ERROR CORRECTION SCHEME IN A HEARING SYSTEM WIRELESS NETWORK

1 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . A method of data communication between a hearing instrument and another device, comprising:

forming a data correction package C as a function of at least some of a plurality of data packages A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A N ; and

transmitting the data correction package C;

wherein the act of transmitting the data correction package C is performed by the other device regardless of whether the hearing instrument detects an error; and

wherein the data correction package C is for recovering A E , one of the data packages A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A N that contains the error.

24 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the data correction package C is formed in accordance with a relationship C= (A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A N ); and

wherein the data package C is formed to recover A E in accordance with a relationship A E = (A 1 , A 2 , . . . , C, . . . , A N ), in which A 1 , A 2 , . . . , C, . . . , A N indicates that the data correction package C is used in place of A E in a list of arguments for the function .

25 . The method of claim 24 , wherein the function and the function are identical.

26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the function is an exclusive-or function so that

C=A 1 ⊕ A 2 ⊕ . . . ⊕ A N

and

A E =A 1 ⊕ A 2 ⊕ . . . ⊕ C ⊕ . . . ⊕ A N .

27 . The method of claim 26 , wherein N is equal to 2 so that

C=A 1 ⊕ A 2

and

A 1 =C ⊕ A 2 and A 2 =A 1 ⊕ C.

28 . The method of claim 23 , further comprising transmitting the data packages A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A N from the other device to the hearing instrument.

29 . The method of claim 28 , wherein at least some of the packages A i , C are wirelessly transmitted in respective different frequency channels.

30 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the error is due to noise in a communication channel.

31 . The method of claim 23 , wherein the data correction package C is received by the hearing instrument in response to a detection of the error by the hearing instrument.

32 . A method of data communication between a hearing instrument and another device, comprising:

receiving N data packages A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A N ;

performing error detection;

receiving data correction package C, wherein the data correction package C is formed as a function of at least some of the N data packages A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A N ; and

recovering A E , one of the data packages A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A N that contains an error based on the data correction package C;

wherein the act of receiving the data correction package C is performed in response to a detection of the error;

wherein both the act of receiving the data correction package C and the act of performing the error detection are performed by the hearing instrument; and

wherein the data correction package C is received from the other device.

33 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the data correction package C is formed in accordance with a relationship C= (A 1 , A 2 , . . . , A N ); and

wherein A E is recovered in accordance with a relationship A E = (A 1 , A 2 , . . . , C, . . . , A N ), in which A 1 , A 2 , . . . , C, . . . , A N indicates that the data package C is used in place of A E in a list of arguments for the function .

34 . The method of claim 33 , wherein the function and the function are identical.

35 . The method of claim 34 , wherein the function is an exclusive-or function so that

C=A 1 ⊕ A 2 ⊕ . . . ⊕ A N

and

A E =A 1 ⊕ A 2 ⊕ . . . ⊕C ⊕ . . . ⊕ A N .

36 . The method of claim 35 , wherein N is equal to 2 so that

C=A 1 ⊕ A 2

and

A 1 =C ⊕ A 2 and A 2 =A 1 ⊕ C.

37 . The method of claim 32 , wherein at least some of the packages A i , C are received wirelessly in respective different frequency channels.

38 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the error is due to noise in a communication channel.

39 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the error detection is performed on each of the N data packages.

40 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the act of receiving the data correction package C in response to the detection of the error provides power saving for the hearing instrument that receives the data correction package C.

41 . The method of claim 32 , wherein the other device is carried by a user of the hearing instrument, and the hearing instrument and the other device are configured to communicate with each other through a Bluetooth network.

42 . A device, comprising:

a processing unit configured to form a data correction package as a function of a plurality of data packages; and

a communication device configured to transmit the data correction package for reception by a hearing instrument regardless of whether the hearing instrument detects an error;

wherein the data correction package is for recovering one of the data packages that contains the error.

43 . The device of claim 42 , wherein the communication device comprises a Bluetooth device.

44 . The device of claim 42 , wherein the error is due to noise in a communication channel.

45 . The device of claim 42 , wherein the communication device is also configured to transmit the plurality of data packages for reception by the hearing instrument.

46 . The device of claim 45 , wherein at least some of the plurality of packages and the data correction package are wirelessly transmitted in different respective frequency channels.

47 . The device of claim 42 , wherein the processing unit and the communication device are parts of another hearing instrument that is in communication with the hearing instrument.

48 . A hearing system comprising the device of claim 47 , and the hearing instrument.

49 . The hearing system of claim 48 , wherein the hearing instrument is configured to receive the data correction package in response to a detection of the error by the hearing instrument.

50 . The hearing system of claim 48 , wherein the hearing instrument comprises a first hearing aid, and the other hearing instrument comprises a second hearing aid.

51 . The hearing system of claim 48 , wherein the hearing instrument comprises a controller configured to control a receiver in the hearing instrument to receive the data correction package to provide power saving for the hearing instrument.

52 . A hearing instrument, comprising:

a receiver for receiving a plurality of data packages; and

a controller that controls the receiver to receive a data correction package transmitted by a device, wherein the controller is configured to control the receiver to receive the data correction package in response to a detection of an error by the hearing instrument, the controller being a part of the hearing instrument;

wherein the data correction package is based at least on some of the data packages, and is for recovering one of the data packages that contains the error.

53 . A hearing system comprising the hearing instrument of claim 52 , and the device, wherein the device comprises an additional hearing instrument.

54 . The hearing system of claim 53 , wherein the device is configured to transmit the data correction package regardless of whether the hearing instrument detects the error.

55 . The hearing system of claim 53 , wherein the hearing instrument comprises a first hearing aid, and the additional hearing instrument comprises a second hearing aid.

56 . The hearing instrument of claim 52 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the data correction package through a Bluetooth network.

57 . The hearing instrument of claim 52 , wherein the receiver is configured to receive the plurality of data packages and the data correction package in respective different frequency channels.

58 . The hearing instrument of claim 52 , wherein the error is due to noise in a communication channel.

59 . The hearing instrument of claim 52 , wherein the controller is configured to control the receiver to receive the data correction package to provide power saving for the hearing instrument.