Method and apparatus for low power operation of binaural hearing aid

• US 9,319,806 B2
• Filed: 01/16/2014
• Issued: 04/19/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/16/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., The Industry & Academic Cooperation In Chungnam National University
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., The Industry & Academic Cooperation In Chungnam National University
• Inventors: Ku, Yun Seo, Kim, Jong Jin, Sohn, Jun Il, Han, Jong Hee, Kim, Dong Wook, Kim, Ji Hoon
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D
• Application Number:
  US14/156,982
• Publication Number:
  US 20140307901A1
• Time in Patent Office: 824 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/314, 381/315, 381/323, 381/23.1, 381/60, 381/328, 381/331, 455/41.1, 455/41.2, 455/574
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/03 Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

Provided is a method and apparatus for low power operation of a binaural hearing aid, the method including determining whether a residual battery exceeds a predetermined threshold level, collecting an external audio signal, in response to whether the residual battery exceeds the predetermined threshold level, and transmitting the collected audio signal to a second hearing aid.

Claims

1. A method for low power binaural function operation of a first hearing aid, the method comprising:

determining whether a residual battery exceeds a predetermined threshold level;

collecting an external audio signal, in response to determining whether the residual battery exceeds the predetermined threshold level; and

transmitting the collected audio signal to a second hearing aid; and

transmitting, to the second hearing aid, a control signal to suspend the binaural function, in response to the audio signal not corresponding to a meaningful signal.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the second hearing aid, a control signal to suspend the binaural function, in response to the residual battery being less than or equal to the predetermined threshold level.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting an operating mode to a low power mode in which the binaural function is not performed, in response to the residual battery being less than or equal to the predetermined threshold level.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating an alert comprising at least one of an alerting sound or an alerting oscillation, in response to the residual battery being less than or equal to the predetermined threshold level.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the alert provides information as to whether the first hearing aid and the second hearing aid supports the binaural function.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining at predetermined intervals whether the residual battery exceeds the predetermined threshold level.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining comprises determining at irregular intervals whether the residual battery exceeds the predetermined threshold level.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

transmitting, to the second hearing aid, a control signal to perform the binaural function, in response to the residual battery being more than the predetermined threshold level.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

setting an operating mode to a normal mode in which the binaural function is performed, in response to the residual battery being more than the predetermined threshold level.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, from the second hearing aid, a processed audio signal.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the processed audio signal comprises the collected audio signal processed by the second hearing aid.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the processed audio signal comprises the collected audio signal and a audio signal collected by the second hearing aid, which are processed by the second hearing aid.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the control signal along with or before the audio signal.

14. A method for low power binaural function operation of a first hearing aid, the method comprising:

collecting an external audio signal;

determining whether the collected audio signal corresponds to a meaningful signal, using a voice activity detector (VAD);

transmitting the collected audio signal to a second hearing aid, in response to whether the audio signal corresponds to a meaningful signal; and

transmitting, to the second hearing aid, a control signal to suspend the binaural function, in response to the audio signal not corresponding to a meaningful signal.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

setting an operating mode to a low power mode in which the binaural function is not performed, in response to the audio signal not corresponding to a meaningful signal.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the collecting comprises collecting the external audio signal at a predetermined intervals.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

transmitting, to the second hearing aid, a control signal to perform the binaural function, in response to the audio signal corresponding to a meaningful signal.

18. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

setting an operating mode to a normal mode in which the binaural function is performed, in response to the audio signal corresponding to a meaningful signal.

19. A method for low power binaural function operation of a first hearing aid, the method comprising:

determining whether a residual battery exceeds a predetermined threshold level;

collecting an external audio signal, in response to determining whether the residual battery exceeds the predetermined threshold level;

determining whether the collected audio signal corresponds to a meaningful signal, using a voice activity detector (VAD);

transmitting the collected audio signal to a second hearing aid, in response to determining whether the audio signal corresponds to a meaningful signal; and

transmitting, to the second hearing aid, a control signal to suspend the binaural function, in response to the audio signal not corresponding to a meaningful signal.

20. A method for low power binaural function operation of a first hearing aid, the method comprising:

receiving a signal from a second hearing aid;

determining whether the received signal corresponds to an audio signal or a control signal; and

setting an operating mode corresponding to the control signal, in response to determining whether the received signal corresponds to the audio signal or the control signal,

transmitting, to the second hearing aid, a signal to suspend the binaural function, in response to the audio signal not corresponding to a meaningful signal.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the setting comprises setting the operating mode to a low power mode in which the binaural function is not performed, in response to the control signal corresponding to a control signal to suspend the binaural function.

22. The method of claim 20, wherein the setting comprises setting the operating mode to a normal mode in which the binaural function is performed, in response to the control signal corresponding to a control signal to perform the binaural function.

23. The method of claim 20, further comprising:

performing signal processing with respect to the audio signal, in response to the received signal corresponding to the audio signal.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the performing signal processing comprises signal processing the received audio signal and an audio signal collected by the first hearing aid.

25. An apparatus for low power binaural function operation, the apparatus comprising:

a residual battery quantity determiner configured to determine whether a residual battery exceeds a predetermined threshold level;

an audio signal collector configured to collect an external audio signal;

an audio signal determiner configured to determine whether the collected audio signal corresponds to a meaningful signal; and

an audio signal transmitter configured to transmit at least one of an audio signal or a control signal to a hearing aid, wherein the control signal is configured to suspend the binaural operation in response to the audio signal not corresponding to the meaningful signal.