IP Library Granted Patent US 8,199,946
Granted Patent B2
US 8,199,946 · App. 11/881,378 · Granted Jun 12, 2012

Hearing aid with radio frequency identification receiver for switching a transmission characteristic

View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,199,946
App. No.
11/881,378
Granted
Jun 12, 2012
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to a hearing aid with a sound receiver for generating a microphone signal representing a sound wave received and a sound generator for generating a sound depending on a power signal received. The hearing aid has a transmission unit which on the input side is connected to the sound receiver and on the output side to the sound generator and generates a power signal depending on a microphone signal received. The transmission unit modifies a transmission characteristic of the transmission unit as a function of a tag signal received. The hearing aid has a radio frequency detection device connected to the transmission unit, with a spatial detection zone where the radio frequency detection device detects, electromagnetically and in particular inductively, a radio frequency tag and, depending on the radio frequency tag, to generate a tag signal and to output this to the transmission unit.

Claims (26)

1. A hearing aid, comprising:

a sound receiver that receives a sound wave and generates a microphone signal representing the sound wave;

a sound generator that generates a sound depending on a power signal;

a transmission unit connected between the sound receiver and the sound generator that:

generates the power signal depending on the microphone signal, and

modifies a transmission characteristic of the transmission unit as a function of a tag signal; and

an RFID receiver connected to the transmission unit that generates the tag signal based on a radio frequency tag presented and electromagnetically detected in a detection zone,

wherein the RFID receiver is configured to generate the tag signal based on one of a plurality of radio frequency tags attached to different telephones,

wherein the transmission unit is configured to generate the power signal based on a transfer function and a frequency or an amplitude of the microphone signal,

wherein the transfer function is selected from at least two transfer functions based on the tag signal,

wherein a first transfer function is assigned to a predefined class of tag data items in the radio frequency tags,

wherein a second transfer function is assigned to an individual item of tag data in the radio frequency tags, and

wherein the hearing aid is configured to switch between the first transfer function for all the telephones and the second transfer function for an individual adaption to a particular type of telephone.

2. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the radio frequency tag comprises a transmitting and receiving antenna connected to a chip where an item of tag data in the radio frequency tag is stored.

3. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 2 , wherein the RFID receiver generates the tag signal corresponding to the item of tag data.

4. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:

an assignment unit connected between the RFID receiver and the transmission unit,

a look-up memory connected to the assignment unit for storing assignment dataset representing an assignment of a predefined item of tag data or a class of tag data to a predefined transfer function.

5. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the assignment unit:

evaluates the tag signal,

selects one assignment dataset from the look-up memory corresponding to the tag signal,

generates a transfer signal corresponding to one predefined transfer function based on the selected assignment dataset, and

outputs the transfer signal to the transmission unit for the modification.

6. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the RFID receiver detects the radio frequency tag based on a pulsed detection.

7. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the hearing aid is a component of a pair of vision spectacles.

8. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 7 , wherein the RFID receiver comprises an antenna for detecting the radio frequency tag and the antenna is at least partly integrated into a frame or a sidearm of the vision spectacles.

Assignments (2)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Jul 10, 2015
From: SIEMENS AUDIOLOGISCHE TECHNIK GMBH
To: SIVANTOS GMBH
Reel/Frame 036090/0688 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 26, 2007
From: RITTER, HARTMUT; WEIDNER, TOM
To: SIEMENS AUDIOLOGISCHE TECHNIK GMBH
Reel/Frame 019676/0482 →