Preserving localization information from modeling to assembling

• US 7,571,018 B2
• Filed: 06/14/2006
• Issued: 08/04/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Roth, Samuel Hans Martin, Haenggi, Stefan, Widmer, Christoph
• Primary Examiner(s): Bahta; Kidest
• Application Number:
  US11/423,968
• Publication Number:
  US 20070293972A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,147 Days
• Field of Search: 700/98, 700/118, 700/182, 383/22, 381/322, 381/328, 381/356, 381/324, 264/401
• US Class Current: 700/98
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/77 Design aspects, e.g. CAD, of hearing aid tips, moulds or housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/609 of circuitry of electronic switches or control elements H04R25/603
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/652 Ear tips; Ear moulds hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

For manufacturing a hearing device a three-dimensional model (9) of the application area for the device at an individual is made. When digitally treating such model a three-dimensional orientation system is applied (11). When the shell is produced (13) assembling of units to the shell is performed relative to the orientation system which is preserved during shell manufacturing.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing a hearing device wherein a three-dimensional model of an application area for the device at an individual is made and the three dimensional model is further treated by modelling, and then a shell of the hearing device is produced departing from the three dimensional model and at least one unit is assembled to the shell, the method comprising the steps of:

treating the three dimensional model includes providing a three-dimensional orientation system to the three dimensional model for local orientation relative to said three-dimensional orientation system;

said modelling includes adding a model of a unit and/or removing and/or adding a part from or to said model, and preserving information indicative for location of said unit and/or removing and/or adding a part relative to said three-dimensional orientation system;

said producing of said shell includes assigning a marking to said shell identifying said three-dimensional orientation system;

said assembling includes controlling local arrangement of said unit and/or removing and/or adding a part from or to said shell, based on said orientation system as identified at said shell and said information preserved.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said three-dimensional model of said application area is made by in-situ scanning said application area.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said three-dimensional model of said application area is made by taking a mold of said application area and scanning said mold.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said three-dimensional model is digitally treated by said modelling.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said assigning a marking comprises producing the marking at said shell.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said marking includes at least one of embossments and of projections at a surface of said shell.

7. The method of claim 3, applying said three-dimensional orientation system comprising linking the marking to said mold.

8. The system of claim 7, comprising linking said marking to said mold during taking said mold.

9. The method of claim 2, applying said three-dimensional orientation system comprising linking the marking to said scan.

10. The method of one of claims 7 to 9, thereby selecting said marking to identify a horizontal line of sight direction of said individual.

11. The method of claim 1, applying said three-dimensional orientation system comprising linking a positioning structure for said unit to said model and/or linking a contour to said model.

12. The method of claim 1, applying said three-dimensional orientation system comprising applying guiding members to said model, for guiding assembling of a unit to said shell.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said unit is a faceplate.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein said guiding members are removable guiding pins projecting from the outer surface of said shell.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein said hearing device is one of a completely-in-the-canal hearing device, an in-the-ear hearing device, an outside-the-ear hearing device.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein said hearing device is a hearing aid device.

17. A method of manufacturing a hearing device with a shell and with a unit therein, an output signal of the unit in operation being dependent from spatial position and/or orientation thereof, the method comprising the steps of:

applying the unit in-situ adjacent an application area for the hearing device;

operating the unit and monitoring the output signal of said unit;

varying position and/or orientation of the unit to optimize the output signal as monitored;

holding an optimum position of the unit as found;

generating a model of the application area for the device at said individual and with said unit in optimum position, and

manufacturing the hearing device in dependency of said model as generated.