Processor-readable medium, apparatus and method for updating a hearing aid

• US 9,479,876 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2013
• Issued: 10/25/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 04/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Inventors: Neumeyer, Frederick Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Paul S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Diaz, Sabrina
• Application Number:
  US13/782,710
• Publication Number:
  US 20130266165A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,334 Days
• Field of Search: 381/58, 381/60, 381/312, 381/314, 381/315
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/35 using translation techniques
• 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: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A system for updating a hearing aid by providing an update to a hearing aid to configure the hearing aid for an acoustic environment with a sound profile different than a physical environment a user is currently located in with an acoustic sample representative of the acoustic environment.

Claims

1. One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions, which, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a first user input from a computing device, wherein the first user input is indicative of a selection of a first hearing aid profile, and wherein the selected hearing aid profile corresponds to an acoustic environment of a first physical environment;

output a sound sample representative of the acoustic environment of the first physical environment from the computing device in a second, different physical environment;

receive a second user input from the computing device, wherein the second user input includes at least one adjusted parameter of the selected hearing aid profile;

generate an updated hearing aid profile including the at least one adjusted parameter;

provide the updated hearing aid profile to a hearing aid through a communication channel;

apply the updated hearing aid profile to the sound sample to generate an adjusted sound sample representative of the acoustic environment of the first physical environment; and

output the adjusted sound sample representative of the acoustic environment of the first physical environment from the computing device in the second physical environment.

2. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to provide updated hearing aid profile to the hearing aid via a radio frequency transceiver.

3. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

capture the sound sample during a first period of time; and

output the sound sample during a second period of time.

4. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to:

provide a graphical user interface including a plurality of adjustment elements to a display;

receive user input corresponding to at least one of the plurality of adjustable elements of the graphical user interface from an input interface; and

adjust the selected hearing aid profile according to the received user input to generate the updated hearing aid profile.

5. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to provide the sound sample to a remote speaker for reproduction as audible sound.

6. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to provide the sound sample to the hearing aid for reproduction as audible sound.

7. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of claim 1 wherein the instructions, when executed by one or more processors, further cause the one or more processors to create a new hearing aid profile including the at least one adjusted parameter.

8. An apparatus comprising:

a transceiver configured to communicate with a hearing aid;

a user interface configured to receive instructions from a user;

a transducer configured to output sound, wherein the transducer is positioned in a first acoustic environment;

a processor coupled to the transceiver; and

a memory accessible to the processor, wherein the memory is configured to store a plurality of instructions, that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to;

receive a first user input from the user interface indicative of a selection of a hearing aid profile, wherein the selected hearing aid profile corresponds to a second acoustic environment different from the first acoustic environment;

output a sound sample representative of the second acoustic environment to the transducer in response to the first user input;

receive a second user input from the user interface to adjust at least one parameter of the selected hearing aid profile;

generate an updated hearing aid profile including the at least one adjusted parameter in response to the second input;

transmit the updated hearing aid profile via the transceiver to the hearing aid while outputting the sound sample via the transducer;

apply the updated hearing aid profile to the sound sample to generate an adjusted sound sample representative of the second acoustic environment; and

output the adjusted sound sample to the transducer.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to alternately provide the selected hearing aid profile and the updated hearing aid profile to the hearing aid in a repeating pattern while outputting the sound representative of an acoustic environment.

10. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to output acoustic samples stored in the memory while outputting the sound sample.

11. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the user interface includes a graphical user interface having a plurality of adjustment elements and at least one user-selectable option corresponding to a plurality of hearing aid profiles on a display device coupled to the processor.

12. The apparatus of claim 8 wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, further cause the processor to generate a new hearing aid profile based in part on a hearing loss profile and the second user input.