Battery life estimation for hearing instruments

A system may obtain data related to hearing instruments, such as data indicating answers of a user to a questionnaire or historical usage data of the hearing instruments. For each respective feature of one or more features, the system may determine a feature duty cycle corresponding to an amount of time during a period in which the respective feature is anticipated to be active based on the data related to the hearing instruments. The system may further determine an energy cost for the respective feature at least based on the respective feature duty cycle for the respective feature and a power consumption rate of the respective feature. The system may calculate a battery life of one or more batteries in the hearing instruments at least based on the energy costs for each feature of the one or more features.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure relates to hearing instruments.

BACKGROUND

Hearing instruments are devices designed to be worn on, in, or near one or more of a user's ears. Common types of hearing instruments include hearing assistance devices (e.g., “hearing aids”), earbuds, headphones, hearables, cochlear implants, and so on. In some examples, a hearing instrument may be implanted or integrated into a user. Some hearing instruments include additional features beyond just environmental sound-amplification. For example, some modern hearing instruments include advanced audio processing for improved device functionality, controlling and programming the devices, and beamforming, and some can even communicate wirelessly with external devices including other hearing instruments (e.g., for streaming media).

SUMMARY

This disclosure describes techniques for estimating a battery life of one or more batteries in one or more hearing instruments based on data related to the one or more hearing instruments. In this disclosure, systems that are able to automatically determine a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of a set of one or more features of the one or more hearing instruments based on the data related to the one or more hearing instruments are described.

In one example, this disclosure describes a method comprising: obtaining, by a processing system, data related to one or more hearing instruments; for each respective feature of one or more features: determining, by the processing system, a feature duty cycle for the respective feature based on the data related to the one or more hearing instruments, wherein the feature duty cycle for the respective feature corresponds to an amount of time during a period in which the respective feature is anticipated to be active; and determining, by the processing system, an energy cost for the respective feature at least based on the feature duty cycle for the respective feature and a power consumption rate of the respective feature; and calculating, by the processing system, a battery life of one or more batteries in the one or more hearing instruments at least based on the energy costs for each feature of the one or more features.

In another example, this disclosure describes a computing system comprising: one or more devices comprising one or more processors configured to: obtain data related to one or more hearing instruments; for each respective feature of one or more features: determine a feature duty cycle for the respective feature based on the data related to the one or more hearing instruments, wherein the feature duty cycle for the respective feature corresponds to an amount of time during a period in which the respective feature is anticipated to be active; determine, an energy cost for the respective feature at least based on the respective feature duty cycle for the respective feature and a power consumption rate of the respective feature; and calculate a battery life of one or more batteries in the one or more hearing instruments at least based on the energy costs for each feature of the one or more features.

In another example, this disclosure describes a non-transitory computer-readable data storage medium having instructions stored thereon that when executed cause a processing system to: obtain data related to one or more hearing instruments; for each respective feature of one or more features: determine a feature duty cycle for the respective feature based on the data related to the one or more hearing instruments, wherein the feature duty cycle for the respective feature corresponds to an amount of time during a period in which the respective feature is anticipated to be active; and determine an energy cost for the respective feature at least based on the feature duty cycle for the respective feature and a power consumption rate of the respective feature; and calculate a battery life of one or more batteries in the one or more hearing instruments at least based on the energy costs for each feature of the one or more features.

In another example, this disclosure describes a computing system comprising: one or more computing devices, wherein one or more processors and one or more communication units are included in the one or more computing devices, the one or more communication units are configured to communicate with one or more hearing instruments, and the one or more processors are configured to: obtain the data related to one or more hearing instruments; for each respective feature of one or more features: determine a feature duty cycle for the respective feature based on the data related to the one or more hearing instruments, wherein the feature duty cycle for the respective feature corresponds to an amount of time during a period in which the respective feature is anticipated to be active; determine, an energy cost for the respective feature at least based on the respective feature duty cycle for the respective feature and a power consumption rate of the respective feature; and calculate a battery life of one or more batteries in the one or more hearing instruments at least based on the energy costs for each feature of the set of one or more features.

In another example, this disclosure describes a hearing instrument comprising: one or more processors configured to: obtain data related to one or more hearing instruments; for each respective feature of one or more features of the one or more hearing instruments: determine a feature duty cycle for the respective feature based on the data related to the one or more hearing instruments, wherein the feature duty cycle for the respective feature corresponds to an amount of time during a period in which the respective feature is anticipated to be active; determine, an energy cost for the respective feature at least based on the respective feature duty cycle for the respective feature and a power consumption rate of the respective feature; and calculate a battery life of one or more batteries in the one or more hearing instruments at least based on the energy costs for each feature of the one or more features.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Hearing instruments, such as hearing aids, are developed to enable people to hear things that they otherwise cannot. For example, hearing aids may improve the hearing comprehension of individuals who have hearing loss. Other types of hearing instruments may provide artificial sound to users. One or more batteries may be housed or mounted inside one or more hearing instruments to supply electric power to the hearing instruments. The battery life of the one or more batteries of the hearing instruments may depend upon energy capacity of the one or more batteries, one or more features of the hearing instruments, and a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of the one or more features. The battery life of a battery may be an amount of time that a hearing instrument is able to operate using power from the battery. There may be certain unique challenges associated with determining a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of the one or more features. For instance, some features are designed to benefit specific hearing loss needs or specific user needs, so keeping these features constantly on if they do not match a user's hearing profile or the user's needs is unnecessary and wastes battery power. For example, wirelessly streaming audio data to the hearing instruments from the Internet is a useful feature, but considerably reduces the battery life of the one or more batteries of the hearing instruments. This disclosure describes examples of systems and methods for determining a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of one or more features of one or more hearing instruments, and estimating a battery life of one or more batteries in the one or more hearing instruments based on data related to the one or more hearing instruments.

