Abstract:
A hearing aid comprising a microphone, processing electronics connected to the microphone, a housing enclosing the processing electronics, a wireless USB controller connected to the processing electronics Other examples include method and apparatus of hearing aids with a wired USB port.

Description:
FIELD 
       [0001]    The present application relates to hearing aids and more particularly to hearing assistance aids with Universal Serial Bus (USB) enabled ports. 
       BACKGROUND 
       [0002]    Current hearing aid technology allows a particular hearing aid electronics package to be customized for a wide range of hearing correction requirements. As a user&#39;s hearing changes when using a hearing aid, the performance parameters can usually be modified to accommodate the hearing change. Modification of the hearing aid performance either to initialize a hearing aid or adjust its past configuration, require the use of a programmer. Often the programmer is of a custom design or utilizes custom communication protocols. 
         [0003]    What is needed in the art is a hearing aid which can be programmed using a standard connection and communication protocol without the need for a dedicated programmer. 
       SUMMARY 
       [0004]    The above-mentioned problems and others not expressly discussed herein are addressed by the present subject matter and will be understood by reading and studying this specification. 
         [0005]    The present subject matter includes method and apparatus of hearing aids comprising a microphone, processing electronics connected to the microphone, a housing enclosing the processing electronics, a USB controller connected to the processing electronics and a USB port connected to the USB controller. The USB controller includes instructions for configuring the USB port as a USB host. Additional embodiments include a method comprising connecting a hearing aid to a peripheral USB device using a Universal Serial Bus port of the hearing aid and electronically communicating with the peripheral USB device using the hearing aid as a host USB device. Various embodiments include a hearing aid with a wired USB port. Various embodiments include a hearing aid with a wireless USB port. A method embodiment includes wirelessly connecting a hearing aid to a peripheral USB device using a Universal Serial Bus protocol and transferring data between the hearing aid and the peripheral device. Various embodiments include transferring data between the hearing aid and a mobile device such as a cell phone including using a USB protocol for programming the hearing aid with the cell phone. 
         [0006]    This Summary is an overview of some of the teachings of the present application and not intended to be an exclusive or exhaustive treatment of the present subject matter. Further details about the present subject matter are found in the detailed description and appended claims. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents. 
     
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
         [0007]      FIG. 1  shows a USB-enabled hearing aid according to one embodiment of the present subject matter. 
           [0008]      FIG. 2  shows a USB-OTG enabled hearing aid, according to one embodiment of the present subject matter, connected to a second hearing aid with a USB cable. 
           [0009]      FIG. 3  shows a hearing aid according to the present subject matter connected to a host computer. 
           [0010]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a USB-OTG hearing aid according to the present subject matter connected to a cell phone. 
           [0011]      FIG. 5  shows a first wireless USB enabled hearing aid according to one embodiment of the present subject matter in wireless communication with a second wireless USB enabled hearing aid. 
           [0012]      FIG. 6  shows a hearing aid according to one embodiment of the present subject matter in wireless communication with a computer. 
           [0013]      FIG. 7  shows a wireless USB enabled hearing aid according to the present subject matter connected to a cell phone. 
       
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
       [0014]    The following detailed description of the present subject matter relates to the accompanying drawings which show, by way of illustration, specific aspects and embodiments in which the present subject matter may be practiced. These embodiments are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the present subject matter. References to “an”, “one”, or “various” embodiments in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references contemplate more than one embodiment. The following detailed description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense, and the scope is defined only by the appended claims, along with the full scope of legal equivalents to which such claims are entitled. 
         [0015]      FIG. 1  shows a USB-enabled hearing aid  100  according to one embodiment of the present subject matter. The hearing aid  100  includes a housing  101  enclosing a microphone  102 , a receiver  103 , hearing aid electronics  104  and a USB controller  105  connected to a USB port  106 . The USB controller  105  is configured with program instructions according to Revision 1.3 of the On-the-Go (OTG) supplement to the USB 2.0 specification which are incorporated herein in their entirety. The USB-OTG controller  102  allows the hearing aid to connect to USB devices as either a peripheral USB device or a limited function USB host device. Therefore, the hearing aid  100  can connect to a remote USB device, and the remote USB device can be either a host computer or a peripheral device. USB peripheral devices include, but are not limited to, cell phones, PDAs, printers, displays or a second hearing aid. In one embodiment, the host capabilities of the USB-OTG enabled hearing aid  100  are used to connect the hearing aid to a USB enabled monitor to display stored data including, but not limited to, parameters of the hearing aid and waveforms of recorded sounds. In various embodiments, communication with peripheral devices is accomplished using a wireless connection. In another example, the host capabilities of the hearing aid are used to connect to a printer to print a status report. 
