Hearing aid compatibility in a wireless communications device

• US 7,551,942 B2
• Filed: 07/30/2004
• Issued: 06/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Hawker, Larry Edward, MacIntosh, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Appiah; Charles N
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHEN, EMEM O
• Application Number:
  US10/902,155
• Publication Number:
  US 20060025172A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,789 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/90.1, 455344-346, 455/550.1, 455/66.1, 455/575.2, 455/569.1, 381/314, 381/322, 381/323, 381/72, 381/74, 381/331, 381/312
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A wireless communications device and method for providing an output signal The device includes a control unit for controlling the operation of the wireless communications device; a selection element connected to the control unit and configured to allow selection of several modes of output coupling for generating the output signal of the device; and, a processor connected to the control unit for processing a received signal with parameters selected according to selected mode of output coupling. The several modes of output coupling correspond to several modes of input operation for a hearing aid to improve coupling between the device and the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A wireless communications device for receiving a wireless speech signal and providing at least one output signal, the device comprising:

a) a control unit for controlling the operation of the wireless communications device;

b) a selection means connected to the control unit and configured to allow selection from at least three output coupling modes, the at least three output coupling modes comprising a microphone mode, a telecoil mode, and a microphone/telecoil mode, each of the at least three output coupling modes for generating one of the at least one output signal of the device;

c) a communication subsystem connected to the control unit for receiving the wireless speech signal and producing a received signal;

d) a processor connected to the control unit for receiving the received signal and producing at least one processed received signal, the processor using parameters to generate the at least one processed received signal according to a selected mode from the at least three output coupling modes; and

,

e) an output stage comprising a speaker with a coil, and further comprising an additional device telecoil, the output stage configured to generate the at least one output signal based on the at least one processed received signal

wherein the at least one processed received signal is provided to the speaker and not to the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the microphone mode;

wherein the at least one processed received signal is provided to both the speaker and the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the microphone/telecoil mode; and

wherein the at least three output coupling modes correspond to modes of input operation for a hearing aid to improve coupling between the device and the hearing aid.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the parameters include acoustic digital signal processing equalization parameters when the selected mode comprises the microphone mode.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the parameters include magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the parameters include acoustic/magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters when the selected mode comprises the microphone/telecoil mode.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the device further comprises a data converter connected to the processor for receiving the at least one processed received signal and producing at least one analog signal;

and wherein the output stage is connected to the data converter for receiving the at least one analog signal and producing the at least one output signal.

6. The device of claim 5, wherein the processor generates two processed received signals, one of the two processed received signals being provided to the speaker by the data converter and the other of the two processed received signals being provided to the additional device telecoil by the data converter, and wherein one of the two processed received signals is generated using corresponding to the speaker and the other of the two processed received signals is generated using parameters corresponding to the additional device telecoil.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the at least one processed received signal is provided to the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises telecoil mode.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the at least one processed received signal is provided to the additional device telecoil and not to the speaker when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

9. A method for receiving a wireless speech signal with a device and providing at least one output signal, the method comprising:

a) providing of at least three output coupling modes for the device, the at least three output coupling modes comprising a microphone mode, a telecoil mode, and a microphone/telecoil mode, the at least three output coupling modes corresponding to modes of input operation for a hearing aid to improve coupling between the device and the hearing aid;

b) receiving the wireless speech signal and producing a received signal;

c) generating at least one processed received signal using parameters selected according to a selected mode from the at least three coupling modes; and

,

d) generating the at least one output signal based on the at least one processed received signal using at least one of a speaker with a coil and an additional device telecoil;

wherein output is generated by the speaker and not by the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the microphone mode; and

wherein output is generated by both the sneaker and the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the microphone/telecoil mode.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the method includes providing acoustic digital signal processing equalization parameters as the parameters when the selected mode is comprises the microphone mode.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the method includes providing magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters as the parameters when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the method includes providing acoustic/magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters as the parameters when the selected mode comprises the microphone/telecoil mode.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein comprises:

e) receiving the at least one processed received signal and producing at least one analog signal; and

,

f) receiving the at least one analog signal and producing the at least one output signal.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein

c) comprises generating two processed received signals, one of the two processed received signals being provided to the speaker by a data converter and the other of the two processed received signals being provided to the additional device telecoil by the data converter, and wherein one of the two processed received signals is generated using parameters corresponding to one-of the speaker and the other of the two processed received signals is generated using parameters corresponding to the additional device telecoil.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein output is generated by the additional device telecoil when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein output is generated by the additional device telecoil and not by the speaker when the selected mode comprises the telecoil mode speaker.