In some examples, the data related to the one or more hearing instruments may include answers to a questionnaire by a user. By obtaining data indicating the answers of the user, a computing system may automatically determine a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of the one or more features to compensate for the user's hearing loss. In some examples, the data related to the hearing instruments may include historical usage data. By obtaining historical usage data, the computing system may be able to automatically determine a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of the one or more features to reduce consumption of battery power.

FIG.1illustrates an example system100for estimating a battery life of one or more batteries in one or more hearing instruments based on data related to the one or more hearing instruments, implemented in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure. In the example ofFIG.1, system100includes hearing instruments102A and102B (collectively, “hearing instruments102”). A user104may wear hearing instruments102. In some instances, such as when user104has unilateral hearing loss, user104may wear a single hearing instrument. In other instances, such as when user104has bilateral hearing loss, user104may wear two hearing instruments, with one hearing instrument for each ear of user104. However, it should be understood that user104may wear a single hearing instrument even if user104has bilateral hearing loss.

Hearing instruments102may comprise one or more of various types of devices that are configured to provide auditory stimuli to user104and that are designed for wear and/or implantation at, on, or near an ear of user104. Hearing instruments102may be worn, at least partially, in the ear canal or concha. One or more of hearing instruments102may include behind the ear (BTE) components that are worn behind the ears of user104. In some examples, hearing instruments102comprise devices that are at least partially implanted into or osseointegrated with the skull of user104. In some examples, one or more of hearing instruments102is able to provide auditory stimuli to user104via a bone conduction pathway.

In any of the examples of this disclosure, each of hearing instruments102may comprise a hearing assistance device. Hearing assistance devices include devices that help user104hear sounds in environment of user104. Example types of hearing assistance devices may include hearing aid devices, Personal Sound Amplification Products (PSAPs), cochlear implant systems (which may include cochlear implant magnets, cochlear implant transducers, and cochlear implant processors), and so on. In some examples, hearing instruments102are over-the-counter, direct-to-consumer, or prescription devices. Furthermore, in some examples, hearing instruments102include devices that provide auditory stimuli to user104that correspond to artificial sounds or sounds that are not naturally in environment of user104, such as recorded music, computer-generated sounds, or other types of sounds. For instance, hearing instruments102may include so-called “hearables,” earbuds, earphones, or other types of devices. Some types of hearing instruments provide auditory stimuli to user104corresponding to sounds from the environment of user104and also artificial sounds.

In some examples, one or more of hearing instruments102includes a housing or shell that is designed to be worn in the ear for both aesthetic and functional reasons and encloses the electronic components of the hearing instrument. Such hearing instruments may be referred to as in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), completely-in-the-canal (CIC), or invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) devices. In some examples, one or more of hearing instruments102may be behind-the-ear (BTE) devices, which include a housing worn behind the ear that contains all of the electronic components of the hearing instrument, including the receiver (i.e., the speaker). The receiver conducts sound to an earbud inside the ear via an audio tube. In some examples, one or more of hearing instruments102may be receiver-in-canal (MC) hearing-assistance devices, which include a housing worn behind the ear that contains electronic components and a housing worn in the ear canal that contains the receiver.

Hearing instruments102may implement a variety of features that help user104hear better. For example, hearing instruments102may amplify the intensity of incoming sound, amplify the intensity of certain frequencies of the incoming sound, or translate or compress frequencies of the incoming sound. In another example, hearing instruments102may implement a directional processing mode in which hearing instruments102selectively amplify sound originating from a particular direction (e.g., to the front of user104) while potentially fully or partially canceling sound originating from other directions. In other words, a directional processing mode may selectively attenuate off-axis unwanted sounds. The directional processing mode may help user104understand conversations occurring in crowds or other noisy environments. In some examples, hearing instruments102may use beamforming or directional processing cues to implement or augment directional processing modes.

In some examples, hearing instruments102may reduce noise by canceling out or attenuating certain frequencies. Furthermore, in some examples, hearing instruments102may help user104enjoy audio media, such as music or sound components of visual media, by outputting sound based on audio data wirelessly transmitted to hearing instruments102.

