Automatic telephone switch for hearing aid

• US 6,760,457 B1
• Filed: 09/11/2000
• Issued: 07/06/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 09/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Micro Ear Technology Incorporated (Starkey Laboratories Incorporated)
• Inventors: Peterson, Timothy S., Bren, Mark A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): DABNEY, PHYLESHA LARVINIA
• Application Number:
  US09/659,214
• Time in Patent Office: 1,394 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/322, 381/327, 381/328, 381/331, 379/52, 379/443-444, 361/103
• US Class Current: 381/331
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

A hearing aid is provided with a switch that automatically switches the hearing aid input from a microphone input to a voice coil input in the presence of a magnetic field. The magnetic field can be generated by a magnet in a telephone handset.

Claims

1. A method of hearing aid operation having first and second operational states, comprising:

in the first operational state,

inputting a first signal into the hearing aid;

processing the first signal;

outputting the processed first signal;

in the second operational state,

automatically switching the hearing aid, in response to the hearing aid detecting a magnetic field, by activating a magnetic switch to make a first transistor turn off a microphone circuit and a second transistor turn on a voice coil circuit to input a second signal in place of the first signal;

processing the second signal; and

outputting the processed second signal.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein detecting a magnetic field includes detecting a magnetic field imparted to the hearing aid by positioning a telephone handset adjacent the hearing aid.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein automatic switching continues to input the second signal until the magnetic field is removed from the hearing aid.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein detecting a magnetic field includes detecting a magnetic field imparted to the hearing aid by positioning a telephone handset adjacent the hearing aid.

5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the second signal is the electromagnetic signal generated by a coil in the telephone handset.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein the first signal is an audio signal inputted into the hearing aid through a microphone.

7. A hearing aid system comprising a telephone handset and a hearing aid, said telephone handset having a magnet, and said hearing aid comprising:

a microphone adapted to output a first signal based on acoustic input,

a voice coil pickup adapted to output a second signal based on electromagnetic input,

a switching circuit having first and second transistor switches, the switching circuit connected to said microphone and said voice coil pickup, said switching circuit automatically transmitting the first signal with the first transistor switch conducting in the absence of a magnetic field produced by said magnet and automatically transmitting the second signal with the second transistor switch conducting in the presence of said magnet and with the first transistor turning off a microphone circuit that includes said microphone in the presence of said magnet;

a signal processing circuit connected to said switching circuit, said signal processing circuit receiving the signal transmitted by said switching circuit.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said switching circuit includes a magnetically actuated switch which in a default state closes said microphone circuit that includes said microphone and said signal processing circuit, and in its activated state closes a voice coil circuit that includes said voice coil pickup and said signal processing circuit.

9. The system according to claim 8, wherein said switching circuit only closes one of said microphone circuit and said voice coil circuit at a time.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the signal processing circuit is adapted to provide noise reduction and tone control.

11. A hearing aid, comprising:

a first input unit adapted to output a first signal based on a first input;

a second input unit adapted to output a second signal based on a second input;

a signal processing circuit connected to said first input unit and said second input unit; and

an automatic switching circuit having a magnetic switch, a first transistor switch and a second transistor switch, the automatic switching circuit operatively connected to said first input unit by the first transistor switch and said second input unit by the second transistor switch, said automatic switching circuit having a default state wherein said first signal is received by said signal processing circuit and a switched state wherein in response to an external electromagnetic stimulus said second signal is received by said signal processing circuit, the magnetic switch controlling the first and second transistor switches to turn the first transistor switch off to turn off a circuit that includes said first input unit while turning the second transistor switch on.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 11, wherein said second input is produced by a device having the external electromagnetic stimulus.

13. The hearing aid according to claim 11, wherein the second input unit is a voice coil pickup, said external electromagnetic stimulus is a magnet in a telephone handset.