Mobile transceiver and electronic module for controlling the transceiver

• US 7,062,223 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2003
• Issued: 06/13/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 03/18/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Phonak Communications AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak Communications AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Gysin, Stefan, Gerber, Louis
• Primary Examiner(s): Orgad, Edan
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rego, Dominic E.
• Application Number:
  US10/391,219
• Publication Number:
  US 20040185773A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,183 Days
• Field of Search: 455/3.06, 455/221, 455/309, 455/312, 455/500, 455/526, 455/88, 455/132, 455/414.1, 455/517, 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/102, 455/103, 455/507, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/11.1, 348/706, 348/825.51, 370/395.42, 370/444
• US Class Current: 455/3.06
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/20 for coupling gramophone pick-up, recorder output, or microphone to receiver
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A mobile transceiver (1) comprises several receivers (16a, 16b, 16c, 17, 18, 19) for receiving electrical or electromagnetic signals carrying audio signals and a radio transmitter (15) for transmitting radio signals carrying audio signals. The mobile transceiver (1) comprises a prioritizing module (101) for assigning priority values to audio signals received by the receivers (16a, 16b, 16c, 17, 18, 19). The prioritizing module (101) is designed to assign priority values in accordance with priority values assigned to the receivers (16a, 16b, 16c, 17, 18, 19) that received the audio signal concerned and/or to signal identifiers contained in the received electrical or electromagnetic signals carrying the audio signal concerned. The mobile transceiver (1) makes it possible to receive several audio signals separately from different audio sources, to prioritize automatically the received audio signals, and to select automatically and transmit one of the several received audio signals to the user, thereby assisting the possibly hearing impaired user in differentiating audio signals from different audio sources.

Claims

1. Mobile transceiver comprising a receiver for receiving electrical or electromagnetic signals, the electrical or electromagnetic signals carrying audio signals, and a radio transmitter for transmitting radio signals carrying audio signals,

wherein the mobile transceiver comprises several receivers for receiving electrical or electromagnetic signals carrying audio signals,

wherein the mobile transceiver comprises a prioritizing module for assigning priority values to audio signals received by the several receivers, and

wherein the mobile transceiver comprises a relay module for forwarding the received audio signal having the highest assigned priority value to the radio transmitter for transmission by radio signals.

2. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein the prioritizing module is designed to assign a priority value to a received audio signal in accordance with a priority value assigned to the receiver that received that audio signal.

3. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein the prioritizing module is designed to assign a priority value to a received audio signal in accordance with a priority value assigned to a signal identifier contained in that received audio signal or in accordance with a priority value assigned to a signal identifier contained in the received electrical or electromagnetic signal that carried that received audio signal.

4. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein it comprises an interface for assigning priority values to the several receivers and/or to signal identifiers.

5. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein it comprises several stored sets of priority values, each set comprising different assignments of priority values to the several receivers and/or to signal identifiers, and wherein the mobile transceiver comprises an interface for activating one of the sets.

6. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein it comprises positioning means for determining the current geographic position, and wherein the prioritizing module is designed to assign a priority value to a received audio signal in accordance with the determined current geographic position.

7. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein it comprises time determination means for determining the current time, and wherein the prioritizing module is designed to assign a priority value to a received audio signal in accordance with the determined current time.

8. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a log module for recording historical priority values assigned to the several receivers or to signal identifiers, and wherein the prioritizing module is designed to assign a priority value to a received audio signal in accordance with the recorded historical priority value assigned to the receiver that received that audio signal, or assigned to the signal identifier contained in the received electrical or electromagnetic signal that carried that received audio signal.

9. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a microphone, wherein the prioritizing module is designed for assigning priority values to audio signals received by the microphone and wherein the relay module is designed for forwarding audio signals received by the microphone to the radio transmitter for transmission by radio signals when the audio signal received by the microphone has the highest assigned priority value.

10. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein the radio transmitter is designed to transmit radio signals in a frequency range different from the frequency ranges of the electromagnetic signals received by the several receivers.

11. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein the radio transmitter is designed to transmit radio signals in a form different from the form of the electromagnetic signals received by the several receivers.

12. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein it comprises a buffer for buffering a received audio signal having a higher assigned priority than the audio signal currently being forwarded to the radio transmitter, and wherein the relay module is designed to fade out the volume of the audio signal currently being forwarded to the radio transmitter before forwarding the buffered audio signal to the radio transmitter.

13. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein the radio transmitter is a low power unidirectional radio transmitter with a transmitting power in the range of 0.1 milliwatts to 100 milliwatts, wherein the several receivers for receiving electrical signals comprise connectors for connecting external audio sources to the mobile transceiver, and wherein the several receivers for receiving electromagnetic signals are designed to receive electromagnetic signals in the radio and/or infrared frequency range for wireless reception of audio signals from external audio sources.

14. Mobile transceiver according to claim 1, wherein at least some of the several receivers are coupled with a corresponding additional transmitter for bidirectional exchange of audio signals.

15. Electronic device comprising a mobile transceiver according to one of the claims 1 to 14.

16. Electronic module for controlling a mobile transceiver according to claim 1 comprising a signal interface module for receiving electrical signals carrying audio signals from several receivers connectable to the electronic module,

a prioritizing module for assigning priority values to audio signals received by the signal interface module, and

a relay module for forwarding the received audio signal having the highest assigned priority value to a radio transmitter connectable to the electronic module.

17. Electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the prioritizing module is designed to assign a priority value to a received audio signal in accordance with a priority value assigned to the receiver from which the audio signal was received.

18. Electronic module according to claim 16, wherein the prioritizing module is designed to assign a priority value to a received audio signal in accordance with a priority value assigned to a signal identifier contained in that received audio signal or in accordance with a priority value assigned to a signal identifier contained in the received electrical signal that carried that received audio signal.

19. Electronic module according to claim 16, wherein it comprises an interface for assigning priority values to the several receivers and/or to signal identifiers.

20. Electronic module according to claim 16, wherein it comprises several stored sets of priority values, each set comprising different assignments of priority values to the several receivers and/or to signal identifiers, and wherein the electronic module comprises an interface for activating one of the sets.

21. Electronic module according to claim 16, wherein it comprises a log module for recording historical priority values assigned to the several receivers or to signal identifiers, and wherein the prioritizing module is designed to assign a priority value to a received audio signal in accordance with the recorded historical priority value assigned to the receiver from which that audio signal was received or assigned to the signal identifier contained in the received electrical signal that carried that received audio signal.

22. Electronic module according to claim 16, wherein it comprises a buffer for buffering a received audio signal having a higher assigned priority than the audio signal currently being forwarded to the radio transmitter, and wherein the relay module is designed to fade out the volume of the audio signal currently being forwarded to the radio transmitter before forwarding the buffered audio signal to the radio transmitter.