Modular hearing assistance device

1. A hearing assistance device comprising:

a behind-ear portion configured for deployment on an ear of a user and comprising a rechargeable energy source and at least one processor;

an in-ear portion configured for deployment in the same ear of the user and comprising at least one processor, a microphone, a speaker, an internal energy source, and an attachment feature; and

a tether comprising a first attachment feature configured to detachably couple to the attachment feature of the in-ear portion, the tether configured to transmit electrical energy from the rechargeable energy source to the internal energy source of the in-ear portion and communicatively couple the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion with the at least one processor of the in-ear portion,

wherein the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion and the at least one processor of the in-ear portion communicate via the tether and the at least one processor of the behind-ear portion and at least one processor of an external computing device communicate outside the tether, and

wherein the internal energy source of the in-ear portion is configured to provide electrical energy to the at least one processor, the microphone, and the speaker of the in-ear portion when the tether is disconnected from the attachment feature of the in-ear portion.

2. The hearing assistance device of claim 1 , wherein the attachment of the in-ear portion comprises two or more electrical contacts.

3. The hearing assistance device of claim 1 , wherein the behind-ear portion comprises an attachment feature configured to detachably couple to a second attachment feature of the tether.

4. The hearing assistance device of claim 1 , wherein the attachment feature of the in-ear portion comprises at least one of mechanical features, magnetic features, or electro-magnetic features.

5. The hearing assistance device of claim 1 , wherein the attachment feature of the in-ear portion includes two or more electrical contacts configured to conduct, via the tether, electrical current between the rechargeable energy source of the behind-ear portion and the one or more components of the in-ear portion.

6. The hearing assistance device of claim 1 , further comprising two or more electrical contacts configured to conduct electrical current between the rechargeable energy source of the behind-ear portion and charging circuitry of a portable case for storing and charging the hearing assistance device.

7. The hearing assistance device of claim 1 , wherein the in-ear portion is configured to generate sound for hearing by a user.

8. The hearing assistance device of claim 7 , wherein the in-ear portion is configured to generate sound for hearing by the user when the in-ear portion is disconnected from the tether.

9. The hearing assistance device of claim 1 , wherein the behind-ear portion comprises at least one of a sensor, a microphone, or a communication radio configured to receive input.

10. The hearing assistance device of claim 9 , wherein the behind-ear portion is configured to operate as one or more of:

a remote microphone unit that outputs audio data detected by the microphone;

a remote sensor unit that outputs sensor data detected by the sensor; or

a communication radio unit that outputs radio data detected by the communication radio unit.

11. The hearing assistance device of claim 10 , wherein the behind-ear portion is configured to operate as the one or more of the remote microphone unit, the remote sensor unit, or the communication radio unit, when the behind-ear portion is detached from the tether.

12. The hearing assistance device of claim 10 , wherein the behind-ear portion is configured to communicate wirelessly with an external computing device comprising one or more of a portable case, a mobile phone, or another hearing assistance device.

13. The hearing assistance device of claim 1 , wherein the behind-ear portion comprises two or more sub-portions, wherein at least one of the two or more sub-portions is operatively coupled, via the tether, to the in-ear portion, each of the two or more sub-portions being attachable to, and detachable from, at least one other sub-portion from the two or more sub-portions.

14. The hearing assistance device of claim 13 , wherein a single sub-portion of the two or more sub-portions contains the rechargeable energy source.

15. The hearing assistance device of claim 13 , wherein each sub-portion of the two or more sub-portions is unique in at least one function or structure with respect to each other sub-portion from the two or more sub-portions.

16. The hearing assistance device of claim 13 , wherein each sub-portion of the two or more sub-portions is physically distinct from each other sub-portion from the two or more sub-portions.

17. The hearing assistance device of claim 16 , wherein each sub-portion of the one or more sub-portions is operatively coupled to at least one other sub-portion from the one or more sub-portions.

18. The hearing assistance device of claim 17 , wherein two or more sub-portions are operatively coupled together via corresponding attachment features comprising at least one of mechanical structures, magnetic structures, or a combination of mechanical structures and magnetic structures.

19. The hearing assistance device of claim 13 , wherein at least one sub-portion of the two or more sub-portions is configured to operate independently without being coupled via the tether to the in-ear portion.

20. A method comprising:

communicating, by a behind-ear portion of a hearing assistance device of a hearing assistance system, with an in-ear portion of the hearing assistance device and via a tether that communicatively couples at least one processor of the behind-ear portion of the hearing assistance device to at least one processor of the in-ear portion of the hearing assistance device, first data;

transmitting, via the tether coupled to the behind-ear portion and detachably coupled to an attachment feature of the in-ear portion, electrical energy sourced from a rechargeable energy source of the behind-ear portion to an internal energy source of the in-ear portion that is configured to provide electrical energy to one or more components of the in-ear portion when the tether is disconnected from the attachment feature of the in-ear portion, the one or more components of the in-ear portion comprising at least the processor, a microphone, and a speaker; and

communicating, by the behind-ear portion, with at least one external computing device and outside the tether, second data.

21. The method of claim 20 , further comprising:

performing, by the behind-ear portion, based on the first data, an operation; and

responsive to performing the operation, generating the second data.

22. The method of claim 20 , wherein the external computing device includes at least one of: an in-ear portion of a different hearing assistance device, a portable case for storing and charging the hearing assistance device, or a mobile computing device.

23. The method of claim 20 , wherein the behind-ear portion comprises two or more sub-portions, wherein at least one of the two or more sub-portions is operatively coupled, via the tether, to the in-ear portion, each of the two or more sub-portions being attachable to, and detachable from, at least one other sub-portion from the two or more sub-portions.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein a single sub-portion of the two or more sub-portions contains the rechargeable energy source.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein each sub-portion of the two or more sub-portions is unique in at least one function or structure with respect to each other sub-portion from the two or more sub-portions.

26. The method of claim 23 , wherein each sub-portion of the two or more sub-portions is physically distinct from each other sub-portion from the two or more sub-portions.

27. A method comprising:

receiving, by at least one processor of an in-ear portion of a hearing assistance device, from a behind-ear portion of the hearing assistance device, first data via a tether between an attachment feature of the in-ear portion and the behind-ear portion;

receiving, by an internal energy source of the in-ear portion and via the tether, electrical energy sourced from a rechargeable energy source of the behind-ear portion;

providing, by the internal energy source, electrical energy to one or more components of the in-ear portion when the tether is detachably disconnected from the attachment feature of the in-ear portion, the one or more components comprising the at least one processor, a microphone, and a speaker;

performing, by the at least one processor of the in-ear portion, an operation;

generating, by the at least one processor of the in-ear portion, second data in response to performing the operation; and

sending, by the in-ear portion, to the behind-ear portion, the second data.

28. The method of claim 27 , wherein:

receiving the first data comprises receiving the first data according to a wireless intra or inter body network protocol; and

sending the second data comprises sending the second data according to the wireless intra or inter body network protocol.

29. The method of claim 27 , further comprising:

generating, by the in-ear portion, sound for hearing by the user when the attachment feature of the in-ear portion is disconnected from the tether.