Patent ID: 7515725

Claim:
A method for operating an electronic battery-powered hearing instrument, comprising the steps of: providing primary function means with power from the battery via a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal, and via a rectifier circuit for providing a positive supply voltage and a negative supply voltage regardless of the polarity of the battery relative to the first and second power supply terminals, the rectifier circuit and primary function means being part of an electronic circuit assembly, inferring a status of at least one interface means, wherein a first terminal of the interface means is electrically connected to the first power supply terminal externally of the electronic circuit assembly to communicate both a signal from the first terminal of the interface means to the electronic circuit assembly and power between the first power supply terminal and the electronic circuit assembly via a shared IO contact provided to the electronic circuit assembly, and a second terminal of the interface means is electrically connected to at least one interface line, wherein said status of the at least one interface means is inferred from a voltage of the interface line, and communicating said status of the interface means to the primary function means, wherein the interface means serves for the input of information into the hearing aid or for bidirectional communication with the hearing aid and the interface means is not part of the electronic circuit assembly and is not identical to the battery.