Hearing aid in-ear announcement

Abstract

Implementations generally relate to hearing aids. In some implementations, a method includes receiving an external sound at a hearing aid. The method further includes amplifying the external sound. The method further includes generating an in-ear announcement. The method further includes providing the in-ear announcement, the in-ear announcement being at a higher volume level than the external sound.

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS This application claims the benefit of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 693,142, entitled "HEARING AID IN-EAR ANNOUNCEMENTS," filed Mar. 11, 2022 (Attorney Docket No. 020699-119600US / Client Docket No. SYP346747US01), which is incorporated by reference for all purposes as if fully set forth herein.

[0002] This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 693,139, entitled "HEARING AID FOR ALARMS AND OTHER SOUNDS," filed on March 11, 2022 (Attorney Docket No. 020699-119500US / Client Docket No. SYP346746US01), and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17 / 693,145, entitled "HEARING AID FOR COGNITIVE HELP USING SPEAKER RECOGNITION," filed on March 11, 2022 (Attorney Docket No. 020699-119700US / Client Docket No. SYP346748US01), which applications are incorporated by reference herein for all purposes as if fully set forth in this application. [Background technology]

[0003] Hearing aids assist users with hearing impairments by amplifying sounds to a level that the user can hear. Hearing aids typically detect ambient sounds and amplify all ambient sounds detected based on the user's audio profile or general profile. Hearing aids can have different operating modes depending on the setting (e.g., restaurant, one-on-one conversation, public park, etc.). Certain audio frequencies are amplified more than others to help the user understand the conversation. Summary of the Invention [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] Implementations generally relate to hearing aids. In some implementations, a system includes one or more processors and logic encoded in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution by the one or more processors. The logic, when executed, is operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including receiving an external sound at a hearing aid, amplifying the external sound, generating an in-ear announcement, and providing the in-ear announcement, the in-ear announcement being at a higher volume level than the external sound.

[0005] Further, with respect to the system, in some implementations, the logic, when executed, is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, the operation including attenuating the external sound while providing the in-ear announcement. In some implementations, the logic, when executed, is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, the operation including amplifying one or more first components of the external sound and attenuating one or more second components of the external sound. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes at least one message. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes hearing aid control information. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes configuration information associated with the hearing aid. In some implementations, the logic, when executed, is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, the operation including providing the in-ear announcement at a moment based on at least one predefined announcement policy.

[0006] In some implementations, a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium is provided having program instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more processors, are operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including receiving an external sound at a hearing aid, amplifying the external sound, generating an in-ear announcement, and providing the in-ear announcement, the in-ear announcement being at a higher volume level than the external sound.

[0007] Further, with respect to the computer-readable storage medium, in some implementations, the instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, the operation including attenuating the external sound while providing the in-ear announcement. In some implementations, the instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, the operation including amplifying one or more first components of the external sound and attenuating one or more second components of the external sound. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes at least one message. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes hearing aid control information. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes configuration information associated with the hearing aid. In some implementations, the instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform an operation, the operation including providing the in-ear announcement at a moment based on at least one predefined announcement policy.

[0008] In some implementations, a method includes receiving an external sound with a hearing aid, amplifying the external sound, generating an in-ear announcement, and providing the in-ear announcement, the in-ear announcement being at a higher volume level than the external sound.

[0009] Further to the method, in some implementations, the method further includes attenuating the external sound while providing the in-ear announcement. In some implementations, the method further includes amplifying one or more first components of the external sound and attenuating one or more second components of the external sound. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes at least one message. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes hearing aid control information. In some implementations, the in-ear announcement includes configuration information associated with the hearing aid.

[0010] A further understanding of the nature and advantages of particular implementations disclosed herein may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the attached drawings. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary hearing aid and environment for providing in-the-ear announcements that can be used for the implementations described herein. [Figure 2A] FIG. 2 illustrates an image of an exemplary hearing aid that can be used for the implementations described herein. [Figure 2B] 1 illustrates an image of a hearing aid worn on an ear, according to some implementations. [Figure 3A] FIG. 2 illustrates an image of an exemplary hearing aid that can be used for the implementations described herein. [Figure 3B] FIG. 2 shows an image of a hearing aid placed in the canal of an ear, according to some implementations. [Figure 4] 1 is an example flow diagram for providing in-ear announcements according to some implementations. [Diagram 5] FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example network environment that can be used for some implementations described herein. [Figure 6]FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example computer system that can be used for some implementations described herein. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] Implementations relate generally to hearing aids, and in particular to hearing aids that provide in-ear announcements. As described in more detail herein, in various implementations, a system receives an external sound at the hearing aid. The method further includes amplifying the external sound. The system further generates an in-ear announcement. The system further provides the in-ear announcement, the in-ear announcement being at a higher volume level than the external sound.

