# US 7,612,655 B2 · Alarm system for hearing impaired individuals having hearing assistive implanted devices > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 7,612,655 B2 - Document ID: US7612655B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 11/558,001 - Filed: 2006-11-09 - Published: 2008-05-15 - Granted: 2009-11-03 - Earliest claimed: 2006-11-09 - Assignees: International Business Machines Corporation - Inventors: Daniel Paul Kolz; Garry Joseph Sullivan - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US7612655B2 ## CPC - G08B 1/08: using electric transmission {; transformation of alarm signals to electrical signals from a different medium, e.g. transmission of an electric alarm signal upon detection of an audible alarm signal} - H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils} - H04R 2225/67: Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 - G08B: SIGNALLING SYSTEMS, e.g. PERSONAL CALLING SYSTEMS; ORDER TELEGRAPHS; ALARM SYSTEMS - 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 An alarm system for certain hearing impaired individuals having implanted hearing assistive devices contains a device for detecting an alarm condition, and a transmitter which is tuned to a resonant frequency of an implanted passive energy portion of a cochlear implant or similar device. Upon detection of an alarm condition, the transmitter transmits an alarm signal at the resonant frequency, causing the implanted device to resonate even in the absence of the externally worn hearing assistive portion. Resonance is perceived by the hearing impaired individual as a buzzing or other abnormal noise, alerting the individual to the alarm condition. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An alarm system for a hearing impaired individual, said hearing impaired individual having a hearing assistive device comprising an implanted portion and an external portion, said implanted portion being implanted in said individual and receiving energy for operation from said external portion, said alarm system comprising: a detector for detecting at least one alarm condition; a transmitter for generating an alarm signal at a resonant frequency of said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device responsive to detection of said at least one alarm condition by said detector, said alarm signal causing said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device to resonate and alert said hearing impaired individual of said alarm condition in the absence of said external portion of said hearing assistive device. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The alarm system of claim 1, wherein, during operation of said hearing assistive device, said external portion and said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device are electromagnetically coupled in close proximity, said external portion supplying power through said electromagnetic coupling, said alarm system causing said implanted portion to resonate and alert said hearing impaired individual of said alarm condition in the absence of said electromagnetic coupling. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said hearing assistive device is a Cochlear implant hearing assistive device. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said alarm system is interactively tunable to transmit at a selective one of multiple different resonant frequencies. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said alarm system is programmable to filter at least one said alarm condition. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The alarm system of claim 5, wherein said alarm system is programmable to filter at least one alarm condition contingent upon a current time. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The alarm system of claim 1, wherein said detector comprises an apparatus which receives an indication of an alarm condition from an external device. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The alarm system of claim 7, wherein said detector comprises at least one microphone for sensing ambient sound generated by an external device. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The alarm system of claim 8, wherein said alarm system is configurable to recognize a plurality of different auditory inputs as respective alarm conditions for generating said alarm signal with said transmitter. ### Claim 10 A method for alerting a hearing impaired individual of an alarm condition, said hearing impaired individual having a hearing assistive device comprising an implanted portion and an external portion, said implanted portion being implanted in said individual and receiving energy for operation from said external portion, said method comprising the steps of: detecting the presence of an alarm condition, said step of detecting the presence of an alarm condition being performed by an automated device; and responsive to detecting the presence of said alarm condition, automatically transmitting an alarm signal at a resonant frequency of said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device, said alarm signal causing said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device to resonate and alert said hearing impaired individual of said alarm condition in the absence of said external portion of said hearing assistive device. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of: interactively tuning an alarm system for transmitting said alarm signal at said resonant frequency. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein, during operation of said hearing assistive device, said external portion and said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device are electromagnetically coupled in close proximity, said external portion supplying power through said electromagnetic coupling, said step of transmitting an alarm signal causing said implanted portion to resonate and alert said hearing impaired individual of said alarm condition in the absence of said electromagnetic coupling. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein said hearing assistive device is a cochlear implant hearing assistive device. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said automated device is capable of detecting a plurality of alarm conditions and is programmable to filter at least one said alarm condition. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said step of detecting the presence of an alarm condition comprises sensing a sound generated by a device external to said automated device. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, further comprising the step of interactively training said automated device to recognize a plurality of different auditory inputs as respective alarm conditions for transmitting said alarm signal. ### Claim 17 A program product for alerting a hearing impaired individual of an alarm condition, said hearing impaired individual having a hearing assistive device comprising an implanted portion and an external portion, said implanted portion being implanted in said individual and receiving energy for operation from said external portion, said program product comprising: a plurality of instructions tangibly recorded on a computer-readable medium and executable by at least one digital data processing device, wherein said instructions, when executed by said at least one digital data processing device, cause the at least one digital data processing device to perform the steps of: detecting the presence of an alarm condition; and responsive to detecting the presence of said alarm condition, transmitting an alarm signal at a resonant frequency of said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device, said alarm signal causing said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device to resonate and alert said hearing impaired individual of said alarm condition in the absence of said external portion of said hearing assistive device. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The program product of claim 17, wherein said plurality of instructions further cause the at least one digital data processing device to perform the step of: tuning a frequency at which said alarm signal is transmitted responsive to interactive input from a user. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The program product of claim 17, wherein, during operation of said hearing assistive device, said external portion and said implanted portion of said hearing assistive device are electromagnetically coupled in close proximity, said external portion supplying power through said electromagnetic coupling, said step of transmitting an alarm signal causing said implanted portion to resonate and alert said hearing impaired individual of said alarm condition in the absence of said electromagnetic coupling. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The program product of claim 19, wherein said hearing assistive device is a cochlear implant hearing assistive device.