Online hearing aid fitting system and methods for non-expert user

An online hearing device fitting system, comprising:

• a programmable hearing device configured to be worn in an ear of a consumer and produce output signals representative of a relatively loud sound segment and a relatively soft sound segment;
• a handheld device comprising an audio signal generator configured to transmit a hearing test signal to a speaker positioned in the ear of the consumer, wherein the hearing test signal is configured for administering a hearing evaluation, and wherein the speaker is configured to deliver an acoustic test signal in response to the hearing test signal to administer the hearing evaluation;
• a programming interface configured to deliver programming signals to the programmable hearing device in-situ, wherein the programming signals are delivered to the programmable hearing device according to a consumer input indicative of a subjective assessment of the consumer to the sound segments produced by the programmable hearing device, wherein the consumer input is configured to adjust one or more fitting parameters of the programmable hearing device;
• and
• a personal computer configured to execute a fitting application communicatively coupled to the handheld device and a remote server, wherein the personal computer is configured to receive the consumer input, wherein the fitting application is configured to generate programming signals to make adjustments to the fitting parameters in accordance with the consumer input, wherein the adjustments comprise a first adjustment made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to the relatively loud sound segment and a second adjustment made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to the relatively soft sound segment.

A system for hearing device fitting, the system comprising:

• a programmable hearing device configured to be worn by a customer, wherein the programmable hearing device is configured to produce a sequence of output signals in-situ in response to non-acoustic inputs, each output signal of the sequence corresponding to a sound segment, wherein the output signals are delivered according to fitting parameters programmed into the programmable hearing device;
• and
• a personal computer communicatively coupled to the programmable hearing device, wherein the computing device is configured to receive a consumer input indicative of a subjective assessment of the consumer of each of the sound segments, wherein the consumer input is configured to adjust one or more fitting parameters associated with the output signal corresponding to the sound segment being assessed,
• wherein the personal computer is connected online to a customer support computer, wherein the personal computer is configured to receive a support audio signal streamed from the customer support computer, and
• wherein the personal computer is further configured to deliver the support audio signal to the programmable hearing device,
• wherein a fitting application of the personal computer is configured to generate programming signals to make adjustments to the fitting parameters in accordance with the consumer input and is further configured to deliver the programming signals to the programmable hearing device in-situ, wherein the adjustments comprise a first adjustment made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively loud sound segment and a second adjustment made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively soft sound segment.

An online hearing device fitting system for a customer wearing a programmable hearing device, the system comprising:

• a programmable hearing device configured to be worn by a customer in an ear, the programming hearing device configured to produce a sequence of output signals in-situ in response to non-acoustic inputs, each output signal of the sequence corresponding to a sound segment, wherein the output signals are delivered according to fitting parameters programmed into the programmable hearing device;
• and
• a personal computer communicatively coupled to the programmable hearing device, wherein the personal computer is connected online to a customer support computer operated by a customer support personnel at a customer support site remotely located from the customer, wherein the personal computer is configured to receive a consumer input indicative of a subjective assessment of the consumer of each of the sound segments, wherein the consumer input is configured to adjust one or more fitting parameters associated with the output signal corresponding to the sound segment being assessed, and wherein the personal computer comprises a fitting application configured to generate programming signals to make adjustments to the fitting parameters in accordance with the consumer input and is further configured to deliver the programming signals to the programmable hearing device in-situ via the programming interface, wherein the adjustments comprise a first adjustment made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively loud sound segment and a second adjustment made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively soft sound segment,
• wherein the personal computer is configured to receive from the customer support computer commands to remotely adjust one or more fitting parameters of the programmable hearing device.

