(19) United States
`(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2010/0027822 A1
`Dietz
`(43) Pub. Date:
`Feb. 4, 2010
`
`US 20 1 00027822Al
`
`(54) LOSS PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR HEARING
`AID DEVICES
`
`(76)
`
`Inventor:
`
`Ferdinand Dietz, Stuttgart (DE)
`
`Correspondence Address:
`SIEMENS CORPORATION
`INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY DEPARTMENT
`170 WOOD AVENUE SOUTH
`ISELINs NJ 08830 (US)
`
`(21) App]. No‘;
`
`12/511,037
`
`.
`Ffled:
`
`(22)
`
`(30)
`
`Jul‘ 29’ 2009
`
`Foreign Application Priority Data
`
`Jul. 31, 2008
`
`(DE) .................... .. 10 2008 035 668.9
`
`Publication Classification
`
`(51)
`
`Int CL
`(2006.01)
`H04R 25/00
`(52) U.S. Cl. ........................ .. 381/315; 381/314; 381/322
`(57)
`ABSTRACT
`.
`.
`.
`.
`.
`.
`.
`The miniaturization and wearing comfort of hearing aid
`devices increasingly runs the risks of a hearing aid device
`~
`~
`~
`worn on or in the ear of a user getting lost without user
`realizing. The invention relates to a hearing aid device system
`comprising a first and a second hearing aid device which is
`worn on the head or body of a user to provide an electronic
`loss protection system which is reliable and easily manage-
`able for a user. The first hearing aid device controls a presence
`of a radio link and/or a signal level of a signal sent from the
`second hearing aid device and received in the first hearing aid
`device. Ifthe radio link breaks or the signal level drops below
`a threshold value, an information signal is generated by the
`first hearing aid device to inform the user of the loss of the
`second hearing aid device.
`
`
`
`HIMPP 1005
`
`HIMPP 1005
`
`

`

`Patent Application Publication
`
`Feb. 4, 2010
`
`US 2010/0027822 A1
`
`
`
`FK3 1
`
`HG1
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`/////////
`
`HG2
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`

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`US 2010/0027822 Al
`
`Feb. 4, 2010
`
`LOSS PROTECTION SYSTEM FOR HEARING
`AID DEVICES
`
`CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED
`APPLICATIONS
`
`[0001] This application claims priority of German applica-
`tion No. 10 2008 035 668.9 filed Jul. 31, 2008, which is
`incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
`
`FIELD OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0002] The invention relates to a hearing aid device system
`comprising at least a first and a second device which can be
`worn on the head or body of a user, with a radio link being
`provided for wireless
`signal
`transmission between the
`devices.
`
`BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
`
`In many cases, hearing aid device wearers want use
`[0003]
`of the hearing aid devices to be as inconspicuous as possible.
`This has led to the development of very small hearing aid
`devices which can barely be seen by the respective user on
`and/or in the ear during wear. A frequently used, so-called
`open supply, in which the auditory canal of a supplied ear of
`the user is not closed by the hearing aid device, also contrib-
`utes to the supply of a user with a hearing aid device still
`frequently barely being consciously perceived by the user.
`However, this has already repeatedly resulted in users losing
`their hearing aid devices during wear completely without
`realizing.
`[0004] Mechanical means are known, by means of which
`hearing aid devices can be fastened to the ear, clothing, spec-
`tacles etc. ofthe respective user so that the hearing aid devices
`are secured if they unintentionally detach from the ear. Hold-
`ers are also known, which effect an additional fastening on the
`ear using magnets and as a result prevent the loss of the
`relevant hearing aid device.
`[0005] Mechanical fastening means are disadvantageous in
`that they frequently fail to bring about the desired effect (e.g.
`magnetic holders) or are cumbersome to manage (e.g. spec-
`tacle fasteners).
`[0006] DE 103 04 648 B3 discloses a hearing aid device
`system comprising a first and a second hearing aid device as
`well as a remote controller, with a radio link being realized for
`wireless signal transmission between the three devices.
`[0007] The patent application U.S. Pat. No. 5,721,783 dis-
`closes a hearing aid device system comprising a hearing aid
`device which can be worn in the left and in the right ear
`respectively and a processor unit which can be worn on the
`body. With the known hearing aid device system, the retrieval
`of a lost hearing aid device is facilitated such that the proces-
`sor unit which can be worn on the body emits a signal which
`can be detected by the user, if during operation in a search
`mode said signal enters into the reception range of a lost
`hearing aid device.
`
`SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0008] The object of the present invention is to provide a
`reliable and easily manageable loss protection system for
`hearing aid devices.
`[0009] This object is achieved by a hearing aid device sys-
`tem with the features according to the independent claim.
