Alerting system for deaf or hard of hearing people and application software to be implemented in an electronic device

• US 9,967,684 B2
• Filed: 03/28/2014
• Issued: 05/08/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bellman & Symfon Europe AB (Bellman & Symfon AB)
• Original Assignee: Bellman & Symfon Europe AB (Bellman & Symfon AB)
• Inventors: Ingemarsson, Anders, Jungvid, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US15/300,172
• Publication Number:
  US 20170142529A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,502 Days
• Field of Search: 34053911, 340 437, 340 761, 340565, 381 60, 381312, 381313, 381314, 381315, 600316, 348 1401, 368 10, 4554563, 607 55
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

An alerting system for deaf or hard of hearing people comprises a wireless network with one or more transmitters adapted to detect events and, upon detecting an event, to transmit a wireless alerting signal to one or more receivers adapted to alert a user. The wireless network is adapted to send an alerting signal to an electronic device in order to allow the electronic device to function as a gateway between said wireless network and a hearing aid device.

Claims

1. An alerting system for a deaf or hard of hearing person, comprising:

a wireless network;

an electronic device; and

a hearing aid device,

wherein the wireless network comprises;

one or more alerting sensors; and

at least one alerting receiver,

wherein each alerting sensor of the one or more alerting sensors is configured to detect an event of a corresponding one or more events and, upon detecting the event of the one or more events, to transmit a wireless alerting signal to one or more alerting receivers of the at least one alerting receiver, and

wherein each alerting receiver of the at least one alerting receiver is configured such that upon receiving the wireless alerting signal, the alerting receiver of the at least one alerting receiver alerts a user,

wherein the wireless network, upon the alerting sensor of the one or more alerting sensors detecting the event of the one or more events, sends an alerting signal to the electronic device,

wherein the electronic device, upon receipt of the alerting signal from the wireless network, sends a radio signal to the hearing aid device such that the user wearing the hearing aid device is alerted,

wherein at least one alerting sensor of the one or more alerting sensors is configured to detect the event of the one or more events selected from the group consisting of;

an incoming call on a landline telephone;

a smoke alarm detector signaling;

a door bell ringing;

a baby crying; and

an alarm clock signaling.

2. The alerting system according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless network further comprises:

at least one sender,

wherein each sender of the at least one sender is configured to transmit the alerting signal directly to the electronic device.

3. The alerting system according to claim 2,

wherein each sender of the at least one sender is configured to transmit the alerting signal directly to the electronic device using Bluetooth™

.

4. The alerting system according to claim 2,

wherein each sender of the at least one sender is configured to transmit the alerting signal directly to the electronic device using Bluetooth Low Energy™

.

5. The alerting system according to claim 1,

wherein the wireless network comprises:

at least one sender,

wherein each sender of the at least one sender is configured to transmit an alerting signal to the electronic device via a cellular network.

6. The alerting system according to claim 1,

wherein the electronic device is a smart electronic device.

7. The alerting system according to claim 6,

wherein the electronic device is a smart phone or a tablet computer.

8. The alerting system according to claim 1,

wherein the first event of the one or more events is the incoming call on the landline telephone.

9. The alerting system according to claim 1,

wherein the first event of the one or more events is the smoke alarm detector signaling.

10. The alerting system according to claim 1,

wherein the first event of the one or more events is the door bell ringing.

11. The alerting system according to claim 1,

wherein the first event of the one or more events is the baby crying.

12. The alerting system according to claim 1,

wherein the first event of the one or more events is the alarm clock signaling.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing a set of instructions that when executed cause a processor to perform a method, wherein the method comprises:

providing an alerting system for a deaf or hard of hearing person,

wherein the alerting system for a deaf or hard of hearing person comprises;

a wireless network;

an electronic device; and

a hearing aid device,

wherein the wireless network comprises;

one or more alerting sensors; and

at least one alerting receiver,

wherein each alerting sensor of the one or more alerting sensors is configured to detect an event of a corresponding one or more events and, upon detecting the event of the one or more events, to transmit a wireless alerting signal to one or more alerting receivers of the at least one alerting receiver, and

wherein each alerting receiver of the at least one alerting receiver is configured such that upon receiving the wireless alerting signal, the alerting receiver of the at least one alerting receiver alerts a user,

wherein the wireless network, upon the alerting sensor of the one or more alerting sensors detecting the event of the one or more events, sends an alerting signal to the electronic device, and

wherein the electronic device, upon receipt of the alerting signal from the wireless network, sends a radio signal to the hearing aid device such that the user wearing the hearing aid device is alerted,

wherein at least one alerting sensor of the one or more alerting sensors is configured to detect the event of the one or more events selected from the group consisting of;

an incoming call on a landline telephone;

a smoke alarm detector signaling;

a door bell ringing;

a baby crying; and

an alarm clock signaling;

detecting the event of the one or more events,

wherein the event of the one or more events is selected from the group consisting of;

the incoming call on a landline telephone;

the smoke alarm detector signaling;

the door bell ringing;

the baby crying; and

the alarm clock signaling; and

controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device sends the radio signal to the hearing aid device upon receiving the alerting signal from the wireless network.

14. The computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device comprises controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device using Bluetooth™

.

15. The computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device comprises controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device using Bluetooth Low Energy™

.

16. The computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device comprises controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device using a proprietary radio transmission standard.

17. The computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device comprises controlling the electronic device such that the electronic device transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device as an audio stream.

18. The computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein the method comprises allowing the electronic device to function as a remote control that allows the user to change settings of the hearing aid device.

19. The computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein the method comprises allowing the user to customize, via the electronic device, the radio signal to be sent to the hearing aid device.

20. The computer readable medium according to claim 19,

wherein the method comprises allowing the user to set, via the electronic device, alerting sound characteristics provided to the user by the hearing aid device.

21. The computer readable medium according to claim 19,

wherein allowing the user to customize the radio signal to be sent to the hearing aid device comprises allowing the user to set at least one alerting mode via the electronic device, and

wherein upon receipt of the alerting signal from the wireless network by the electronic device, the electronic device selectively transmits the radio signal to the hearing aid device depending on the at least one alerting mode.

22. The computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein the method further comprises controlling the electronic device to generate:

a visual signal to the user;

a tactile signal to the user;

or

a visual signal and a tactile signal to the user,

upon receiving the alerting signal from the wireless network.

23. The computer readable medium according to claim 21,

wherein the method further comprises controlling the electronic device to:

send the radio signal to the hearing aid device such that the radio signal causes the hearing aid device to generate a pattern of an audio signal;

generate a visual signal to the user;

generate a tactile signal to the user;

or

generate a visual signal and a tactile signal to the user,

which is different depending on a type of event of the event of the one or more events that has caused the wireless network to send the alerting signal to the electronic device.

24. The computer readable medium according to claim 13,

wherein the method further comprises controlling the electronic device to forward the alerting signal received by the electronic device from the wireless network to another device via an internet or another data connection.