Fitting-setup for hearing device

• US 6,978,155 B2
• Filed: 06/25/2004
• Issued: 12/20/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2000
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Berg, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): GELIN, JEAN ALLAND
• Application Number:
  US10/877,141
• Publication Number:
  US 20040234090A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/66.1, 455/418, 455/419, 455/420, 455/557, 455/92, 381/315, 381/312, 381/314, 381/323, 381/60, 735/85, 600/559
• US Class Current: 455/557
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A fitting setup for hearing aids (1), wherein a cell phone (1) is the input device. The cell phone is used to communicate with a server so as to change the fitting setup for the hearing aid to an optimal setting. The cell phone may also be used to communicate personalized data to the network, as well as to update resident software programs on the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A hearing aid system comprising:

a hearing aid for improving individual'"'"'s hearing, having an acoustical/electrical input converter arrangement, an electrical/mechanical output converter arrangement to transmit signals to be heard to an individual carrying the hearing aid, and a signal processing unit to process electrical signals to be heard by said individual, the output of said processing unit being operationally connected to an input of said electrical/mechanical output converter arrangement, said processing unit having a communication input; and

a cell phone remote from the hearing aid and having cell phone intrinsic communication properties and an output, said communication input of said processing unit being wirelessly directly connectable to said output of said cell phone to establish communication between said cell phone and said hearing aid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said communication input is a control input, signals input to said input controlling operation of said processing unit.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said operational connection between said output of said cell phone and said input of said processing unit, comprises a converter with an input and with an output, said input of said converter being operationally connected by a first link with said output of said cell phone and said output of said converter, being operationally connected by a second link with said communication input of said processing unit.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said first link is one of a high frequency link, an infrared link and of an acoustic link.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein said second link is one of a wired and of a wireless link.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein said converter is integrated into said cell phone or into said hearing aid.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein there is provided a remote control unit for said hearing aid and said remote control unit is said cell phone.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one server and wherein said cell phone is designed to communicate with said server via a cell phone antenna, and at least one of the following kinds of data:

fitting program data,

processing software data for said processing unit and

update data for at least one of said fitting program and said processing software.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising at least one server wherein said cell phone is designed to communicate with said server, the following data being transmitted between said cell phone and said server:

personalised data of said hearing aid of an individual.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said cell phone is adapted to communicate with a communications network and communicates data from said network to said hearing device.