Hearing aid having a data storage

A hearing aid is provided comprising a microphone, an amplifier, an earphone, and at least one data storage. A large number of detailed hearing aid features are identifiable in an easy way. The data storage forms a component part of an identification means and stores at least one hearing aid feature which can be wirelessly output via an output means of the identification means allocated to the hearing aid for the identification of the hearing aid.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
The present invention is directed to a hearing aid comprising a microphone, 
an amplifier, an earphone, and a data storage. 
Known hearing aids of the type initially cited have their transmission 
properties individually matched to the respective residual hearing of a 
user of the hearing aid. A great number of types of hearing aids are 
required for this purpose. Even hearing aids having a structurally 
identical housing can differ considerably from one another in terms of 
their electrical type (electrical data) due to the different parts 
integrated therein such as, for example, microphone, earphone and/or 
electrical amplifier circuits, or due to the different performance data of 
these integrated components of the hearing aid. A presentation of more 
detailed distinguishing features (transmission properties) of the 
respective hearing aid type at the housing of the hearing aid for precise 
identification of the hearing aid is not possible, if only because of 
inadequate space at the respective hearing aid, particularly at an 
in-the-ear hearing aid. 
CH-A-671 131, incorporated herein, discloses a hearing aid whose data 
storage also contains memory locations for only one type of information 
that can be output in wire-bound fashion to a programming device. What 
this is intended to achieve is that the audio channels of hearing aids 
differing in type can be rapidly set in succession with a single 
programming device. The wire-bound output, however, requires at least one 
space-consuming plug contact at the hearing aid. 
EP-A-0 341 995, incorporated herein, discloses a hearing aid having a data 
storage as a component part of a calibration means. The calibration means 
stores data about individual characteristics of the individual hearing 
aid. A programming system is programmed with these data. An external 
programming means and an input and output unit in the hearing aid are 
provided for this purpose. 
Knowledge of detailed transmission properties (hearing aid feature/hearing 
aid data), however, is required for a correct matching of the hearing aid 
to the residual hearing of the hearing-impaired user. Persons, for example 
audiologists, who adapt hearing aids to hearing impairments must therefore 
laboriously seek out the relevant hearing aid features in a time consuming 
way in separate data lists with reference to the type and manufacturer 
identification arranged at the housing of the hearing aid. Such lists must 
always be kept up to date, this involving additional time expenditure. On 
occasion, data lists in the possession of the audiologist are already 
superseded. Consequently, time-consuming measurements must be implemented 
at the hearing aid in order to exactly identify hearing aid properties. 
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
It is an object of the invention to facilitate the identification of more 
detailed hearing aid features of hearing aids of the type initially cited. 
Furthermore, the number of hearing aid features identifiable at the 
hearing aid should be increased, without a significantly greater space 
requirement. This object is achieved by providing a hearing aid having a 
microphone, an amplifier, an earphone, and at least one data storage. The 
data storage forms a component part of an identification means. At least 
one hearing aid feature is stored in the data storage. This at least one 
feature is capable of being output in wireless fashion via an output means 
of the identification means allocated to the hearing aid for the purpose 
of identifying the hearing aid. 
In the invention, at least one data storage is employed as a component part 
of an identification means for a hearing aid and for storing at least one 
feature of the hearing aid. The data storage can be formed by an 
electrically conductive connection to at least one component part of the 
identification means, and as a component part of the identification means. 
This identification means comprises at least one output means in the 
hearing aid via which hearing aid features stored in the data storage can 
be output in wireless fashion for the exact identification of the hearing 
aid. Such features that unambiguously identify the hearing aid and/or the 
properties thereof can be input into the data storage in great numbers in 
the form of, for example, electronic data. This great number of stored 
features can be called in from the data storage of the hearing aid without 
data lists which must be kept up to date having to be consulted for this 
purpose. It is also not necessary to open the housing of the hearing aid 
and/or to dismantle the hearing aid. It is particularly programmable 
hearing aids that usually already comprise a data storage that, given an 
adequate memory capacity, can also be advantageously inventively employed 
or designed. The space required for the storing and output of features 
identifying the respective hearing aid requires considerably less space 
than traditional data particulars on the hearing aid housing in, for 
example, written form. Considerably more features/parameters of the 
hearing aid are nonetheless identifiable, these always being up to date, 
i.e. corresponding to the respective hearing aid. 
The respective output means of the hearing aid for the wireless output of 
the stored data which unambiguously identify the respective hearing aid 
can be designed in a great variety of ways. In a development of the 
invention, thus a display means for visual presentation (optical output) 
of the hearing aid data can be realized as output means at a hearing aid 
which offers adequate space for this, particularly at a behind-the-ear 
hearing aid. This display means can be designed as a small display, for 
example a LCD display (liquid crystal display). The presentation can occur 
in chronologically successive characters. The characters can also be 
output as successive words and/or numbers. 
