REMOTELY CONTROLLING A HEARING DEVICE

• US 20150245128A1
• Filed: 02/27/2015
• Published: 08/27/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/10/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Fleizach, Christopher Brian, Foo, Edwin W., Fisch, Ian M., Seymour, Eric Taylor
• Granted Patent: US 10,206,024 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0258 for a headset device
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• 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 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/01 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

Systems, methods, and non-transitory computer-readable storage media are provided for remotely controlling a hearing device. A hearing device configured to communicate with a control device transmits status data, including settings, to the control device. The control device displays the status data in an interface configured to receive input specifying new settings, upon which a command is sent to the hearing device to change the current setting. The control device can automatically change the settings based on a determined current environment to be a stored program optimized to the current environment. The current environment can be determined based on the location of the hearing device or another device connected to the control device. Quick mode allows settings to be viewed and changed quickly by displaying multiple related settings as one and overriding interface buttons. Remote listen mode receives audio data from a microphone and transmit it to the hearing device.

Claims

1-24. -24. (canceled)

25. A method comprising:

at an electronic device that is in communication with a hearing aid that is distinct from the electronic device, the electronic device having a device audio detection component and one or more input components, wherein the hearing aid includes a hearing-aid audio-detection component and a hearing-aid audio-output component;

while the hearing aid is in a proximate-audio mode of operation in which the hearing aid is configured to detect audio with the hearing-aid audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the audio detected with the hearing-aid audio-detection component, receiving by the one or more input components of the electronic device an input; and

in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, the hearing aid to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation into a remote-audio mode of operation, in which the hearing aid is configured to receive audio detected with the device audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the detected audio.

26. The method of claim 25, including, while the hearing aid is in the proximate-audio mode of operation, obtaining status information about the hearing aid and displaying the status information on a display of the electronic device.

27. The method of claim 25, including, while the hearing aid is in the proximate-audio mode of operation, transmitting setting information to the hearing aid, which causes the hearing aid to change how the audio detected with the hearing aid audio-detection component is converted into output audio that is output by the hearing aid audio-output component.

28. The method of claim 25, including, while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, detecting audio with the device audio-detection component and transmitting the audio detected with the device audio-detection component to the hearing aid.

29. The method of claim 25, including, in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, a plurality of distinct hearing aids to switch from a proximate-audio mode of operation to remote-audio mode of operation.

30. The method of claim 25, including displaying, on a display of the electronic device, a user interface that includes one or more controls for controlling one or more settings of the hearing aid, wherein the input includes an interaction with one of the controls displayed in the user interface.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the user interface includes one or more controls for controlling a plurality of hearing aids.

32. The method of claim 30, wherein the display is a touchscreen display and the input includes selection of button on the touchscreen display.

33. A non-transitory computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, causes:

at an electronic device that is in communication with a hearing aid that is distinct from the electronic device, the electronic device having a device audio detection component and one or more input components, wherein the hearing aid includes a hearing-aid audio-detection component and a hearing-aid audio-output component;

while the hearing aid is in a proximate-audio mode of operation in which the hearing aid is configured to detect audio with the hearing-aid audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the audio detected with the hearing-aid audio-detection component, receiving by the one or more input components of the electronic device an input; and

in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, the hearing aid to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation into a remote-audio mode of operation, in which the hearing aid is configured to receive audio detected with the device audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the detected audio.

34. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, including instructions that cause, while the hearing aid is in the proximate-audio mode of operation, obtaining status information about the hearing aid and displaying the status information on a display of the electronic device.

35. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, including instructions that cause, while the hearing aid is in the proximate-audio mode of operation, transmitting setting information to the hearing aid, which causes the hearing aid to change how the audio detected with the hearing aid audio-detection component is converted into output audio that is output by the hearing aid audio-output component.

36. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, including instructions that cause, while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, detecting audio with the device audio-detection component and transmitting the audio detected with the device audio-detection component to the hearing aid.

37. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, including instructions that cause, in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, a plurality of distinct hearing aids to switch from a proximate-audio mode of operation to remote-audio mode of operation.

38. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 33, including instructions that cause displaying, on a display of the electronic device, a user interface that includes one or more controls for controlling one or more settings of the hearing aid, wherein the input includes an interaction with one of the controls displayed in the user interface.

39. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the user interface includes one or more controls for controlling a plurality of hearing aids.

40. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 38, wherein the display is a touchscreen display and the input includes selection of button on the touchscreen display.

41. An electronic device comprising:

one or more processors;

an audio detection component;

one or more input components;

a wireless transceiver; and

a computer-readable medium including one or more sequences of instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, causes;

establishing, using the wireless transceiver, communication with a hearing aid that is distinct from the electronic device wherein the hearing aid includes a hearing-aid audio-detection component and a hearing-aid audio-output component;

determining that the hearing aid is in a proximate-audio mode of operation, where when in the proximate mode of operation the hearing aid is configured to detect audio with the hearing-aid audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the audio detected with the hearing-aid audio-detection component;

while the hearing aid is in a proximate-audio mode of operation, receiving by the one or more input components an input; and

in response to receiving the input, causing the hearing aid to switch from the proximate-audio mode of operation into a remote-audio mode of operation, where when in the remote-audio mode of operation the hearing aid is configured to receive audio detected with the device audio-detection component and output, with the hearing-aid audio-output component, audio corresponding to the detected audio.

42. The electronic device of claim 41, including instructions that cause, while the hearing aid is in the proximate-audio mode of operation, obtaining status information about the hearing aid and displaying the status information on a display of the electronic device.

43. The electronic device of claim 41, including instructions that cause, while the hearing aid is in the proximate-audio mode of operation, transmitting setting information to the hearing aid, which causes the hearing aid to change how the audio detected with the hearing aid audio-detection component is converted into output audio that is output by the hearing aid audio-output component.

44. The electronic device of claim 41, including instructions that cause, while the hearing aid is in the remote-audio mode of operation, detecting audio with the device audio-detection component and transmitting the audio detected with the device audio-detection component to the hearing aid.

45. The electronic device of claim 41, including instructions that cause, in response to receiving the input, causing, by the electronic device, a plurality of distinct hearing aids to switch from a proximate-audio mode of operation to remote-audio mode of operation.

46. The electronic device of claim 41, including instructions that cause displaying, on a display of the electronic device, a user interface that includes one or more controls for controlling one or more settings of the hearing aid, wherein the input includes an interaction with one of the controls displayed in the user interface.

47. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein the user interface includes one or more controls for controlling a plurality of hearing aids.

48. The electronic device of claim 46, wherein the display is a touchscreen display and the input includes selection of button on the touchscreen display.