Hearing aid using wireless test modes as diagnostic tool

• US 9,942,668 B2
• Filed: 11/14/2016
• Issued: 04/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Solum, Jeffrey Paul, Polinske, Beau Jay, Flood, Stephen Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Ramakrishnaiah, Melur
• Application Number:
  US15/350,420
• Publication Number:
  US 20170127191A1
• Time in Patent Office: 512 Days
• Field of Search: 381 60, 381312-316, 370437, 4551611, 4551612, 4551613
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 17/309 Measuring or estimating channel quality parameters
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/05 Electronic compensation of the occlusion effect
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

Various system embodiments comprise a plurality of devices configured to wirelessly communicate with each other. The plurality of devices includes a battery-operated hearing aid configured to communicate with another device using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communication technology. A BLE tester is configured to test the hearing aid for the performance of BLE wireless communication via a wireless link. One embodiment uses a wireless test mode as a diagnostic tool for analyzing the wireless communication environment, such as when the communication with the hearing aid is interfered in a noisy environment.

Claims

1. A system for communicating with a hearing aid, comprising:

a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tester circuit configured to communicate with the hearing aid via a wireless link including a plurality of wireless communication channels using BLE wireless communication technology and to produce a channel metric for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels under a wireless test mode, the channel metric for each channel indicative of quality of data transmission performed through that channel; and

an analysis initiator circuit coupled to the BLE tester circuit and configured to initiate the wireless test mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE tester circuit is configured to enable or disable each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels based on the channel metric produced for that channel.

3. The system of claim 2, further comprising a user input device configured to receive a signal, and wherein the analysis initiator circuit is configured to initiate the wireless test mode in response to the received signal.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the analysis initiator circuit is configured to initiate the wireless test mode based on a specified schedule and an operation status of the hearing aid.

5. The system of claim 2, comprising:

a programmer; and

a communicator connected to, integrated with, or built within the programmer, the communicator including the BLE tester circuit and the analysis initiator circuit.

6. The system of claim 2, comprising:

a hearing assistance device; and

a communicator connected to, integrated with, or built within the hearing assistance device, the communicator including the BLE tester circuit and the analysis initiator circuit.

7. The system of claim 2, comprising:

an assisted listening device; and

a communicator connected to, integrated with, or built within the assisted listening device, the communicator including the BLE tester circuit and the analysis initiator circuit.

8. The system of claim 2, comprising:

a steaming audio device; and

a communicator connected to, integrated with, or built within the steaming audio device, the communicator including the BLE tester circuit and the analysis initiator circuit.

9. The system of claim 2, comprising:

a wireless audio controller; and

a communicator connected to, integrated with, or built within the wireless audio controller, the communicator including the BLE tester circuit and the analysis initiator circuit.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE tester circuit is configured to produce a channel map using the produced channel metrics, the channel map indicative of one or more channels of the plurality of wireless communication channels available for communicating with the hearing aid via the wireless link.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE tester circuit is configured to produce at least one of a bit error rate, a packet error rate, indication of cyclic redundancy check errors, indication of forward error correction errors, a signal to noise ratio, a number of retransmissions, or a receive signal strength indicator as the channel metric for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

12. A method for communicating with a hearing aid, comprising:

establishing communication between the hearing aid and a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tester via a wireless link using BLE wireless communication technology;

performing communication between the hearing aid and the BLE tester via each channel of a plurality of wireless communication channels of the wireless link;

initiating a test of the hearing aid using the BLE tester according to a wireless test mode; and

producing channel metrics using the BLE tester under the wireless test mode, the channel metrics each indicative of quality of data transmission performed through a channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising adjusting settings of the hearing aid using the produced channel metrics.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising producing a channel map using the produced channel metrics, the channel map indicative of one or more channels of the plurality of wireless communication channels available for communicating with the hearing aid via the wireless link.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising enabling or disabling each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels for performing the wireless communication based on the produced channel map.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein producing the channel metrics comprises producing at least one of a bit error rate, a packet error rate, indication of cyclic redundancy check errors, indication of forward error correction errors, a signal to noise ratio, a number of retransmissions, or a receive signal strength indicator for each channel of the multiple channels.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein producing the channel metrics comprises producing the packet error rate.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein producing the channel metrics comprises producing a received signal strength indicator.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein initiating the test of the hearing aid comprises initiating the test of the hearing aid in response to a signal received from a user.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein initiating the test of the hearing aid comprises initiating the test of the hearing aid in response to a signal generated by a device.