Hearing instruments102may be configured to communicate with each other. For instance, in any of the examples of this disclosure, hearing instruments102may communicate with each other using one or more wirelessly communication technologies. Example types of wireless communication technology include Near-Field Magnetic Induction (NFMI) technology, a 900 MHz technology, a BLUETOOTH™ technology, a WI-FI™ technology, audible sound signals, ultrasonic communication technology, infrared communication technology, an inductive communication technology, or another type of communication that does not rely on wires to transmit signals between devices. In some examples, hearing instruments102use a 2.4 GHz frequency band for wireless communication. In some examples of this disclosure, hearing instruments102may communicate with each other via non-wireless communication links, such as via one or more cables, direct electrical contacts, and so on.

As shown in the example ofFIG.1, system100may also include a computing system108. In other examples, system100does not include computing system108. Computing system108comprises one or more computing devices, each of which may include one or more processors. For instance, computing system108may comprise one or more mobile devices, server devices, personal computer devices, handheld devices, wireless access points, smart speaker devices, smart televisions, medical alarm devices, smart key fobs, smartwatches, smartphones, motion or presence sensor devices, smart displays, screen-enhanced smart speakers, wireless routers, wireless communication hubs, prosthetic devices, mobility devices, special-purpose devices, accessory devices, and/or other types of devices. Accessory devices may include devices that are configured specifically for use with hearing instruments102. Example types of accessory devices may include charging cases for hearing instruments102, storage cases for hearing instruments102, media streamer devices, phone streamer devices, external microphone devices, remote controls for hearing instruments102, and other types of devices specifically designed for use with hearing instruments102. Actions described in this disclosure as being performed by computing system108may be performed by one or more of the computing devices of computing system108. One or more of hearing instruments102may communicate with computing system108using wireless or non-wireless communication links. For instance, hearing instruments102may communicate with computing system108using any of the example types of communication technologies described elsewhere in this disclosure.

In the example ofFIG.1, hearing instrument102A includes one or more processors112A and a battery114A. Hearing instrument102B includes one or more processors112B and a battery114B. Computing system106includes a set of one or more processors112C. Processors112C may be distributed among one or more devices of computing system106. This disclosure may refer to processors112A,112B, and112C collectively as “processors112.” Processors112may be implemented in circuitry and may include microprocessors, application-specific integrated circuits, digital signal processors, or other types of circuits. This disclosure may refer to battery114A and battery114B collectively as “batteries114.”

As noted above, hearing instruments102A,102B, and computing system106may be configured to communicate with one another. Accordingly, processors112may be configured to operate together as a processing system. Thus, discussion in this disclosure of actions performed by a processing system may be performed by one or more processors in one or more of hearing instrument102A, hearing instrument102B, or computing system106, either separately or in coordination. Moreover, it should be appreciated that, in some examples, the processing system does not include each of processors112A,112B, or112C. For instance, the processing system may be limited to processors112A and not processors112B or112C; or the processing system may include processors112C and not processors112A or112B; or other combinations. Although this disclosure primarily describes computing system108as performing actions to determine the battery life of batteries114, it should be appreciated that such actions may be performed by one or more, or any combination of processors112, in this processing system.

Components of hearing instrument102A, including processors112A, may draw power for battery114A. Components of hearing instrument102B, including processors112B, may draw power for battery114B. Batteries114may be rechargeable batteries, such as lithium-ion batteries, or other types of batteries.

For everyday use, it is important for user104to be informed about the expected operating time of hearing instruments102. To this end, in the example ofFIG.1, computing system108may obtain data related to hearing instruments102and calculate a battery life of one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102. More specifically, computing system108may determine a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of a set of one or more features (e.g., an amount of time during a period in which the feature is anticipated to be active) of hearing instruments102and determine an energy cost for the feature at least based on the feature duty cycle for the feature and a power consumption rate of the feature. In some examples, the power consumption rate for a feature is an empirically determined average power consumption rate that occurs in a hearing instrument attributable to use of the feature. Computing system108may then calculate the battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102at least based on the energy costs for each feature of the set of one or more features.

In some examples, computing system108obtains data indicating answers of user104to a questionnaire. User104or another user may fill out the questionnaire in a paper form or in a digital form. For instance, in some examples, an application of computing system108may output a user interface for display for user104or another user. In some examples, the questionnaire may be included in one or more webpages. The user interface may present the questionnaire to user104and may receive indications of user input of the answers to the questionnaire. In some examples, user104may fill out the questionnaire at home, in a retail store, at a clinician's office, or another type of location.

A clinician may design a particular questionnaire to elicit information from user104to determine a set of one or more features of hearing instruments102for activation and a duty cycle for the one or more features. In some examples, the questionnaire may include pre-determined questions, which could be used to determine what types of features user104would be expected to use and how much time user104expects to use the features. For example, the questionnaire may include a series of questions, such as, “How much time do you spend watching television or listening to music each day?,” “How much time do you typically spend in noisy places?,” “Do you intend to wear your hearing aids part-time or full-time?,” and so to determine the types of features user104would be expected to use and the amount of time user104expect to user104expects to use the features.

