Hearing aid compatibility mode switching for a mobile station

• US 7,773,943 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2005
• Issued: 08/10/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 11/04/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Wieczorek, Alfred B., Kelley, Scott D., Zurek, Robert A., Isabelle, Scott K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Phu; Sanh D
• Application Number:
  US11/267,676
• Publication Number:
  US 20070116308A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,740 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/63.1, 381/315, 381/316, 381/317, 381/312
• US Class Current: 455/41.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A mobile station (100) that includes a processor (212) that selectively disables at least one station component to reduce electromagnetic noise generated by the station in the frequency range below 20 kHz when the mobile station is operated in the hearing aid compatible mode. The component can be, for example, a display (204), a light (206) or a wireless interface (208). The processor also can optimize characteristics of audio signals transmitted from the mobile station to the hearing aid for reproduction by the hearing aid. For instance, the processor can selectively adjust filter parameters (216) and/or a signal gain (218) applied to audio signals. A user interface (220) having a soft-key can be provided to cycle through various HAC options.

Claims

1. A mobile station comprising:

a processor that selectively disables at least one mobile station component to reduce electromagnetic noise generated by the mobile station in the frequency range below 20 kHz when the mobile station is operated in a hearing aid compatible mode;

wherein the processor further optimizes characteristics of audio signals transmitted from the mobile station to a hearing aid for reproduction by the hearing aid.

2. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the at least one component is selected from the group consisting of a display, a light and a wireless interface.

3. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the processor selectively adjusts at least one parameter applied to the audio signals selected from the group consisting of a filter parameter and a signal gain.

4. The mobile station of claim 1, further comprising a hearing aid adapter that communicatively links the mobile station to a hearing aid via a wireless communication link or an acoustic communication link.

5. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid adapter comprises an induction coupler that inductively couples an audio signal from the mobile station to the hearing aid.

6. The mobile station of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid adapter comprises a transmitter that transmits an audio signal from the mobile station to the hearing aid via a modulated electromagnetic signal.

7. The mobile station of claim 1, further comprising a user interface configured to receive at least one user input to enter the mobile station into a normal mode, a wireless coupling mode or an acoustic coupling mode.

8. The mobile station of claim 1, wherein the mobile station further comprises a user interface comprising a soft-key that, responsive to receiving a plurality of user inputs after a call has been established, causes the mobile station to cycle through a plurality of hearing aid communication modes.

9. A machine readable storage, having stored thereon a computer program having a plurality of code sections executable by a machine for causing the machine to perform the step of selectively disabling at least one mobile station component to reduce electromagnetic noise generated by the station in the frequency range below 20 kHz when the mobile station is operated in a hearing aid compatible mode;

wherein the step of selectively disabling the station component comprises disabling at least one component selected from the group consisting of a display, a light and a wireless interface.

10. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further causing the machine to optimize characteristics of audio signals transmitted from the mobile station to a hearing aid for reproduction by the hearing aid.

11. The machine readable storage of claim 10, wherein the step of optimizing the signal characteristics comprises selectively adjusting at least one parameter applied to the audio signals selected from the group consisting of filter parameters and a signal gain.

12. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further causing the machine to inductively couple an audio signal from the mobile station to a hearing aid.

13. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further causing the machine to transmit an audio signal from the mobile station to a hearing aid via a modulated electromagnetic signal.

14. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further causing the machine to enter into a normal mode, a wireless coupling mode or an acoustic coupling mode in response to receiving at least one user input via a user interface.

15. The machine readable storage of claim 9, further causing the machine to cycle through a plurality of hearing aid communication modes in response to receiving a plurality of user inputs via a soft-key of a user interface, the user inputs being received after a call has been established.

16. A method for facilitating interoperability between a mobile station and a hearing aid, comprising selectively disabling at least one station component to reduce electromagnetic noise generated by the station in the frequency range below 20 kHz when the mobile station is operated in a hearing aid compatible mode;

wherein selectively disabling the mobile station component comprises disabling at least one component selected from the group consisting of a display, a light and a wireless interface.

17. The method according to claim 16, further comprising optimizing characteristics of audio signals transmitted from the mobile station to a hearing aid for reproduction by the hearing aid.

18. A mobile station comprising:

a processor that selectively disables at least one mobile station component to reduce electromagnetic noise generated by the mobile station in the frequency range below 20 kHz when the mobile station is operated in a hearing aid compatible mode;

wherein the at least one component is selected from the group consisting of a display, a light and a wireless interface.