Patent Grant
9025499
The invention relates to the field of hearing devices, and in particular to methods and systems for configuring hearing devices. It relates to methods and apparatuses according to the opening clauses of the claims.
Under a hearing device, a device is understood, which is worn in or adjacent to an individual's ear with the object to improve the individual's audiological perception. Such improvement may also be barring acoustic signals from being perceived in the sense of hearing protection for the individual. If the hearing device is tailored so as to improve the perception of a hearing impaired individual towards hearing perception of a normal-hearing individual, then we speak of a hearing-aid device. With respect to the application area, a hearing device may be applied, e.g., behind the ear, in the ear, completely in the ear canal or may be implanted.
A hearing system comprises at least one hearing device. In case that a hearing system comprises at least one additional device, all devices of the hearing system are operationally connectable within the hearing system. Typically, said additional devices such as another hearing device, a remote control or a remote microphone, are meant to be worn or carried by said individual.
In various documents, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 7,321,662, US 2008/253580 A1, EP 1410684 B1 and DE 102007035171 A1, the configuration of a hearing device is discussed. More precisely, the configuration of one single hearing device is discussed. The configuration of more than one hearing devices is not addressed in these documents.
EP 1596633 A2 discloses a system with two hearing instruments and a system for programming one or more hearing aids with a host computer.
It is furthermore known to sequentially configure two hearing devices, i.e. to firstly configure a first hearing device and then, when the configuration of the first hearing device is finished, to configure a second hearing device.
It is one object of the invention to create an alternative, in particular an improved method for configuring two or more devices of a hearing system. In addition, the respective hearing device configuration system shall be provided.
Another object of the invention is to provide a particularly fast and time-saving way, respectively, to configure two or more devices of a hearing system.
Further objects emerge from the description and embodiments below.
At least one of these objects is at least partially achieved by apparatuses and methods according to the patent claims.
The method for configuring N≧2 devices of a hearing system using a communication channel comprises the steps of
This way, much time can be saved in the configuration of two or more devices of a hearing system.
The inventors have found that in the configuration of hearing devices, the major portion of the time required is spent on the execution of configuring commands in the respective devices. They found that with respect to the known ways of configuring more than one hearing devices, in which the devices are configured one after the other, much time can be saved by trying to have configuring commands executed in the respective devices as much as possible at the same time, i.e. in a simultaneous or overlapping manner. And, in addition, the inventors found that despite the advanced communication techniques used for configuring today's hearing devices, considerable time is spent on their configuration. So much time is spent thereon that, e.g., a hearing device fitter having to configure several devices might be bothered having to wait so long until the configurations are done, and a hearing-aid device user might be bothered having to wait so long until he can receive his hearing-aid device after improved settings have been obtained in a fitting session, the hearing device user having to wait quite some time until the settings are transferred into his hearing-aid devices, whereas the hearing device user would of course prefer to be able to receive the devices of his hearing system practically immediately after the settings have been determined.
In one embodiment, said first and second devices are different from one another. This is the usual envisaged case.
In one embodiment which may be combined with the before-addressed embodiment, said providing in steps a1) and a2) is carried out by sending the respective request via said one communication channel.
One and the same communication channel is used for carrying out the method steps a1) and a2). This does not exclude that further steps are possibly accomplished using another communication channel, e.g., for configuring additional devices.
A communication channel is in many cases bound to one carrier frequency and is operable in a simplex, duplex (also referred to as full duplex) or half-duplex operation, as is well known. Roughly spoken, in simplex operation, only one network member can send messages; in half duplex operation, more than one network members can send messages, but not more than one message can be sent at one time; and in duplex operation, more than one network members can send messages, and two messages can be sent at the same time in opposite directions.
Said configuring commands can be or comprise, e.g., commands executable in the respective device, one or more links to commands executable in the respective device (the actual commands can be stored inside or outside the device), or said configuring commands can be or comprise code encoding the commands, to be decoded for obtaining the actual executable commands.
There are two main aspects of said configuring, which can occur separately or in a mixed fashion in the method. One is the installation or reinstallation of new or updated firmware in the device; the other is configuring the device individually, in particular for an individual, i.e. for a user to be using the device, more particularly configuring the device in dependence of the user's hearing loss. The latter is usually done during or at the end of a fitting session, for installing new or edited program settings, settings for gain curves and the like in the device, in particular said device being a hearing device. The first can be done, e.g., during the manufacture of the device, in particular said device being a hearing device. It shall be noted, however that also during manufacture of the device, a device may be configured individually, e.g., when calibration data are stored in the device.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, the method is a method for individually configuring N≧2 devices, in particular for individually configuring N≧2 hearing devices.