Responsive to the user input of the answers to the questionnaire, computing system108may identify a set of features for activation based on the answers. For example, based on the answers to the questionnaire, computing system108may identify an audio output feature of hearing instruments102for activation. Based on the answers to the questionnaire, computing system108may further determine a feature duty cycle for at least one feature of the set of features. A feature duty cycle for a feature indicates an amount of time during a period in which the respective feature is anticipated to be active. For example, computing system108may set the audio output feature to operate throughout the day, such as 16 to 18 hours per day.

For each respective feature of the set of one or more features of hearing instruments102, computing system108may determine an energy cost for the respective feature at least based on the feature duty cycle for the respective feature and a power consumption rate of the respective feature. For instance, if the power consumption rate for a feature (e.g., wirelessly streaming audio data) is P watts and the feature duty cycle for the feature is t hours per day, then the energy cost Effor the feature may be calculated as Ef=P×t, which represents the energy cost of the feature in watt-hours.

In some examples, a feature may consume power at different rates depending on values of one or more parameters. Example parameters may include noise levels of an acoustic environment, levels of wireless interference, and so on. For example, it may be necessary for a hearing instrument to generate louder audio output if user104is in a noisy acoustic environment than if user104is in a quiet acoustic environment. Thus, the power consumption rate of an audio amplification feature of a hearing instrument may be greater when user104is in a noisy acoustic environment than when user104is in a quiet acoustic environment. Thus, in some examples, computing system108may treat some features of hearing instruments102, such an audio amplification feature of hearing instruments102, as a set of two or more features that correspond to different sets of parameter values. There may be different power consumption rates and duty cycles for each feature in this set of features. For instance, computing system108may treat audio amplification in an environment over x decibels as a first feature of hearing instruments102and may treat audio amplification in an environment less than or equal to x decibels as a second feature of hearing instruments102. Accordingly, in this example, the questionnaire may include pre-determined questions designed to assess how much time user104expects to spend using features when different parameter values apply. For instance, the questionnaire may include questions designed to assess how much time user104expects to spend using the audio amplification feature of hearing instruments102in environments that typically have noise levels greater than x decibels and in environments that typically have less than x decibels. Alternatively, in some examples, computing system108may determine an energy cost for a feature of hearing instruments102as a sum of elements, where each element is power consumption rate for a set of parameter values and a duty cycle for the set of parameter values.

In some examples, computing system108determines a power consumption rate for a feature based on an audiogram of user104. Computing system108may determine the power consumption rate for the feature from a set of predetermined power consumption rates or may calculate the power consumption rates based on a predetermined set of one or more formulas. The audiogram of user104may characterize the hearing loss of user104. Users with more profound hearing loss typically require greater amplification of sound in order to perceive the sound. Greater amplification of sound requires greater consumption of electrical power. Accordingly, computing system108may be configured with different power consumption rates for specific features for different audiograms. For instance, use of a music streaming feature of hearing instruments102may be associated with a power consumption rate of x for users with a first category of audiogram and a power consumption rate of y for users with a second, different category of audiogram. Computing system108may receive an indication of the audiogram or category of the audiogram as an answer to one or more questions of the questionnaire or may receive the indication of the audiogram separately from the questionnaire.

Based on the energy costs of the identified features of hearing instruments102, computing system108may calculate the battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102. For instance, to calculate the battery life of the one or more batteries, computing system108may determine an energy cost for a hearing instrument (e.g., one of hearing instruments102) and an amount of remaining energy for the one or more batteries. Computing system108may determine the energy cost for the hearing instrument by adding up the energy costs of the identified features of hearing instruments102. In some examples, the energy cost for the hearing instrument may also include an energy cost associated with background operations of the hearing instrument that are not associated with any specific feature. In some examples, the remaining energy for the one or more batteries is the amount of energy that can be stored in the one or more batteries when the one or more batteries are fully charged. In other examples, the remaining energy for the one or more batteries may be an amount of energy less than the amount of energy that can be stored in the one or more batteries when the one or more batteries are fully charged. For instance, if the remaining energy stored in the one or more batteries is R watt-hours and the energy cost of the hearing instrument is Eswatt-hours per day, then the battery life T of the one or more batteries in the hearing instrument may be calculated as T=R/Es, which represents the battery life of the one or more batteries in the hearing instrument in days.

The calculated battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102may help a hearing professional or user104to understand if he or she is choosing a product with an appropriately sized battery to achieve the desired battery life, and may help the hearing professional coach user104to understand the impact the features have on battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102. Furthermore, in some examples, the calculated battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102may help the hearing professional decide which features to enable or disable, or to help the hearing professional determine hearing instrument that has an appropriate set of features of user104. In some examples, hearing instruments102may be over-the-counter hearing instruments (e.g., over-the-counter hearing aids) and user104may complete the questionnaire as part of a process of shopping for over-the-counter hearing instruments. Thus, in examples where user104is shopping for over-the-counter hearing instruments, user104may be able to compare different over-the-counter hearing instrument models based on the user's expected feature usage.

