Patent ID: 8442435

Claim:
A method of controlling at least one functional element of an ear-level device, the ear-level device of a type comprising a plurality of previously programmed functional elements executed by circuitry on the ear level device, a memory, a microphone and a speaker, each coupled to a processor, the method comprising: establishing communication between the ear-level device and a companion device, the companion device comprising a graphical user interface; presenting, through the graphical user interface, a plurality of icons corresponding to a corresponding plurality of previously programmed functional elements of the ear-level device; accepting input via the graphical user interface of a signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements; the signal selecting one of the plurality of previously programmed functional elements selects a functional element that does not affect sound processing as the selected previously programmed functional element; accepting input via the graphical user interface of a signal identifying a way of controlling the selected previously programmed functional element of the ear level device; and transmitting a control instruction, corresponding to the selected functional element, from the companion device to the ear-level device, thereby providing instruction to the ear-level device to operate according to the selected functional element.