Portable system programming hearing aids

For use with a host computer having a memory system for storing hearing aid programs for a user, and operating system software, a hearing aid programming card comprising:

• memory means for storing hearing aid programming software and for temporarily storing hearing aid programs;
• interface means to couple to the host computer for providing card information structure (CIS) signals indicative of the identification of the hearing aid programming card and for providing interface control with the host computer;
• microprocessor means coupled to the memory means and to the interface means for executing the hearing aid programming software;
• and
• hearing aid interface means coupled to the microprocessor means for providing hearing aid programs to program a hearing aid, the hearing aid interface means including a first variable impedance circuit to connect to a left hearing aid and a second variable impedance circuit to connect to a right hearing aid.

For use with a host computer having a memory for storing predetermined hearing aid programs and programming software, and operating with an operating system, a hearing programmer system comprising:

• host interface means for providing communication with the host computer and for providing configuration control signals to the host computer for use by the operating system to verify the configuration and for receiving power and signals from the host computer;
• processor means coupled to the host interface means for performing hearing aid programming functions, including downloading the predetermined hearing aid programs from the host computer;
• initialization means coupled to the processor means for causing the processor means to request downloading of the predetermined hearing aid program from the host computer memory;
• memory means coupled to the processor means for temporarily storing the predetermined hearing aid program downloaded from the host computer;
• portable multiprogram unit interface means coupled to the processor means for providing indication of the predetermined hearing aid program signals and for receiving control signals;
• and
• coupling means for coupling the portable multiprogram unit interface means to a portable multiprogram unit to provide a communication path on which hearing aid program signals are sent to the portable multiprogram unit and on which control signals are received from the portable multiprogram unit.

A method for programming a hearing aid comprising:

• storing one or more programs for programming a digital hearing aid in a host computer, each of the one or more programs defining a predetermined set of hearing adjusted parameters for hearing aids to be programmed;
• coupling a hearing aid programming card to the host computer;
• coupling a portable programming unit to the hearing aid programming card;
• downloading selected ones of the one or more programs from the host computer through the hearing aid programming card to the portable programming unit;
• decoupling the portable programming unit from the hearing aid programming card;
• selectively actuating an ear select in the portable programming unit to select a right digitally programmable hearing aid or a left digitally programmable hearing aid as a hearing aid to be programmed;
• selectively actuating a program select button in the portable programming unit to select one of the selected ones of the one or more programs to program the selected right digitally programmable hearing aid or left digitally programmable hearing aid;
• and
• selectively actuating the portable programming unit to wirelessly transmit the selected one of the selected ones of the one or more programs to the selected digitally programmable hearing aid to program the digitally programmable hearing aid to a first set of hearing adjusted parameters.

For use with a host computer having a memory system for storing one or more selected hearing aid programs defining hearing adjusted parameters, hearing aid programming software, and operating system software, a hearing aid programming card comprising:

• a memory to store hearing aid programming software;
• an interface coupled to the host computer, the interface including a card information structure (CIS) to provide CIS signals indicative of the identification of the hearing aid programming card and to provide interface control with the host computer;
• a microprocessor coupled to the memory and to the interface, the microprocessor to execute the programming software to download one or more selected hearing aid programs from the host computer;
• a hearing aid interface coupled to the microprocessor to provide signals for programming a hearing aid;
• and
• a portable multiprogramming unit interface coupled to the microprocessor to provide the downloaded hearing aid programs to another unit for use in programming one or more hearing aids.