Furthermore, in some examples, computing system108may generate and present power consumption reports to user104. These reports may include raw data logs of hearing instruments102, statistics calculated from these raw data logs, and different representations that enable user104to better visualize the power consumptions of various features of hearing instruments102. In some examples, the power consumption reports may include a segmented pie chart. For example, the pie chart may be divided into a number of segments reflecting the number of identified features. For each feature of the identified feature, the feature usage data of the respective features may be used to determine the area of the respective segment that represent the respective feature. As another example, the power consumption reports may include a bar chart. A solid portion of the bar may indicate the remaining energy for the one or more batteries114of hearing instruments102, while an open portion of the bar may indicate used energy for the one or more batteries114of hearing instruments102. In some examples, the power consumption reports may include information such as a numerical value of each feature's power consumption, the calculated battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102, or any other suitable information. In addition, the calculated battery life may be represented as ranges in order to accommodate margins of error. In some examples, user104may select one or more power consumption reports for display. Selecting the one or more power consumption reports may allow user104to understand the energy usage of each feature and understand how he or she could change his or her behavior or choose to disable certain features in order to achieve a desired battery life.

User104may adjust the initial feature settings to meet the preferences of user104, which may affect the operating time of hearing instruments102. To accurately estimate the operating time of hearing instruments102, computing system108may obtain historical usage data of hearing instruments102from hearing instruments102. In some examples, hearing instruments102may store historical usage data in memory storage and may transmit historical usage data from hearing instruments102to computing system108. For example, in some instances, a communication unit of hearing instruments102may communicate with computing system108, which allows computing system108to use historical usage data of hearing instruments102to identify a set of features and to determine a feature duty cycle for at least one feature of the set of features.

Examples of historical usage data of hearing instruments102may include any data related to the usage of hearing instruments102, such as, but not limited to, data logs of hearing instruments102, status of hearing instruments102, remaining energy for the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102, or other suitable data. In some examples, data logs of hearing instruments102may include feature usage data, such as, but not limited to, usage data of photoplethysmography (PPG) sensing, step counting, body temperature measuring, sleep tracking, binaural noise cancelation, directional processing, media streaming, wireless remote microphone, environment classifier, acoustic input levels, acoustic output levels, fall detection, user control configuration, mobile app connectivity, etc. In this way, hearing instruments102may provide information to computing system108to allow computing system108to determine duty cycles for features of hearing instruments102. Additionally, computing system108may use the information provided by hearing instruments102to present information that allows user104to track his or her energy usage, manage and improve control of his or her energy usage and power consumption, allocate costs to specific features, and improve battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102.

In some examples, computing system108provides a user interface to allow user104to provide a user input to update the feature duty cycle for the respective feature of one or more features. Responsive to the user input, computing system108may generate an updated energy cost for hearing instruments102based at least in part on the updated feature duty cycle for the respective feature and the power consumption rate of the respective feature. Computing system108may then calculate an updated battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102based at least in part on the updated energy cost for each feature of the one or more features. In some examples, the power consumption report may include the updated battery life. User104may adjust various features based on the power consumption report to more optimally improve the battery life of the one or more batteries114in hearing instruments102. For instance, responsive to the user input, computing system108may instruct hearing instruments102to activate or deactivate specific features. For example, user104may provide a user input to deactivate a wirelessly streaming audio data feature of hearing instruments102. In this way, computing system108may provide feedback about how various features are affecting battery life.

In some examples, computing system108may instruct hearing instruments102to enter a power conservation mode when the battery life of the one or more batteries114in one or more of hearing instruments102is below a threshold battery life. For instance, in response to determining that the battery life of the one or more batteries114in a hearing instrument is below a threshold battery life, computing system108may automatically disable one or more of the features in order to maximize the remaining battery life of the one or more batteries114in the hearing instrument.

In some examples, computing system108may provide low battery notifications to user104and/or a third-party. Computing system108may generate such low battery notifications when the battery life of one or more of batteries114of hearing instruments102is below a threshold value. Computing system108may generate a low battery notification in various ways. For example, computing system108may cause a computing device (e.g., computing device300, or other computing devices, etc.) to display notification messages, output sounds, display text or graphics in a GUI, or otherwise provide information that notifies user104of hearing instruments102or a third-party to indicate the battery life of one or more of batteries114is below the threshold value. In some examples, alerts to one or more of user104and a third-party may be generated in the cloud and then communicated using any suitable technique or techniques (e.g., electronic mail notification, short message service (SMS) notification, phone notification, audio notification through hearing instruments102, etc.).

FIG.2is a block diagram illustrating example components of hearing instrument102A, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure. Hearing instrument102B may include the same or similar components of hearing instrument102A shown in the example ofFIG.2. Thus, discussion of hearing instrument102A may apply with respect to hearing instrument102B.

In the example ofFIG.2, hearing instrument102A comprises one or more storage devices202, one or more communication units204, a receiver206, one or more processors112A, one or more microphones210, a set of sensors212, a battery114A, and one or more communication channels216. Communication channels216provide communication between storage devices202, communication unit(s)204, receiver206, processor(s)112A, a microphone(s)210, and sensors212. Components202,204,206,112A,210, and212may draw electrical power from battery114A.

