Patent ID: 8660657

Claim:
A system comprising: a sound processing unit configured to process an audio signal and to selectively operate in accordance with a first program or a second program; an implantable cochlear stimulator communicatively coupled to the sound processing unit and configured to apply stimulation representative of the audio signal to a patient via one or more electrodes in accordance with the processing of the audio signal, the sound processing unit and the implantable cochlear stimulator being configured to operate in accordance with a plurality of control parameters; and a user input facility communicatively coupled to the sound processing unit and configured to be initially associated with a first control parameter included in the plurality of control parameters while the sound processing unit operates in accordance with the first program in order to facilitate manual adjustment of the first control parameter; and a program switch communicatively coupled to the sound processing unit and configured to direct the sound processing unit to switch from operating in accordance with the first program to operating in accordance with the second program; wherein the user input facility is further configured to be selectively disassociated with the first control parameter and associated with a second control parameter included in the plurality of control parameters in response to the program switch directing the sound processing unit to switch from operating in accordance with the first program to operating in accordance with the second program in order to facilitate manual adjustment of the second control parameter.