Hearing aid using wireless test modes as diagnostic tool

• US 10,623,869 B2
• Filed: 04/08/2019
• Issued: 04/14/2020
• 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:
  US16/377,666
• Publication Number:
  US 20190306635A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 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 managing wireless communication, comprising:

a first device including a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tester; and

a second device including a device under test (DUT),

wherein;

the first device and the second device are each a hearing assistance device, a hearing aid, a communicator or programmer for the hearing assistance device, an assisted listening device, a streaming audio device, a wireless audio controller (WAC), or a device providing encoded and compressed audio; and

the BLE tester includes a BLE tester circuit configured to communicate with the DUT via a wireless link including a plurality of wireless communication channels using BLE wireless communication technology and to evaluate quality of data transmission performed through each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE tester circuit is configured to produce a channel metric for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels, the channel metric for each channel indicative of quality of data transmission performed through that channel.

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

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the BLE tester circuit is configured to produce a channel metric for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels and to produce the channel map using the produced channel metrics, the channel metric for each channel indicative of quality of the data transmission performed through that channel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the hearing assistance device.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the communicator or programmer for the hearing assistance device.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the assisted listening device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the streaming audio device.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the WAC.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the device providing encoded and compressed audio.

11. A method for managing wireless communication, comprising:

providing a first device with a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) tester;

testing a device under test (DUT) in a second device using the BLE tester, the testing including;

communicating with the DUT via a wireless link including a plurality of wireless communication channels using BLE wireless communication technology; and

evaluating quality of data transmission performed through each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels,

wherein the first device and the second device are each a hearing assistance device, a hearing aid, a communicator or programmer for the hearing assistance device, an assisted listening device, a streaming audio device, a wireless audio controller (WAC), or a device providing encoded and compressed audio.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the testing comprises producing at least one channel metric for each channel of the multiple channels, the at least one channel metric for each channel indicative of quality of data transmission performed using the wireless link through that channel.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising producing a channel map indicative of quality of data transmission using each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing a bit error rate.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing a packet error rate.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing an indication of cyclic redundancy check errors.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing an indication of forward error correction errors.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing a signal to noise ratio.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing a number of retransmissions.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing a received signal strength indicator.