Said “individually configuring” means that said devices are to be configured not in an identical way, i.e. one or more configuring commands are to be executed in said first, but not in said second device or vice versa. This does not exclude that, in addition, one or more configuring commands are sent to said first and to said second device, for execution in both, said first and said second device.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, said communication channel is a physical communication channel.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, said communication channel is a shared resource, in particular a shared resource shared at least between said first device and said second device.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, said communication channel is a communication channel of a network.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, said communication channel is a communication channel of a wireless network, and, accordingly, said providing mentioned in steps a1) and a2) is carried out in a wireless fashion. Alternatively, said communication channel is a communication channel of a wire-bound network, and, accordingly, said providing mentioned in steps a1) and a2) is carried out in a wirebound fashion.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, the method comprises the step of
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, said at least one first configuring command is not identical with said at least one second configuring command. Such different first and second configuring commands come up in case of individually configured devices. It is also possible that said first and second configuring commands are identical; in this case, a broadcast and/or a multicast addressing scheme can be used.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, at least one of said first and second devices is a hearing device. In particular, both devices are hearing devices.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, at least one of said first and second devices is a hearing-aid device. In particular, both devices are hearing-aid devices.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, said communication channel is operated in duplex or half duplex operation, and said method comprises, after step a1) has been completed, the step of
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments except with the last-addressed embodiment, said communication channel is operated in half duplex operation, and said request mentioned in step a1) is sent as a unicast message, and said request mentioned in step a2) is sent as a unicast message, and wherein said method comprises, upon detecting in said first device that step b1) is finished, the step of
In particular, said method comprises, upon detecting in said first device that step b1) is finished successfully, the step of
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments comprising step c1), said first response message is indicative of at least one of the group consisting of
Said successful reception can be determined, e.g., using a checksum, as is known in the art.
Said successful termination can be determined, e.g., using a flag, as is known in the art.
Said time can be indicated, e.g., by an absolute time, by a network time or by a time interval (in whichever time units) indicating how long it will presumeably take until step b1) will be finished.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments comprising step c1), step c1) is carried out automatically, and in particular independent of receiving in said first device a polling message. E.g., step c1) is carried out
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments comprising step c1) except for the last-addressed embodiment, step c1) is carried out upon reception in said first device of a polling message.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, said request mentioned in step a1) is sent as a unicast message.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments except with the last-addressed embodiment, said request mentioned in step a1) is sent as a multicast message.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments except with the last-addressed two embodiments, said request mentioned in step a1) is sent as a broadcast message
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments, said request mentioned in step a2) is sent as a unicast message or as a multicast message.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments except with the last-addressed embodiment, said request mentioned in step a2) is sent as a broadcast message.
In one embodiment which may be combined with one or more of the before-addressed embodiments except where the communication channel is operated in duplex or in half-duplex mode, said communication channel is operated in simplex mode. In this case, the method can be carried out, e.g., using one or more timers by means of which the time of the presumed terminations of command executions is estimated. This mode of carrying out the method is generally not safe, since no feedback from the devices can be evaluated. In order to provide a safe configuring process, a duplex or a half-duplex operation of the communication channel is used rather than a simplex operation.
The hearing system configuration system for configuring N≧2 devices of a hearing system comprises a first and a second device of said hearing system and a configuration unit comprising a communication unit, wherein said configuration unit is structured and configured for operating a network with said first and second devices and said communication unit as network members. Said network comprises a communication channel, and said configuration unit is structured and configured for
In one embodiment of the hearing system configuration system, it comprises a computer with a hearing device fitting software. In particular, wherein said computer with said hearing device fitting software is comprised in said configuration unit.
In one embodiment of the hearing system configuration system, it comprises a computer with a manufacturing configuration software. In particular, wherein said computer with said hearing device manufacturing configuration software is comprised in said configuration unit. A manufacturing configuration software is used during the manufacture of devices of a hearing system, in particular of hearing devices.
The invention comprises hearing system configuration systems with features of corresponding methods according to the invention, and vice versa.
The advantages of the hearing system configuration systems basically correspond to the advantages of corresponding methods and vice versa.
The computer program product comprises program code for causing a computer to perform the steps of
The invention comprises computer program products with features of corresponding methods according to the invention, and vice versa, and it comprises computer program products with features of corresponding hearing system configuration systems according to the invention, and vice versa.
The advantages of the computer program products basically correspond to the advantages of corresponding methods and hearing system configuration systems, respectively, and vice versa.
The computer-readable medium comprises program code as described above.
Further embodiments and advantages emerge from the dependent claims and the figures.
Below, the invention is described in more detail by means of examples and the included drawings. The figures show schematically:
The reference symbols used in the figures and their meaning are summarized in the list of reference symbols. Generally, alike or alike-functioning parts are given the same or similar reference symbols. The described embodiments are meant as examples and shall not confine the invention.
