US 8,300,865 B2 · System and method for enhancing the inductive coupling between a hearing aid operating in telecoil mode and a communication device

Abstract

A method and system to optimize the relative position of an inductive field of a hearing aid compatible device and a telecoil of a hearing assistive device, are provided. A Steerable Hearing Aid Compatible Device (SHAD) has a steerable inductive field for locating an inductive field in accordance with the location of a telecoil in the hearing assistive device. A Telecoil Hearing Assistive Device (THAD) has a telecoil and telecoil orientation tag. The location of the telecoil of the THAD is determined with respect to a reference system and this telecoil location information is stored on the telecoil orientation tag as Telecoil Location Information (TLI) and provided to the SHAD. In an exemplary embodiment the telecoil orientation tag may be an RFID tag that is read by a tag reader of the SHAD. The SHAD receives the TLI and generates an inductive field in accordance with the TLI, such as a position that is parallel to the telecoil of the THAD.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method, for assisting hearing of a user using a hearing assistive system comprising a hearing assistive apparatus and a communication apparatus, the hearing assistive apparatus having a telecoil and a telecoil orientation tag, and the communication apparatus having a reader, a steerable inductor, and a controller, comprising:

providing, by the telecoil orientation tag, telecoil location information;
obtaining, by the reader of the communication apparatus, the telecoil location information from the telecoil orientation tag;
receiving, by the controller, the telecoil location information from the reader;
and
directing, by the controller, the steerable inductor to provide an inductive field in accordance with the telecoil location information.

2 more elements

A hearing assistive system comprising:

a reader configured to obtain first telecoil location information and second telecoil information from a telecoil orientation tag;
and
a controller configured to direct a steerable inductor to provide a first inductive field in accordance with the first telecoil location information and direct a second steerable inductor to provide a second inductive field in accordance with the second telecoil location information.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

System and method for enhancing the inductive coupling between a hearing aid operating in telecoil mode and a communication device

Life of this patent

System and method for enhancing the inductive coupling between a hearing aid operating in telecoil mode and a communication device

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20