[0013] Implementations allow a user to receive such in-ear announcements in real time as they walk around their home or other locations (e.g., around town, etc.). In various implementations, the system provides in-ear announcements so that the hearing aid user hears the announcement but others nearby do not hear the announcement, thus discreetly informing the user without disturbing others or interrupting a conversation between the user and others.

[0014] 1 is a block diagram of an exemplary hearing aid 100 and environment for providing in-ear announcements that can be used for the implementations described herein. As shown, the environment includes a hearing aid 100, which includes a system 102, a microphone 104, and a speaker 106.

[0015] In various implementations, the system 102 of the hearing aid 100 can communicate with the Internet directly or via a mobile device such as a smartphone, computer, etc. By enabling the hearing aid 100 to connect to a mobile device that connects to the Internet or other networks, the hearing aid 100 can continuously stream audio to the Internet for analysis by a web server. The system 102 can communicate with the Internet or another device, such as a mobile device, via any suitable communication network, such as a Bluetooth network, a Wi-Fi network, etc.

[0016] As described in more detail herein, the system 102 of the hearing aid 100 receives external sounds, including various types of sounds from the surrounding environment. The hearing aid 100 may generally amplify and / or attenuate the detected sounds according to implementations described herein. In various implementations, the system 102 provides one or more in-ear announcements to a user wearing the hearing aid 100. The in-ear announcements may provide information such as messages, hearing aid setting information, etc. Various exemplary types of information provided in the in-ear announcements are described in more detail herein.

[0017] In some implementations, the system 102 attenuates the detected sound to allow a user wearing the hearing aid 100 to better hear any in-ear announcements provided by the system 102. Further implementations regarding the operation of the hearing aid 100 are described in more detail herein, for example in relation to FIG.

[0018] For ease of explanation, Figure 1 shows one block for each of the system 102, microphone 104, and speaker 106. Blocks 102, 104, and 106 may represent multiple systems, microphones, and speakers, depending on the particular implementation. In other implementations, the hearing aid 100 may not have all the components shown and / or may have other elements, including other types of elements, instead of or in addition to the components shown herein.

[0019] Although the system 102 performs the implementations described herein, in other implementations, any suitable component or combination of components associated with the system 102, or any suitable processor or processors associated with the system 102, may facilitate performing the implementations described herein.

[0020] Figure 2A is an image of an example hearing aid 200 that can be used for implementations described herein. Figure 2B is an image of the hearing aid 200 worn on an ear 202, according to some implementations. As shown, the hearing aid 200 is worn on the outside of the ear 202 and wraps around the top of the ear 202. In various implementations, the hearing aid receiver is inserted into the ear canal of the ear.

[0021] FIG 3A is an image of an exemplary hearing aid 300 that can be used for implementations described herein. FIG 3B is an image of a hearing aid 300 placed in the ear canal of an ear 302, according to some implementations. As shown, the hearing aid 300 is difficult to see when inserted in the ear canal of the ear 302. The hearing aids shown in FIGS 2A, 2B, 3A, and 3B are exemplary implementations of hearing aid hardware. The specific type of hearing aid hardware can vary depending on the implementation.

[0022] 4 is an example flow diagram for providing in-ear announcements according to some implementations. With reference to both FIG. 1 and FIG. 4, the method begins at block 402, where a system, such as system 102, receives an external sound at a hearing aid.

[0023] In block 404, the system amplifies the external sound, allowing the user to generally hear sounds that would not normally be heard, amplified by the hearing aid.

[0024] At block 406, the system generates an in-ear announcement. In various implementations, the in-ear announcement can range from reminders, alerts, volume settings, profile changes, caller identification (if linked to a phone call), reading out text messages, etc.

[0025] The system provides the in-ear announcement at block 408. In various implementations, the system provides the in-ear announcement at a volume level that is higher than the volume level of the external sound.

[0026] In various implementations, the system attenuates external sounds while providing the in-ear announcement, allowing the user to hear the in-ear announcement better than other sounds. In various implementations, the system amplifies one or more first components of the external sounds. The system then attenuates one or more second components of the external sounds.

[0027] In various implementations, the in-ear announcement includes at least one message. Such a message can be a verbal message received from another user (e.g., a text message or a reading of an email, etc.). The message can also be a verbal reminder (e.g., an appointment, etc.).

[0028] In various implementations, the in-ear announcement includes hearing aid control information. For example, in some implementations, the system can invoke a particular control (e.g., volume, etc.) that the user can control via the hearing aid or a connected mobile device. In various implementations, the in-ear announcement includes setting information associated with the hearing aid. For example, when the user turns the volume up or down on the hearing aid, the system can announce the current setting (e.g., low or high volume, volume level, etc.).

