Systems and methods for managing wireless communication links for hearing assistance devices

• US 9,794,697 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2015
• Issued: 10/17/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/03/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Solum, Jeffrey Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): Robinson, Ryan
• Application Number:
  US14/797,816
• Publication Number:
  US 20160072596A1
• Time in Patent Office: 827 Days
• 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 adapted to wirelessly communicate with each other. The plurality of devices includes a battery-operated hearing assistance device adapted to be worn by a person. The hearing aid device includes a signal processing circuitry connected to a microphone and a receiver. At least one of the plurality of devices includes a link quality management device adapted to assess a link quality for a first wireless communication channel, provide channel metrics indicative of the assessed quality for the first wireless communication channel, and adjust wireless communication over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a plurality of devices adapted to wirelessly communicate with each other, wherein the plurality of devices includes a battery-operated hearing assistance device adapted to be worn by a person, the hearing assistance device including a signal processing circuitry connected to a microphone and a receiver;

at least one of the plurality of devices including a link quality management device adapted to assess a link quality for a first wireless communication channel, provide channel metrics indicative of the assessed quality for the first wireless communication channel, and adjust wireless communication over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel,

wherein the link quality management device is adapted to assess a signal-to-noise ratio for the first wireless channel and provide channel metrics indicative of the assessed signal-to-noise ratio, and is adapted to adjust power to communicate over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel including adjusting transmission power from the battery-operated hearing assistance device to transmit near a noise floor to conserve energy, and link quality management device is adapted to dynamically adjust a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) threshold near the noise floor for the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel, wherein the RSSI threshold is set during periods of non-packet activity on the channel, and wherein the at least one of the plurality of devices includes a packet receive statement machine that uses the dynamically adjusted threshold near the noise floor to determine the start of a packet transmission during wireless communications.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the link quality management device is adapted to assess an error rate for the first wireless channel and provide channel metrics indicative of the assessed error rate.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the link quality management device is adapted to count retransmissions for the first wireless channel and provide channel metrics indicative of the retransmissions.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the link quality management device is adapted to adjust a symbol transmission rate over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the link is adapted based on the link quality to adjust a packet length of a signal over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the link is adapted based on the link quality to adjust selection or combination of a diverse antenna using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the link is adapted based on the link quality to change frequencies using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel.

8. A method, comprising:

assessing link quality for a wireless communication link between a battery-operated hearing assistance device and at least one other device, and

adjusting wireless communication based on the assessed link quality, wherein adjusting includes first dynamically adjusting receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) threshold based on the assessed link quality, wherein adjusting wireless communication includes adjusting power to communicate over the wireless communication link based on the assessed link quality, including adjusting transmission from the battery-operated hearing assistance device to be near a noise floor to conserve energy, wherein the RSSI threshold is set during periods of non-packet activity on the wireless communication link to determine the start of a packet transmission during wireless communications, and the method further includes;

assessing link quality for the wireless communication link after first adjusting wireless communication.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the method further includes:

if the assessed link quality is undesirable after first adjusting wireless communication, adjusting at least one other of power, symbol transmission rate, RSSI threshold, packet length, forward error correction, polarization or special location for a diverse antenna or transmission frequency by changing channels.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting further includes adjusting a symbol transmission rate based on the assessed link quality.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting further includes adjusting a packet length based on the assessed link quality.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting further includes adjusting a selection of a diverse antenna based on the assessed link quality.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting further includes adding or modifying a forward error correction based on the assessed link quality.

14. The method of claim 8, wherein adjusting further includes adjusting a transmission frequency by changing channels based on the assessed link quality.

15. A system, comprising:

a plurality of devices adapted to wirelessly communicate with each other, wherein the plurality of devices includes a battery-operated hearing assistance device adapted to be worn by a person, the hearing assistance device including a signal processing circuitry connected to a microphone and a receiver,

at least one of the plurality of devices including a link quality management device adapted to assess a link quality for a first wireless communication channel, provide channel metrics indicative of the assessed quality for the first wireless communication channel, and adjust wireless communication over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel including adjust transmission power from the battery-operated hearing assistance device to transmit near a noise floor to conserve energy,

wherein the link quality management device is adapted to dynamically adjust a receive signal strength indicator (RSSI) threshold over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel, the RSSI threshold being set during periods of non-packet activity on the channel.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the link quality management device is further adapted to assess link quality for the wireless communication link after first adjusting wireless communication.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the link quality management device is adapted to assess an error rate for the first wireless channel and provide channel metrics indicative of the assessed error rate.

18. The system of claim 15, wherein the link quality management device is adapted to count retransmissions for the first wireless channel and provide channel metrics indicative of the retransmissions.

19. The system of claim 15, wherein the link quality management device is adapted to adjust a symbol transmission rate over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel.

20. The system of claim 15, wherein the link is adapted based on the link quality to adjust a packet length of a signal over the first wireless communication channel using the channel metrics for the first wireless communication channel.