# US 2019/0246194 A1 · Hearing assistance device that uses one or more sensors to autonomously change a power mode of the device > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0246194 A1 - Document ID: US20190246194A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/256,885 - Filed: 2019-01-24 - Published: 2019-08-08 - Earliest claimed: 2018-02-07 - Assignees: Eargo, Inc. - Applicants: Eargo, Inc. - Inventors: Jonathan Sarjeant Aase; Hardik Ruparel; Beau Polinske; Gints Valdis Klimanis - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190246194A1 ## CPC - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - H04R 1/1025: Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof - H04R 25/305: {Self-monitoring or self-testing} - H04R 25/652: {Ear tips; Ear moulds (hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659)} - H04R 29/00: Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} - H04R 2225/61: Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning - H04R 2460/03: Aspects of the reduction of energy consumption in hearing devices - H04R 2460/07: Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection - H04R 2460/11: Aspects relating to vents, e.g. shape, orientation, acoustic properties in ear tips of hearing devices to prevent occlusion - H04R 2460/17: Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices - 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 A device is discussed, such as the hearing assistance device itself and/or an electrical charger cooperating with the hearing assistance device. The device can have one or more accelerometers and a power control module to receive input data indicating a change in acceleration of the device over time from the one or more accelerometers in order to make a determination to autonomously change a power mode for the hearing assistance device based on at least whether the power control module senses movement of the hearing assistance device as indicated by the accelerometers. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An apparatus, comprising: a device for use with a hearing assistance device with one or more accelerometers and a power control module to receive input data indicating a change in acceleration of the device over time from the one or more accelerometers in order to make a determination to autonomously change a power mode for the hearing assistance device based on at least whether the power control module senses movement of the hearing assistance device as indicated by the accelerometers. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where the power control module is configured to derive the input data indicating the change in acceleration of the hearing assistance device over time by using an algorithm that takes an average of a mathematical differential of a vector corresponding to gravity over a set amount of samplings. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the device is selected from a group consisting of an electrical charger for the hearing assistance device or the hearing assistance device itself, where the hearing assistance device itself is selected from a group consisting of a hearing aid, a speaker, head phones, ear phones, or ear buds. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where the power control module and the accelerometers cooperate to autonomously turn on and off the hearing assistance device, where the power control module includes executable instructions in a memory cooperating with one or more processors, where when the power control module senses movement with the accelerometers, then the power control module will autonomously send a signal i) to keep the hearing assistance device powered on and ii) to prompt the hearing assistance device to power up if the device was in an off state or a low power state. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where the hearing assistance device is any of a hearing aid and an ear bud, and where the power control module is configured to detect and register when a user removes the hearing assistance device from the ear and places the hearing assistance device in a stationary position, via a pattern of vectors coming from the accelerometers, then the hearing assistance device goes into a low power mode after a defined time period of remaining still. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where the power control module further has a register to track an installed state of the hearing assistance device, and where the power control module is configured to use the change in acceleration sensed by the accelerometers as well as to use a secondary factor of keeping track of a determination of whether the hearing assistance device is currently installed before allowing a change of the power mode of the hearing assistant device to off. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The apparatus of claim 6, where the hearing assistance device is any of a hearing aid and an ear bud, and where the power control module is configured to factor in a gravity vector from the one or more accelerometers into its determination of both i) whether the hearing assistance device is moving, as indicated by the change of acceleration of the hearing assistance device, and ii) whether the hearing assistance device is installed in an ear of the user as indicated at least by an evaluation of the gravity vector coming out of the accelerometers. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where the hearing assistance device is any of a hearing aid and an ear bud, and where the hearing assistance device has one or more additional sensors including but not limited to a microphone and a gyroscope, where the power control module is configured to use the change in acceleration sensed by the accelerometers as well as to use input from the additional sensors such as an audio input to the microphone or input data from the gyroscope to determine whether the hearing assistance device is installed; and therefore, should be powered on. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where the power control module is configured to receive a disable signal when the hearing assistant device is in a charging mode and an electrical charger communicating with the hearing assistance device is configured to stop the disable signal when a battery of the hearing assistant device is fully charged. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The apparatus of claim 1, where the power control module is configured to analyze input from multiple different types of sensors to autonomously recognize a current environment that the hearing assistance device is operating in and then be able to alter a threshold of an amount of vectors coming out of the accelerometers to detect the change in acceleration; and thus, change the power mode, while still being able to utilize a less error prone detection algorithm. ### Claim 11 An method for a hearing assistance device, comprising: configuring the hearing assistance device to have one or more accelerometers and a power control module; and configuring the power control module to receive input data indicating a change in acceleration of the device over time from the one or more accelerometers in order to make a determination to autonomously change a power mode for the hearing assistance device based on at least whether the power control module senses movement of the hearing assistance device as indicated by the accelerometers. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising: configuring the power control module to derive the input data indicating the change in acceleration of the hearing assistance device over time by using an algorithm that takes an average of a mathematical differential of a vector corresponding to gravity over a set amount of samplings. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein the hearing assistance device itself is selected from a group consisting of a hearing aid, a speaker, head phones, ear phones, or ear buds. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising: configuring the power control module and the accelerometers cooperate to autonomously turn on and off the hearing assistance device, where the power control module includes executable instructions in a memory cooperating with one or more processors, where when the power control module senses movement with the accelerometers, then the power control module will autonomously send a signal i) to keep the hearing assistance device powered on and ii) to prompt the hearing assistance device to power up if the device was in an off state or a low power state. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising: where the hearing assistance device is any of a hearing aid and an ear bud, and configuring the power control module to detect and register when a user removes the hearing assistance device from the ear and places the hearing assistance device in a stationary position, via a pattern of vectors coming from the accelerometers, then the hearing assistance device goes into a low power mode after a defined time period of remaining still. ### Claim 16 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising: configuring the power control module to track an installed state of the hearing assistance device, and configuring the power control module to use the change in acceleration sensed by the accelerometers as well as to use a secondary factor of keeping track of a determination of whether the hearing assistance device is currently installed before allowing a change of the power mode of the hearing assistant device to off. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, where the hearing assistance device is any of a hearing aid and an ear bud, and where the power control module is configured to factor in a gravity vector from the one or more accelerometers into its determination of both i) whether the hearing assistance device is moving, as indicated by the change of acceleration of the hearing assistance device, and ii) whether the hearing assistance device is installed in an ear of the user as indicated at least by an evaluation of the gravity vector coming out of the accelerometers. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, where the hearing assistance device is any of a hearing aid and an ear bud, and where the hearing assistance device has one or more additional sensors including but not limited to a microphone and a gyroscope, where the power control module is configured to use the change in acceleration sensed by the accelerometers as well as to use input from the additional sensors such as an audio input to the microphone or input data from the gyroscope to determine whether the hearing assistance device is installed; and therefore, should be powered on. ### Claim 19 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising: configuring the power control module to receive a disable signal when the hearing assistant device is in a charging mode and an electrical charger communicating with the hearing assistance device is configured to stop the disable signal when a battery of the hearing assistant device is fully charged. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, comprising: configuring the power control module to analyze input from multiple different types of sensors to autonomously recognize a current environment that the hearing assistance device is operating in and then be able to alter a threshold of an amount of vectors coming out of the accelerometers to detect the change in acceleration; and thus, change the power mode, while still being able to utilize a less error prone detection algorithm.