Method of programming a hearing aid by a programming device

• US 7,639,822 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2005
• Issued: 12/29/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Westergaard, Anders
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz; Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson; Ryan C
• Application Number:
  US11/226,348
• Publication Number:
  US 20060008102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,566 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/314, 381/323, 381/60, 710/8, 320/114, 320/132, 320/134, 320/148, 320/152, 395/195, 395/196, 365/201
• US Class Current: 381/60
• CPC Class Codes: G01R 19/16542 for batteries charge condition monitoring in G01R31/36
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A battery-powered hearing aid (1) is programmed via a programming device (2), the hearing aid (1) having a battery (11) and a line connection (3, 4) for connecting the battery (11) to the programming device (2). The programming device uses a variable voltage source (5) and an input comparator (6) with a first and a second input terminal and an output terminal to output a variable voltage to one input of the input comparator (6) and determining the voltage of the hearing aid battery (11) by using the second input of the input comparator (6) of the programming device (2). By ramping the output of the variable voltage source (5) used as a reference, the voltage of the battery (11) can be determined with great accuracy using existing hearing aid programming circuitry.

Claims

1. A method of determining the voltage of a battery in a hearing aid, comprising the steps of

providing a line connection for connecting the hearing aid to a programming device;

providing in the programming device a variable voltage source and an input comparator;

connecting a first input terminal of the input comparator to the voltage source;

connecting a second input terminal of the input comparator to the line connection;

controlling the voltage source to output a voltage that varies according to a predetermined pattern, by ramping the voltage using a D/A converter;

determining by the programming device the instant of a change at an output of the input comparator; and

determining by the programming device as the value of the battery voltage the value of the voltage source output voltage at said instant of a change at the output of the input comparator.

2. The method according to claim 1, comprising detecting the presence of a hearing aid by sending a data telegram from the programming device to the hearing aid and testing for the reception of an acknowledge data telegram from the hearing aid.

3. The method according to claim 1, comprising detecting the presence of a hearing aid by detecting a change in voltage of the second input terminal of the input comparator.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of controlling the voltage source to output a voltage that varies according to a predetermined pattern comprises applying by means of the voltage source a probe voltage different from the expected battery voltage and ramping the probe voltage up or down.

5. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of detecting whether the battery voltage is below a predetermined voltage upper limit.

6. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of detecting whether the battery voltage is above a predetermined voltage lower limit.

7. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of varying the controllable voltage by outputting initially a voltage at a level above a predetermined upper limit and then ramping the voltage downwards.

8. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of varying the controllable voltage by outputting initially a voltage at a level below a predetermined lower limit and then ramping the voltage upwards.

9. The method according to claim 1, comprising the step of ramping the voltage in step-wise decrements.

10. A method of programming a hearing aid, comprising the steps of

providing a line connection for connecting the hearing aid to a programming device;

providing in the programming device a variable voltage source and an input comparator;

connecting a first input terminal of the input comparator to the voltage source;

connecting a second input terminal of the input comparator to the line connection;

detecting the presence of a hearing aid by sending a data telegram from the programming device to the hearing aid and testing for the reception of an acknowledge data telegram from the hearing aid;

controlling the voltage source to output a voltage that varies according to a predetermined pattern;

determining by the programming device the instant of a change at an output of the input comparator;

determining by the programming device as the value of a battery voltage of the hearing aid the value of the voltage source output voltage at said instant of a change at the output of the input comparator; and

writing programming data from the programming device to the hearing aid.