[0029] In various implementations, the system provides in-ear announcements at moments based on one or more predefined announcement policies. For example, in some implementations, the predefined announcement policy may be to deliver emergency messages immediately. In some implementations, the predefined announcement policy may be to deliver non-emergency messages at a delay (e.g., on the hour, at a break in a conversation, etc.). For example, the system may provide some announcements (e.g., non-emergency announcements, etc.) when it hears silence, such as a break in a conversation between the user and another person. In another example, the system may provide some announcements when it hears silence, such as a break in a television program or music, so that the system can avoid disrupting conversations or other activities (e.g., watching television, listening to music, etc.).

[0030] In some implementations, the system may attenuate or not amplify or filter certain sounds that may not be important for the user to hear. For example, the system may attenuate background noises such as wind and traffic. This allows the user to more easily distinguish between important sounds (e.g., alarms, notifications, announcements, etc.) and less important sounds (e.g., wind, traffic, etc.). The system may utilize any suitable frequency attenuation or noise cancellation techniques.

[0031] In some implementations, if a user wears hearing aids in both ears, the system may provide alarms, notifications, announcements, etc. to the user in one hearing aid but not in the other, allowing the system to provide different types of information simultaneously. In such a scenario, the system may increase the volume of alarms, notifications, and announcements to a higher level than other ambient sounds.

[0032] As mentioned above, the system can also establish communication between the hearing aid and the mobile device and access the Internet via the mobile device, thus allowing the hearing aid to send and receive data to and from the Internet via the mobile device, which is beneficial in that the hearing aid can utilize the power and other resources of the mobile device.

[0033] Although steps, operations, or computations may be presented in a particular order, this order may be changed in particular implementations. Other orders of steps are possible, depending on the particular implementation. In some particular implementations, multiple steps shown sequentially herein may be performed simultaneously. Also, some implementations may not have all steps shown and / or may have other steps instead of or in addition to the steps shown herein.

[0034] The implementations described herein provide various benefits. For example, implementations provide in-ear announcements to a user wearing a hearing aid. The implementations described herein provide the in-ear announcements to the user, where the in-ear announcements are at a higher volume level than external sounds to allow the user to better hear the in-ear announcements.

[0035] 5 is a block diagram of an example network environment 500 that can be used for some implementations described herein. In some implementations, the network environment 500 includes a system 502 that includes a server device 504 and a database 506. For example, the system 502 can be used to implement a system of mobile devices in communication with the hearing aids described herein and to perform the implementations described herein.

[0036] The network environment 500 also includes client devices 510 and 520, which may represent two hearing aids worn by the user U1. For example, one client device may represent a hearing aid for the right ear and the other client device may represent a hearing aid for the left ear. The client devices 510 and 520 may communicate with the system 502 and / or may communicate with each other directly or via the system 502. The network environment 500 also includes a network 550 over which the system 502 and the client devices 510 and 520 communicate. The network 550 may be any suitable communication network, such as a Wi-Fi network, a Bluetooth network, the Internet, etc.

[0037] Although system 502 is shown separate from client devices 510 and 520, variations of system 502 may be integrated into client device 510 and / or client device 520, allowing each of client devices 510 and 520 to communicate directly with the Internet or another network.

[0038] For ease of explanation, Figure 5 shows one block for each of system 502, server device 504, and network database 506. Blocks 502, 504, and 506 may represent multiple systems, server devices, and network databases. Also, there may be any number of client devices. In other implementations, environment 500 may not have all of the components shown and / or may have other elements, including other types of elements, instead of or in addition to the components shown herein.

[0039] The server device 504 of the system 502 performs the implementations described herein, although in other implementations any suitable component or combination of components associated with the system 502, or any suitable processor or processors associated with the system 502, may facilitate performing the implementations described herein.

[0040] FIG. 6 is a block diagram of an exemplary computer system 600 that can be used for some implementations described herein. For example, computer system 600 can be used to implement server device 504 of FIG. 5 and / or system 102 of FIG. 1 as well as to perform implementations described herein. In some implementations, computer system 600 can include a processor 602, an operating system 604, a memory 606, and an input / output (I / O) interface 608. In various implementations, processor 602 can be used to implement various functions and features described herein as well as to perform implementations of methods described herein. Although processor 602 is described as performing implementations described herein, any suitable component or combination of components of computer system 600, or any suitable processor or processors associated with computer system 600 or any suitable system, can perform the steps described. The implementations described herein can be performed on a user device, a server, or a combination of both.

[0041] Computer system 600 also includes software applications 610, which may be stored in memory 606 or any other suitable storage location or computer-readable medium. The software applications 610 provide instructions that enable processor 602 to perform implementation and other functions described herein. The software applications 610 may also include engines, such as a network engine, for performing various functions associated with one or more networks and network communications. The components of computer system 600 may be implemented by one or more processors or any combination of hardware devices, and any combination of hardware, software, firmware, etc.

