Hearing aid and a method for audio streaming

• US 9,942,667 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2015
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Widex A/S (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Ungstrup, Michael, Rank, Mike Lind
• Primary Examiner(s): KAUFMAN, JOSHUA A
• Application Number:
  US14/743,179
• Publication Number:
  US 20150289062A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,027 Days
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/021 Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/025 In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/39 Aspects relating to automatic logging of sound environment parameters and the performance of the hearing aid during use, e.g. histogram logging, or of user selected programs or settings in the hearing aid, e.g. usage logging
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A mobile communication device (50) receives an audio stream as input and delivers a processed audio stream as output. The mobile communication device has a data connection providing access to the Internet, and a short range data connection for delivering a processed audio stream as output to a specific hearing aid (10). The mobile communication device acquires a data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid from a remote server (71), and adjusts the emulation software application by means of the data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid (10). The mobile communication device transmits the control signals and a processed audio stream to the specific hearing aid via said short range data connection and the specific hearing aid outputs the audio signal to the user without additional amplification. The invention also provides a method of signal processing in a mobile communication device.

Claims

1. A method of signal processing in a mobile communication device, said mobile communication device receiving an audio stream as input and delivering a processed audio stream as output, said mobile communication device having a data connection providing access to the Internet, a short range data connection for delivering a processed audio stream as output to a specific hearing aid, and said mobile communication device being adapted to run software applications downloaded from the Internet, said method including:

downloading from a digital distribution platform a software application for emulating the signal processing in said specific hearing aid,

acquiring a data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid,

adjusting the emulation software application by means of the data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid,

processing the received audio streams, by means of the emulation software application according to said hearing aid settings,

generating control signals indicating that the processed audio stream has been processed in order to meet the hearing aid setting requirements of a specific hearing impaired user, and

providing said control signals and said processed audio stream to said specific hearing aid via said short range data connection.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the processing of the audio stream according to said hearing aid settings includes

splitting the audio stream signal into a plurality of frequency bands, and

amplifying the audio signal in each of said frequency bands according to said hearing aid settings.

3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the processing of the audio stream according to said hearing aid settings includes converting the audio part present in one or more of said plurality of frequency bands into the remaining number of said plurality of frequency bands.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the acquiring of the data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid includes downloading the data set from a remote server.

5. A mobile communication device having a data connection providing access to the Internet, a short range data connection, a processor and a memory, wherein the mobile communication device is adapted to run software applications downloaded from the Internet, and to acquire a data set containing hearing aid settings required for a specific hearing aid to aid a specific hearing impaired user, wherein said mobile communication device is adapted to emulate the signal processing in said specific hearing aid, wherein the mobile communication device upon processing an audio stream to be streamed to said specific hearing aid:

processes the audio stream according to said hearing aid settings,

generates control signals indicating that the processed audio stream has been processed in order to meet the hearing aid setting requirements of said specific hearing impaired user, and

provides said control signals and said processed audio stream to said specific hearing aid via the short range data connection.

6. The mobile communication device according to claim 5, wherein the short range data connection is based upon a Bluetooth™

protocol operating at 2.4 GHz.

7. The mobile communication device according to claim 5, wherein the processing of the audio stream according to said hearing aid settings includes splitting the audio stream signal into a plurality of frequency bands, and amplifying the audio signal in each of said frequency bands according to said hearing aid settings.

8. The mobile communication device according to claim 7, wherein the processing of the audio stream according to said hearing aid settings includes converting the audio part present in one or more of said plurality of frequency bands into the remaining number of said plurality of frequency bands.

9. The mobile communication device according to claim 5, wherein the acquiring of the data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid includes downloading the data set from a remote server.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions, which when executed in a mobile communication device perform actions when an audio stream is received as input in said mobile communication device, comprising:

providing a software application for emulating the signal processing in a specific hearing aid,

acquiring a data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid,

adjusting the emulation software application by means of the data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid,

processing the received audio streams, by means of the emulation software application according to said hearing aid settings,

generating control signals indicating that the processed audio stream has been processed in order to meet the hearing aid setting requirements of a specific hearing impaired user, and

providing said control signals and said processed audio stream to said specific hearing aid via a short range data connection.

11. The computer-readable storage medium according to claim 10, wherein the acquiring of the data set containing hearing aid settings for said specific hearing aid includes downloading the data set from a remote server.