MODULAR HEARING ASSISTANCE SYSTEM
A hearing assistance system is described that includes a hearable device and a portable case. The hearable device includes an in-ear portion coupled via a tether to a behind-ear portion. The portable case is configured to store and charge at least the behind-ear portion of the hearable device, and includes a retention structure configured to retain the behind-ear portion. At least one processor within the portable case is communicatively coupled with at least one processor of the behind-ear portion.
1 . A hearing assistance system comprising:
a hearable device that includes an in-ear portion and a behind-ear portion, the in-ear portion being coupled via a tether to the behind-ear portion;
a portable case configured to store and charge at least the behind-ear portion of the hearable device, and including a retention structure configured to retain the behind-ear portion; and
at least one processor within the portable case, the at least one processor within the portable case being communicatively coupled with at least one processor of the behind-ear portion.
2 . The hearing assistance system of claim 1 , the portable case further comprising a wired or wireless connection that communicatively couples the at least one processor of the portable case to the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion when the behind-ear portion is positioned in the retention structure of the portable case.
3 . The hearing assistance system of claim 1 , the portable case further comprising a wireless connection that communicatively couples the at least one processor of the portable case to the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion when the behind-ear portion is not retained by the retention structure of the portable case.
4 . The hearing assistance system of claim 1 , further comprising an external computing device, wherein the at least one processor of the portable case is configured to:
receive, from the external computing device, first data according to a first communication protocol; and
send, to the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion, according to a second communication protocol, the first data.
5 . The hearing assistance system of claim 4 , wherein the first and second communication protocols are different or same communication protocols.
6 . The hearing assistance system of claim 4 , wherein at least one processor of the portable case is configured to send the first data to the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion when the behind-ear portion is inside or outside the retention structure of the portable case.
7 . The hearing assistance system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor of the portable case is configured to;
receive, from the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion, second data; and
send, to the external computing device, the second data.
8 . The hearing assistance system of claim 4 , wherein the at least one processor of the portable case is configured to receive the second data from the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion when the behind-ear portion is inside or outside the retention structure of the portable case.
9 . The hearing assistance system of claim 4 , wherein the external computing device comprises one or more of: a hearable device programmer, another hearable device, a mobile computing device, a wearable computing device, or a server.
10 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a portable case of a hearing assistance system, from an external computing device of the hearing assistance system, first data according to a first communication protocol;
sending, by the portable case, to a behind-ear portion of a hearable device of the hearing assistance system, the first data;
receiving, by the portable case, from the behind-ear portion, second data; and
sending, by the portable case, to the external computing device, the second data.
11 . The method of claim 10 , wherein sending the first data comprises sending, by the portable case, to the behind-ear portion, the first data according to the first communication protocol.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein receiving the second data comprises receiving, by the portable case, from the behind-ear portion, the second data according to the first communication protocol.
13 . The method of claim 10 , wherein sending the first data comprises sending, by the portable case, to the behind-ear portion, the first data according to a second communication protocol that is different than the first communication protocol.
14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein receiving the second data comprises receiving, by the portable case, from the behind-ear portion, the second data according to the second communication protocol.
15 . The method of claim 10 , wherein receiving the first data comprises receiving the first data via a wired or wireless connection that communicatively couples at least one processor of the portable case to at least one processor of the behind-ear portion.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the connection that communicatively couples the at least one processor of the portable case to the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion is a wired or wireless connection formed when at least part of the behind-ear portion is positioned at the retention structure.
17 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the connection that communicatively couples the at least one processor of the portable case to the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion is a wireless connection formed when at least part of the behind-ear portion is outside the retention structure.
18 . A method comprising:
receiving, by a behind-ear portion of a hearable device of a hearing assistance system, from a portable case of the hearing assistance system, first data; and
generating, by the behind-ear portion, based on the first data, second data in response to performing an operation based on the first data.
19 . The method of claim 18 , further comprising:
sending, by the behind-ear portion, to at least one in-ear portion of the hearing assistance system, the second data.
20 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least one in-ear portion of the hearing assistance system includes an in-ear portion of a different hearable device.
21 . The method of claim 19 , wherein the at least one in-ear portion of the hearing assistance system includes an in-ear portion of the hearable device.
22 . The method of claim 19 , wherein:
the first data is received according to a first communication protocol; and
the second data is sent according to a second communication protocol.
23 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are corresponding communication protocols.
24 . The method of claim 22 , wherein the first communication protocol and the second communication protocol are different or same communication protocols.
25 . The method of claim 18 , wherein receiving the first data comprises receiving the first data via a wired or wireless connection that communicatively couples at least one processor of the portable case to at least one processor of the behind-ear portion.
26 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the connection that communicatively couples the at least one processor of the portable case to the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion is a wired or wireless connection formed when at least part of the behind-ear portion is positioned at the retention structure.
27 . The method of claim 25 , wherein the connection that communicatively couples the at least one processor of the portable case to the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion is a wireless connection formed when at least part of the behind-ear portion is outside the retention structure.