Implantable remote control

• US 9,579,510 B2
• Filed: 07/19/2011
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Meskens, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Levicky, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hankins, Lindsey G
• Application Number:
  US13/186,178
• Publication Number:
  US 20130023954A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,051 Days
• Field of Search: 607/2, 607/7, 607/18, 607/19, 607/56, 607/57, 607/59, 607/60, 607/62
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37217 characterised by the communication link, e.g. acoustic or tactile
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37247 User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/37252 Details of algorithms or data aspects of communication system, e.g. handshaking, transmitting specific data or segmenting data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/017 Gesture based interaction, e.g. based on a set of recognized hand gestures interaction based on gestures traced on a digitiser G06F3/04883
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 40/117 Tagging; Marking up details of markup languages G06F40/143; Designating a block; Setting of attributes style sheets, e.g. eXtensible Stylesheet Language Transformation [XSLT], G06F40/154
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/63 for local operation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/67 Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/604 of acoustic or vibrational transducers

Abstract

The present application discloses systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for controlling one or more functions of a device utilizing one or more tags. In one example, a method for controlling one or more functions of a medical device includes scanning a data interface of the medical device for signals induced wirelessly by one or more gestures made with one or more tags associated with a recipient of the medical device and controlling one or more functions of the medical device based on the wirelessly induced signals.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

scanning a data interface of a medical device for signals induced wirelessly by one or more gestures made with one or more tags of a plurality of tags, wherein each gesture consists only of each of the one or more tags being within about 4 centimeters or less of the data interface;

identifying individual tags of the one or more tags of the plurality of tags based on the wirelessly induced signals; and

controlling a plurality of functions of the medical device based on the wirelessly induced signals and the identified individual tags,

wherein controlling the plurality of functions of the medical device based on the wirelessly induced signals and the identified individual tags includes selecting one of a plurality of operating modes for the medical device and causing the medical device to operate in the selected operating mode.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating signal pulses, wherein the signal pulses interact with the one or more tags to generate the wirelessly induced signals, and interpreting the wirelessly induced signals to identify uniquely each tag of the one or more tags.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein a first gesture made with a first tag corresponds to controlling a first function of turning the medical device on, a second gestures made with a second tag corresponds to controlling a second function of turning the medical device off, a third gesture made with a third tag corresponds to controlling a third function of turning a medical device volume up, and a fourth gesture made with a fourth tag corresponds to controlling a fourth function of turning the medical device volume down.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of functions also includes turning the medical device on, turning the medical device off, turning a medical device volume up, and turning the medical device volume down.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the operating modes include one or more of a direct audio mode, an omnidirectional microphone mode, or a directional microphone mode.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein a first gesture controls a first function of the medical device and a second gesture controls a second function of the medical device.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more tags include at least one magnet and the data interface includes one or more sensors configured to detect magnetic fields.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more gestures comprise a predetermined movement of the one or more tags.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of the one or more gestures consists only of two of the tags being within about 4 centimeters or less of the data interface.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising associating the tags with the medical device during a fitting session of the medical device.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of tags includes passive RFID tags associated with a recipient of the medical device, wherein the data interface includes one or more antennas for receiving the wirelessly induced signals.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein individual tags correspond to different functions of the plurality of functions.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the medical device comprises a hearing prosthesis.

14. A medical device, comprising:

a data interface configured to receive wireless signals induced by one or more of a plurality of tags, wherein the wireless signals induced by one or more of the plurality of tags consist of wireless signals induced only by each of the one or more of the plurality of tags passing within about 4 centimeters or less of the data interface, wherein the plurality of tags is associated with a recipient of the medical device; and

a processor configured to interpret the induced signals to identify uniquely each of the one or more of the plurality of tags and to control a plurality of functions of the medical device in response to uniquely identifying the one or more of the plurality of tags, wherein interpreting the induced signals to control a plurality of functions of the medical device comprises selecting, based on the interpretation of the induced signals at the data interface, one of a plurality of operating modes for the medical device, and causing the medical device to operate in the selected operating mode.

15. The medical device of claim 14, wherein interpreting the induced signals to control a plurality of functions of the medical device also includes, based on the interpretation of the induced signals at the data interface, turning the medical device on, turning the medical device off, turning a medical device volume up, and turning the medical device volume down.

16. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of tags includes at least one passive RFID tag and the data interface includes one or more antennas.

17. The medical device of claim 16, wherein the data interface includes an array of antennas to facilitate the interpretation of gestures made with one or more of the plurality of tags.

18. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of tags includes at least one passive resonant circuit including one or more of an LC circuit, a ceramic resonator, and a piezoelectric resonator.

19. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of tags includes a plurality of magnetic field generators for generating unique magnetic fields, and the data interface includes one or more magnetic field readers.

20. The medical device of claim 14, wherein one or more of the plurality of tags is configured to be implanted under the skin of a recipient of the medical device.

21. The medical device of claim 20, wherein one or more of the plurality of tags includes a biocompatible protective layer that allows electrical and magnetic fields to be transmitted therethrough.

22. The medical device of claim 14, wherein one or more of the plurality of tags is coupled to one or more of a glove, ring, bracelet, or watch that can be worn by a recipient of the medical device.

23. The medical device of claim 14, further comprising a microphone configured to receive acoustic signals and an output signal interface configured to transmit output signals to a recipient of the medical device, wherein the processor is further configured to encode the acoustic signals to produce the output signals for transmission to the recipient.

24. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the processor is configured to interpret the induced signals as one or more gestures made with one or more of the plurality of tags.

25. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the plurality of operating modes include one or more of a direct audio mode, an omnidirectional microphone mode, or a directional microphone mode.

26. The medical device of claim 14, wherein the medical device comprises a hearing prosthesis.

27. A method, comprising:

scanning, by a device, for signals induced wirelessly by one or more tags implanted in a user of the device;

processing the wirelessly induced signals to identify one or more gestures made with the one or more tags, wherein each of the one or more gestures consists only of the presence of each of the one or more tags within about 4 centimeters or less of the device; and

performing one of a plurality of functions of the device in response to the one or more identified gestures,

wherein the device is a medical device that is fully implanted in a recipient.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the recipient and the user are different individuals.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein each of the one or more tags is a self-contained device without a power source directly coupled thereto.

30. The method of claim 27, wherein each of the one or more tags is implanted subcutaneously in one or more fingers of the user.

31. The method of claim 27, wherein the one or more gestures comprise the presence of two of the one or more tags within 4 centimeters of the device.

32. The method of claim 27, wherein the medical device is a hearing prosthesis.

33. A device, comprising:

a data interface configured to receive wirelessly induced signals from a plurality of tags being held within about 4 centimeters or less of the device; and

a processor configured to interpret the induced signals as one or more gestures made by one or more of the plurality of tags to control one or more functions of the device, wherein controlling the one or more functions of the device includes increasing a device volume and decreasing the device volume, wherein the one or more gestures consist only of the one or more of the plurality of tags being held within about 4 centimeters or less of the device, and wherein a length of time that the one or more of the plurality of tags is being held within about 4centimeters or less of the device corresponds to at least one of a level of volume increase, a level of volume decrease, a speed of volume increase, or a speed of volume decrease.

34. The device of claim 33, wherein the data interface comprises one or more antennas.

35. The device of claim 33, wherein the data interface comprises one or more magnetic field sensors and the user-coupled means comprises at least one magnet.

36. The device of claim 33, wherein the processor is configured to interpret the induced signals to determine characteristics of movement of the tags.

37. The device of claim 33, wherein the device is a hearing prosthesis.