Patent Application
20060039577
This application relates generally to wireless communications for hearing assistance devices, and more particularly to method and apparatus for wireless communication between a hearing assistance device with an inductive interface and a remote device.
Portable self-powered hearing assistance devices have been developed to provide sound conditioning. A popular use for hearing assistance devices is to provide assistance for hearing impairment. Such devices are highly programmable and compact. However, difficulties in configuring other devices to provide communications to such devices are common. There is a need in the art for improved communications systems to enable communications between other devices and hearing assistance devices. Such systems should be adapted retrofit existing components and should employ existing standards where possible.
The above-mentioned problems and others not expressly discussed herein are addressed by the present subject matter and will be understood by reading and studying this specification.
The present subject matter includes an apparatus and method for communication involving a hearing assistance device having a first antenna and a remote wireless device, comprising a first wireless circuit adapted for connection to a second antenna to conduct inductive communications with the first antenna; a second wireless circuit adapted for radio frequency communications; a controller in communication with the first wireless circuit and the second wireless circuit; a microphone in communication with the controller; and a power source to provide power to the apparatus.
This Summary is an overview of some of the teachings of the present application and not intended to be an exclusive or exhaustive treatment of the present subject matter. Further details about the present subject matter are found in the detailed description and appended claims. Other aspects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description and viewing the drawings that form a part thereof, each of which are not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.
Various embodiments are illustrated by way of example in the figures of the accompanying drawings.
The following detailed description of the present invention refers to subject matter in the accompanying drawings which show, by way of illustration, specific aspects and embodiments in which the present subject matter may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter. It will be apparent, however, to one skilled in the art that the various embodiments may be practiced without some of these specific details. References to “an”, “one”, or “various” embodiments in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references contemplate more than one embodiment. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of legal equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
The pictured hearing assistance device 120 includes a hidden view of a near field antenna 121 adapted for inductive communications. Varying designs of such an antenna include, but are not limited to, a core 123 around which is wrapped a conductor 125, forming an inductive antenna. Some inductive coil designs adhere to telecoil communication standards.
The present subject matter, in varying embodiments, provides a system for interfacing with a telecoil of a hearing assistance device to provide wireless communications. In providing such function, the present subject matter enables wireless communication using various protocols. Such embodiments include unidirectional and bidirectional communication modes. Some unidirectional embodiments require only a transmitter and receiver to conduct unidirectional communications. For example, the wireless transceiver is able to communicate unidirectionally to a hearing assistance device when the hearing assistance device includes only a receiver.
In some embodiments, the system is adapted for communications with a remote device. Some embodiments are adapted for far field communications to a remote device. Various embodiments use communications compatible with the BLUETOOTH wireless protocol standard. For example, in one embodiment, the remote device 150 is any device adapted for BLUETOOTH compatible communications. Such devices can provide full duplex communications, in various embodiments. Such devices include cell phones, computers, and other devices having a BLUETOOTH transceiver. In various examples, a cellular telephone is adapted to communicate in networks compatible with a BLUETOOTH protocol. In some of these examples, embodiments using a 2.4 GHz signal are possible. Some embodiments compatible with a class 2 BLUETOOTH headset standard are additionally within the present scope.
In various embodiments, wireless transceiver 122 includes a neck loop 102 with a pendant 128. The present subject matter includes neck loop 102 designs which are integrated with an antenna adapted to communicate with the near field antenna 121 of a hearing assistance device. Various forms of data can be communicated. For example, data such as voice data, streaming audio data, application data, and/or functional parameters, may be communicated with such a configuration. Other forms of data may be communicated without departing from the scope of the present subject matter.
In various embodiments, pendant 128 is a single piece. In various embodiments, pendant 128 includes a dock for receiving a wireless communications adapter. Some embodiments package an antenna used for inductive coil communications with a hearing assistance device in the dock, and package electronics for wireless communications with a remote device in a wireless communications adapter. Some designs of a wireless communications adapter are provided in copending U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ filed even date herewith entitled WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS ADAPTER FOR A HEARING ASSISTANCE DEVICE (Attorney Docket No. 1346.039US1) and U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/602,496, filed Aug. 18, 2004, both of which are incorporated by reference in their entirety. More details on one example of a dock system are provided below.
Embodiments having a pendant 128 are useful as users can position the device around their neck without limiting their normal activities. The pendant can operate independent of non-voice signal notification to a user, but some embodiments communicate information to the user using visual indicators 110, or other types of indicators.
In varying embodiments, an additional microphone can be added to the system. In some embodiments, a microphone 114 is located in pendant 182. Such embodiments enable the wireless communication system to optionally deactivate the hearing assistance device microphone 124.
