Listening assistance function in phone terminals
First Claim
1. A method, comprising a user placing a mobile phone terminal near a local acoustic source in an ambient noise situation presenting a hearing challenge to said user in hearing said local acoustic source;
- said user switching a mode of the mobile phone terminal from a phone mode to a listening assistance mode;
said mobile phone terminal transmitting to a headset, hearing aid, or earpiece worn by said user a transmitted signal generated by the mobile phone terminal in said listening assistance mode in response to a microphone signal from a microphone of said mobile phone terminal indicative of a local acoustic signal from said local acoustic source; and
providing to the user an output acoustic signal by the headset, the hearing aid, or the earphone in response to said transmitted signal thus providing listening assistance in said ambient noise situation to the user in hearing said local acoustic signal in said listening assistance mode, wherein said switching of the mode of the mobile phone terminal to the listening assistance mode comprises;
providing a listening command signal to a mode switch block of said mobile phone terminal; and
providing, in response to said listening command signal, a switching mode signal to an audio enhancement module of the mobile phone terminal or to a listening audio enhancement module of the mobile phone terminal and providing said listening command signal optionally;
to a receiving and decoding module of the mobile phone terminal, to said microphone or to an analog-to-digital converter of the mobile phone terminal.
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Accused Products
Abstract
The specification and drawings present a new method, apparatus and software product for listening assistance to a user of a phone terminal with a headset or a hearing aid for selective listening of a local acoustic source in a noisy environment by said user utilizing a combination of said phone terminal and said headset. The method for the listening assistance comprises of placing the phone terminal near a desired local acoustic source, switching a mode of the phone terminal to a listening mode, providing to the headset or to the hearing aid a signal (e.g., a wireless signal) generated by the phone terminal in response to an acoustic signal from the local acoustic source, and providing to the user an output acoustic signal generated by the headset or by the hearing aid in response to that signal thus providing said listening assistance to the user.
39 Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method, comprising a user placing a mobile phone terminal near a local acoustic source in an ambient noise situation presenting a hearing challenge to said user in hearing said local acoustic source;
- said user switching a mode of the mobile phone terminal from a phone mode to a listening assistance mode;
said mobile phone terminal transmitting to a headset, hearing aid, or earpiece worn by said user a transmitted signal generated by the mobile phone terminal in said listening assistance mode in response to a microphone signal from a microphone of said mobile phone terminal indicative of a local acoustic signal from said local acoustic source; and
providing to the user an output acoustic signal by the headset, the hearing aid, or the earphone in response to said transmitted signal thus providing listening assistance in said ambient noise situation to the user in hearing said local acoustic signal in said listening assistance mode, wherein said switching of the mode of the mobile phone terminal to the listening assistance mode comprises;
providing a listening command signal to a mode switch block of said mobile phone terminal; and
providing, in response to said listening command signal, a switching mode signal to an audio enhancement module of the mobile phone terminal or to a listening audio enhancement module of the mobile phone terminal and providing said listening command signal optionally;
to a receiving and decoding module of the mobile phone terminal, to said microphone or to an analog-to-digital converter of the mobile phone terminal. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
- said user switching a mode of the mobile phone terminal from a phone mode to a listening assistance mode;
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17. A system, comprising:
- a mobile phone terminal, for placing near a local acoustic source in an ambient noise situation presenting a hearing challenge to a user of the mobile phone terminal in hearing said local acoustic source, for switching to a listening assistance mode, transmitting a signal in response to a microphone signal from a microphone of said phone terminal indicative of a local acoustic signal from said local acoustic source; and
a headset, hearing aid, or earpiece, responsive to said transmitted signal, for providing to said user an output acoustic signal generated by said headset, hearing aid, or earpiece in response to said transmitted signal, thus providing listening assistance to the user in said listening assistance mode of said mobile phone terminal, wherein said switching to the listening assistance mode comprises;
providing a listening command signal to a mode switch block of said mobile phone terminal; and
providing, in response to said listening command signal, a switching mode signal to an audio enhancement module of the mobile phone terminal or to a listening audio enhancement module of the mobile phone terminal and providing said listening command signal optionally;
to a receiving and decoding module of the mobile phone terminal, to said microphone or to an analog-to-digital converter of the mobile phone terminal. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20, 21)
- a mobile phone terminal, for placing near a local acoustic source in an ambient noise situation presenting a hearing challenge to a user of the mobile phone terminal in hearing said local acoustic source, for switching to a listening assistance mode, transmitting a signal in response to a microphone signal from a microphone of said phone terminal indicative of a local acoustic signal from said local acoustic source; and
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22. A mobile phone terminal, comprising a mode switch block, responsive to a listening command signal for switching to a listening assistance mode, for providing in an ambient noise situation presenting a hearing challenge to a user of the mobile phone terminal in hearing a local acoustic source, in response to said listening command signal, a switching mode signal for switching to said listening assistance mode;
- and at least one microphone, responsive to a local acoustic signal from said local acoustic source, for generating at least one microphone signal indicative of a local acoustic signal which is used by said phone terminal for providing a transmitted signal to a headset, hearing aid, or earpiece for providing listening assistance to said user, wherein said transmitted signal is generated by said mobile phone terminal using said switching mode signal, wherein said switching of the mode of the mobile phone terminal to the listening assistance mode comprises;
providing a listening command signal to a mode switch block of said mobile phone terminal; and
providing, in response to said listening command signal, a switching mode signal to an audio enhancement module of the mobile phone terminal or to a listening audio enhancement module of the mobile phone terminal and providing said listening command signal optionally;
to a receiving and decoding module of the mobile phone terminal, to said microphone or to an analog-to-digital converter of the mobile phone terminal. - View Dependent Claims (23, 24, 25, 26)
- and at least one microphone, responsive to a local acoustic signal from said local acoustic source, for generating at least one microphone signal indicative of a local acoustic signal which is used by said phone terminal for providing a transmitted signal to a headset, hearing aid, or earpiece for providing listening assistance to said user, wherein said transmitted signal is generated by said mobile phone terminal using said switching mode signal, wherein said switching of the mode of the mobile phone terminal to the listening assistance mode comprises;
Specification