         [0016]    The illustrated embodiment of  FIG. 1  uses the self-powered features of the USB specification to recharge the hearing aid battery  107  eliminating, in most cases, the need for a user to purchase a battery charger to charge the hearing aid battery  107 . The USB-OTG supplement to the USB 2.0 specification includes cables and connectors such that USB-OTG controllers can be used with various hearing aid housings including, but not limited to, behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), completely-in-the-canal (CIC) and housings used with receiver-in-the-canal (RIC) hearing aids. In various embodiments, custom made connectors and cables are used. 
         [0017]      FIG. 2  shows a USB-OTG enabled hearing aid  210 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter, connected to a second hearing aid  211  with a USB cable  212 . The USB-OTG enabled hearing aid  210  includes a microphone  223 , a receiver  225 , flash memory  226  and a wireless USB-OTG controller  227  with a USB port  228  connected to hearing aid electronics  224 . The USB-OTG enabled hearing aid  210  is connected to the other hearing aid  211  with a USB cable  212 . Connecting one hearing aid to another hearing aid over a USB-OTG connection allows the hearing aids to exchange data and data files including, but not limited to, audio data and audio data files. In various embodiments, hearing aids connected using a USB-OTG connection can hot sync data in one hearing aid with data in the other hearing aid. Such a feature can be used to update firmware of a hearing aid or reset hearing aid parameters. In various embodiments, the hearing aids include flash memory such that entertainment files containing audio content including, but not limited to, .mp3 and .wav files, can be exchanged for sharing. 
         [0018]      FIG. 3  shows a hearing aid  330  according to the present subject matter connected to a host computer  331 . The hearing aid  331  includes a microphone  333 , hearing aid electronics  334 , a receiver  335 , flash memory  336  and a USB-OTG controller  337  connected to a USB port  338 . The hearing aid is connected to the computer with a USB cable  339 . The hearing aid&#39;s USB-OTG controller is adapted to allow the computer  331  to program, edit and monitor the operation of hearing aid  330  through parameters stored in the hearing aid&#39;s flash memory  336 . Connecting the hearing aid to the computer eliminates the need for a separate programmer for the hearing aid. During normal operation the hearing aid&#39;s processing electronics  334  access the flash memory  336  and provide hearing aid according to the parameters stored thereon. In various embodiments, the flash memory  334  is partitioned such that a portion of the memory is available for general storage of data. When connected to a host device, such as the personal computer  331 , the USB-OTG controller allows the general storage portion of the memory  336  to be mapped on the computer  331  as a mass storage device to store and retrieve data using USB Mass Storage protocols according to the Universal Serial Bus 2.0 Specification which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. 
         [0019]      FIG. 4  is a block diagram of a USB-OTG hearing aid  440  according to the present subject matter connected to a cell phone  441 . The USB-OTG enabled hearing aid  440  includes a housing  442 , microphone  443 , processing electronics  444 , a receiver  445 , flash memory  446  and a USB-OTG controller  447  connected to a USB port  448 . The hearing aid  440  is connected to the USB enabled cell phone  441  using a USB cable  449 . In various embodiments, connecting the hearing aid  440  and cell phone  441  using a USB-OTG communication link exploits features of the devices to provide a number of new or improved functions. These functions include, but are not limited to, placing cell phone telephone calls where audio is played to the user&#39;s ear using the hearing aid receiver and, thus, compensating for a user&#39;s hearing impairment, if any, streaming audio from an audio file on the cell phone through the hearing aid receiver, exchanging data files between the hearing aid  440  and the cell phone  441 , and programming, editing or monitoring the operation of the hearing aid  440  using the cell phone  441 . Using the cell phone to program, edit and monitor the hearing aid through the USB communication link reduces the need for a separate hearing aid programmer, as is commonly required. 