When a new firmware shall be installed in one or more devices of the hearing system 10, or at the end of a fitting session during which new transfer functions for the hearing devices 11,12 have been determined or other measures have been taken to individually adjust one or more of the devices 11,12,13 of the hearing system 10 to a user of the hearing system, new data have to be transmitted from the configuration system 1 to one or more of the devices 11,12,13. This configuring of the devices is accomplished via network 5.
In order to configure the devices 11 and/or 12 and/or 13, a communication channel of network 5 is used for requesting the respective device to execute (in the respective device) one or more configuring commands, e.g., by transmitting the configuring commands itself to the respective device. For each device, this is usually done blockwise, i.e. by successively transmitting several requests (for the execution of usually different configuring commands) to the respective device.
After all the configuring commands for one device have been (successfully) executed, the configuration of the respective device is at least substantially finished.
In the following, we will concentrate on the communication between configuration unit 1 and the devices 11,12,13 of the hearing system 10. For reasons of simplicity, we will refer to two devices only, e.g., to two hearing devices such as devices 11 and 12 in
The
“REQ” denotes a request message, also shortly referred to as a “request”, “EXEC” denotes the execution in a device, more precisely the execution of one or more configuring commands in a device of the hearing system 10, and “RSP” denotes a response message, also shortly referred to as a “response”, sent by a device of the hearing system 10.
From the state of the art, it is known to configure two or more devices in a purely sequential manner, i.e. firstly, a first device is configured (by requesting the execution of configuring commands and a subsequent execution of the commands in the respective device), and then the next device is configured (in an analoguous manner).
When the configuration of the first device is finished, the second device will be configured in an analoguous manner, starting with a request R2, a subsequent execution E2 in the second device and thereafter a response S2 and so on, until also the second device is configured.
As will be appreciated, the process illustrated in
Such a purely sequential way of configuring several devices one after the other, as illustrated in
Note that due to the smallness of hearing devices, the available resources therein, in particular the processing (and therefore the command execution) resources are very limited. As indicated in the Figures, the time needed for execution steps will usually be considerably longer than the time required for the communication (requests; responses).
We are and will be looking at what can be accomplished by means of one single communication channel, wherein said communication channel is a shared resource shared between all network members. In the case that two channels are available, one can, of course, simultaneously configure two devices, which requires only approximately half the time compared to a sequential configuring.
In
If the communication channel were operated in full duplex operation, “REQ 1.2” could even be transmitted immediately after response S1 (“RSP 1.1”; which would be simultaneous to response S2), such that the whole second part illustrated in
R1,R2. Upon the reception of request R1,R2, both devices 11,12 will (at least substantially) simultaneously execute (cf. E1,E2) the requested configuring commands. Upon termination of the execution, the devices will send responses S1 and S2, respectively. In the depicted case of half-duplex operation, responses S1 and S2 will have to be sent one after the other; the order of S1 and S2 can be determined in any known way.
Upon reception of all responses, configuring unit 1 can send another request (REQ x.2) which can be handled analoguously to R1,R2.
While
A request-response protocol provides an increased safety of the process.
Whereas in the Figures above responses (S1,S2) have been initiated by the termination of an execution (E1,E2), it is—as an alternative which can be combined with the respective embodiments discussed above—also possible to poll for responses.
It is—as another alternative which can be combined with the respective embodiments discussed above—also possible to use a timer in order to determine when another request to the same device may be sent (cf. also the embodiment of
Aspects of the embodiments have been described in terms of functional units. As is readily understood, these functional units may be realized in virtually any number of hardware and/or software components adapted to performing the specified functions. For example, configuration unit 1 could be merely a wireless communication interface with a storage unit such as flash memory, RAM or a harddisk, which is configured to receive the requests to be sent and information about the communication and protocols. The requests (or data descriptive thereof) would be copied from elsewhere into the storage unit, and then, the configuration unit 1 could, very much on its own, operationally connected to the hearing system 10, carry out one of the above-described processes or a combined process.
As will be appreciated, the fact that a second device is requested to carry out configuration commands already before the execution of configuration commands in the first hearing device is finished, can lead to considerable time savings in the process of configuring two (or more) devices of a hearing system. Typically, the request to the second device is sent while the execution in the first device is still being carried out.
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/EP2010/054388 | 3/31/2010 | WO | 00 | 9/20/2012 |
| Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| WO2010/076342 | 7/8/2010 | WO | A |
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| Number | Date | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 10 2007 035 171 | Feb 2009 | DE |
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| 03003792 | Jan 2003 | WO |
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| Entry |
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| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 20130010653 A1 | Jan 2013 | US |