`Advantageous developments are characterized by the depen-
`dant claims.
`
`[0010] With a hearing aid device, an input transducer
`records an input signal and converts it into an electrical input
`signal. At least one microphone, which records an acoustic
`input signal and converts it into an electrical input signal is
`usually used as an input transducer. Modern hearing aid
`devices frequently include a microphone system comprising
`several microphones in order to achieve a reception which is
`dependent on the direction of arrival of acoustic signals, a
`directional receiving pattern. Telephone coils or antenna for
`recording electromagnetic input signals and converting said
`signals into electrical input signals are also however custom-
`ary as input transducers. The input signals converted into
`electrical input signals by the input transducer are supplied to
`a signal processing unit for further processing and amplifica-
`tion. In order to offset the individual hearing loss of a user, the
`further processing and amplification generally takes place as
`a function of the signal frequency of the input signal. The
`signal processing unit supplies an electrical output signal at
`its output, which is supplied to the ear of the hearing aid
`device wearer by way of an output transducer so that this
`perceives the output signal as an acoustic signal. Receivers
`are customarily used as output transducers, said receivers
`generating an acoustic output signal. Acoustic transducers for
`generating mechanical oscillations are however also known,
`said mechanical oscillations directly causing certain parts of
`the ear, like for instance the auditory ossicles, to vibrate.
`Furthermore, output
`transducers are also known which
`directly stimulate the nerve cells of the ear. A hearing aid
`device also includes a voltage source (battery or rechargeable
`battery) for supplying power to the electronic components.
`Other control elements (on/off switch, program switch, vol-
`ume controller etc.) may also exist. All electronic compo-
`nents in a hearing aid device can be accommodated in a single
`housing. It is however also possible for the electronic com-
`ponents of a hearing aid device to be distributed between
`several devices or assemblies, the receiver of a hearing aid
`device which can be worn behind the ear can also be located
`
`in an otoplastic which can be worn in the ear for instance, with
`a wired or radio link therefore existing between the part ofthe
`relevant hearing aid device which can be worn behind the ear
`and the part which can be worn in the ear.
`[0011] The hearing aid device system according to the
`invention includes at least one first and one second device
`
`which can be worn on the head or body of a user, between
`which a radio link is provided for wireless data transmission.
`The first and the second device are preferably an in-the-ear
`(ITE) or a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid device or a
`hearing aid device which can be worn on the body. The second
`device can however also be embodied as a remote controller
`
`for the first device or as an external processor unit which can
`be worn on the body. The hearing aid device system according
`to the invention can also include more than two devices,
`between which a wireless signal transmission is provided, for
`instance two hearing aid devices which can be worn on or in
`the ear as well as a third device which is a remote controller
`
`for user-friendly operation of these two hearing aid devices
`by means of the user.
`[0012] A wireless signal transmission between two hearing
`aid devices always enables these to be operated in the same
`auditory program for instance or for a manual change in the
`volume setting on one of the two hearing aid devices to also
`automatically effect a corresponding change in the volume
`setting in the case of the second hearing aid device.
`
`

`

`US 2010/0027822 A1
`
`Feb. 4, 2010
`
`[0013] According to the invention, the presence and/or the
`quality of the radio link between the components of the hear-
`ing aid device system and in particular between two hearing
`aid devices is monitored, so that a break in the radio link or the
`drop in the signal level of a signal received in a hearing aid
`device by way of the radio link to below a certain threshold
`value is immediately automatically detected. According to
`the invention, this triggers the generation of a signal which
`can be perceived by a user, which informs the user that the
`radio link is interrupted. Since the coverage of the radio link
`between the two hearing aid devices of an inventive hearing
`aid device system is narrowly restricted, the user is thus
`immediately informed of a loss by means of the hearing aid
`device which remains in the ear. The coverage of a remote
`controller which is provided in order to control a hearing aid
`device is restricted however to a few meters, so that the user is
`then also informed about the possible loss of a hearing device
`if the link to the remote controller is interrupted. The user is
`therefore always already aware of a loss if he/she is still in
`close proximity to the lost device. This facilitates the retrieval
`of said lost device.
`
`[0014] The information signal may be an acoustic signal,
`but also a signal which can be detected in an optical or tactile
`fashion, which immediately informs the user of a broken
`radio link or poor reception quality between at least two
`devices in the relevant hearing aid device system.
