Fully automatic switching on/off in hearing aids

• US 8,130,990 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 03/06/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Reithinger, Jürgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Ho, Tu-Tu
• Application Number:
  US12/283,677
• Publication Number:
  US 20090087005A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,268 Days
• Field of Search: 381/315, 381/56, 381/11, 381/23.1, 381/123
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

In a hearing aid system comprising two hearing aids between which wireless signal transmission is provided. The hearing aids are automatically switched on and off. To this end, a field strength or value of an electromagnetic signal received by a hearing aid that is transmitted from the respective other hearing aid may be determined. The determined value is compared with a threshold value, the relevant hearing aid being switched off (sleep mode), as long as the field strength is greater than the threshold value and the hearing aid being switched on as long as the measured field strength is lower than the threshold value.

Claims

1. A hearing aid system, comprising:

a first and a second hearing aid, each comprising;

an input transducer for receiving an input signal and converting into an electrical input signal,

a signal processing unit for processing and amplifying the electrical input signal and emitting an electrical output signal,

an output transducer for converting the electrical output signal into an output signal perceivable by a user as an acoustic signal, and

a wireless signal transmission between the hearing aids,

wherein a signal transmitted wirelessly from the second hearing aid to the first hearing aid is received in the first hearing aid,

wherein the first hearing aid automatically switches the respective hearing aid on or off based on a field strength of the received signal,

wherein for the automatic switching the respective hearing aid on or off, the field strength or a variable dependent on the field strength is at least approximately determined by the first hearing aid, and

wherein the determined field strength or the determined variable dependent is compared with a first threshold value, and

wherein the first hearing aid is automatically switched on or off when the determined field strength or the determined variable dependent exceeds the first threshold value.

2. The hearing aid system as claimed in claim 1, wherein a control signal transmitted from the first hearing aid to the second hearing aid automatically switches the second hearing aid on or off.

5. The hearing aid system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and second hearing aids each exclude a manually actuatable on or off switch for the switching on or off of the respective hearing aid.

3. The hearing aid system as claimed 1, wherein the first hearing aid comprises a level measuring device for determining the signal level of the signal received in the first hearing aid or a signal arising therefrom.

4. The hearing aid system as claimed in claim 3, wherein the level measuring device is incorporated in a receiving filter stage or receiving amplifier stage of the first hearing aid.

6. A hearing aid system, comprising:

a first and a second hearing aid, each comprising;

an input transducer for receiving an input signal and converting into an electrical input signal,

a signal processing unit for processing and amplifying the electrical input signal and emitting an electrical output signal,

an output transducer for converting the electrical output signal into an output signal perceivable by a user as an acoustic signal, and

a wireless signal transmission between the hearing aids,

wherein a signal transmitted wirelessly from the second hearing aid to the first hearing aid is received in the first hearing aid,

wherein the first hearing aid automatically switches the respective hearing aid on or off based on a field strength of the received signal,

wherein for the automatic switching the respective hearing aid on or off, the field strength or a variable dependent on the field strength is at least approximately determined by the first hearing aid, and

wherein the determined field strength or the determined variable dependent is compared with a second threshold value, and

wherein the first hearing aid is automatically switched on or off when the determined field strength or the determined variable dependent is below the second threshold value.

7. A hearing aid system, comprising:

a first and a second hearing aid, each comprising;

an input transducer for receiving an input signal and converting into an electrical input signal,

a signal processing unit for processing and amplifying the electrical input signal and emitting an electrical output signal,

an output transducer for converting the electrical output signal into an output signal perceivable by a user as an acoustic signal, and

a wireless signal transmission between the hearing aids,

wherein a signal transmitted wirelessly from the second hearing aid to the first hearing aid is received in the first hearing aid,

wherein the first hearing aid automatically switches the respective hearing aid on or off based on a field strength of the received signal,

wherein the first and second hearing aids are synchronized,

wherein the hearing aids are in a sleep mode while the hearing aids are switched off,

wherein a signal is transmitted from the second hearing aid to the first hearing aid during the sleep mode of the hearing aids, and

wherein a field strength of the signal received during sleep mode or a variable dependent on the field strength of the signal received during the sleep mode is at least approximately determined by the first hearing aid.

8. The hearing aid system as claimed in claim 7,

wherein the second hearing aid only transmits a signal to the first hearing aid within a specific time interval during the sleep mode, and

wherein the first hearing aid is switched into a receiving mode only within the time interval in order to receive the signal transmitted by the second hearing aid.

9. A method for operating a hearing aid system, comprising:

providing a first and a second hearing aid, each comprising;

an input transducer for receiving an input signal and converting into an electrical input signal,

a signal processing unit for processing and amplifying the electrical input signal and emitting an electrical output signal,

an output transducer for converting the electrical output signal into an output signal perceivable by a user as an acoustic signal, and

a wireless signal transmission between the hearing aids;

wirelessly transmitting a signal from the second hearing aid to the first hearing aid;

receiving the transmitted signal by the first hearing aid;

automatically switching the first hearing aid on or off based on the received signal;

wherein the automatic switching on or off comprises the first hearing aid at least approximately determining the field strength of the received signal received or determining a variable dependent on the received signal,

wherein the automatic switching on or off comprises comparing the determined field strength or the determined dependent variable with a threshold value, and

wherein the first hearing aid is switched off when the determined field strength or the determined variable exceeds the threshold value.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9,

wherein the automatic switching on or off comprises comparing the determined field strength or the determined dependent variable with a threshold value,

wherein the first hearing aid is switched on when the determined field strength or the determined variable is below the threshold value.

11. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

generating a control signal in the first hearing aid;

sending the control signal to the second hearing aid;

receiving the control signal by the second hearing aid; and

automatic switching the second hearing on or off of aid in response to the received control signal.

12. The method as claimed in claim 9, wherein the hearing aids are synchronized by the signal transmitted from the second hearing aid to the first hearing aid.

13. The method as claimed in claim 9, further comprising:

transmitting a further signal from the second hearing aid to the first hearing aid while the hearing aids are switched off;

receiving the transmitted further signal by the first hearing aid; and

determining, in the first hearing aid, a field strength of the received further signal or a variable dependent on the received further signal.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13,

wherein the further signal is transmitted from the second hearing aid only within a specific time interval, and

wherein the first hearing aid switches into receiving mode only within the time interval in order to receive the signal transmitted by the second hearing aid.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the first hearing aid is switched into receiving mode only within specific time intervals to receive the further signal transmitted by the second hearing aid.