Patent ID: 7831055

Claim:
A presence activated hearing assistive apparatus comprising: a receiver configured to: receive an audio signal; and output the audio signal to a processor; a presence activation sensor configured to: determine that the hearing assistive apparatus is proximate an ear of a user by recognizing received data as a user signal received from a user-specific transmitter tag associated with the ear of the user, wherein the user signal comprises a hearing loss parameter associated with the ear of the user; and output the user signal to the processor; the processor being configured to: receive the audio signal from the receiver and the user signal from the presence activation sensor; switch the hearing assistive apparatus to an enhanced mode in response to the presence activation sensor determining that the hearing assistive apparatus is proximate the ear of the user; and manipulate the audio signal in accordance with the hearing loss parameter of the user signal only if the hearing assistive apparatus is in the enhanced mode, proximate the ear of the user; an amplifier configured to receive and amplify the manipulated audio signal; and a speaker configured to receive and output the manipulated and amplified audio signal; wherein the processor is further configured to switch the hearing assistive apparatus away from the enhanced mode in response to the presence activation sensor determining that the hearing assistive apparatus is not proximate the ear of the user.