the telephone call;

disconnecting the T-coupler cable from the cellular telephone; and

removing the T-coupler from the user'"'"'s ear.

4. A method for enabling use of a conventional landline telephone system by a hearing impaired person and by a non-hearing impaired person, said hearing impaired person using a conventional hearing aid employing an input T-coil within an earpiece, the conventional landline telephone system having a base unit with a receiver receptacle, comprising the steps of:

connecting an adapter box having a switch to the base unit through the receiver receptacle;

connecting a receiver unit to a first input of the adapter box;

providing a T-coupler separate from the hearing aid, the T-coupler being adapted to be hooked over the user'"'"'s ear proximate said earpiece and having a T-coupler cable;

connecting the T-coupler cable to a second input of the adapter box;

receiving an incoming telephone call;

switching the adapter box to the receiver unit;

transmitting a telephone receiver audio signal from the adapter box to the receiver unit;

using, by the non-hearing impaired person, the conventional landline telephone system to communicate with an incoming caller;

hooking the T-coupler over the hearing-impaired person'"'"'s ear proximate said earpiece;

switching the adapter box to the T-coupler;

transmitting the telephone receiver audio signal from the adapter box to the T-coupler through the T-coupler cable;

inductively coupling the telephone receiver audio signal from the T-coupler into the input T-coil of the hearing aid earpiece; and

using, by the hearing impaired person, the conventional landline telephone system to communicate with the incoming caller.