AUDIO SYSTEM FOR AUDIO STREAMING AND ASSOCIATED METHOD

• US 20140241545A1
• Filed: 03/22/2013
• Published: 08/28/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Hearing A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Siegumfeldt, Peter, Gudiksen, Ole
• Granted Patent: US 9,497,541 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/80
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/00 Near-field transmission systems, e.g. inductive or capacitive transmission systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

A method for operating an audio system for transmitting wireless audio streams to a hearing system, the wireless audio streams comprising a first audio stream and a second audio stream, the audio system comprising a communication unit and a radio system comprising stationary transmitter units for transmitting at least the first audio stream with first audio identification data indicative of the first audio stream and the second audio stream with second audio identification data indicative of the second audio stream, the stationary transmitter units including a first transmitter unit and a second transmitter unit, the method includes: receiving a request indicative of an audio track; determining configuration data based on the request indicative of the audio track; and transmitting the configuration data to the hearing system for allowing the hearing system to receive one of the first and second audio streams representative of the audio track indicated in the request.

Claims

1. A method for operating an audio system for transmitting wireless audio streams to a hearing system, the wireless audio streams comprising a first audio stream and a second audio stream, the audio system comprising a communication unit and a radio system comprising a plurality of stationary transmitter units for transmitting at least the first audio stream with first audio identification data indicative of the first audio stream and the second audio stream with second audio identification data indicative of the second audio stream, the plurality of stationary transmitter units including a first transmitter unit and a second transmitter unit, the method comprising:

receiving a request indicative of an audio track;

determining configuration data for the hearing system based on the request indicative of the audio track; and

transmitting the configuration data to the hearing system for allowing the hearing system to receive one of the first and second audio streams representative of the audio track indicated in the request.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein act of transmitting the configuration data to the hearing system comprises transmitting the configuration data to a hearing device of the hearing system.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting the configuration data to the hearing system comprises transmitting the configuration data at a frequency anywhere from 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz, at a frequency anywhere from from 800 MHz to 1 GHz, and/or at a frequency anywhere from 13 MHz to 14 MHz.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises at least a part of an audio identification data of one of the first and second audio streams representative of the audio track indicated in the request.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the audio identification data comprises one or more of transmitter identification data, transmitter group identification data, audio group identification data, audio type identification data, and audio protocol identification data.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the configuration data comprises first configuration data for a first hearing system model or type, and second configuration data for a second hearing system model or type.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the request indicative of the audio track comprises hearing system data.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the act of transmitting configuration data to the hearing system comprises transmitting the configuration data to an accessory device of the hearing system.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein the accessory device comprises a mobile phone, a tablet computer, a smart phone, a hearing device remote control unit, or a key card.

10. An audio system for transmitting wireless audio streams to a hearing system, comprising:

a radio system comprising a plurality of stationary transmitter units configured to transmit at least a first audio stream with first audio identification data indicative of the first audio stream, and a second audio stream with second audio identification data indicative of the second audio stream, the plurality of transmitter units including a first transmitter unit and a second transmitter unit; and

a communication unit for transmitting configuration data for the hearing system, wherein the communication unit is configured to;

receive a request indicative of an audio track;

determine configuration data for the hearing system based on the request indicative of the audio track; and

transmit the configuration data to the hearing system for allowing the hearing system to receive one of the first and second audio streams representative of the audio track indicated in the request.

11. The audio system according to claim 10, wherein the communication unit comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting the configuration data to a hearing device of the hearing system.

12. The audio system according to claim 10, wherein the communication unit comprises a near field communication device configured to transmit the configuration data based on the request indicative of the audio track to the hearing system.

13. The audio system according to claim 10, wherein the radio system comprises a radio system control unit connected to the transmitter units, and wherein the radio system control unit is configured to control the transmitter units.

14. The audio system according to claim 10, further comprising a user interface unit connected to the communication unit, wherein the user interface unit is configured to receive the request indicative of the audio track, and transmit the received request to the communication unit.

15. The audio system according to claim 10, wherein the communication unit is configured to transmit the configuration data based on the request indicative of the audio track to an accessory device of the hearing system.

16. The audio system according to claim 10, wherein at least one of the stationary transmitter units is configured to transmit one of the first and second audio streams in a form of electromagnetic signals representative of the audio track.