Hearing device and methods for wireless remote control of an appliance

A hearing device comprising:

• a medial end comprising a speaker, the medial end configured for placement inside an ear canal of an ear;
• a lateral end comprising a switch configured for manual activation;
• memory comprising control parameters associated with a plurality of appliances;
• and
• wireless electronics configured to communicatively couple to an appliance external to the ear, wherein the appliance is one of the plurality of appliances,
• wherein the hearing device is configured to produce an audible sound from the speaker when the hearing device is worn in the ear and in proximity to the appliance, and
• wherein the hearing device is configured to select at least one control parameter associated with the appliance to wirelessly control an operation of the appliance.

A hearing system comprising:

• a hearing device comprising:
• a medial end comprising a speaker, the medial end configured for placement inside an ear canal;
• a lateral portion comprising, a switch configured for manual activation;
• wireless electronics configured for wireless communication with an external appliance;
• memory;
• and
• a computing device separate from the canal hearing device and communicatively coupled to the hearing device,
• wherein the hearing device is configured to receive one or more control parameters from the computing device and store the one or more control parameters in the memory, the hearing device further configured to transmit a wireless signal for controlling an operation of the external appliance based on at least one of the control parameters associated with the external appliance.

A hearing device comprising:

• a medial portion comprising a speaker;
• a lateral portion comprising at least one switch configured for manual activation;
• memory storing a plurality of control parameters associated with a plurality of external appliances;
• wireless electronics configured to transmit a wireless signal to an external appliance of the plurality of external appliances for controlling an operation of the external appliance, wherein the wireless signal is based on one or more control parameters associated with the external appliance,
• wherein the hearing device is configured to select the one or more control parameters when the hearing device is in proximity to the external appliance.

A method for control of an appliance by a hearing device, the method comprising:

• activating a switch of a hearing device;
• detecting, by the wireless electronics, an external appliance;
• selecting a control parameter associated with the external appliance, wherein memory of the hearing device comprises control parameters associated with a plurality of external appliances;
• and
• transmitting, by the hearing device, a wireless control signal to the external appliance for controlling an operation of the external appliance based on the selected control parameter.

A method of communication between an external appliance and a hearing device, the method comprising:

• receiving, by wireless electronics of a hearing device, a wireless signal from an external appliance, wherein the hearing device comprises a speaker and memory storing configuration data associated with a plurality of external appliances, wherein the configuration data comprises control parameters for controlling an operation of one or more of the external appliances;
• selecting configuration data associated with the external appliance from the memory;
• generating, by a processor of the hearing device, one or more audio segments based on the configuration data associated with the external appliance for providing the one or more audible segments into the ear canal by the speaker in response to receiving the wireless signal;
• detecting, by the processor, a manual activation of a switch provided on the hearing device;
• and
• terminating the transmission of the one or more audible segments in response to detecting the manual activation of the switch.

A method for configuring a hearing device, the method comprising:

• communicatively coupling the hearing device to a computing device provided external to an ear;
• receiving, by the hearing device, configuration data from the computing device, wherein the configuration data comprises one or more appliance control parameters;
• storing the configuration data in memory of the hearing device;
• selecting one or more appliance control parameters associated with an external appliance when the external appliance is in proximity to the hearing device, and
• controlling the external appliance in accordance with the one or more appliance control parameters.