# US 8,788,050 B2 · Hearing prosthesis system having interchangeable housings > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,788,050 B2 - Document ID: US8788050B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 10/582,240 - Filed: 2004-12-22 - Published: 2008-11-20 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2003-12-22 - Assignees: Cochlear Limited - Applicants: Gunther Van Der Borght; Jan Janssen - Inventors: Gunther Van Der Borght; Jan Janssen - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8788050B2 ## CPC - H04R 25/43: {Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics (H04R25/407 takes precedence)} - A61N 1/36038: {Cochlear stimulation} - A61N 1/37247: {User interfaces, e.g. input or presentation means} - H04R 25/556: {External connectors, e.g. plugs or modules (H04R25/607 takes precedence)} - H04R 25/65: {Housing parts, e.g. shells, tips or moulds, or their manufacture} - H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils} - H04R 25/558: {Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency} - H04R 2225/021: Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids - H04R 2225/43: Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility - H04R 2225/51: Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids - H04R 2225/67: Implantable hearing aids or parts thereof not covered by H04R25/606 - 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) - A61N: ELECTROTHERAPY; MAGNETOTHERAPY; RADIATION THERAPY; ULTRASOUND THERAPY (measurement of bioelectric currents A61B; surgical instruments, devices or methods for transferring non-mechanical forms of energy to or from the body A61B18/00; anaesthetic apparatus in general A61M; incandescent lamps H01K; infrared radiators for heating H05B) ## Abstract There is disclosed a hearing prosthesis comprising a first housing (11) containing a primary signal processor that receives signals output by a microphone; and a second housing (13) removably connectable to the first housing (11); wherein a user interface (14) is provided on the second housing (13) that provides control of one or more features of the operation of the primary signal processor. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hearing prosthesis system comprising: a first housing containing a primary signal processor configured to receive signals output by a microphone; and a plurality of second housings, each configured to removably connect to the first housing, wherein each of said second housings has a different mechanism configured to allow user control of one or more features of the operation of the primary signal processor. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, wherein the mechanism of one of said second housings comprises a user interface disposed on the one of the second housings, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 2, wherein the user interface comprises at least one mechanical control. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises at least one of a push button, a switch and a rotary control. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 3, wherein the user interface comprises a three-position switch. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, further comprising: a remote module comprising a user interface, wherein one of said second housings is part of a connector unit configured to communicate, via an electrically conducting lead, with the remote module, and wherein said mechanism of said one of said second housings is configured to allow user control of the one or more features of the operation of the primary signal processor with the remote module. ### Claim 7 (depends on 6) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 6 wherein the remote module has a visual display. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, wherein said remote module comprises a user interface. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, further comprising: a remote module comprising a user interface, wherein said mechanism of one of said second housings comprises signal receiver circuitry configured to wirelessly receive signals from said remote module. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 9 wherein the remote module houses signal transmission circuitry configured to provide radio frequency signals to the second housing in response to adjustments made to the user interface. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, wherein the second housing contains a power source. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, further comprising: a remote module comprising a user interface, wherein said mechanism of one of said second housings comprises a signal transceiver configured to wirelessly receive and wirelessly send signals from and to said remote module. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, wherein, when the first housing is removably connected to any one of the second housings, the connected first and second housings are configured to be worn on the ear of the recipient. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, wherein the hearing prosthesis system is a cochlear implant system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 1, wherein the mechanism of one of said second housings comprises a user interface disposed on the one of the second housings, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls and a visual display. ### Claim 16 A hearing prosthesis comprising: a first housing containing a primary signal processor configured to receive signals output by a microphone; and a plurality of second housings each having a different mechanism configured to allow user control of one or more features of the operation of the primary signal processor, wherein the mechanism of at least one housing is a user interface, and wherein the first housing is configured to removably connect to at least two of the plurality of second housings. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The hearing prosthesis of claim 16 wherein at least one of the second housings contains a power supply. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The hearing prosthesis of claim 16, wherein the mechanism of one of the second housings comprises signal receiver circuitry configured to wirelessly receive signals from a remote module comprising a user interface. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The hearing prosthesis of claim 18, wherein the first housing comprises a user interface, and wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to render the user interface partially or fully inoperable. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The hearing prosthesis of claim 19, wherein the user interface is removably mounted to the first housing. ### Claim 21 (depends on 16) The hearing prosthesis of claim 16, wherein the hearing prosthesis is a cochlear implant. ### Claim 22 (depends on 16) The hearing prosthesis of claim 16, wherein the mechanism of one of the second housings comprises a user interface disposed on the one of the second housings, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls. ### Claim 23 (depends on 16) The hearing prosthesis of claim 16, wherein the mechanism of one of the second housings comprises a user interface disposed on the one of the second housings, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls and a visual display. ### Claim 24 (depends on 16) The hearing prosthesis of claim 16, wherein the mechanism of one of the second housings is configured to allow user control of the one or more features of the operation of the primary signal processor with a remote module configured to communicate with the one of the second housings via an electrically conducting lead. ### Claim 25 (depends on 16) The hearing prosthesis of claim 16, wherein the mechanism of one of the second housings comprises a signal transceiver configured to wirelessly receive and wirelessly send signals from and to a remote module comprising a user interface. ### Claim 26 A hearing prosthesis comprising: a first housing containing a primary signal processor configured to receive signals output by a microphone; and a plurality of second housings each having a different mechanism configured to allow user control of one or more features of the operation of the primary signal processor, wherein the first housing is configured to removably connect to each of the second housings, and wherein a first one of the mechanisms is configured to enable a remote module to communicate with the primary signal processor. ### Claim 27 (depends on 26) The hearing prosthesis of claim 26, wherein a second one of the mechanisms comprises a user interface disposed on the one of the second housings, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls. ### Claim 28 (depends on 26) The hearing prosthesis of claim 26, wherein a second one of the mechanisms comprises a user interface disposed on the one of the second housings, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls and a visual display. ### Claim 29 (depends on 26) The hearing prosthesis of claim 26, wherein the remote module is configured to communicate with the first one of the second housings via an electrically conducting lead. ### Claim 30 (depends on 26) The hearing prosthesis of claim 26, wherein the first one of the mechanisms comprises signal receiver circuitry configured to wirelessly receive signals from the remote module comprising a user interface. ### Claim 31 (depends on 26) The hearing prosthesis of claim 26, wherein the first one of the mechanisms comprises a signal transceiver configured to wirelessly receive and wirelessly send signals from and to the remote module. ### Claim 32 A speech processing unit of a hearing prosthesis, the speech processing unit comprising: a first component comprising a signal processor configured to perform signal processing functions, wherein the first component is configured to be worn behind an ear of a recipient; and a plurality of second components each having a different mechanism configured to allow user control of one or more operations of the signal processor, wherein the first component configured to removably connect to any one of the plurality of second components. ### Claim 33 (depends on 32) The speech processing unit of claim 32, wherein the mechanism of one of the second components comprises a user interface disposed on the one of the second components, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls. ### Claim 34 (depends on 32) The speech processing unit of claim 32, wherein the mechanism of one of the second components comprises a user interface disposed on the one of the second components, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls and a visual display. ### Claim 35 (depends on 32) The speech processing unit of claim 32, wherein the mechanism of one of the second components is configured to allow user control of the one or more features of the operation of the primary signal processor with a remote module configured to communicate with the one of the second housings via an electrically conducting lead. ### Claim 36 (depends on 32) The speech processing unit of claim 32, wherein the mechanism of one of the second components comprises signal receiver circuitry configured to wirelessly receive signals from a remote module comprising a user interface. ### Claim 37 (depends on 32) The speech processing unit of claim 32, wherein the mechanism of one of the second components comprises a signal transceiver configured to wirelessly receive and wirelessly send signals from and to a remote module comprising a user interface. ### Claim 38 A hearing prosthesis system comprising: a first component including a signal processor configured to perform signal processing functions; a remote module; and a plurality of second components, each configured to removably connect to the first component, wherein each of the second components has a different mechanism configured to allow user control of one or more features of the operation of the signal processor, wherein a first one of the mechanisms comprises a user interface disposed on one of the second components and a second one of the mechanisms comprises circuitry configured to receive signals from the remote module. ### Claim 39 (depends on 38) The speech processing unit of claim 38, wherein the user interface comprises mechanical controls. ### Claim 40 (depends on 39) The speech processing unit of claim 39, wherein the user interface comprises a visual display. ### Claim 41 (depends on 38) The speech processing unit of claim 38, wherein the remote module is configured to communicate with the second one of the second components via an electrically conducting lead. ### Claim 42 (depends on 38) The hearing prosthesis system of claim 38, wherein the circuitry of the second one of the mechanisms comprises signal receiver circuitry configured to wirelessly receive signals from the remote module. ### Claim 43 (depends on 38) The speech processing unit of claim 38, wherein the circuitry of the second one of the mechanisms comprises signal transceiver configured to wirelessly receive and wirelessly send signals from and to the remote module.