The hearing assistance device 120 and wireless transceiver can communicate information 204 to a remote device. In one embodiment, wireless communication 206 represents a near field or inductive network, and wireless communication 204 represents a radio frequency or far field network. In some embodiments, the far field communications are performed using the BLUETOOTH protocol. Additionally, in some embodiments, the remote device 208 is a cellular telephone capable of operating on a BLUETOOTH compatible wireless network. Other protocols and other far field devices are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. Additionally, in various embodiments, the wireless transceiver is capable of far-field network communications with more than one remote device, either in sequence or concurrently.
The wireless transceiver 306 includes, in some embodiments, wireless communication electronics 308 adapted for producing far field wireless communications 304 with a remote device 302. These wireless communication electronics 308, in various embodiments, additionally provide near field communications 216 with additional devices, such as hearing assistance device 314.
Various embodiments provide far-field communications 304 carrying digital signals. Some of these embodiments include encoded verbal data. Additional embodiments include encoded non-verbal data. In various examples, the wireless communication electronics 308 are adapted to communication in a manner compatible with the BLUETOOTH communication standard. Although a single remote device 302 is illustrated, multiple remote devices may be used with the present subject matter. Multiple remote devices may be used concurrently or sequentially.
Various embodiments of the present subject matter include a system in which a hearing assistance device 430 is adapted for communicating 426 with the wireless transceiver 402. In varying embodiments, the hearing assistance device communicates 426 with the inductive coil 420 of the wireless transceiver 402. In one embodiment, the wireless transceiver is adapted for telecoil communications 426 with a hearing assistance device 430. In various embodiments, inductive coil antenna 420 is suited for near field communication through an inductive loop antenna. In one embodiment, the inductive loop antenna is shaped like a necklace.
Various embodiments of the present subject matter include a wireless transceiver 402 capable of communications with a remote device. In some embodiments, wireless transceiver 402 is capable of far-field communications with a remote device. Some embodiments communicate with a remote device using a communication regime compatible with the BLUETOOTH standard of wireless communication. Such embodiments communicate with a remote device using and antenna 414. In some embodiments, the antenna 414 is connected to a wireless communication subcomponent 410. Wireless transceiver 402 includes additional components in various embodiments. Some embodiments include a power source 406. The power source, in varying embodiments, is a battery, such as a Lithium-ion Polymer battery. Some embodiments communicate power remaining. For example, some embodiments include a multi-colored LED which indicates power levels. Additional embodiments include a volume control 408.
Additionally, varying embodiments include indicators 412 representing other functional states. One example includes a multi-color LED which indicates that the wireless communication subcomponent 410 is powered on and is prepared for communication. The present subject matter includes several functional embodiments, and in one embodiment a powered on wireless communication subcomponents 410 enables the wireless transceiver 402 to pair with a remote device. In various embodiments, a multi-color LED additionally indicates successful paring. Various embodiments indicate these functions during operation on a network compatible with the BLUETOOTH communication protocol.
Some designs within the present subject matter construct network relationships between a remote device and wireless transceiver 402 which resemble master-slave relationships. For example, one embodiment includes a master device and a slave device, and functions such that the master device serves to awake the slave device in instances where communication occurs. In varying designs, pairing is facilitated by a button located on one or both of the remote device and/or the wireless transceiver 402. In one example, a button 422 is located on the wireless transceiver to perform this function.
Information such as volume, pairing, and other information, can be stored in a memory 416. In varying embodiments, the memory is useful to store operational parameters, such as volume and status. In varying embodiments, the memory 416 is useful for storing application data. Application data may include processing instructions, communications instructions, and multimedia processing instructions. Other forms of data additionally are stored in memory 416.
The present subject matter also contemplates a dock having an antenna for magnetic field communications that is driven by a wireless communications adapter, such as the example shown in
Thus, the wireless communications adapter may be embodied in several designs having varying form factors and features without departing from the scope of the present subject matter.
In various embodiments of the present wireless communications adapter, the battery is rechargeable. In such embodiments, the wireless communications adapter can include contacts for charging. One example of such contacts are shown in
In various embodiments, the neck loop is formed by connecting one end of an extended cord, which is integrated at one end with the dock, to a connection point in the connection dock. The illustration shows a connector connected to the pendant, with the connector having various stress relief provisions to decrease damage occurring due to repeated bending.
One of ordinary skill in the art will understand that, the systems shown and described herein can be implemented using software, hardware, and combinations of software and hardware. As such, the term “system” is intended to encompass software implementations, hardware implementations, and software and hardware implementations.
Although specific embodiments have been illustrated and described herein, it will be appreciated by those of ordinary skill in the art that any arrangement which is calculated to achieve the same purpose may be substituted for the specific embodiment shown. This application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. Combinations of the above embodiments, and other embodiments will be apparent to those of skill in the art after studying and understanding the above description. The scope of the present subject matter should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/602,381, filed Aug. 18, 2004, which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 60602381 | Aug 2004 | US |
