Method for configuring the functional properties of an audiological device

• US 6,658,307 B1
• Filed: 10/12/2000
• Issued: 12/02/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/1999
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Mueller, Stefan
• Primary Examiner(s): PATEL, RAMESH B
• Application Number:
  US09/686,888
• Time in Patent Office: 1,146 Days
• Field of Search: 700/1, 700/7, 700/8, 700/10, 700/11, 700/12, 700/18, 700/27, 700/86, 700/87, 700/88, 700/94, 700/36, 381/321, 381/330, 381/320, 381/68, 381/68.2, 381/68.4, 381/102, 381/106, 381/312, 381/23.1, 704/3, 704/7, 704/272, 704/278, 705/51, 705/52, 705/53, 705/54
• US Class Current: 700/87
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

The method for configuring the functional properties of an audiological device in the form of a hearing aid initially provides a hearing aid with an IC that can be differently configured in view of its properties, permitting configuration upgrade information to be employed that is either distributed to middlemen via a separate data carrier or transmitted on-line from a data store of the manufacturer to a programming station of the middleman. The middleman has the possibility of himself upgrading hearing aids initially present as basic hearing aids in customized fashion, the configuration information being used for this purpose and the hearing manufacturer being paid for this.

Claims

1. A method for configuring the functional properties of an audiological device and distributing these configured devices, comprising the steps of:

a) providing said audiological device with an IC that can be differently configured in view of functional properties of said IC;

b) providing a configuration upgrading information in a suitable data store;

c) initially configuring said IC at a manufacturing facility, resulting in said audiological device comprising minimal possible properties in a basic version, and distributing said basic version of said device at a basic price to a middleman or dealer;

d) obtaining upgrade information in a manner selected from the group consisting of;

1) loading configuration upgrading information onto a separate data carrier at said manufacturing facility and distributing said loaded data carrier, to a middleman or dealer, at a price that is dependent on a type and number of configuration upgrading information packages contained on said data carrier for use on a programming station located at said middleman or dealer, and

2) transmitting configuration upgrading information in an online operation from a software memory of a manufacturer at said manufacturing facility, to a buffer memory of a programming station located at said middleman or dealer;

e) introducing said IC into said programming station and at least partially reading-in said configuration upgrading information from a source selected from the group consisting of said separate data carrier and said online operation, into said programming station for programming and upgrading said IC to a customized, higher function level; and

f) distributing and billing customers for an audiological device upgraded in this manner resulting in said billing reflecting additional functional properties over said basic version.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing a plurality of identical packages of configuration upgrading information that are stored on said separate data carrier.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein each configuration upgrading information comprises a plurality of individually retrievable configuration programs.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein upgrading configuration of different audiological devices are implemented via a single separate data carrier.

5. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

separately reading out and displaying content of remaining configuration upgrading information on said separate data carrier, following a first use of said separate data carrier for upgrading an audiological device.

6. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

displaying a guideline price information for each configuration upgrading information packet.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

transferring said configuration upgrading information from said IC onto said separate data carrier in said programming station.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing auxiliary information on said separate data carrier, wherein said auxiliary information comprises how many audiological basic devices of one type or of a plurality of different types can be reconfigured in devices with upgraded functional properties.

9. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

reloading said separate data carrier via configuration upgrading information packets a manufacturer makes available on-line.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

providing copy protection for configuration upgrading information software.

11. A method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of:

encrypting said configuration upgrading information on said separate data carrier.

12. A method according to claim 1, further comprising he step of

reading-in and storing a readout information on said data carrier in a manner that said software package read out from said data carrier or a part of the entire said software cannot be read again from said separate data carrier and read into said IC.