Hearing system, hearing device and method of operating and method of maintaining a hearing device

• US 8,032,079 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2005
• Issued: 10/04/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/03/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Schneider, Philip, Launer, Stefan, Hasler, Ivo
• Primary Examiner(s): Ferguson; Keith
• Application Number:
  US11/266,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20070098194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: 455/11.1, 455/550.1, 455/569.1, 455/569.2, 455/575.1, 455/575.2, 455/422.1, 455/403, 455/517, 455418-420, 455/445, 4554141-4144, 381/60, 381/312, 381/314
• US Class Current: 455/11.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

The hearing device is adapted to automatically requesting an establishment of a communication connection to at least one hearing device support provider. The hearing device support provider may comprise a person knowledgeable in hearing devices, at the hearing device seller and/or at the hearing device manufacturer, and it may comprise a computer with a suitable software. Said automatically requesting said establishment of said communication connection will usually happen, when at least one change in internal status of the hearing device occurs, like a failure or a memory overflow or the upcome of a repeatedly occurring event. The hearing device may by itself decide upon the type of change in internal status, which hearing device support provider to connect to. Typically, at least one long-range communication connection is involved.

Claims

1. Hearing device that automatically requests, without intervention of a person wearing the hearing device, an establishment of a communication connection to at least one hearing device support provider over a communication network, wherein said hearing device support provider substantially is a computer with a support or maintenance software to remotely communicate with said hearing device over said communication network, and said computer with the support or maintenance software automatically initiates, without user intervention, a task in reaction to data received from said hearing device for automatically solving a problem which lead the hearing device to request said establishment of said communication connection.

2. The hearing device according to claim 1, which is adapted to automatically requesting said establishment of said communication connection to said hearing device support provider when at least one change in internal status of the hearing device of a predetermined group of changes in internal status of the hearing device occurs.

3. The hearing device according to claim 2, wherein said group of changes in internal status of the hearing device comprises at least one of

a failure of said hearing device or of a part thereof;

a drop of a charge of a battery of said hearing device below a certain level;

a drop of an amount of free data storage memory of said hearing device below a certain level;

a reaching of a certain amplification gain during a time span, during which said amplification gain is gradually increased by an acclimatization manager of said hearing device;

a reaching of a time limit.

4. The hearing device according to claim 2, which comprises a controller adapted to deciding, in dependence of said at least one change in internal status of the hearing device, which of a number of said at least one hearing device support providers to establish a communication connection to.

5. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said communication connection comprises at least one long-range communication connection between said hearing device and said hearing device support provider.

6. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said requesting of said establishment of said communication connection comprises sending a signal to a user of said hearing device over said communication network.

7. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said hearing device support provider comprises an individual.

8. The hearing device according to claim 7, wherein said individual is associated with a manufacturer of said hearing device.

9. The hearing device according to claim 7, wherein said individual is associated with a hearing device seller.

10. A hearing system comprising

a hearing device that automatically requests, without intervention of a person wearing the hearing device, establishment of a communication connection to at least one hearing device support provider over a communication network, wherein said hearing device support provider substantially is a computer comprising a support or maintenance software to remotely communicate with said hearing device over said communication network and to automatically initiate, without user intervention, a task in response to receiving data from said hearing device, where said task is initiated by said computer comprising said support or maintenance software to solve a problem which lead the hearing device to request said establishment of said communication connection;

and

a communication device adapted to providing for long-range communication connections;

wherein said hearing device is adapted to be functionally connected to said communication device to remotely communicate with said hearing device support provider over said communication network.

11. Method of operating a hearing device, comprising the step of automatically, without intervention of a person wearing the hearing device, establishing a communication connection over a communication network to at least one remotely-located hearing device support provider upon a request generated automatically by said hearing device, wherein said hearing device support provider substantially is a computer with a support or maintenance software to remotely communicate with said hearing device over said communication network, said method further comprising sending data from said hearing device to said computer with said support or maintenance software, wherein said data sent from said hearing device results in said computer automatically, and without user intervention, initiating a task in reaction to receiving said data to solve a problem associated with said hearing device which lead said hearing device to perform said step of establishing said communication connection.

12. The method according to claim 11, comprising the step of establishing a communication connection to at least one hearing device support provider upon a request generated automatically by said hearing device when at least one change in internal status of the hearing device of a predetermined group of changes in internal status of the hearing device occurs.

13. The method according to claim 11 or claim 12, comprising the step of sending a signal to a user of said hearing device over said communication network.

14. The method according to claim 11, furthermore comprising the step of deciding, in dependence of at least one change in internal status of the hearing device, which of a number of said at least one hearing device support providers to establish a communication connection to.

15. The method according to claim 11, comprising the step of generating said request automatically when a problem occurs in the hearing device.

16. The method according to claim 11, wherein said data are data indicative of a problem of the hearing device.

17. The method according to claim 16, wherein said problem is a cause for said request generated automatically by said hearing device, and wherein said initiating at least one task is carried out for automatically solving said problem.

18. Method for maintaining a hearing device, comprising the step of automatically, without intervention of a person wearing the hearing device, requesting establishment of a communication connection over a communication network comprising at least one long-range communication connection to at least one hearing device support provider upon a request generated automatically by said hearing device, wherein said hearing device support provider substantially is a computer with a support or maintenance software that automatically, and without user intervention, initiates a task in response to receiving data from said hearing device, where said task is initiated by said computer comprising said support or maintenance software for solving a problem associated with said hearing device which lead said hearing device to establish said communication connection.

19. A hearing device support system comprising:

a hearing device adapted to automatically, without intervention of a person wearing the hearing device, request an establishment of a communication connection to at least one hearing device support provider; and

a computer with a support or maintenance software that is remotely located from said hearing device and is to communicate with said hearing device over a communication network comprising at least one long-range communication connection, wherein said hearing device support provider substantially is said computer and said computer is capable of initiating a task in reaction to data received from said hearing device for automatically, and without user intervention, solving a problem which lead the hearing device to request said establishment of said communication connection.