Location based assistance using hearing instruments

• US 9,219,966 B2
• Filed: 01/28/2013
• Issued: 12/22/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Wang, Libin, Flood, Stephen Paul, Solum, Jeffrey Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): ETESAM, AMIR HOSSEIN
• Application Number:
  US13/752,203
• Publication Number:
  US 20140211973A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,058 Days
• Field of Search: 381/315, 381/312
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/35 communicating wirelessly
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 2209/63 Comprising locating means for detecting the position of the data carrier, i.e. within the vehicle or within a certain distance from the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/00309 operated with bidirectional data transmission between data carrier and locks
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 63/0853 using an additional device, e.g. smartcard, SIM or a different communication terminal cryptographic mechanisms or cryptographic arrangements for entity authentication involving additional secure or trusted devices H04L9/3234
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/06 Authentication
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/33 using wearable devices, e.g. using a smartwatch or smart-glasses
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 12/63 Location-dependent; Proximity-dependent
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/029 Location-based management or tracking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 8/005 Discovery of network devices, e.g. terminals

Abstract

Disclosed in some examples is a method of authentication, the method comprising monitoring for the presence of a hearing instrument; responsive to detecting the hearing instrument: establishing a short-range wireless communication session with the hearing instrument; determining an identity of the hearing instrument wearer; and responsive to determining the identity of the wearer, setting a value indicating that the hearing instrument wearer is authenticated with and within the wireless range of the presence device.

Claims

1. A method of providing location based services, the method comprising:

at a presence device, using one or more processors;

monitoring for the presence of a hearing instrument by listening for a wireless message from the hearing instrument; and

responsive to detecting the wireless message from the hearing instrument;

establishing a short-range wireless communication session with the hearing instrument;

determining an identity of the hearing instrument;

identifying a user of the hearing instrument based upon the determined identity of the hearing instrument;

providing a location-based authentication service for at least a portion of a time that the hearing instrument maintains the short-range wireless communication session with the presence device, by sending a notification to register the hearing instrument at a location register, the notification including an identifier associated with the user of the hearing instrument and at least one of;

a network address of the hearing instrument or a network address of the presence device.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the location-based authentication service comprises:

unlocking a computer system.

3. The method of claim 1, comprising:

receiving Session Initiation Protocol packets at the presence device, and forwarding Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) packets from the presence device to the hearing instrument.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the location-based authentication service comprises:

unlocking a lock controlled by an automated lock system.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the automated lock includes a car ignition.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the short range wireless communication session is a Bluetooth wireless session.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

detecting that the hearing instrument has moved beyond the wireless range of the presence device; and

resetting an authentication status of the user to an unauthenticated state.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the short-range wireless communication session is a communication session over a short-range wireless protocol, the short-range wireless protocol being a wireless protocol with a range of 100 meters or less.

8. A system comprising:

a presence device including one or more computer processors, the computer processors configured to;

monitor for the presence of a hearing instrument by listening for a wireless message from the hearing instrument; and

responsive to detecting the wireless message from the hearing instrument;

establish a short-range wireless communication session with the hearing instrument;

determine an identity of the hearing instrument;

identifying a user of the hearing instrument based upon the determined identity of the hearing instrument;

providing a location-based authentication service for at least a portion of a time that the hearing instrument maintains the short-range wireless communication session with the presence device, by at least being configured to send a notification to register the hearing instrument at a location register, the notification including an identifier associated with the user of the hearing instrument and at least one of;

a network address of the hearing instrument or a network address of the presence device.

9. The system of claim 8, comprising a computer system and wherein the computer processors are configured to provide a location based authentication service by at least being configured to unlock a computer system.

10. The system of claim 8, comprising the location register.

11. The system of claim 8, comprising an automated lock system, and wherein the computer processors are configured to provide a location based authentication service by at least being configured to unlock a physical lock controlled by the automated lock system.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the automated lock includes a car ignition.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the short range wireless communication session is a Bluetooth wireless session.

23. The system of claim 8, wherein the short-range wireless communication session is a communication session over a short-range wireless protocol, the short-range wireless protocol being a wireless protocol with a range of 100 meters or less.

14. A hearing instrument comprising:

a microphone; and

a digital signal processor configured to;

process sounds captured by the microphone and play the processed sounds through a speaker;

monitor a wireless medium to detect a presence device;

connect with the presence device using a short-range wireless connection on the wireless medium;

identify a wearer of the hearing instrument to the presence device by at least sending information about the wearer of the device to the presence device;

receive incoming Voice over IP (VOIP) packets from the presence device;

reconstruct an audio signal from the incoming VOIP packets;

play the reconstructed audio signal from the incoming VOIP packets through the speaker;

convert sounds captured by the microphone to outgoing VOIP packets; and

transmit the outgoing VOIP packets to the presence device.

15. The hearing instrument of claim 14, wherein the hearing instrument communicates with the presence device using a short range wireless connection using one of a:

Shockburst wireless protocol, an Enhanced Shockburst wireless protocol, a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) protocol utilizing an Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards, and a Bluetooth wireless protocol.

16. The hearing instrument of claim 15, wherein identifying the wearer of the hearing instrument comprises utilizing a Bluetooth proximity profile.

17. The hearing instrument of claim 14, wherein identifying the wearer comprises sending an encrypted key to the presence device.

24. The hearing instrument of claim 14, wherein the short-range wireless connection is a communication session over a short-range wireless protocol, the short-range wireless protocol being a wireless protocol with a range of 100 meters or less.

18. A method comprising:

on a hearing instrument, monitoring a wireless medium to detect a presence device;

connecting with the presence device using a short-range wireless connection on the wireless medium;

identifying a wearer of the hearing instrument with the presence device, wherein identifying the wearer comprises sending information about the wearer of the hearing instrument to the presence device;

receiving incoming VOIP packets from the presence device;

reconstructing an audio signal from the incoming VOIP packets;

playing the reconstructed audio signal from the incoming VOIP packets on a speaker;

converting sounds captured by a microphone to outgoing VOIP packets; and

transmitting the outgoing VOIP packets to the presence device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the hearing instrument communicates with the presence device using one of a:

Shockburst wireless protocol, an Enhanced Shockburst wireless protocol, a Wireless Fidelity (WiFi) protocol utilizing an Institute for Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.11 family of standards, and a Bluetooth wireless protocol.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein identifying the wearer of the hearing instrument comprises utilizing a Bluetooth proximity profile.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein identifying the wearer comprises sending an encrypted key to the presence device.

25. The method of claim 18, wherein the short-range wireless connection is a communication session over a short-range wireless protocol, the short-range wireless protocol being a wireless protocol with a range of 100 meters or less.