Device and method to remotely operate a hearing device

• US 7,142,681 B2
• Filed: 02/12/2004
• Issued: 11/28/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 02/12/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Kortekaas, Reinier
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/777,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20040179708A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,020 Days
• Field of Search: 381/315, 381/312, 381/329, 345/168, 345/175, 345/169, 345/170, 345/173, 345/174, 382/106, 341/20, 341/21, 341/22, 341/23, 341/26, 400/472, 400/479
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

The manual operation of hearing devices is simplified using a remote control that provides a projection device in order to project virtual buttons on a back of a hand. A sensor device registers, as necessary, an operation of the virtual buttons, whereupon a corresponding control signal is wirelessly transmitted to the hearing device. Very large buttons can thereby specially be made available for older patients or those who are dexterilly challenged.

Claims

1. A device to remotely operate a hearing device, comprising:

an input device integrated into a wristband or wristwatch and is configured to manually input control data, the input device comprising;

a projection device configured to project one or more virtual input elements onto a surface of a human body that is a back of a hand; and

a sensor device configured to register an operation of the virtual input elements.

2. The device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual input elements comprises at least one of images of buttons, rotary switches and sliding switches.

3. The device according to claim 1, wherein the one or more virtual input elements comprise at least one of images of buttons of a program switch and a loudspeaker control.

4. The device according to claim 1, wherein the virtual input elements are scalable in size.

5. The device according to claim 1, wherein the projection device is configured to be freely programmable with regard to the projected information.

6. The device according to claim 1, further comprising an activation device as a single physical control element of the device.

7. The device according to claim 1, wherein the input device further comprises a wireless transmitter configured to transmit control signals based on information obtained from the sensor device to the hearing device.

8. The device according to claim 1, wherein all of the virtual input elements are configured to be projected with the projection device simultaneously onto the surface of the human body.

9. A method to remotely operate a hearing device, comprising:

projecting, with a device integrated into a wristband or wristwatch, one or more virtual elements onto a surface of a human body which is a back of a hand;

manually inputting information via the one or more virtual elements, thereby registering an operation;

converting registered operation data to control signals; and

communicating the control signals to the hearing device.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising registering the operation of the one or more virtual input elements quasi-continuously or discretely.

11. The method according to claim 9, further comprising adjusting a program or a loudspeaker of the hearing device with the input device.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising individually adapting a size of the one or more virtual input elements.

13. The method according to claim 9, further comprising freely programming the information to be projected.

14. The method according to claim 9, further comprising invoking the method by operating a physical activator.

15. The method according to claim 9, wherein all of the virtual input elements are simultaneously projected onto the surface of the human body.