Hearing aid and method for its adjustment

• US 7,853,028 B2
• Filed: 07/11/2006
• Issued: 12/14/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 07/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Fischer, Eghart
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey; Brian
• Application Number:
  US11/485,050
• Publication Number:
  US 20070009126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,617 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/314, 381/315
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• 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 hearing aid and appertaining method of adjustment permit adjusting a hearing aid more conveniently and more specifically. For this purpose, parameters for real hearing situations are stored in a storage device in the hearing aid or in the remote control for an adjustment procedure by the hearing aid wearer him- or herself. These hearing examples are then reproduced to the hearing aid wearer for the adjustment procedure. The hearing aid wearer therefore does not have to wait for a corresponding hearing situation in his surrounding area for the adjustment process and can repeat the adjustment process as required.

Claims

1. A hearing aid system comprising:

a hearing aid configured to be worn at an ear of a user;

said hearing aid comprising a signal processor that is selectively configurable to operate with different settings respectively in different hearing environments, an earpiece connected to an output of the signal processor that emits an audible signal to the wearer corresponding to an electrical signal at the output of the signal processor, an externally-accessible hearing aid interface connected to the signal processor and allowing a user to manually select a hearing environment to which said signal processor is then set;

a memory accessible by said signal processor, said memory having a plurality of different audio tone examples stored therein respectively for testing the different hearing environments to which the signal processor is configurable; and

said signal processor, upon being set to one of said hearing environments by operation of said hearing aid user interface, being configured to access said memory to retrieve the audio tone example stored therein for the hearing environment to which the signal processor is set, and to cause the audio tone example to be audibly emitted by said earpiece to the user while said user operates said hearing aid interface to adjust the settings of the signal processor for the selected hearing environment.

2. A hearing aid system as claimed in claim 1 comprising a remote unit located externally of and remote from said hearing aid, in which said memory is contained, said remote unit comprising a first communication unit and said hearing aid comprising a second communication unit connected to the signal processor and in remote communication with the first communication unit, and wherein said signal processor is configured to access said memory in said remote unit via said first and second communication units.

3. A hearing aid system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said memory has, for each of said audio tone examples, a stored announcement that verbally describes the hearing environment for which the respective audio tone example is used for testing, and wherein said signal processing unit is configured to, upon retrieving one of said audio tone examples, also retrieve the announcement stored therewith and to play the announcement through the earpiece preceding the audio tone example.

4. A hearing aid system as claimed in claim 3 wherein said signal processor is configured to repeatedly play said announcement followed by said test audio tone example through the earpiece until a predetermined entry is made via said hearing aid user interface.

5. A hearing aid system as claimed in claim 1 wherein said signal processor is configured to be adjusted within a limited adjustment range dependent on the selected hearing environment.

6. A hearing aid system comprising:

a hearing aid configured to be worn at an ear of a user;

said hearing aid comprising a signal processor that is selectively configurable to operate with different settings respectively in different hearing environments, an earpiece connected to an output of the signal processor that emits an audio signal to the wearer corresponding to an electrical signal at the output of the signal processor, and a first communication unit;

a remote control unit comprising a second communication unit in communication with said first communication unit, and an interface allowing a user to communicate, via said first and second communication units, with said signal processor to manually select a hearing environment to which said signal processor is then set;

said remote control unit comprising a memory accessible by said signal processor via said first and second communication units, said memory having a plurality of different audio tone examples stored therein respectively for testing the different hearing environments to which the signal processor is settable; and

said signal processor, upon being set to one of said hearing environments by operation of said interface, being configured to access said memory to retrieve the audio tone example stored therein for the hearing environment to which the signal processor is set, and to cause the audio tone example to be audibly emitted by said earpiece to the user while said user operates said interface to adjust the settings of the signal processor for the selected hearing environment.

7. A hearing aid system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said memory has, for each of said audio tone examples, a stored announcement that verbally describes the hearing environment for which the respective audio tone example is used for testing, and wherein said signal processing unit is configured to, upon retrieving one of said audio tone examples, also retrieve the announcement stored therewith and to play the announcement through the earpiece preceding the audio tone example.

8. A hearing aid system as claimed in claim 7 wherein said signal processor is configured to repeatedly play said announcement followed by said test audio tone example through the earpiece until a predetermined entry is made via said hearing aid user interface.

9. A hearing aid system as claimed in claim 6 wherein said signal processor is configured to be adjusted within a limited adjustment range dependent on the selected hearing environment.

10. A method for adjusting a hearing aid configured to be worn at an ear of a user, said hearing aid comprising a signal processor that is selectively configurable to operate with different settings respectively in different hearing environments, an earpiece connected to an output of the signal processor that emits an audio signal to the wearer corresponding to an electrical signal at the output of the signal processor, said method comprising the steps of:

via an interface in communication with the signal processor, manually selecting a hearing environment to which said signal processor is then set;

in a memory accessible by said signal processor, storing a plurality of different audio tone examples stored therein respectively for testing the different hearing environments to which the signal processor is settable; and

from said signal processor, upon being set to one of said hearing environments by operation of said hearing aid user interface, accessing said memory and retrieving the audio tone example stored therein for the hearing environment to which the signal processor is set, and causing the audio tone example to be audibly emitted by said earpiece to a user while said user operates said interface to adjust the settings of the signal processor for the selected hearing environment.

11. A method as claimed in claim 10 comprising, in said memory, storing, for each of said audio tone examples, an announcement that verbally describes the hearing environment for which the respective audio tone example is used for testing, and from said signal processing unit, upon retrieving one of said audio tone examples, also retrieving the announcement stored therewith and playing the announcement through the earpiece preceding the audio tone example.

12. A method as claimed in claim 10 comprising from said signal processor, repeatedly playing said announcement followed by said test audio tone example through the earpiece until a predetermined entry is made via said interface.

13. A method as claimed in claim 11 comprising allowing said signal processor to be adjusted only within a limited adjustment range dependent on the selected hearing environment.