Mobile bluetooth device

• US 9,113,287 B2
• Filed: 12/13/2012
• Issued: 08/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: Aldaz, Gabriel, Sapieyski, Piotr
• Primary Examiner(s): Wendell, Andrew
• Application Number:
  US13/714,199
• Publication Number:
  US 20130157573A1
• Time in Patent Office: 978 Days
• Field of Search: 455/414.2, 455/456.1, 455/456.3, 455/41.2, 455/41.3, 455/522, 455/67.11, 455/66.1, 455/569.1
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72412 using two-way short-range wireless interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/80 Services using short range communication, e.g. near-field communication [NFC], radio-frequency identification [RFID] or low energy communication

Abstract

A wireless communication system comprises a mobile Bluetooth device, first and second Bluetooth terminals, the mobile Bluetooth device comprising a memory and a controller performing a first pairing process with the first Bluetooth terminal as a result of which identical first link keys are stored in the mobile Bluetooth device and in the first Bluetooth terminal, the controller further performing a second pairing process with the second Bluetooth terminal such that identical second link keys are stored in the mobile Bluetooth device and in the second Bluetooth terminal. The controller stores in the memory a first location, a first vicinity and/or a first transmit power indication of the first Bluetooth terminal when performing the first pairing process and to store in the memory a second location, a second vicinity and/or a second transmit power indication of the second Bluetooth terminal when performing the second pairing process.

Claims

1. A wireless hearing aid system, comprising:

a hearing aid being a mobile Bluetooth master device;

a first Bluetooth terminal being a first slave device; and

a second Bluetooth terminal being a second slave device, wherein

the hearing aid includes

a memory, and

a controller adapted to engage in a first pairing process with the first Bluetooth terminal as a result of which identical first link keys are stored in the memory of the hearing aid and in the first Bluetooth terminal,

the controller further being adapted to engage in a second pairing process with the second Bluetooth terminal as a result of which identical second link keys are stored in the memory of the hearing aid and in the second Bluetooth terminal,

the controller further is adapted to store in the memory, a first vicinity delimited by first predetermined coordinates of the first Bluetooth terminal when performing the first pairing process and to store in the memory a second vicinity delimited by second predetermined coordinates of the second Bluetooth terminal when performing the second pairing process,

the hearing aid further includes a comparator adapted

to determine a current device location of the hearing aid,

to measure a distance from the current device location to the first vicinity and the second vicinity, and

to determine whether the mobile Bluetooth device is in the first vicinity or in the second vicinity in dependence on at least one of the stored first vicinity and the stored second vicinity,

the hearing aid further includes a selector adapted to select from the first and second Bluetooth terminals a designated Bluetooth terminal by evaluating the determination of the vicinity in which the hearing aid is located, and

the controller further is adapted to initiate a reconnection between the hearing aid and the designated Bluetooth terminal using the respective first or second link key stored in the memory during the respective first or second pairing process with the designated Bluetooth terminal in response to the comparator determining that the hearing aid changed its location from the vicinity of one of the first and second Bluetooth terminals to the vicinity of the other of the first and second Bluetooth terminals.

2. The wireless hearing aid system according to claim 1,

wherein the comparator is adapted to determine a first value indicative of a distance between the hearing aid and the first Bluetooth terminal and to determine a second value indicative of a distance between the hearing aid and the second Bluetooth terminal, and

wherein the selector is adapted to select the first Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the distance indicated by the second value exceeds the distance indicated by the first value and to select the second Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the distance indicated by the first value exceeds the distance indicated by the second value.

3. The wireless hearing aid system according to claim 2,

wherein the comparator is adapted to determine a current device location of the hearing aid and to determine the first value by determining the distance between the current device location and the stored first location and to determine the second value by determining the distance between the current device location and the stored second location.

4. The wireless hearing aid system according to claim 1,

wherein the comparator is adapted to engage with a locator unit to acquire the current device location of the hearing aid as an absolute device location.

5. The wireless hearing aid system according to claim 2,

wherein the comparator is adapted to determine a first Bluetooth signal strength of the first Bluetooth terminal, to determine the first value in dependence on the first Bluetooth signal strength and the stored first transmit power indication, to determine a second Bluetooth signal strength of the second Bluetooth terminal, and to determine the second value in dependence on the second Bluetooth signal strength and the stored second transmit power indication.

6. The wireless hearing aid system according to claim 1, wherein

the controller is configured to initiate the reconnection without user interaction.

7. The wireless hearing aid system according to claim 4, wherein

the locator unit is a GPS unit and/or a cell phone locator unit.

8. A method for engaging a hearing aid being a master device in a wireless Bluetooth connection to a first Bluetooth terminal being a first slave device and/or to a second Bluetooth terminal being a second slave device, the method comprising:

performing a first pairing process between the hearing aid and the first Bluetooth terminal, thereby storing identical first link keys in the hearing aid and in the first Bluetooth terminal;

when performing the first pairing process, storing in a memory comprised by the hearing aid a first vicinity delimited by first predetermined coordinates of the first Bluetooth terminal;

performing a second pairing process between the hearing aid and the second Bluetooth terminal, thereby storing identical second link keys in the hearing aid and in the second Bluetooth terminal;

when performing the second pairing process, storing in the memory a second vicinity delimited by second predetermined coordinates of the second Bluetooth terminal;

determining a current device location of the hearing aid;

measuring a distance from the current device location to the first vicinity and the second vicinity;

determining whether the hearing aid is in the first vicinity or in the second vicinity in dependence on at least one of the stored first vicinity and the stored second vicinity;

selecting from the first and second Bluetooth terminals a designated Bluetooth terminal by evaluating the determined vicinity in which the hearing aid is located; and

initiating a reconnection between the hearing aid and the designated Bluetooth terminal using the respective first or second link key stored during the respective first or second pairing process with the designated Bluetooth terminal in response to the determining that the hearing aid changed its location from the vicinity of one of the first and second Bluetooth terminals to the vicinity of the other of the first and second Bluetooth terminals.

9. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

determining a first value indicative of a distance between the hearing aid and the first Bluetooth terminal;

determining a second value indicative of a distance between the mobile Bluetooth device hearing aid and the second Bluetooth terminal;

selecting the first Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the distance indicated by the second value exceeds the distance indicated by the first value; and

selecting the second Bluetooth terminal as the designated Bluetooth terminal if the distance indicated by the first value exceeds the distance indicated by the second value.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining a current device location of the hearing aid;

determining the first value by determining the distance between the current device location and the stored first location; and

determining the second value by determining the distance between the current device location and the stored second location.

11. The method according to claim 8, further comprising:

acquiring the current device location of the hearing aid as an absolute device location from a locator unit.

12. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

determining a first Bluetooth signal strength of the first Bluetooth terminal;

determining the first value in dependence on the first Bluetooth signal strength and the stored first transmit power indication;

determining a second Bluetooth signal strength of the second Bluetooth terminal; and

determining the second value in dependence on the second Bluetooth signal strength and the stored second transmit power indication.

13. The method according to claim 8, wherein

the initiating the reconnection between the hearing aid and the designated Bluetooth terminal takes place without user interaction.