Further, the output means can also be designed as an interface to an 
external data viewing means having a display means. In such an embodiment 
of the invention, the data for identifying features of a hearing aid can 
also be output in wireless fashion in some other way, particularly 
inductively or acoustically via the output means. According to an 
alternative of the invention, the output can occur inductively via the 
telephone coil of the hearing aid which is usually present. According to 
another alternative, the stored data can be output as audio signals via 
the earphone of the hearing aid. The earphone that is usually present in 
the hearing aid, or the telephone coil which is usually present therein, 
is co-employed in this alternative of the invention as an interface 
(output means) for a wireless data output. The display means of the 
external data viewing means forms a component part of the identification 
means which is wirelessly connected to the hearing aid. As a result of the 
wireless output of hearing aid features via the earphone or the telephone 
coil, a separate output means (for example a plug) for the identification 
of the hearing aid with reference to the data stored for that purpose can 
be advantageously eliminated, this further reducing the required space. 
For wireless forwarding of the output data to an external component part 
of the identification means, the hearing aid can be coupled to an 
inductive or to an acoustic coupler. Given adequate capacity of the data 
storage of the identification means, it is also possible to output the 
audio signal for the data output as a voice signal that may be understood 
by a human being. 
The data output via the output means for features of the hearing aid can be 
triggered by a control signal. This control signal can be initiated by 
actuating a switch means at the hearing aid. The switch means can be 
realized at the hearing aid by two simultaneously contactable conductor 
ends. These conductor ends can be touched in bridging fashion with the 
electrically conductive end of a screwdriver for contacting. The 
bridgeable conductor ends can be arranged in covered fashion in the 
battery compartment of the hearing aid. In combination with a wireless 
remote control, the control signal can also be triggered via infrared, 
radio-frequency or ultrasound. Since the output of hearing aid features 
also occurs in wireless fashion, feature/parameters of the hearing aid are 
easily identifiable completely free of wired connections and/or 
space-consuming plug connections at the hearing aid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS 
FIG. 1 shows a programmable, remotely controllable hearing aid 1 having a 
separate remote control transmitter 2. The hearing aid 1 comprises a 
microphone 3, a low-pass filter 4 for audio signals, a pre-amplifier 5, a 
programmable electronic resistor 6, an output amplifier 7, and an earphone 
8. The hearing aid further comprises a remote control part composed of a 
limiter unit 9 that, for example, can be designed as a Schmitt trigger 
having a preceding high-pass filter (not shown), and is also composed of 
an evaluation circuit 10 and of a data decoder 11. 
Via an output sound transducer 12, the remote control transmitter 2 outputs 
audio signals, for example ultrasound remote control signals, which are 
triggered and coded with the assistance of a key control 13, these audio 
signals being received by the microphone 3 of the hearing aid, being 
decoded in the data decoder 11, and being allocated to a remotely 
controllable or, respectively, programmable component part. To this 
extent, the hearing aid of FIG. 1 fundamentally corresponds to a hearing 
aid disclosed by and described in detail in EB-A-0 175 909, incorporated 
herein. 
The hearing aid 1 of the invention comprises a data storage unit 14 that 
forms a component part of an identification means. Features of the hearing 
aid are input in storable form into the data storage unit 14 as digital 
data. The input can already be undertaken during the manufacture of the 
hearing aid or at some other time. The stored data, for example, can 
contain the name of the manufacturer, the type designation, version of the 
apparatus, series of the apparatus, and/or technical data such as 
amplification, frequency response, limitation threshold and/or output 
level, etc., i.e. data that could hitherto particularly be taken from 
separate data lists. The stored data can be output via an output means 
allocated to the hearing aid 1. For that purpose, the earphone 8 of the 
hearing aid 1 which is already present is advantageously also employed in 
this specific embodiment. Both the separate output means as well as the 
space required for that purpose are thus eliminated. The earphone 8 and 
the storage 14 are consequently employed as an internal component part 27 
of the identification means. 
According to the exemplary embodiment of FIG. 1, an external component part 
also belongs to this identification means. Via a microphone 16 acting as 
an acoustic coupler, the external component part 15 of the identification 
means receives in wireless fashion the features of the hearing aid 1 
output by the earphone 8 as coded sound signals--symbolized by the arrow 
17--these features being stored as digital data in the storage unit 14. 
In the hearing aid 1, the digitally stored data of the storage unit 14 are 
supplied to a modulator 19 as a serial data stream via a line 18. The 
modulator 19 that can be designed as a component part of an integrated 
circuit, comprises, for example, a low-frequency generator (not shown) 
which is modulated with the serial data stream from the storage unit 14 in 
an intrinsically known way. Included among the suitable modulation methods 
are pulse duration modulation and frequency shift keying (FSK modulation). 
The modulated low-frequency signal (audio frequency signal) is supplied to 
a summing circuit 20 present in the actual hearing aid amplifier parts 5 
through 7, is amplified in the output amplifier 7, and is ultimately 
output via the earphone 8 as a coded sound signal (arrow 17). 
