Programmable hearing aid system and method for determining optimum parameter sets in a hearing aid

A hearing aid system comprising:

• a programmable hearing aid having a housing adapted to be worn at an ear, said housing containing an input transducer and an output transducer with a signal path therebetween, signal processing means connected in said signal path for influencing a signal in said signal path dependent on a parameter set, and a parameter set memory accessible by said signal processor means for storing at least one parameter set for use by said signal processing means;
• identifier means in said housing for identifying a current hearing situation defining an environment in which said programmable hearing aid is disposed;
• matching means for allocating respective parameter sets in a plurality of parameter sets to different hearing situations, said matching means including a first memory for storing said plurality of parameter sets, input means for identifying a current hearing situation among a succession of hearing situations and for allowing a wearer of said hearing aid to select and allocate a parameter set, for said plurality of parameter sets, for each hearing situation each time it occurs, a second memory for storing respective allocations made by said user among said parameter sets and said hearing situations, and control and processing means for evaluating said allocations in said second memory for assigning a parameter set among said plurality of parameter sets to each hearing situation dependent on said allocations and for programming said parameter set memory with said parameter sets respectively allocated to said hearing situations, said parameter set memory then supplying to said hearing situations, said parameter set memory then supplying to said signal processing means, when a current hearing situation is identified by said identifier means, the parameter set allocated to the current hearing situation;
• and
• said matching means comprising an external control module. including at least said input means, and an auxiliary module, said auxiliary module containing a remainder of said matching means not contained in said external control module, and means for wirelessly transmitting data at least from said external control module to said auxiliary module, said auxiliary module being temporarily mechanically connectable to said housing and adapted to be worn at an ear together with said housing during a matching procedure, consisting of a training phase and a hearing aid configuration phase, in which said respective parameter sets in said plurality of parameter sets are allocated to different hearing situations and being electrically connected to said signal processing means, and after said matching procedure said auxiliary module being removable from said housing.