Hearing system with remote control as a base station and corresponding communication method

• US 8,155,359 B2
• Filed: 10/18/2007
• Issued: 04/10/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Gmbh (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH (Siemens AG)
• Inventors: Beck, Frank
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): FOX, BRANDON C
• Application Number:
  US11/975,328
• Publication Number:
  US 20080123865A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,636 Days
• Field of Search: 381/315, 455/524
• US Class Current: 381/315
• 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 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

Hearing-aid wearers should be able to converse unimpeded even in noisy environments. Provided for this is a hearing system with a first hearing device, a second hearing device and a remote control for the operation of the first and/or second hearing device. The remote control is embodied as a base station to which the first and second hearing device is able to log on to establish a spontaneous communication network. This facilitates a wireless communication using a remote control as a relay station and without the influence of background noise.

Claims

1. A hearing system to facilitate voice transmissions in an environment when communication between hearing device wearers via their respective hearing devices is impeded by noise, comprising:

a plurality of hearing devices adapted to process input signals from a surrounding environment in accordance with a respective wearer'"'"'s hearing impairment, each hearing device comprising a microphone,

a first remote control for controlling a first hearing device,

wherein the first remote control, when logged on to by the plurality of hearing devices, further operates as a base station establishing a spontaneous communication network between and among the first hearing device and the hearing devices of further hearing device wearers,

wherein the base station is adapted to receive via the communication network each respective wearer'"'"'s own voice transmissions picked up by each respective wearer'"'"'s own microphone, and then transmit via the communication network the voice transmissions between and among the first hearing device and the further hearing devices to then be processed into acoustic signals for the wearers of the hearing devices, rather than the hearing devices processing input signals from the surrounding environment that are impeded by noise.

2. The hearing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the microphone of one or more of the hearing devices comprises a directional microphone or an auditory canal microphone of the hearing device for voice communication via the communication network, without using an additional chest microphone.

3. The hearing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising:

one or more further remote controls that log on to each other forming a network of logged-on base stations to expand the spontaneous communication network and allow for best transmission route searching across the logged-on base stations.

4. The hearing system as claimed in claim 1, wherein each hearing device logged on to the base unit comprises a subscriber to the communication network, wherein a mode selection provides for selective addressing of some or all of the subscribers.

5. The hearing system as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a module to translate between different transmission standards of the hearing devices so that the first hearing device, which has a different transmission standard than one or more of the further hearing devices, communicates with the one or more further hearing device via the module.

6. The hearing system as claimed in claim 5, wherein the module is integrated in the first remote control.

7. The hearing system as claimed in claim 4, wherein one or more of the hearing devices comprises two hearing aids for binaural provision to a hearing-aid wearer, wherein the two hearing aids are treated as either a unitary subscriber to the communication network or as separate communication subscribers.

8. A method to facilitate voice transmissions between hearing device wearers via their respective hearing devices, comprising:

establishing a spontaneous communication network between and among a first hearing device of a hearing device wearer and one or more hearing devices of further hearing device wearers via a log on to a remote control acting as a base station, the hearing devices adapted to process input signals from a surrounding environment in accordance with a respective wearer'"'"'s hearing impairment, each hearing device comprising a microphone; and

communicating between and among the first hearing device and the one or more hearing devices via the remote control by receiving via the communication network each respective wearer'"'"'s own voice transmissions picked up by each respective wearer'"'"'s own microphone, and then selectively transmitting via the communication network the voice transmissions between and among the first hearing device and the further hearing devices for processing into acoustic signals for the wearers of the hearing devices, rather than the hearing devices processing input signals from the surrounding environment and being impeded by background noise.

9. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprising expanding the network via one or more further remote controls that log on to each other forming a network of logged-on base stations to expand the spontaneous communication network and allow for best transmission route searching across the logged-on base stations.

10. The method as claimed in claim 8, further comprises converting communication between the devices when the devices include different transmission standards.