Hearing aid with automatic mode change capabilities

• US 9,462,397 B2
• Filed: 07/05/2013
• Issued: 10/04/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Original Assignee: III Holdings 4, LLC
• Inventors: Neumeyer, Frederick Charles, Knox, John Michael Page, Yancey, Gregory Charles
• Primary Examiner(s): NGUYEN, TUAN DUC
• Application Number:
  US13/935,744
• Publication Number:
  US 20130301860A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,187 Days
• Field of Search: 381/23.1, 381/312, 381/314, 381/322, 381/323, 381/330, 381/381
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/50 Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/65 Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture

Abstract

A hearing aid includes a casing configured to fit behind an ear of a user'"'"'s head and against a side of the user'"'"'s head. The hearing aid further includes a first proximity sensor associated with the casing and configured to generate a first signal that is proportional to a proximity of the casing to the ear and includes a processor coupled to the first proximity sensor and configured to select an operating mode from a plurality of operating modes in response to the first signal.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising:

a casing configured to fit behind an ear of a user;

a proximity sensor configured to detect a proximity of an electronic device to the casing; and

a processor configured to select between a normal operating mode and a direct input mode based at least in part on the detected proximity of the electronic device, the direct input mode including wirelessly receiving a signal representative of audio to be output by the hearing aid from the electronic device.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1, further comprising:

a second proximity sensor to detect a proximity of the user to the casing; and

wherein the processor is configured to activate the hearing aid based at least in part on proximity of the user to the casing.

3. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the casing is configured to fit on either a right ear of the user or a left ear of the user.

4. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the normal operating mode includes at least one of a left ear mode and a right ear mode.

5. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the direct input mode is a phone mode.

6. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the direct input mode is a wireless mode.

7. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the direct input mode is a telecoil mode.

8. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the proximity sensor is configured to detect the proximity of the electronic device by:

generating a proximity signal that is indicative of a distance between the electronic device and the casing; and

comparing the signal to a threshold distance.