WIRELESS STREAMING TO HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICES

• US 20150326984A1
• Filed: 05/09/2014
• Published: 11/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/09/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Haubrich, Greg, Botz, Alexander
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,699 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/0613 using simultaneous transmission H04B7/0686 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 7/10 Polarisation diversity; Directional diversity
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/55 Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

Disclosed in some examples are methods, systems, apparatus, and machine readable mediums which mitigate multipath fading and extend the robustness and the useable range of the wireless link between a streaming device and a hearing assistance device. In some examples, this may be accomplished by utilizing redundant wireless sources of the streaming data—that is, multiple copies of the streaming information may be sent to the hearing assistance devices. To prevent interference, at least one transmission parameter may be varied between the transmissions (e.g., frequency, channel, time, coding, or the like).

Claims

1. A method for receiving streaming audio at a hearing assistance device, the method comprising:

receiving streaming audio from a streaming audio source over a first wireless link;

determining that quality metrics corresponding to the first wireless link are below a quality threshold; and

responsive to determining that the quality metrics corresponding to the first wireless link are below a quality threshold, discontinuing the reception of the streaming audio over the first wireless link and begin reception of the streaming audio over a second wireless link, wherein the streaming audio is simultaneously available on both the first and second wireless links and wherein the streaming audio is stereo audio.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless channel and the second wireless link is on a second wireless channel.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the streaming audio on the second wireless link is sent by the streaming audio device.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless timeslot and the second wireless link is on a second wireless timeslot.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first wireless link uses a first orthogonal code and the second wireless link uses a second orthogonal code.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the streaming audio on the second wireless link is sent by a second hearing assistance device.

7. The method of claim 1, comprising:

playing the streaming audio through a speaker integrated into the hearing assistance device.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the threshold is a signal quality measured for the second wireless link.

9. A non-transitory machine-readable medium, including instructions, which when performed by the machine, causes the machine to perform the operations on a hearing assistance device, the operations comprising:

receiving streaming audio from a streaming audio source over a first wireless link;

determining that quality metrics corresponding to the first wireless link are below a quality threshold; and

responsive to determining that the quality metrics corresponding to the first wireless link are below a quality threshold, discontinuing the reception of the streaming audio over the first wireless link and begin reception of the streaming audio over a second wireless link, wherein the streaming audio is simultaneously available on both the first and second wireless links and wherein the streaming audio is stereo audio.

10. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless channel and the second wireless link is on a second wireless channel.

11. The machine-readable medium of claim 10, wherein the streaming audio on the second wireless link is sent by the streaming audio source.

12. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless timeslot and the second wireless link is on a second wireless timeslot.

13. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the first wireless link uses a first orthogonal code and the second wireless link uses a second orthogonal code.

14. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the streaming audio on the second wireless link is sent by a second hearing assistance device.

15. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the operations comprise:

playing the streaming audio through a speaker integrated into the hearing assistance device.

16. The machine-readable medium of claim 9, wherein the threshold is a signal quality measured for the second wireless link.

17. A hearing assistance device comprising:

transmission and reception circuitry configured to;

receive streaming audio from a streaming audio source over a first wireless link;

determine that quality metrics corresponding to the first wireless link are below a quality threshold; and

control circuitry configured to;

discontinue receiving the streaming audio over the first wireless link and begin receiving the streaming audio over a second wireless link responsive to a determination that the quality metrics corresponding to the first wireless link are below a quality threshold, wherein the streaming audio is simultaneously available on both the first and second wireless links and wherein the streaming audio is stereo audio.

18. The hearing assistance device of claim 17, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless channel and the second wireless link is on a second wireless channel.

19. The hearing assistance device of claim 18, wherein the streaming audio on the second wireless link is sent by the streaming audio source.

20. The hearing assistance device of claim 17, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless timeslot and the second wireless link is on a second wireless timeslot.

21. The hearing assistance device of claim 17, wherein the first wireless link uses a first orthogonal code and the second wireless link uses a second orthogonal code.

22. The hearing assistance device of claim 17, wherein the streaming audio on the second wireless link is sent by a second hearing assistance device.

23. The hearing assistance device of claim 17, wherein the control circuitry is configured to:

cause the streaming audio to be played through a speaker integrated into the hearing assistance device.

24. The hearing assistance device of claim 17, wherein the threshold is a signal quality measured for the second wireless link.

25. A system comprising:

a hearing assistance device comprising;

transmission and reception circuitry configured to;

receive streaming audio from a streaming audio source over a first wireless link;

determine that quality metrics corresponding to the first wireless link are below a quality threshold; and

control circuitry configured to;

discontinue receiving the streaming audio over the first wireless link and begin receiving the streaming audio over a second wireless link responsive to a determination that the quality metrics corresponding to the first wireless link are below a quality threshold; and

a streaming transmitter comprising;

first and second antennae;

an audio input port configured to receive the streaming audio; and

at least one transmitter configured to simultaneously transmit the streaming audio to the hearing assistance device over the first and second antennae using the first and second wireless links.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless channel and the second wireless link is on a second wireless channel.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the first wireless link is on a first wireless timeslot and the second wireless link is on a second wireless timeslot.

28. The system of claim 25, wherein the first wireless link uses a first orthogonal code and the second wireless link uses a second orthogonal code.

29. The system of claim 25, wherein the control circuitry of the hearing assistance device is configured to:

cause the streaming audio to be played through a speaker integrated into the hearing assistance device.

30. The system of claim 25, wherein the threshold is a signal quality measured for the second wireless link.

31. The system of claim 25, wherein the first and second antennae are cross polarized.