Hearing aid compatibility in a wireless communications device

• US 8,254,990 B2
• Filed: 11/03/2010
• Issued: 08/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hawker, Larry Edward, MacIntosh, Scott
• Primary Examiner(s): Akonai, Olumide T Ajibade
• Assistant Examiner(s): STEPHEN, EMEM O
• Application Number:
  US12/938,456
• Publication Number:
  US 20110044484A1
• Time in Patent Office: 664 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/90.1, 455344-346, 455/550.1, 455/66.1, 455/575.2, 381/314, 381/322, 381/323, 381/74, 381/72
• US Class Current: 455/556.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72469 for operating the device by selecting functions from two or more displayed items, e.g. menus or icons
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A wireless communications device and method for providing an output signal. The device includes a control unit for controlling the operation of the wireless communications device; a selection element connected to the control unit and configured to allow selection of several modes of output coupling for generating the output signal of the device; and, a processor connected to the control unit for processing a received signal with parameters selected according to a selected mode of output coupling. The several modes of output coupling correspond to several modes of input operation for a hearing aid to improve coupling between the device and the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A wireless device, comprising:

a processor for processing a received signal to generate at least one processed received signal, the processor configured to generate the at least one processed received signal using parameters corresponding to one of a plurality of output coupling modes; and

an output stage comprising a speaker with a coil and an additional device telecoil, the output stage configured to generate an output signal based on the at least one processed received signal;

wherein in at least one output coupling mode, the processor is configured to generate two processed received signals, wherein one of the two processed received signals is optimized for use with and provided to the speaker, and wherein one other of the two processed received signals is optimized for use with and provided to the additional device telecoil; and

wherein if the coil of the speaker is insufficient to satisfy a magnetic specification of the output signal, the two processed received signals boost a level of a magnetic component of the output signal, and each of the coil of the speaker and the additional device telecoil contribute to the magnetic component of the output signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein in the at least one output coupling mode, the processor is configured to generate the processed received signal provided to the speaker using parameters corresponding to the speaker, and the processed received signal provided to the additional device telecoil using parameters corresponding to the additional device telecoil.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein the parameters corresponding to the speaker comprise acoustic digital signal processing equalization parameters, and the parameters corresponding to the additional device telecoil comprise magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein in at least one other output coupling mode, the processor is configured to generate one processed received signal provided to each of the speaker and the additional device telecoil.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein in at least one other output coupling mode, the processor is configured to generate one processed received signal provided to one of the speaker and the additional device telecoil.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a memory associated with the processor and configured to store, for each of the plurality of output coupling modes, a plurality of sets of parameters used by the processor to generate the at least one processed received signal.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a data converter connected to the processor for receiving the at least one processed received signal and producing at least one analog signal;

and wherein the output stage is connected to the data converter for receiving the at least one analog signal and producing the output signal.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein in the at least one output coupling mode, the data converter is configured to provide the one of the two processed received signals to the speaker, and the one other of the two processed received signals to the additional device telecoil.

9. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication subsystem for receiving a wireless signal at the wireless device and providing a received signal to the processor.

10. The device of claim 1, further comprising a selector configured to allow selection of the at least one output mode from the plurality of output coupling modes.

11. A method for providing an output signal by a wireless device, the method comprising:

providing a plurality of output coupling modes for the wireless device;

generating at least one processed received signal by processing a received signal using parameters corresponding to one of the plurality of output coupling modes;

providing the at least one processed received signal to an output stage comprising at least one of a speaker with a coil and an additional device telecoil; and

generating the output signal at the output stage based on the at least one processed received signal;

wherein in at least one output coupling mode, two processed received signals are generated, wherein one of the two processed received signals is optimized for use with and provided to the speaker, and wherein one other of the two processed received signals is optimized for use with and provided to the additional device telecoil; and

wherein if the coil of the speaker is insufficient to satisfy a magnetic specification of the output signal, the two processed received signals boost a level of a magnetic component of the output signal, and each of the coil of the speaker and the additional device telecoil contribute to the magnetic component of the output signal.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising generating the processed received signal provided to the speaker using parameters corresponding to the speaker, and generating the processed received signal provided to the additional device telecoil using parameters corresponding to the additional device telecoil.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising, in the at least one output coupling mode, providing acoustic digital signal processing equalization parameters as the parameters corresponding to the speaker, and providing magnetic digital signal processing equalization parameters as the parameters corresponding to the additional device telecoil.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein generating the output signal comprises:

receiving the at least one processed received signal and producing at least one analog signal; and

,

receiving the at least one analog signal and producing the output signal.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein, in at least one other output coupling mode, one processed received signal is generated and provided to each of the speaker and the additional device telecoil.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein, in at least one other output coupling mode, one processed received signal is generated and provided to one of the speaker and the additional device telecoil.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising storing, for each of the plurality of output coupling modes, a plurality of sets of parameters used to generate the at least one processed received signal.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein processing the received signal to generate the at least one processed received signal comprises, in the at least one output coupling mode, providing the one of the two processed received signals to the speaker by a data converter and providing the one other of the two processed received signals to the additional device telecoil by the data converter.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising receiving a wireless signal at the wireless device and providing the received signal based on the wireless signal.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising selecting the at least one output mode from the plurality of output coupling modes.