The coded sound signal is then picked up by the microphone 16 and is 
supplied to a demodulator 22 via a line 21 as a modulated audio frequency 
signal. After the demodulation, a data stream corresponding to the data 
stream of the line 18 in the hearing aid 1 arises. This data stream is 
supplied via a line 23 to an evaluation and display means 24 for display 
of the stored features of the hearing aid 1. The external component part 
15 of the identification means, particularly the evaluation and display 
means 24, can be designed, for example, as a component part of a digital 
programming device for hearing aids. 
In an advantageous version of the invention, a coded control signal is 
generated in the remote control transmitter 2 by actuating an allocated 
key of the key control 13. The output of hearing aid features from the 
data storage unit 14 is triggered with this control signal. The control 
signal is preferably output as an ultra sound signal by the output sound 
transducer 12, this being symbolized by the arrow 26. The coded control 
signal is supplied to the remote control parts 9 through 11 in a known way 
(EPA 0 175 909, incorporated herein) via an input means of the hearing aid 
1--via the microphone 3 in this specific exemplary embodiment--and is 
decoded in the decoder 11. For triggering the output of a feature of the 
hearing aid 1, the control signal can be supplied to the data storage 14 
via the data line 25 that, for example, is designed in multi-pole fashion. 
The data storage 14 then outputs the stored features as a serial data 
stream via the line 18. By employing existing hearing aid microphone 3 and 
the existing remote control parts 9 through 11, a separate input and 
decoding means for the control signal is advantageously eliminated for 
triggering the output of features of the hearing aid 1. 
The control signal can be coded differently. A first coding can be employed 
for triggering the output of a single feature. A second coding can be 
employed for triggering the output of a group of features, and a further 
coding can be employed for triggering the output of all features. It is 
thus possible to output only specific features, for example features 
directed to the transmission properties of the hearing aid, this being 
advantageous particularly for the fast, and nonetheless detailed, 
identification. 
An advantageous version of a hearing aid 28 of the invention shown in FIG. 
2 differs from the hearing aid 1 on the basis of an identification means 
29 which is completely allocated to the hearing aid 28. The identification 
means 29 comprises the data storage 14 described in FIG. 1, this being 
connected to a display means 13 via an auxiliary memory 30. The auxiliary 
memory 30 serves the purpose of editing the data output for the data 
storage 14 into a form that can be visually displayed on the display means 
31. In particular, the two storages 14 and 30 can be component parts of an 
integrated circuit. 
The display means 31 can be designed as an extremely small display, for 
example, as an LCD display 32, as shown in FIG. 3 at a behind-the-ear 
hearing aid housing 33. An arbitrarily selected type designation is shown 
by way of example on the LCD display 32 as a feature which is stored in 
the data storage 14 of the hearing aid 28 that can be inventively output 
via the output means--the LCD display 32 in this case. In the exemplary 
embodiment of FIG. 3, the LCD display 32 is arranged between an adjustment 
wheel 34 and a switch 35. Other arrangements of the display, for example 
covered under a flap of the housing 33, are also possible. In particular, 
the LCD display can be provided instead of previously labelled 
areas/spaces. Consequently, the great manufacturing expense (stamp, tools, 
etc.) required for a labelling, particularly with respect to a 
multi-lingual labelling, is eliminated, this having to be executed 
differently at the hearing aid dependent on the language area (country) 
being respectively supplied--due to lack of space. The output with a 
display can be designed switchable to various languages, without a 
significant manufacturing expense or space requirement. 
Particularly because of the co-employment of input and output means already 
present at the hearing aid for the inventive identification of the hearing 
aid, the inventive hearing aid of FIG. 1 can be designed such that no 
external difference can be seen vis-a-vis the traditional hearing aids, 
for example an in-the-ear hearing aid housing 36 of FIG. 4. In order to 
prevent a person from proceeding in the manner initially set forth for the 
exact identification of the hearing aid, it is provided in a development 
of the invention that, in particular, the hearing aid of FIG. 1 has a 
traditional type of identification indicating the inventive identification 
of the hearing aid, as shown by a label 37 in FIG. 4. This can be 
achieved, for example, by the label "Electronic Identification System." 
However, it is also possible to equip the in-the-ear hearing aid housing 
36 with an LCD display (not shown) in the region of the face plate 38. 
FIG. 5 shows an alternate embodiment of the invention similar to FIG. 2, 
but wherein in lieu of outputting with the display unit 31 and auxiliary 
memory 30, a modulator 19 and a telephone coil 39 are provided. With this 
embodiment, output is achieved in wireless fashion inductively via the 
telephone coil. Thus, either the telephone coil or the earphone of the 
hearing aid may be co-employed as an interface (output means) for wireless 
data output. 
Although various minor changes and modifications might be proposed by those 
skilled in the art, it will be understood that we wish to include within 
the claims of the patent warranted hereon all such changes and 
modifications as reasonably come within our contribution to the art.