Battery114A may include any suitable arrangement of disposable batteries, along or in combination with rechargeable batteries, to provide electric power to storage devices202, communication units204, receiver206, processors112A, microphones210, and sensors212.

In the example ofFIG.2, each of components202,204,206,112A,210,212,114A, and216are contained within a single housing218. However, in other examples of this disclosure, components202,204,206,112A,210,212,114A, and216may be distributed among two or more housings. For instance, in an example where hearing instrument102A is a RIC device, receiver206and one or more of sensors212may be included in an in-ear housing separate from a behind-the-ear housing that contains the remaining components of hearing instrument102A. In such examples, a RIC cable may connect the two housings.

Furthermore, in the example ofFIG.2, sensors212include an inertial measurement unit (IMU)226that is configured to generate data regarding the motion of hearing instrument102A. IMU226may include a set of sensors. For instance, in the example ofFIG.2, IMU226includes one or more of accelerometers228, a gyroscope230, a magnetometer232, combinations thereof, and/or other sensors for determining the motion of hearing instrument102A. Furthermore, in the example ofFIG.2, hearing instrument102A may include one or more additional sensors236. Additional sensors236may include a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor, blood oximetry sensors, blood pressure sensors, electrocardiograph (EKG) sensors, body temperature sensors, electroencephalography (EEG) sensors, environmental temperature sensors, environmental pressure sensors, environmental humidity sensors, skin galvanic response sensors, and/or other types of sensors. In other examples, hearing instrument102A and sensors212may include more, fewer, or different components.

Storage devices202may store data. Storage devices202may comprise volatile memory and may therefore not retain stored contents if powered off. Examples of volatile memories may include random access memories (RAM), dynamic random access memories (DRAM), static random access memories (SRAM), and other forms of volatile memories known in the art. Storage devices202may further be configured for long-term storage of information as non-volatile memory space and may retain information after power on/off cycles. Examples of non-volatile memory configurations may include magnetic hard discs, optical discs, floppy discs, flash memories, or forms of electrically programmable memories (EPROM) or electrically erasable and programmable (EEPROM) memories.

Communication unit(s)204may enable hearing instrument102A to send data to and receive data from one or more other devices, such as another hearing instrument, an accessory device, a mobile device, or another type of device. Communication unit(s)204may enable hearing instrument102A to communicate using wireless or non-wireless communication technologies. For instance, communication unit(s)204enable hearing instrument102A to communicate using one or more of various types of wireless technology, such as a BLUETOOTH™ technology, 3G, 4G, 4G LTE, 5G, ZigBee, WI-FI™, Near-Field Magnetic Induction (NFMI), ultrasonic communication, infrared (IR) communication, or another wireless communication technology. In some examples, communication unit(s)204may enable hearing instrument102A to communicate using a cable-based technology, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) technology.

Receiver206comprises one or more speakers for generating audible sound. Microphone(s)210detects incoming sound and generates one or more electrical signals (e.g., an analog or digital electrical signal) representing the incoming sound.

Processor(s)112A may be processing circuits configured to perform various activities. For example, processor(s)112A may process the signal generated by microphone(s)210to enhance, amplify, or cancel-out particular channels within the incoming sound. Processor(s)112A may then cause receiver206to generate sound based on the processed signal. In some examples, processor(s)112A include one or more digital signal processors (DSPs). In some examples, processor(s)112A may cause communication unit(s)204to transmit one or more of various types of data. For example, processor(s)112A may cause communication unit(s)204to transmit data to computing system108. Furthermore, communication unit(s)204may receive audio data from computing system108and processor(s)112A may cause receiver206to output sound based on the audio data.

FIG.3is a block diagram illustrating example components of computing device300, in accordance with one or more aspects of this disclosure.FIG.3illustrates only one particular example of computing device300, and many other example configurations of computing device300exist. Computing device300may be a computing device in computing system108(FIG.1).

As shown in the example ofFIG.3, computing device300includes one or more processor(s)302, one or more communication unit(s)304, one or more input device(s)308, one or more output device(s)310, a display screen312, a power source314, one or more storage device(s)316, and one or more communication channels318. Processors112C (FIG.1) may include processor(s)302. Computing device300may include other components. For example, computing device300may include physical buttons, microphones, speakers, communication ports, and so on. Communication channel(s)318may interconnect each of components302,304,308,310,312, and316for inter-component communications (physically, communicatively, and/or operatively). In some examples, communication channel(s)318may include a system bus, a network connection, an inter-process communication data structure, or any other method for communicating data. Power source314may provide electrical energy to components302,304,308,310,312and316.

Storage device(s)316may store information required for use during operation of computing device300. In some examples, storage device(s)316have the primary purpose of being a short term and not a long-term computer-readable storage medium. Storage device(s)316may be volatile memory and may therefore not retain stored contents if powered off. Storage device(s)316may further be configured for long-term storage of information as non-volatile memory space and may retain information after power on/off cycles. In some examples, processor(s)302of computing device300may read and execute instructions stored by storage device(s)316.

Computing device300may include one or more input device(s)308that computing device300uses to receive user input. Examples of user input include tactile, audio, and video user input. Input device(s)308may include presence-sensitive screens, touch-sensitive screens, mice, keyboards, voice responsive systems, microphones or other types of devices for detecting input from a human or machine.

