Range control for wireless hearing assistance device systems

• US 8,811,639 B2
• Filed: 04/12/2011
• Issued: 08/19/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Solum, Jeffrey Paul, Cunningham, Edward John
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ojo, Oyesola C
• Application Number:
  US13/084,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20110249842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,225 Days
• Field of Search: 381/315, 381/45, 381/77, 381/314, 455/45, 455 411- 413, 455/464, 455/456.6, 340/10.4, 340/4.1
• 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

Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for wireless hearing assistance devices and in particular to a controllable range control for wireless hearing assistance device systems. An advertisement is used to allow the receiver to quickly receive streaming information, thus conserving power. In various embodiments, a system for communications with a hearing assistance device includes a wireless streaming device having a range control. The range control is configured to provide a first range for an advertisement transmission and a second range for a streaming information transmission. The first range is less than the second range, in various embodiments.

Claims

1. A system for communications with a hearing assistance device, comprising:

a wireless radio frequency streaming device including a range control configured to provide a first range for an advertisement radio frequency transmission and a second range for a streaming information radio frequency transmission; and

wherein the range control of the device is configured to provide the first range that is less than the second range;

wherein said hearing assistance device is configured to receive the streaming information radio frequency transmission and to scan for the advertisement radio frequency transmission; and

wherein the said advertisement radio frequency transmission includes information regarding a channel, frequency, timeslot, or code for demodulation of the streaming information transmission.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising a remote control configured to communicate with the wireless streaming device to control the ranges of the transmissions.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote control is configured to send a message to instruct the hearing assistance device to begin scanning for a streaming audio channel.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the remote control is configured to send messages to the hearing assistance device via the wireless streaming device.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the hearing assistance device is configured to communicate with the wireless streaming device to control the ranges of the transmissions.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the hearing assistance device is configured to wake up and scan for the advertisement transmission on a specified channel.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the hearing assistance device is configured to go back to sleep if not within the first range and unable to receive the advertisement transmission.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the advertisement transmission includes CODEC data.

9. The system of claim 1, further comprising a second wireless streaming device including a second range control configured to provide a third range for a second advertisement transmission and a fourth range for a second streaming information transmission, wherein the third range is less than the fourth range.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the hearing assistance device is configured to receive the streaming information transmission from the wireless streaming device if the hearing assistance device is within the first range.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the hearing assistance device is configured to receive the second streaming information transmission from the second wireless streaming device if the hearing assistance device is within the third range.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein streaming information transmission channels use a higher data rate with less redundancy than advertisement transmission channels.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the streaming information transmission includes mono streams, stereo streams or hybrid mono and stereo streams.

14. A method for communications with a hearing assistance device using a wireless radio frequency streaming device, the method comprising:

providing a first range for an advertisement radio frequency transmission;

providing a second range for streaming information radio frequency transmission, wherein the first range is less than the second range; and

wherein providing the first range and the second range includes using a range control included with the wireless streaming device;

the method further comprising sending a message to instruct the hearing assistance device to begin scanning for the advertisement transmission on a streaming audio channel; and

wherein scanning for a streaming audio channel includes scanning for a streaming channel frequency, timeslot or code.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein sending the message includes sending a voice command, pressing a button control, or sending a dual tone multifunction (DTMF) audio command.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein scanning for a streaming audio channel includes hop sequence determination for frequency hopping spread spectrum (FHSS) signal acquisition or pseudo-noise (PN) code acquisition for direct sequence spread spectrum (DSSS) signal acquisition.