Remote control for hearing aid devices

• US 7,330,558 B2
• Filed: 09/29/2004
• Issued: 02/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 09/29/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Niederdränk, Torsten, Arz, Winfried
• Primary Examiner(s): Ni; Suhan
• Application Number:
  US10/953,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20050105751A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,231 Days
• Field of Search: 381/60, 381/312, 381/315, 381/320, 381/321, 381/322
• US Class Current: 381/315
• 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 remote control for a hearing aid device prevents incorrect operation by having operating elements that effect a signal transmission from the remote control to a hearing aid device disposed on a first side of the remote control housing, and operating elements that additionally effect a signal transmission from the hearing aid device back to the remote control disposed on a second housing side of the remote control. The first and second housing sides are disposed in an easily tactilely distinguishable relation to each other, such as by being substantially orthogonal. The different functions of the operating elements and therefore can be differentiated purely by contact with the remote control.

Claims

1. A remote control for a hearing aid device comprising:

a housing having a plurality of housing sides, with a first of said housing sides being disposed in an easily tactilely distinguishable relation to a second of said housing sides;

first operating elements disposed on said first of said housing side for, upon actuation of any of said first operating elements, effecting transmission of a control signal from the housing to a hearing aid device;

at least one second operating element disposed on said second of said housing sides, with actuation of said at least one second operating element causing both transmission of a signal from said housing to a hearing aid device and transmission of a signal from the hearing aid device to the housing; and

an indicator generator at said housing for, dependent on said signal from said hearing aid device to said housing, generating a humanly perceptible indicator of at least one of a property of the hearing aid device, a state of the hearing aid device, and a setting of the hearing aid device.

2. A remote control as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first of said housing sides is disposed substantially orthogonally to said second of said housing sides.

3. A remote control as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first of said housing sides has dimensions that significantly differ from dimensions of said second of said housing sides.

4. A remote control as claimed in claim 1 comprising a plurality of second operating elements, all disposed on said second of said housing sides.

5. A remote control as claimed in claim 4 wherein all of said first operating elements are exclusively disposed on said first of said housing sides.

6. A remote control as claimed in claim 1 comprising a base module containing a transmitter for transmitting said signal to said hearing aid, and a receiving module detachably connectable to said base module, said receiving module containing a receiver for receiving said signal from said hearing aid device, and wherein said housing comprises a housing of said base module and a housing of the receiving module connected to the base module, and wherein said first of said housing sides is a side of said housing of said base module and said second of said housing sides is a side of said housing of said receiving module.

7. A remote control as claimed in claim 1 wherein said first operating elements include a selection element for selectively applying said control signal to one of a first heating aid device or a second hearing aid device, or to both of a first hearing aid device and a second hearing aid device.

8. A remote control as claimed in claim 1 wherein one of said first operating elements comprises a selection device allowing selection of different functions for another of said first operating elements.

9. A remote control as claimed in claim 1 wherein said indicator generator is selected from the group consisting of visual displays, acoustic signal generators and vibrators.