Communication unit(s)304may enable computing device300to send data to and receive data from one or more other computing devices (e.g., via a communications network, such as a local area network or the Internet). For instance, communication unit(s)304may be configured to receive data exported by hearing instrument(s)102, receive data generated by user104of hearing instrument(s)102, receive and send request data, receive and send messages, and so on. In some examples, communication unit(s)304may include wireless transmitters and receivers that enable computing device300to communicate wirelessly with the other computing devices. For instance, in the example ofFIG.3, communication unit(s)304include a radio306that enables computing device300to communicate wirelessly with other computing devices, such as hearing instruments102(FIG.1). Examples of communication unit(s)304may include network interface cards, Ethernet cards, optical transceivers, radio frequency transceivers, or other types of devices that are able to send and receive information. Other examples of such communication units may include BLUETOOTH™, 3G, 4G, 5G, and WI-FI™ radios, Universal Serial Bus (USB) interfaces, etc. Computing device300may use communication unit(s)304to communicate with one or more hearing instruments (e.g., hearing instruments102(FIG.1,FIG.2)). Additionally, computing device300may use communication unit(s)304to communicate with one or more other remote devices.

Output device(s)310may generate output. Examples of output include tactile, audio, and video output. Output device(s)310may include presence-sensitive screens, sound cards, video graphics adapter cards, speakers, liquid crystal displays (LCD), or other types of devices for generating output.

Processor(s)302may read instructions from storage device(s)316and may execute instructions stored by storage device(s)316. Execution of the instructions by processor(s)302may configure or cause computing device300to provide at least some of the functionality ascribed in this disclosure to computing device300. As shown in the example ofFIG.3, storage device(s)316include computer-readable instructions associated with operating system320, application modules322A-322N (collectively, “application modules322”), and a companion application324. Additionally, in the example ofFIG.3, storage device(s)316may store health-related data326.

Execution of instructions associated with operating system320may cause computing device300to perform various functions to manage hardware resources of computing device300and to provide various common services for other computer programs. Execution of instructions associated with application modules322may cause computing device300to provide one or more of various applications (e.g., “apps,” operating system applications, etc.). Application modules322may provide particular applications, such as text messaging (e.g., SMS) applications, instant messaging applications, email applications, social media applications, text composition applications, and so on.

Execution of instructions associated with companion application324by processor(s)302may cause computing device300to perform one or more of various functions. Companion application324may be used as a companion to hearing instruments102. In some examples, execution of instruments associated with companion application324may cause computing device300to display a digital questionnaire for user104and user104may complete the digital questionnaire within application324. As another example, user104may complete a paper-and-pencil questionnaire and then enter the results into companion application324. In other examples, the questionnaire may be presented by a fitting software system during a process of selecting and setting hearing instruments102. In some examples, execution of instructions associated with companion application324may cause computing device300to configure communication unit(s)304to receive data from hearing instruments102and use the received data to present data illustrating an estimation of battery life of hearing instruments102to a user, such as user104or a third-party user. The estimation of the battery life of hearing instruments102may be presented by companion application324, which is used by user104of hearing instruments102, which may be a different software from the fitting software. In some examples, companion application324is an instance of a web application or server application. In some examples, such as examples where computing device300is a mobile device or other type of computing device, companion application324may be a native application.

FIG.4is a flowchart illustrating an example operation of a processing system for estimating a battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A based on data related to hearing instrument102A, in accordance with one or more techniques of this disclosure.FIG.4is provided as an example. Other examples may include more, fewer, or different actions; or actions may be performed in different orders or in parallel. Although the example ofFIG.4is discussed with respect to hearing instrument102A, it is to be understood thatFIG.4may be equally applicable to hearing instrument102B. Thus, discussion inFIG.4of hearing instrument102A may apply to hearing instrument102A, hearing instrument102B, or both hearing instruments102A and102B. The operation ofFIG.4may be performed separately for each of hearing instruments102A and102B. In other examples, computing system108may impute the calculated battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A to battery114B of hearing instrument102A. In accordance with a technique of this disclosure, computing system108may use data related to hearing instrument102A to calculate a battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A.

In the example ofFIG.4, computing system108may obtain data related to hearing instrument102A (400). For instance, in some examples, the data related to hearing instrument102A indicates answers of user104to a questionnaire. Thus, in such examples, computing system108may obtain data indicating the answers of user104to the questionnaire. In some examples, the data related to hearing instrument102A includes historical usage data of hearing instrument102A. Thus, in some examples, computing system108may obtain historical usage data of hearing instrument102A.