         [0020]      FIG. 5  shows a first wireless USB enabled hearing aid  550 , according to one embodiment of the present subject matter in wireless communication with a second wireless USB enabled hearing aid  551 . The first hearing aid includes a microphone  551 , a receiver  552 , flash memory  553  and a wireless USB controller  554  with an attached antenna  555  connected to hearing aid electronics  556 . Connecting one hearing aid to another hearing aid over a wireless USB connection  557  allows the hearing aids to exchange data and data files including, but not limited to, audio data and audio data files. In various embodiments, hearing aids connected using a wireless USB connection can hot sync data in one hearing aid with data in the other hearing aid. Such a feature can be used to update firmware of a hearing aid or reset hearing aid parameters. In various embodiments, the hearing aids include flash memory such that files containing audio content including, but not limited to, .mp3 and .wav files, can be exchanged for sharing. In various embodiments, the wireless USB controllers  554 ,  559  operate using short range Ultra Wide Band (UWB) wireless communications according to the WiMedia Alliance Certified Wireless USB (WUSB) protocol. Such communications include carrier frequencies spreading from about 3.1 gigahertz (GHz) to about 10.6 GHz. In some embodiments, wireless USB enable devices quickly connect with each other without pairing into a full wireless communications environment at ranges up to about 10 feet with speed up to about 480 megabytes per second (MB/s), and up to about 33 feet at speeds up to about 110 MB/s. 
         [0021]    Wireless USB/Ultra-Wideband chip sets are available from a number of manufacturers including, but not limited to, WiQuest (1 Gbit/s data rate), Metalink and Alereon. The 0.18 μm, radio frequency, complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (RFCMOS) process is the best suited for WUSB. For example, the WUSB design from Jazz Semiconductor requires 9 mw@1.8 v and occupies 0.22 mm 2  die area. The 0.13 μm RFCMOS and 0.18 μm SiGe processes are also viable WUSB design processes. 
         [0022]      FIG. 6  shows a hearing aid  660  according to one embodiment of the present subject matter in wireless communication with a computer  661 . The computer is a general purpose computer such as a desktop computer or a laptop computer. The hearing aid  661  includes a housing  662 , a microphone  663 , hearing aid electronics  664 , a receiver  665 , flash memory  666  and wireless USB controller  667  connected an antenna  668 . The hearing aid&#39;s wireless USB controller  667  is adapted to allow the computer  661  to program, edit and monitor the operation of hearing aid  660  through parameters stored in the hearing aid&#39;s flash memory  666 . Connecting the hearing aid to the computer eliminates the need for a separate programmer for the hearing aid. The processing electronics  664  access the flash memory  666  and provide hearing assistance according to parameters stored thereon. In various embodiments, the flash memory  664  is partitioned such that a portion of the memory is available for general storage of data. When connected to another device, such as the personal computer  661 , the wireless USB controller allows the general storage portion of the memory  666  to be mapped on the computer  661  as a mass storage device for storing and retrieving data including, but not limited to, audio data and audio files. In various embodiments, the hearing aid includes other memory circuits but does not include flash memory. In some embodiments, flash memory may be added to the hearing aid as an option. In embodiments without flash memory, the processing electronics  664  access the other memory and provide hearing assistance according to the parameters stored thereon. Additionally, the wireless USB controller is adapted to allow the computer  661  to program, edit and monitor the operation of hearing aid  660  through parameters stored in memory. 
         [0023]      FIG. 7  shows a block diagram of a wireless USB enabled hearing aid  770  according to the present subject matter connected to a cell phone  771 . The wireless USB enabled hearing aid  770  includes a housing  772 , microphone  773 , processing electronics  774 , a receiver  775 , flash memory  776  and a wireless USB controller  777  connected to an antenna  778 . In various embodiments, connecting the hearing aid  770  and cell phone  771  using a wireless USB communication link  779  exploits features of both devices to provide a number combined functions. These functions include, but are not limited to, placing cell phone telephone calls where audio is played to the user&#39;s ear using the hearing aid receiver and, thus, compensating for a user&#39;s hearing impairment, streaming audio from an audio file on the cell phone through the hearing aid receiver, exchanging data files between the hearing aid  770  and the cell phone  771 , and programming, editing or monitoring the operation of the hearing aid  770  using the cell phone  771 . Using the cell phone to program, edit and monitor the hearing aid through the wireless USB communication link  779  reduces the need for a separate hearing aid programmer, as is commonly required. 
         [0024]    It is understood that the foregoing teachings may be employed in different hardware, firmware, or software configurations and combinations thereof. It is understood that the embodiments set forth herein may be employed in different types of hearing aids. Such hearing aids may include, but are not limited to, behind-the-ear, in-the-ear, and completely-in-the-canal designs. Other applications of the foregoing teachings are possible without departing from the scope of the present subject matter. 
         [0025]    This application is intended to cover adaptations and variations of the present subject matter. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the present subject matter should be determined with reference to the appended claim, along with the full scope of equivalents to which the claims are entitled.