Hearing apparatus with visually active housing

• US 8,229,149 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2008
• Issued: 07/24/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 11/20/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Kasanmascheff, Robert
• Primary Examiner(s): Clark, Jasmine
• Application Number:
  US12/313,181
• Publication Number:
  US 20090129615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,344 Days
• Field of Search: 381/322, 429/189, 429/249
• US Class Current: 381/322
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/57 Aspects of electrical interconnection between hearing aid parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/658 Manufacture of housing parts

Abstract

A hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear is provided, which includes a housing. The housing is here formed at least in part from an electrochrome polymer. Since electrochrome polymers represent a homogeneous material, this means that they can be printed onto the housing in very thin layers. According to a second aspect the present invention relates to a hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear, including a housing, which has an organic light-emitting diode. Because organic light-emitting diodes are able to separate out light in a wide variety of colors, this permits a high contrast to the environment and the colors appear stronger. Unlike conventional light-emitting diodes this is however performed in a printing process, so that it is possible to provide any surfaces with organic light-emitting diodes.

Claims

1. A hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear, comprising:

a housing formed at least in part from an electrochrome polymer;

a signal processing unit contained within the housing which processes microphone signals and amplifies the microphone signals.

2. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the housing has an organic light-emitting diode.

3. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an outer layer of the housing is formed from the electrochrome polymer.

4. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 3, wherein the housing is formed entirely from one or more electrochrome polymers.

5. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein an area of the housing made of the electrochrome polymer represents a symbol which is assigned to an operating state of the hearing apparatus.

6. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 5, further comprising an interface via which data characterizing the symbol is transferred from an external computing facility.

7. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of color tones are reproduced by the housing in which each of the color tones represents an operating state of the hearing apparatus.

8. A hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear, comprising:

a housing formed at least in part from an electrochrome polymer,

wherein the hearing apparatus is an in-the-ear hearing aid, and

wherein the housing is formed on the side facing away from a sound exit opening at least in part from the electrochrome polymer.

9. A hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear, comprising:

a housing formed at least in part from an electrochrome polymer,

wherein the hearing apparatus is a behind-the-ear hearing aid, and

wherein the housing has a curvature and is formed on a convex exterior at least in part from the electrochrome polymer.

10. A hearing apparatus to be worn on or in the ear, comprising:

a housing having an organic light-emitting diode;

a signal processing unit contained within the housing which processes microphone signals and amplifies the microphone signals.

11. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the housing includes a display formed from a plurality of organic light-emitting diodes.

12. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 11, wherein via the display a symbol which is assigned to an operating state of the hearing apparatus is displayed.

13. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 12, further comprising an interface via which data characterizing the symbol is transferred from an external computing facility.

14. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the hearing apparatus is an in-the-ear hearing aid, and

wherein the organic light-emitting diode is arranged on a side of the housing facing away from a sound exit opening.

15. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 10,

wherein the hearing apparatus is a behind-the-ear hearing aid, and

wherein the housing has a curvature, and the organic light-emitting diode is arranged on a convex exterior of the housing.

16. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein at least two color tones can be reproduced by the housing.

17. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 10, wherein the housing is visually changed as a function of a recorded sound and/or of a control signal.

18. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 16, wherein each of the color tones represents an operating state of the hearing apparatus.