`[0015]
`It is apparent that during the everyday operation of a
`hearing aid device system comprising at least two hearing aid
`devices, between which a radio link for signal transmission
`exists, interruptions in the radio link may then also occasion-
`ally occur if both hearing aid devices are in the usual wearing
`position. Interruptions ofthis type may be caused for instance
`by strong electromagnetic interference signals. It is therefore
`expedient not to react to each interruption in the radio link
`with a corresponding information signal but instead to only
`then generate an information signal of this type if the radio
`link is interrupted for a certain period of time and/or if the
`signal level in the receiving device does not reach the thresh-
`old value for a certain period of time.
`[0016] The period of time and/or the threshold value can
`advantageously be set in order to adjust to the individual
`conditions of a user. A setting of this type can take place for
`instance during the programming ofthe hearing aid device by
`means of a programming device.
`[0017] Different periods of time and/or threshold values
`can advantageously also be set for different operating states in
`a relevant hearing aid device. If due to an analysis of the
`surrounding situation for instance the hearing aid device iden-
`tifies that it is in a noisy environment, a longer period oftime,
`compared with a quiet auditory environment, can be activated
`for instance during the period of time in this situation. Imme-
`diately after switching on a hearing aid device, it may also be
`expedient to firstly suppress a corresponding information
`signal. This prevents the hearing aid device, which is initially
`fastened to and/or in the ear, from immediately reacting with
`a corresponding information signal when a hearing aid device
`system is applied, provided the second hearing aid device of
`the relevant hearing aid device system is still not activated or
`is still not in the wearing position provided.
`[0018] According to one development ofthe invention, pro-
`vision is made for the information signal generated by the
`hearing aid device signal to be adjustable to an individual
`user. A collection of acoustic signals (tones, tone sequences,
`melodies etc.) is advantageously available to the user, of
`
`which he/she can select one or several depending on indi-
`vidual preferences. It is therefore possible for instance for the
`left hearing aid device, the right hearing aid device and the
`remote controller of an inventive hearing aid device system to
`output different signals which can be detected by the user
`when the radio link is interrupted. In addition to acoustic
`signals which can be detected in an optical or tactile fashion
`can be generated and output by means of the remote control-
`ler. Advantageously, in addition to selecting the information
`signal per se, certain properties of a signal of this type can be
`individually adjusted. The volume and frequency ofan acous-
`tic information signal can be adjusted for instance in accor-
`dance with the wishes and requirements ofthe respective user.
`[0019]
`Ifan information signal indicates to a user according
`to the invention that a hearing aid device of a relevant hearing
`aid system is lost, one development of the invention provides
`means that facilitate the retrieval of a lost hearing aid device.
`The amplification of a radio signal received by the remaining
`hearing aid device or the remote controller and by the lost
`hearing aid device can be increased for instance so that an
`approximate estimation can be made relating to the distance
`between the relevant devices. With the remote controller or
`
`the remaining hearing aid device, a search function can
`advantageously be triggered by the manual operation or
`speech input on the remote controller or the remaining hear-
`ing aid device. The search function in the lost hearing aid
`device advantageously effects the output of a warning signal
`with maximum amplification so that the lost hearing aid
`device can also be found again by the acoustic signal gener-
`ated thereby.
`
`BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
`
`[0020] The invention is described in more detail below with
`reference to an exemplary embodiment, in which;
`[0021]
`FIG. 1 shows a hearing aid device system according
`to the invention and
`
`FIG. 2 shows an individual hearing aid device from
`[0022]
`a hearing aid device system according to the invention.
`
`DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
`
`[0023] The hearing aid device system which is apparent
`from the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1, in
`addition to the two hearing aid devices HG 1 and HG 2 which
`can be worn behind the ear, also has a remote controller RCU.
`With the hearing aid device system according to the exem-
`plary embodiment, a wireless bidirectional link is possible
`both between the remote controller RCU and the two hearing
`aid devices HG 1 and HG 2 as well as between the two hearing
`aid devices HG 1 and HG 2. To this end, there is a radio link
`between two devices of the hearing aid device system in each
`instance, by way of which the signals can be transmitted
`wirelessly and bidirectionally. By manually operating a pro-
`gram selection key on the remote controller, it is as a result
`possible to simultaneously switch both hearing aid devices
`HG1 and HG2 to the same auditory program. The manual
`actuation of a volume controller on one ofthe two hearing aid
`devices, for instance on the hearing aid device HG1, also
`effects a simultaneous adjustment ofthe volume setting in the
`second hearing aid device HG 2.
