Wireless streaming to hearing assistance devices

• US 9,544,699 B2
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Issued: 01/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Haubrich, Greg, Botz, Alexander
• Primary Examiner(s): EASON, MATTHEW A
• Application Number:
  US14/274,381
• Publication Number:
  US 20150326984A1
• Time in Patent Office: 977 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0613 using simultaneous transmission H04B7/0686 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• 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

Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, apparatus, and machine readable mediums which mitigate multipath fading and extend the robustness and the useable range of the wireless link between a streaming device and a hearing assistance device. In some examples, this may be accomplished by utilizing redundant wireless sources of the streaming data—that is, multiple copies of the streaming information may be sent to the hearing assistance devices. To prevent interference, at least one transmission parameter may be varied between the transmissions (e.g., frequency, channel, time, coding, or the like).

Claims

1. A method for receiving streaming audio with a first hearing assistance device from a system including a second hearing assistance device and a streaming audio transmission device, the method comprising:

at the first hearing assistance device;

receiving a packet of stereo streaming audio data from a streaming audio transmission device over a first wireless link;

receiving a second packet of the stereo streaming audio data from a second hearing assistance device over a second wireless link, the second hearing assistance device receiving the packet of stereo streaming audio data from the streaming audio transmission device and retransmitting at least a portion of the stereo streaming audio data in the packet to the first hearing assistance device over the second wireless link as the second packet;

determining a first quality metric for the first wireless link;

determining a second quality metric for the second wireless link;

selecting an output packet based upon the first and second quality metrics, the output packet comprising the first packet if the first quality metric is better than or equal to the second quality metric and the second packet if the second quality metric is better than the first quality metric; and

outputting to a speaker of the first hearing assistance device, audio corresponding to the output packet.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless channel and the second wireless link is on a second wireless channel.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless timeslot and the second wireless link is on a second wireless timeslot.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link uses a first orthogonal code and the second wireless link uses a second orthogonal code.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first quality metric is a signal quality measured for the second wireless link.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance device are for use on a single user.

22. The method of claim 1, wherein the first hearing assistance device is for use on a first user and the second hearing assistance device is for use on a second user.

6. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, including instructions, which when performed by the machine, causes the machine to perform operations on a first hearing assistance device, for receiving streaming audio from a system including a second hearing assistance device and a streaming audio transmission device, the operations comprising:

at the first hearing assistance device;

receiving a packet of stereo streaming audio data from a streaming audio transmission device over a first wireless link;

receiving a second packet of the stereo streaming audio data from a second hearing assistance device over a second wireless link, the second hearing assistance device receiving the packet of stereo streaming audio data from the streaming audio transmission device and retransmitting at least a portion of the stereo streaming audio data in the packet to the first hearing assistance device over the second wireless link as the second packet;

determining a first quality metric for the first wireless link;

determining a second quality metric for the second wireless link;

selecting an output packet based upon the first and second quality metrics, the output packet comprising the first packet if the first quality metric is better than or equal to the second quality metric and the second packet if the second quality metric is better than the first quality metric; and

outputting to a speaker of the first hearing assistance device, audio corresponding to the output packet.

7. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless channel and the second wireless link is on a second wireless channel.

8. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless timeslot and the second wireless link is on a second wireless timeslot.

9. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first wireless link uses a first orthogonal code and the second wireless link uses a second orthogonal code.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first quality metric is a signal quality measured for the second wireless link.

23. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance device are for use on a single user.

24. The machine-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the first hearing assistance device is for use on a first user and the second hearing assistance device is for use on a second user.

11. A first hearing assistance device for receiving streaming audio from a system including a second hearing assistance device and a streaming audio transmission device, the first hearing assistance device comprising:

transmission and reception circuitry configured to;

receive a packet of stereo streaming audio data from a streaming audio transmission device over a first wireless link;

receive a second packet of the stereo streaming audio data from a second hearing assistance device over a second wireless link, the second hearing assistance device receiving the packet of stereo streaming audio data from the streaming audio transmission device and retransmitting at least a portion of the stereo streaming audio data in the packet to the first hearing assistance device over the second wireless link as the second packet;

control circuitry configured to;

determine a first quality metric for the first wireless link;

determine a second quality metric for the second wireless link;

selecting an output packet based upon the first and second quality metrics, the output packet comprising the first packet if the first quality metric is better than or equal to the second quality metric and the second packet if the second quality metric is better than the first quality metric; and

digital to analog conversion circuitry configured to;

output to a speaker of the first hearing assistance device, audio corresponding to the output packet.

12. The hearing assistance device of claim 11, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless channel and the second wireless link is on a second wireless channel.

13. The hearing assistance device of claim 11, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless timeslot and the second wireless link is on a second wireless timeslot.

14. The hearing assistance device of claim 11, wherein the first wireless link uses a first orthogonal code and the second wireless link uses a second orthogonal code.

15. The hearing assistance device of claim 11, wherein the first quality metric is a signal quality measured for the second wireless link.

25. The hearing assistance device of claim 11, wherein the first hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance device are for use on a single user.

26. The hearing assistance device of claim 11, wherein the first hearing assistance device is for use on a first user and the second hearing assistance device is for use on a second user.

16. A system comprising:

a first hearing assistance device comprising;

transmission and reception circuitry configured to;

receive a packet of stereo streaming audio data from a streaming audio transmission device over a first wireless link;

receive a second packet of the stereo streaming audio data from a second hearing assistance device over a second wireless link, the second hearing assistance device receiving the packet of stereo streaming audio data from the streaming audio transmission device and retransmitting at least a portion of the stereo streaming audio data in the packet to the hearing assistance device over the second wireless link as the second packet;

control circuitry configured to;

determine a first quality metric for the first wireless link;

determine a second quality metric for the second wireless link;

selecting an output packet based upon the first and second quality metrics, the output packet comprising the first packet if the first quality metric is better than or equal to the second quality metric and the second packet if the second quality metric is better than the first quality metric;

digital to analog conversion circuitry configured to;

output to a speaker of the first hearing assistance device, audio corresponding to the output packet;

a streaming audio transmission device comprising;

first antennae;

an audio input port configured to receive the streaming audio; and

at least one transmitter configured to transmit the streaming audio to the first hearing assistance device over the first antennae using the first wireless link, wherein the streaming audio is stereo.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless channel and the second wireless link is on a second wireless channel.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless timeslot and the second wireless link is on a second wireless timeslot.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the first wireless link uses a first orthogonal code and the second wireless link uses a second orthogonal code.

20. The system of claim 16, wherein the first quality metric is a signal quality measured for the second wireless link.

27. The system of claim 16, wherein the first hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance device are for use on a single user.

28. The system of claim 16, wherein the first hearing assistance device is for use on a first user and the second hearing assistance device is for use on a second user.