A method of online hearing device fitting for a client, the method comprising:

• delivering a sequence of output signals from a programmable hearing device in-situ in response to non-acoustic inputs, each output signal of the sequence corresponding to a sound segment, wherein the output signals are delivered according to fitting parameters programmed within the programmable hearing device, wherein the acoustic output is representative of fitting sound segments comprising a sound input;
• adjusting the fitting parameters of the programmable hearing device according to a consumer input received by a computing device, wherein the consumer input is indicative of a subjective assessment of the consumer of each of the sound segments, and wherein the consumer input is configured to adjust one or more fitting parameters associated with the output signal corresponding to the sound segment being assessed;
• and
• generating a programming signal to make adjustments to the fitting parameters in accordance with the consumer input, including making a first adjustment to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively loud sound segment and making a second adjustment to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively soft sound segment.

A method of online fitting of a programmable hearing device of a client, the method comprising:

• executing a hearing test application by a fitting system located at the client side, wherein the fitting system is configured to produce an output representative of a sound input in-situ to an ear of a client for a hearing evaluation;
• executing a fitting application by the fitting system, wherein the fitting system is configured to adjust fitting parameters of the programmable hearing device in-situ;
• producing a sequence of output signals by the programmable hearing device in-situ in response to non-acoustic inputs, each output signal of the sequence corresponding to a sound segment, wherein the output signals are delivered according to the fitting parameters programmed within the programmable hearing device;
• and
• adjusting the fitting parameters according to a consumer input received by computing device, wherein the consumer input is indicative of a subjective assessment of the consumer of each of the sound segments, and wherein the consumer input is configured to adjust one or more fitting parameters associated with the output signal corresponding to the sound segment being assessed;
• generating programming signals from the fitting system to make adjustments to the fitting parameters in accordance with the consumer input, wherein a first adjustment is made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively loud sound segment and a second adjustment is made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively soft sound segment.

A method of online customer support for a hearing aid client, the method comprising:

• connecting a fitting system online to a customer support computer system at a remote customer support site;
• communicatively coupling the fitting system to a programmable hearing device in-situ, wherein the programmable hearing device is configured to produce a sequence of output signals in-situ, each output signal of the sequence corresponding to a sound segment, wherein the output signals are delivered according to fitting parameters programmed within the programmable hearing device;
• receiving a support audio signal by the fitting system from the customer support computer system;
• generating an audio signal by the fitting system, wherein the audio signal is representative of the support audio signal;
• delivering the audio signal to the programmable hearing device in-situ;
• delivering an audible output from the programmable hearing device in-situ, wherein the audible output is representative of the support audio signal;
• and
• receiving a consumer input by the fitting system, wherein the consumer input is indicative of a subjective assessment of the consumer of each of the sound segments, and wherein the consumer input is configured to adjust one or more fitting parameters associated with the output signal corresponding to the sound segment being assessed,
• generating a programming signal from the fitting system to make adjustments to the fitting parameters in accordance with the consumer input, wherein a first adjustment is made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively loud sound segment and a second adjustment is made to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively soft sound segment.

A method of online customer support for a hearing device client, the method comprising:

• connecting online a fitting system at the client side to a customer support computer remotely positioned, wherein the fitting system is communicatively coupled to a programmable hearing device, wherein the programmable hearing device is configured to produce a sequence of output signals in response to non-acoustic inputs, each output signal of the sequence corresponding to a sound segment, wherein the output signals are produced according to fitting parameters programmed into the programmable hearing device, wherein the fitting system is configured to generate programming signals configured to make adjustments to fitting parameters of the programmable hearing device in accordance with consumer input received by the fitting system, wherein the consumer input is indicative of a subjective assessment of the consumer of each of the sound segments, wherein the consumer input is configured to adjust one or more fitting parameters associated with the output signal corresponding to the sound segment being assessed, and wherein the programming signals comprise instructions configured to make a first adjustment to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively loud sound segment and a second adjustment to one or more fitting parameters associated with an output signal corresponding to a relatively soft sound segment;
• and
• adjusting one or more hearing aid parameters by the fitting system according to commands received from a hearing device control application executed by the customer support computer.