`[0024] The structure of an exemplary hearing aid device
`according to the exemplary embodiment in FIG. 1 is shown in
`FIG. 2. The hearing aid device 1 which is apparent therefrom
`and can be worn behind the ear has a housing 2 which can be
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`US 2010/0027822 Al
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`Feb. 4, 2010
`
`worn behind the ear, an otoplastic 3 which protrudes into the
`auditory canal during wear and a sound tube 4, which is used
`to support the hearing aid device 1 on the ear and to convey the
`sound between the housing 2 and the otoplastic 3. Two micro-
`phones 5 and 6 are available in the hearing aid device 1 to
`record sound, said microphones being interconnected with a
`directional microphone system. The microphone signals
`emanating therefrom are fed to a signal processing unit 7 for
`processing and frequency-dependent amplification. This gen-
`erates an electrical output signal, which is converted into an
`acoustic output signal in the receiver 8 and is fed to the ear of
`a user by way of the sound tube 4 and the otoplastic 3. A
`battery 9 is also available to provide power to the electronic
`components of the hearing aid device 1.
`[0025] The hearing aid device 1 has a transmit and receive
`antenna 10 for the wireless signal transmission between the
`hearing aid device 1 and an additional device, for instance an
`additional hearing aid device, a remote controller, a program-
`ming device etc. The signals received thereby are firstly sup-
`plied to a signal evaluation and control facility 11, before they
`are supplied to the signal processing unit 7, if necessary after
`further processing. According to the invention, the signal
`evaluation and control facility 11 checks whether a certain
`electromagnetic signal which emanates from one hearing aid
`device 1 to the second hearing aid device which is similar in
`structure thereto can be received by way ofthe antenna 10 and
`if necessary the signal level of a relevant signal. Ifno signal is
`received or the signal level lies below an adjustable threshold
`value, a control signal is generated in the signal evaluation
`and control facility 11 and is transmitted to the signal pro-
`cessing unit 7, which leads to the output of an information
`signal stored in a memory of the signal processing unit 7 by
`way of the receiver 8. A user of the hearing aid device 1 is as
`a result informed that the second hearing aid device of the
`relevant hearing aid device system is located outside the
`regular distance in respect of the hearing aid device 1. The
`user is thus informed by the hearing aid device 1 of a possible
`loss of the second hearing aid device of the relevant hearing
`aid device system.
`[0026] According to advantageous developments of the
`invention, the hearing aid device 1 does not respond imme-
`diately with each break in the radio link and/or drop in the
`signal level to below the threshold value, but only if the
`relevant state stops for a certain period of time. The period of
`time and/or the threshold value can advantageously be indi-
`vidually adjusted by programming the hearing aid device 1
`and in particular the signal evaluation and control facility 11.
`1.-12. (canceled)
`13. A hearing aid device system, comprising:
`a first device;
`a second device; and
`a radio link for wirelessly transmitting a signal between the
`first device and the second device,
`wherein the hearing aid device system is configured to:
`generate an information signal if the radio link between
`the first device and the second device breaks or if a
`
`signal level of a signal sent by the first device and
`received by the second device does not reach a thresh-
`old value at a site of the second device, and
`
`transmit the information signal to a user of the hearing
`aid device system.
`14. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13,
`wherein the first device and the second device can be worn on
`
`a head or a body of the user.
`15. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13,
`wherein the first device is a first hearing aid device which can
`be worn on or in a left ear of the user and the second device is
`
`a second hearing aid device which can be worn on or in a right
`ear of the user.
`
`16. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 15,
`wherein the information signal is emitted from one of the first
`and the second hearing aid devices.
`17. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13,
`wherein the first device is a hearing aid device which can be
`worn on or in an ear of the user and the second device is a
`
`remote controller for the hearing aid device.
`18. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 17,
`wherein the information signal is emitted from the hearing aid
`device or the remote controller.
`
`19. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13,
`wherein the information signal is an acoustic signal that is
`detectable by the user.
`20. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13,
`wherein the information signal is emitted if the radio link is
`interrupted for a certain period of time or if the signal level at
`the site of the second hearing aid device drops below the
`threshold value for a certain period of time.
`21. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 20,
`wherein the period of time is adjustable.
`22. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 21,
`wherein different periods of time are adjustable for different
`operating states of the hearing aid device system.
`23. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 22,
`wherein a period of time for an operating state is adjustable
`immediately after the hearing aid device system has been
`switched on.
`
`24. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13,
`wherein the threshold value is adjustable
`25. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13,
`wherein the information signal is adjusted to the user.
`26. The hearing aid device system as claimed in claim 13,
`wherein a search function is activated for retrieving a lost
`component of the hearing aid device system.
`27. A method for protecting a loss of a component of a
`hearing aid device system, comprising:
`providing a first device;
`providing a second device;
`wirelessly transmitting a signal between the first device
`and the second device by a radio link;
`generating an information signal if the radio link between
`the first device and the second device breaks or ifa signal
`level of a signal sent by the first device and received by
`the second device does not reach a threshold value at a
`site of the second device; and
`transmitting the information signal to a user of the hearing
`aid device system.
`
`