# US 2018/0025627 A1 · Hearing device and methods for interactive wireless control of an external appliance > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2018/0025627 A1 - Document ID: US20180025627A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 15/724,854 - Filed: 2017-10-04 - Published: 2018-01-25 - Earliest claimed: 2014-08-15 - Assignees: iHear Medical, Inc. - Applicants: iHear Medical, Inc. - Inventors: Adnan Shennib - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20180025627A1 ## CPC - G08C 17/02: using a radio link - H04R 25/558: {Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency} - H04R 25/603: {of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements} - H04R 2225/023: Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids - H04R 2225/55: Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange - H04R 2225/61: Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning - G08C: TRANSMISSION SYSTEMS FOR MEASURED VALUES, CONTROL OR SIMILAR SIGNALS (fluid pressure transmitting systems F15B; mechanical means for transferring the output of a sensing member into a different variable G01D5/00; mechanical control systems G05G) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract The present disclosure describes examples of systems and methods of wireless remote control of appliances using a hearing device, for example upon manual activation of a switch placed in the concha cavity behind the tragus. In some examples, the hearing device includes one or more manually activated switches, a wireless antenna, and a battery cell. In some examples, the wireless electronics include low energy Bluetooth capability. The appliance may be any device with wireless control capability, for example an electronic lock, a thermostat, an electronic lighting, a telephone, a kitchen appliance, a medical alert system, a television, a medical device, and a smart glass. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hearing device comprising: a speaker; a switch configured for manual activation; and wireless electronics configured to receive one or more control parameters associated with one or more external appliances and store the one or more control parameters in a memory of the hearing device, the wireless electronics further configured to transmit a wireless signal to an external appliance based on a control parameter associated with the external appliance for controlling an operation of the external appliance and responsive to manual activation of the switch. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein the wireless signal is configured to control any of an electronic lock, an electronic lighting, a telephone, a medical alert system, a television, a medical device, and electronic glass. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein the hearing device is configured to generate an audible signal, wherein the audible signal is selected based on configuration data stored in the memory of the hearing device, wherein the memory comprises configuration data associated with a plurality of external appliances. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hearing device of claim 3, wherein the audible signal is representative of any of voice messages, voice memos, and text messages. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The hearing device of claim 3, wherein the audible signal is selected in response to a detection of the appliance when in proximity. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein a lateral portion of the hearing device comprises a handle portion, wherein the switch is provided on the handle portion. ### Claim 7 A hearing device comprising: a speaker; a switch configured for manual activation; memory comprising control parameters associated with a plurality of appliances; and wireless electronics configured to communicatively couple to an appliance external to the ear, wherein the appliance is one of the plurality of appliances, wherein the hearing device is configured to select at least one control parameter associated with the appliance to wirelessly control an operation of the appliance. ### Claim 8 A hearing device comprising: a medial end comprising a speaker; and wireless electronics configured to receive control parameters associated with an external device positioned external to the ear for controlling an operation of the external device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hearing device of claim 8, wherein the hearing device is configured to transmit a wireless signal to the external device in response to the manual actuation of a switch of the hearing device. ### Claim 10 A hearing system comprising: a hearing device comprising: a speaker; a switch; wireless electronics configured for wireless communication with an external appliance; and memory; and a computing device separate from the hearing device and communicatively coupled to the hearing device, wherein the hearing device is configured to receive one or more control parameters from the computing device and store the one or more control parameters in the memory, the hearing device further configured to transmit a wireless signal for controlling an operation of the external appliance based on at least one of the control parameters associated with the external appliance. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The hearing system of claim 10, wherein the hearing device is part of a binaural set of hearing devices, wherein the binaural set of hearing devices comprises a first hearing device comprising a first set of control parameters for controlling a first appliance and a second hearing device comprising a second set of control parameters for controlling a second appliance. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The hearing system of claim 10, wherein the computing device is any of a personal computer, a smartphone and a tablet. ### Claim 13 A heating device comprising: a speaker; at least one switch configured for manual activation; memory storing a plurality of control parameters associated with a plurality of external appliances; and wireless electronics configured to transmit a wireless signal to an external appliance of the plurality of external appliances for controlling an operation of the external appliance, wherein the wireless signal is based on one or more control parameters associated with the external appliance. ### Claim 14 A method for control of an appliance by a heating device, the method comprising: activating a switch of a heating device; detecting, by the wireless electronics, an external appliance; selecting a control parameter associated with the external appliance; and transmitting, by the hearing device, a wireless control signal to the external appliance for controlling an operation of the external appliance based on the selected control parameter. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, further comprising retrieving wirelessly, by the hearing device, appliance status data of the external appliance and generating, by the hearing device, the wireless control signal according to the appliance status data. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the wireless control signal is transmitted if the appliance status data matches a criteria. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the control parameter is selected based on a ranking, wherein the ranking is based on prior usage of the external appliance. ### Claim 18 A method of communication between an external appliance and a hearing device, the method comprising: receiving, by wireless electronics of a hearing device, a wireless signal from an external appliance, wherein the hearing device comprises a speaker and memory storing configuration data associated with a plurality of external appliances; selecting configuration data associated with the external appliance from the memory; generating, by a processor of the hearing device, one or more audio segments based on the configuration data associated with the external appliance for providing the one or more audible segments into the ear canal by the speaker in response to receiving the wireless signal; detecting, by the processor, a manual activation of a switch provided on the hearing device; and terminating the transmission of the one or more audible segments in response to detecting the manual activation of the switch. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a wireless signal to the external appliance in response to detecting the manual activation of the switch. ### Claim 20 A method for configuring a hearing device, the method comprising: communicatively coupling the hearing device to a computing device provided external to an ear; receiving, by the hearing device, configuration data from the computing device, wherein the configuration data comprises one or more appliance control parameters for controlling at least one external appliance; and storing the configuration data in memory of the hearing device. ### Claim 21 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, further comprising controlling the external appliance by transmitting a wireless control signal from the hearing device to the external appliance when the hearing device is in proximity to the external appliance.