Patent ID: 8169938

Claim:
A system for wireless communications of information between a remote source and a plurality of wearers of hearing aids, comprising: a plurality of hearing aids each having a radio receiver for reception of packetized communications, the packetized communications including a packet header and a payload including data, the packet header comprising information identifying certain bits as control bits and providing control via the control bits to control at least one of the plurality of hearing aids and the payload including audio information; and an apparatus comprising a wireless interface including a first port adapted to receive the information from the remote source, and a second port adapted to wirelessly communicate the information in a packetized format to the plurality of hearing aids, the wireless interface including digital electronics to provide a plurality of programmable transmission modes, wherein the system includes a plurality of nodes having each a unique address; the nodes associated with each of the plurality of hearing aids and the apparatus, the system providing programmable communications between at least two nodes of the plurality of nodes using the transmission modes, the system providing control and audio information in a single packet and the system configured to provide packetized communications encoded for a right hearing aid and a left hearing aid for at least one wearer, the right hearing aid and left hearing aid each having different addresses and each able to receive different audio information.