Wireless stereo hearing assistance system

• US 9,936,310 B2
• Filed: 12/10/2013
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2013
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Buehl, Markus
• Primary Examiner(s): GAY, SONIA L
• Application Number:
  US15/037,159
• Publication Number:
  US 20160286323A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,575 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/041 Adaptation of stereophonic signal reproduction for the hearing impaired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• 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

A hearing assistance system having an audio signal wireless transmission unit for transmitting a stereo audio signal with left and right ear channels, a first ear unit for being worn at a user'"'"'s ear and having a hearing instrument and a wireless audio signal receiver unit, the hearing instrument providing the first receiver unit with information as to which ear of the user the hearing instrument is being worn and information as to whether, or not, there is a like second ear unit. The first receiver unit is adapted to decide, depending on the received information as to which ear the first hearing instrument is fitted and whether a second ear unit is worn at the other ear, to receive one of the right and left ear channels, and, in absence of a stereo channel, to supply the respective mono channel of the audio signal to the first hearing instrument.

Claims

1. A hearing assistance system, the system comprising:

an audio signal transmission unit for wireless transmission of a stereo audio signal comprising a left ear channel and a right ear channel,

a first ear unit configured to be worn at one ear of a user and comprising a first hearing instrument and a first wireless audio signal receiver unit,

wherein the first hearing instrument is adapted to store fitting parameters including gain setting and frequency response curves for the left ear or the right ear of the user and information as to whether there is a second ear unit worn at the other ear of the user, the second ear unit comprising a second hearing instrument and a second wireless audio signal receiver unit, and

wherein the first receiver unit is adapted to decode, the left or the right ear channel and, in absence of a stereo channel, a mono channel of an audio signal and supply it to the first hearing instrument at least partially based on accessing the information stored in the first hearing instrument.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first audio receiver unit is detachably connected to the first hearing instrument.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the second ear unit is adapted to provide the second receiver unit with the fitting parameters information as to which ear the second hearing instrument is fitted to has fitting parameters for, wherein the second ear unit is adapted to provide the second receiver unit with information as to whether there is a first ear unit worn at the other ear of the user.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the first and second hearing instruments comprise means for binaural communication.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second hearing instruments are adapted for establishing a wireless link for achieving a binaural communication.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the binaural wireless link is an inductive link.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first and second receiver units are adapted to communicate with each other via a wireless link, and wherein the information as to whether a second ear unit is present is derived from whether communication with the second receiver unit is possible.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio signal transmission unit is adapted for analog transmission of the stereo audio signal.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio signal transmission unit is adapted for digital transmission of the stereo audio signal.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the audio signal transmission unit is adapted for transmission of the audio signal via an inductive link or frequency modulated link.

11. A method of providing hearing assistance to a user, the method comprising:

transmitting a stereo or mono audio signal,

wherein the stereo audio signal comprises a left ear channel and a right ear channel;

receiving the stereo or mono audio signal at a first hearing device,

wherein the first hearing device comprises;

a first wireless audio signal receiver,

a first hearing instrument configured to store information as to whether the first hearing instrument is fitted to a left or right ear of a user and fitting parameters, wherein the fitting parameters include gain setting and frequency response curves for the left ear or the right ear of the user and whether there is a second ear unit worn at another ear of the user,

wherein the second ear unit comprising a second hearing instrument and a second wireless audio signal receiver unit, and

determining, based on the stored information, to receive the left ear channel, the right ear channel, and, in absence of the stereo audio signal, the mono channel of the audio signal; and

providing the selected left ear channel, right ear channel, or mono channel to the first hearing instrument.

12. A hearing device, the hearing device comprising:

a first hearing unit configured to provide an audio output,

wherein the audio output is a left ear output, right ear output, or mono output, and

wherein the first hearing unit comprises;

a memory storing hearing setting information for the first hearing unit,

wherein the hearing setting information includes gain settings, frequency response curves, and whether the first hearing unit is configured for a left ear or a right ear of a user, and whether the first hearing unit is part of a binaural fitting with a second hearing unit;

a controller configured to determine whether the second ear unit is being used and to provide left ear channel or right ear channel audio information to the first hearing unit or determine an absence of a stereo channel and provide the first hearing unit with a mono channel; and

a receiver unit configured to communicate with the controller and receive instructions from the controller, and wherein the first receiver unit is configured to decode the left ear channel, the right ear channel, or a mono channel to the first hearing unit based at least in part on instructions from the controller.

13. The hearing device of claim 12, further comprising:

an interface to communicate between the first hearing unit and the receiver unit.

14. The hearing device of claim 12, wherein the receiver unit further comprises an antenna and another controller, wherein the other controller is configured to supply processed audio signals to the first hearing unit.