Hearing aid using wireless test modes as diagnostic tool

• US 9,497,553 B2
• Filed: 03/15/2013
• Issued: 11/15/2016
• 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:
  US13/843,725
• Publication Number:
  US 20140270211A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,341 Days
• Field of Search: 381/60, 370/437, 455/161.1, 455/161.2, 455/161.3
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 for a hearing aid, comprising:

a first device including a Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communication circuit configured to receive and transmit data through a channel of a plurality of wireless communication channels using BLE wireless communication technology; and

a second device including a BLE tester configured to wirelessly communicate with the first device and test the BLE wireless communication circuit according to a wireless test mode for analyzing multiple channels of the plurality of wireless communication channels to produce at least one channel metric for each channel of the multiple channels in response to a test command associated with the wireless test mode, the at least one channel metric for each channel indicative of quality of data transmission performed using the BLE wireless communication circuit through that channel, the second device including an analysis initiator coupled to the BLE tester and configured to generate the test command in response to a signal requesting a diagnostic analysis of an environment of the wireless communication,

wherein at least one of the first device and the second device includes the hearing aid.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first device comprises the hearing aid, and the second device comprises a communicator configured to wirelessly communicate with the hearing aid.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the communicator comprises a user input device configured to receive the signal requesting the diagnostic analysis of the environment of the wireless communication from a user.

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

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE tester is configured to produce at least one of a bit error rate, a packet error rate, indication of cyclic redundancy check errors, indication of forward error correction errors, a signal to noise ratio, a number of retransmissions, and a receive signal strength indicator for each channel of the multiple channels.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the BLE tester is configured to adjust the BLE wireless communication circuit using the at least one channel metric produced for each channel of the multiple channels in response to the test command.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the BLE tester is configured to produce a channel map indicative of quality of data transmission using each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels in response to the test command.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the BLE tester is configured to enable or disable each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels for use by the BLE wireless communication circuit to receive and transmit the data using the channel map produced in response to the test command.

9. The system of claim 2, wherein the second device comprising a programmer configured to program the hearing aid and including the communicator.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the second device comprises a timer configured to generate the signal requesting the diagnostic analysis of the environment of the wireless communication according to a specified schedule.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the timer is configured to generate the signal requesting the diagnostic analysis of the environment of the wireless communication periodically during an idle state of the first device.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the BLE tester is configured to produce at least one channel metric for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels, the channel metric indicative of quality of data transmission performed using the each channel.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the BLE tester is configured to test the BLE wireless communication circuit according to a wireless test mode for evaluating a packet error rate for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the BLE tester is configured to test the BLE wireless communication circuit according to a wireless test mode for evaluating a received signal strength indicator for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the BLE tester is configured to test the BLE wireless communication circuit according to a wireless test mode for producing a channel map indicative of availability of each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels for use to receive and transmit the data.

16. A method for wirelessly communicating with a hearing aid, comprising:

performing wireless communication with the hearing aid using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) wireless communication technology;

receiving a test command associated with a specified wireless test mode for analyzing multiple channels of a plurality of wireless communication channels; and

performing a diagnostic analysis of an environment of the wireless communication in response to the test command, including;

establishing a wireless link between the hearing aid and a BLE tester for the diagnostic analysis, the wireless link including the plurality of wireless communication channels;

testing the hearing aid for the multiple channels to produce at least one channel metric for each channel of the multiple channels according to the specified wireless test mode, the at least one channel metric for each channel indicative of quality of data transmission performed using the wireless link through that channel; and

producing information indicative of one or more characteristics of the environment of the wireless communication.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the diagnostic analysis comprises performing the diagnostic analysis in response to a request from a user.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein performing the diagnostic analysis comprises performing the diagnostic analysis according to a specified schedule.

19. The method of claim 16, wherein testing the hearing aid comprises producing the at least one channel metric for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing a packet error rate for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein producing the at least one channel metric comprises producing a received signal strength indicator for each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

22. The method of claim 20, further comprising adjusting the hearing aid using the at least one channel metric.

23. The method of claim 16, wherein testing the hearing aid comprises producing a channel map indicative of quality of data transmission using each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising enabling or disabling each channel of the plurality of wireless communication channels for performing the wireless communication using the channel map.