Ear to ear communication using wireless low energy transport
AssigneeStarkey Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Paul Solum, Mark Seel
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed in some examples are systems, methods, and machine readable media which allows for hearing instruments to be in a piconet with each other while being connectable as a slave to another device such as a smart phone when it comes within range. In some examples to accomplish this, one or both of the connected hearing aids may send connectable advertisements while connected with each other in the piconet by time multiplexing the advertisements between connection events.
Claims21
A method comprising:
- at a first hearing assistance device:
- receiving a first connectable advertisement from a second hearing assistance device;
- responsive to receiving the first connectable advertisement, connecting with the second hearing assistance device over a wireless connection according to a wireless protocol, wherein the first hearing assistance device serves as a master device;
- sending a second connectable advertisement using the wireless protocol at a time after a first data exchange event between the first and second hearing assistance devices and before a time when a second data exchange event between the first and second hearing assistance devices takes place;
- receiving a connection request from a computing device responsive to the second connectable advertisement;
- and
- in response to the connection request, ending the wireless connection with the second hearing assistance device, and establishing a second wireless connection with the computing device.
A hearing assistance device comprising:
- a processor;
- a non-transitory memory communicatively coupled to the processor and comprising instructions, which when performed by the processor, cause the hearing assistance device to perform operations of:
- receiving a first connectable advertisement from a second hearing assistance device;
- responsive to receiving the first connectable advertisement, connecting with the second hearing assistance device over a wireless connection according to a wireless protocol, wherein the hearing assistance device serves as a master device;
- sending a second connectable advertisement using the wireless protocol at a time after a first data exchange event between the hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance devices and before a time when a second data exchange event between the hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance devices takes place;
- receiving a connection request from a computing device responsive to the second connectable advertisement;
- and
- in response to the connection request, ending the wireless connection with the second hearing assistance device, and establishing a second wireless connection with the computing device.
A non-transitory machine readable medium that stores instructions which when performed by a hearing assistance device, causes the hearing assistance device to perform operations comprising:
- receiving a first connectable advertisement from a second hearing assistance device;
- responsive to receiving the first connectable advertisement, connecting with the second hearing assistance device over a wireless connection according to a wireless protocol with the second hearing assistance device, wherein the hearing assistance device serves as a master device;
- sending a second connectable advertisement according to the wireless protocol at a time after a first data exchange event between the hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance devices and before a time when a second data exchange event between the hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance devices takes place;
- receiving a connection request from a computing device responsive to the second connectable advertisement;
- and
- in response to the connection request, ending the wireless connection with the second hearing assistance device, and establishing a second wireless connection with the computing device.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.