Mobile communication terminal, digital hearing aid, and method of controlling the digital hearing aid using the mobile communication terminal

• US 9,100,491 B2
• Filed: 11/23/2009
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Bang, Kyoung-Ho
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc
• Assistant Examiner(s): MCCARTY, TAUNYA A
• Application Number:
  US12/624,074
• Publication Number:
  US 20100254540A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,080 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 1/02 Remote control of amplification, tone or bandwidth combined with remote tuning or selection of resonant circuits H03J
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A mobile communication terminal interacts with a digital hearing aid and a wireless hearing aid uses the mobile communication terminal. When a user having the mobile communication terminal interworking with the digital hearing aid operates the hearing aid, an amplification function suitable for auditory characteristics of the user is performed. That is, when auditory information of the user is sent to the terminal, the terminal adjusts an amplification gain to prevent the acoustic shock by measuring an environmental signal. The terminal computes an environment profile by analyzing the measured environmental signal and auditory information of the user sent from the hearing aid and automatically adjusts a non-linear amplification level according to a user environment by sending the environment profile to the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a radio unit to communicate with an external wireless digital hearing aid;

an environment measurer to measure an environmental signal; and

a hearing aid controller to generate an environment profile, to output a control signal including the environment profile to the external wireless digital hearing aid, where the control signal includes the environment profile in which a frequency-specific amplification gain is set according to the environmental signal.

2. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid controller outputs a control command that is an emergency control signal to request the hearing aid to temporarily perform at least one of a muting operation and a sound adjusting operation.

3. The mobile communication terminal of claim 1, wherein the measured environmental signal is classified and analyzed as at least one of voice, noise, and sound other than the voice and noise.

4. A wireless digital hearing aid, comprising:

a radio unit to communicate with an external mobile communication terminal;

an input unit to receive an audio signal other than one from the external mobile communication terminal, and

a gain controller to perform at least one of an update operation and a temporary adjustment operation on a non-linear amplification gain according to a control signal including an environment profile sent from the mobile communication terminal, where the control signal includes the environment profile in which a frequency-specific amplification gain is set according to an environmental signal measured by the mobile communication terminal.

5. The wireless digital hearing aid of claim 4, wherein a measured environmental signal is classified and analyzed as at least one of voice, noise, and sound other than the voice and noise.

6. A method of controlling a wireless digital hearing aid using a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether the hearing aid is in operation;

measuring, by the mobile communication terminal, an environmental signal when the hearing aid is in operation;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether a signal level exceeds an allowed range by analyzing a measurement result of the environmental signal; and

requesting, by the mobile communication terminal, the hearing aid to update a non-linear frequency-specific amplification gain according to a control signal,

where the control signal includes an environmental profile in which the non-linear frequency specific amplification gain is set according to the environmental signal.

7. A method of controlling a wireless digital hearing aid using a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether the hearing aid is in operation;

receiving, by the mobile communication terminal, auditory characteristics of a user from the hearing aid when the hearing aid is in operation, and measuring an environmental signal;

generating, by the mobile communication terminal, an environment profile by analyzing a measurement result of the environmental signal; and

requesting, by the mobile communication terminal, the hearing aid to update a non-linear frequency-specific amplification gain according to a control signal, where the control signal includes the environmental profile in which the non-linear frequency specific amplification gain is set according to the environmental signal.

8. A method of controlling a wireless digital hearing aid using a mobile communication terminal, the method comprising:

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether the hearing aid is in operation;

measuring, by the mobile communication terminal, an environmental signal when the hearing aid is in operation;

determining, by the mobile communication terminal, whether a signal level exceeds an allowed range by analyzing a measurement result of the environmental signal; and

sending, by the mobile communication terminal, an emergency control signal to the hearing aid so that the hearing aid temporarily adjusts a frequency-specific amplification gain, where the emergency control signal includes an environmental profile in which the frequency specific amplification gain is set according to the environmental signal.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining whether the signal level exceeds the allowed range includes receiving, by the mobile communication terminal, auditory characteristics of a user from the hearing aid, the auditory characteristics of the user being referred to along with the analyzed measurement result of the environmental signal.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the measured environmental signal comprises dividing voice, noise, and sound other than the voice and noise.

11. A hearing aid system having a wireless digital hearing aid and a mobile communication terminal, comprising:

a radio unit in the mobile communication terminal to communicate with the wireless digital hearing aid;

a radio unit in the wireless digital hearing aid to communicate with the mobile communication terminal; and

an environment measurer to measure an environmental signal,

wherein the mobile communication terminal includes a hearing aid controller to output a control signal to control the hearing aid, where the control signal includes an environment profile in which a frequency-specific amplification gain is set according to the environmental signal.

12. The hearing aid system of claim 11, further comprising:

a display to display a measurement result of the environment signal.

13. The hearing aid system of claim 11, wherein the mobile communication terminal outputs a control command that is an emergency control signal to request the hearing aid to temporarily perform at least one of a muting operation and a sound adjusting operation.

14. The hearing aid system of claim 11, wherein the measured environmental signal is classified and analyzed as at least one of voice, noise, and sound other than the voice and noise.