Listening device with automatic mode change capabilities

• US 9,918,169 B2
• Filed: 01/12/2017
• Issued: 03/13/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC (Intellectual Ventures LLC)
• Inventors: Neumeyer, Frederick Charles, Knox, John Michael Page, Yancey, Gregory Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US15/404,945
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127194A1
• Time in Patent Office: 425 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/50 Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics
• 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 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture

Abstract

A hearing aid includes a casing configured to fit behind an ear of a user'"'"'s head and against a side of the user'"'"'s head. The hearing aid further includes a first proximity sensor associated with the casing and configured to generate a first signal that is proportional to a proximity of the casing to the ear and includes a processor coupled to the first proximity sensor and configured to select an operating mode from a plurality of operating modes in response to the first signal.

Claims

1. A device configured to be worn in an ear of a user, the device comprising:

a housing;

a speaker and at least one microphone carried by the housing;

a first sensor configured to produce a first signal indicative of a presence of the user'"'"'s ear;

a second sensor configured to produce a second signal indicative of a proximity of a hand of the user;

a third sensor configured to produce a third signal indicative of proximity to the user'"'"'s head;

a processor coupled to the first, second, and third sensors; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including—

changing a power state of the device from a first power state to a second power state in response to the first signal; and

changing an operating mode of the device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode in response to a change in the second signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input audio signal from the at least one microphone;

detecting an amount of background noise of an environment of the user in an input audio signal received at the at least one microphone; and

applying a filter to the input audio signal to produce a filtered audio signal for output to the speaker,

wherein the filtered audio signal has a reduced amount of background noise compared to the amount of background noise in the input audio signal.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

changing the power state of the device to the first power state in response to a decrease of the first signal to less than the predetermined threshold.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

detecting a presence of an electronic device, and

in response to detecting the presence of the electronic device, automatically changing the operating mode of the device to an electronic device cooperation mode that includes receiving audio signals from the electronic device via a wireless communication link.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

changing the power state of the device from the first power state to the second power state in response to the first signal exceeding a predetermined threshold.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input audio signal from the at least one microphone;

detecting an amount of background noise of an environment of the user in an input audio signal received at the at least one microphone; and

applying a filter to the input audio signal to produce a filtered audio signal for output to the speaker.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the proximity is detected based on contact between the first sensor and the user.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input audio signal from the microphone;

detecting an amount of background noise of an environment of the user in an input audio signal received at the microphone; and

applying a filter to the input audio signal to produce a filtered audio signal for output to the speaker;

wherein the receiving, detecting, and applying are performed based at least in part on the production of the third signal.

9. The device of claim 1, wherein the first sensor is a proximity detector that produces the first signal upon contact with the user.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the second sensor is further configured to detect a presence of an electronic device, and the memory includes additional instruction to change, in response to detection of the presence of the electronic device, the operating mode of the device.

11. The device of claim 1, further comprising a third sensor, wherein one of the second sensor or the third sensor is configured to detect a presence of an electronic device, and the memory includes additional instruction to change, in response to detection of the presence of the electronic device, the operating mode of the device.

12. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

changing, in response to a fourth signal from the first sensor, the power state of the device from the second power state to a recharge power state, wherein the fourth signal is indicative of removal from the user'"'"'s ear.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein in the recharge power state, the processor deactivates or reduces power to one or more components of the device.

14. The device of claim 13, further comprising one or more of:

a Bluetooth transceiver, a telecoil, or other circuitry for direct reception of an audio signal, wherein in the recharge power state, the processor deactivates the Bluetooth transceiver, the telecoil, or the other circuitry.

15. The device of claim 1, wherein the second signal produced by the second sensor includes data indicative of a transient proximity of a hand of the user.

16. The device of claim 1, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to change a power state of the device when the third signal is above or below a predetermined threshold.

17. A device configured to be worn in an ear of a user, the device comprising:

a housing;

a speaker and at least one microphone carried by the housing;

a first sensor configured to produce a first signal indicative of a presence of the user'"'"'s ear;

a second sensor configured to produce a second signal indicative of a proximity of a hand of the user;

a processor coupled to the first and second sensors; and

a memory coupled to the processor, wherein the memory includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations including—

changing a power state of the device from a first power state to a second power state in response to the first signal;

changing an operating mode of the device from a first operating mode to a second operating mode in response to a change in the second signal; and

changing, in response to a third signal from the first sensor, the power state of the device from the second power state to a recharge power state, wherein the third signal is indicative of removal from the user'"'"'s ear, and a third sensor configured to produce a fourth signal indicative of proximity to the user'"'"'s head, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to change a power state of the device to off when the fourth signal is below a predetermined threshold and change a power state of the device to on when the fourth signal is above the predetermined threshold.

18. The device of claim 17, wherein the memory further includes instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving an input audio signal from the at least one microphone;

detecting an amount of background noise of an environment of the user in an input audio signal received at the at least one microphone; and

applying a filter to the input audio signal to produce a filtered audio signal for output to the speaker,

wherein the filtered audio signal has a reduced amount of background noise compared to the amount of background noise in the input audio signal.