Computing system108may determine a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of one or more features of hearing instrument102A based on the obtained data (404). The feature duty cycle indicates an amount of time during a period in which the feature is anticipated to be active. In one example, computing system108may determine a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of the one or more features for activation based on the answers of user104to the questionnaire. For example, the questionnaire may include a question that asks about an expected amount of time that user104expects to listen to music during a day. In this example, if the answer is 30 minutes, computing system108sets the feature duty cycle for the music streaming feature to 30 minutes. In another example, computing system108may determine a feature duty cycle for each respective feature of the one or more features based on historical usage data. For example, computing system108or hearing instruments102may monitor the feature usage time of each respective feature of the one or more features over a time period and calculate a feature duty cycle based on the feature usage time and the time period. For instance, if the feature usage time of a certain feature is Y minutes over X days, then the feature duty cycle P of the feature may be calculated as P=Y/X, which represents the feature has a P minutes per day feature duty cycle. In some examples, the historical usage data of hearing instrument102A may be used with the answers of user104to the questionnaire to more accurately estimate the battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A.

In some examples, computing system108may separately identify the one or more features based on the obtained data. For instance, in some examples, computing system108may identify one or more features for activation based on the answers of user104to the questionnaire. In some examples, computing system108may identify the one or more features based on historical usage data of hearing instrument102A. In other examples, computing system108may determine, based on the obtained data, that the duty cycle for a feature is 0 if user104does not expect to use the feature or if user104does not use the feature.

For each respective feature of the one or more features of hearing instrument102A, computing system108may determine an energy cost using a power consumption rate of the respective feature and the feature duty cycle for the respective feature (404). For instance, an energy cost for a feature may be calculated as Ef=P×t, where P represents the power consumption rate for the feature in watts, t represents the feature duty cycle for the feature in hours per day, and Efrepresents the energy cost for the feature in watt-hours per day. In some examples, computing system108may determine the power consumption rate for the feature based on a volume level or other factors. For instance, computing system108may display a questionnaire that includes questions regarding amounts of time that user104expects to spend in different acoustic environments. In some examples, computing system108may determine the amounts of time user104spends in different acoustic environments based on real historical data for user104. For example, computing system108may monitor historical volume levels for user104. Computing system108may determine the energy cost of a feature for the different acoustic environments. In some of the examples, computing system108may associate a weight factor W with each volume level, and the energy cost of the feature may be calculated as Ef=Σi=0nPi×ti, where Efrepresents the energy cost for the feature in watt-hours per day, i is an index for different acoustic environments, Piis a power consumption rate for feature f in acoustic environment i in watts, and tiis an expected amount of time that feature f will be used in acoustic environment i in hours.

Based on the energy costs for the features of hearing instrument102A, computing system108may calculate a battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A (406). In some examples, computing system108may determine an energy cost for hearing instrument102A by adding up the energy costs of the features of hearing instrument102A. Computing system108may then calculate the battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A based on the energy stored by battery114A and the energy cost for hearing instrument102A. For instance, the battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A may be calculated as T=R/Es, where T represents the battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A in days, R represents the energy stored by battery114A in watt-hours, and Esrepresents the energy cost of hearing instrument102A in watts-hours per day.

Furthermore, computing system108may generate and present a power consumption report (408). In some examples, computing system108may receive a user input from user104indicating an updated feature duty cycle for a particular feature. Responsive to the user input, computing system108may generate an updated energy cost for hearing instrument102A at least based on the updated feature duty cycle for the particular feature and the power consumption rate of the particular feature. Computing system108may then calculate an updated battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A at least based on the updated energy cost for the particular feature. In some examples, the power consumption report may include the updated battery life, which provides user104an estimated battery life of battery114A based on the expected feature duty cycle for the particular feature.

Additionally, computing system108may generate a notification to notify user104that the battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A is below a threshold value. For example, computing system108may generate a low battery notification message that includes tips on how to improve the battery life of battery114A of hearing instrument102A.

In this disclosure, ordinal terms such as “first,” “second,” “third,” and so on, are not necessarily indicators of positions within an order, but rather may be used to distinguish different instances of the same thing. Examples provided in this disclosure may be used together, separately, or in various combinations. Furthermore, with respect to examples involving personal data regarding a user, it may be required such personal data only be used with the permission of the user.

Depending on the example, it is to be recognized certain acts or events of any of the techniques described herein may be performed in a different sequence, may be added, merged, or left out altogether (e.g., not all described acts or events are necessary for the practice of the techniques). Moreover, in certain examples, acts or events may be performed concurrently, e.g., through multi-threaded processing, interrupt processing, or multiple processors, rather than sequentially.

Functionality described in this disclosure may be performed by fixed function and/or programmable processing circuitry. For instance, instructions may be executed by fixed function and/or programmable processing circuitry. Such processing circuitry may include one or more processors, such as one or more digital signal processors (DSPs), general purpose microprocessors, application specific integrated circuits (ASICs), field programmable logic arrays (FPGAs), or other equivalent integrated or discrete logic circuitry. Accordingly, the term “processor,” as used herein may refer to any of the foregoing structure or any other structure suitable for implementation of the techniques described herein. In addition, in some respects, the functionality described herein may be provided within dedicated hardware and/or software modules. Also, the techniques may be fully implemented in one or more circuits or logic elements. Processing circuits may be coupled to other components in various ways. For example, a processing circuit may be coupled to other components via an internal device interconnect, a wired or wireless network connection, or another communication medium.