Patent ID: 8760284

Claim:
A listening system, comprising: a listening device adapted to provide a frequency dependent gain to compensate for a hearing loss of a user and to be worn at or in an ear of a user, and an alerting device adapted to detect or receive an external alarm signal, wherein the listening device and the alerting device each comprise at least one communication interface allowing to establish a communication link between them, the alerting device is adapted to sense or receive information as to whether or not the listening device is in operational use, and the listening system is adapted to operate in at least two modes, a NORMAL mode, when said listening device is in operational use, and an ALARM mode, when said listening device is NOT in operational use; and wherein said listening system is adapted to issue specific NORMAL mode signals to the user corresponding to normal acoustic and/or optical alarm signals, when said listening system is in said NORMAL mode, and specific ALARM mode signals to the user corresponding to said external alarm signals, when said listening system is in said ALARM mode, wherein said specific ALARM mode signals are adapted to catch the attention of the user considering that the listening device is not in operation, and wherein said listening system is adapted to be brought a) into said NORMAL mode when the listening device is switched ON, and b) into said ALARM mode when the listening device is switched OFF.