[0042] 6 illustrates one block for each of processor 602, operating system 604, memory 606, I / O interfaces 608, and software applications 610. These blocks 602, 604, 606, 608, and 610 may represent multiple processors, operating systems, memories, I / O interfaces, and software applications. In various implementations, computer system 600 may have less than all of the components illustrated and / or may have other elements including other types of components instead of or in addition to the components illustrated herein.

[0043] Although described in connection with specific implementations, these specific implementations are merely exemplary and not limiting, and the concepts illustrated in the examples may be applied to other examples and implementations.

[0044] In various implementations, the software is encoded on one or more non-transitory computer-readable media for execution by one or more processors, and when executed by the one or more processors, the software is operable to perform the implementations and other functions described herein.

[0045] Any suitable programming language may be used to implement the routines of a particular implementation, including C, C++, C#, Java, JavaScript, assembly language, etc. Different programming techniques may be used, such as procedural or object-oriented. The routines may be executed on a single processing device or multiple processors. Although steps, operations, or computations may be presented in a particular order, this order may be changed in different particular implementations. In some particular implementations, multiple steps shown as sequential in this specification may be executed simultaneously.

[0046] Certain implementations may be implemented in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium (also referred to as a machine-readable storage medium) for use by or in connection with an instruction execution system, apparatus, or device. Certain implementations may be implemented in the form of control logic in software or hardware or a combination of both. The control logic, when executed by one or more processors, is operable to perform the implementations and other functions described herein. For example, a tangible medium such as a hardware storage device may be used to store the control logic, which may include executable instructions.

[0047] Particular implementations may be implemented using programmable general-purpose digital computers and / or using application specific integrated circuits, programmable logic devices, field programmable gate arrays, optical, chemical, biological, quantum or nano-engineered systems, components and mechanisms. In general, the functionality of particular implementations may be achieved by any means known in the art. Distributed, networked systems, components and / or circuits may be used. Communication or transfer of data may be by wire, wireless, or any other means.

[0048] A "processor" may include any suitable hardware and / or software system, mechanism, or component that processes data, signals, or other information. A processor may include a system including a general-purpose central processing unit, multiple processing units, dedicated circuits for implementing functions, or other systems. Processing need not be limited to a geographic location, nor need it have time constraints. For example, a processor may perform its functions in "real-time," "offline," "batch mode," etc. Portions of processing may be performed at different times and in different locations by different (or the same) processing systems. A computer may be any processor in communication with a memory. Memory may be any suitable data storage, memory, and / or non-transitory computer-readable storage medium, including electronic storage, such as random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), magnetic storage (such as hard disk drives), flash, optical storage (such as CDs, DVDs), magnetic or optical disks, or other tangible media, suitable for storing instructions (e.g., program or software instructions) for execution by a processor. For example, a tangible medium, such as a hardware storage device, may be used to store control logic, which may include executable instructions. The instructions may also be included in and provided as electronic signals, for example in the form of Software as a Service (SaaS) delivered from a server (eg, a distributed system and / or a cloud computing system).

[0049] It will also be understood that one or more of the elements shown in the drawings / figures may be implemented in a more separate or integrated manner, or in some cases deleted or rendered inoperative, as may be useful depending on the particular application. It is also within the spirit and scope of the present invention to implement a program or code that may be stored on a machine-readable medium to cause a computer to perform any of the methods described above.

[0050] As used in this description and in the claims that follow, the words "a," "an," and "the" include plural references unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Also, as used in this description and in the claims that follow, the meaning of "in" includes "in" and "on," unless the context clearly dictates otherwise.

[0051] Thus, while particular implementations have been described herein, it will be understood that freedom of modification, various changes, and substitutions is contemplated in the foregoing disclosure, and that in some cases some features of a particular implementation may be used without the corresponding use of other features without departing from the scope and spirit of the described implementation. Thus, many modifications may be made to adapt a particular situation or subject matter to the substantial scope and spirit of the invention. [Explanation of symbols]

[0052] 100 Hearing aids 102 System 104 Microphone 106 Speaker 200 Hearing aids 202 Ear 300 Hearing aids 302 Ear 402 Receiving external sounds through hearing aids 404 Amplify external sounds 406 Generate in-ear announcements 408 Provides in-ear announcements 500 Network environment 502 System 504 Server device 506 Database 510,520 Client Device 550 Network 600 Computer Systems 602 Processor 604 Operating Systems 606 Memory 608 Input / Output (I / O) Interface 610 Software Applications U1 User

Claims

1. 1. A system comprising: one or more processors; logic encoded in one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media for execution by the one or more processors, the logic being operable, upon execution, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations; and the operations include: Receiving external sounds with a hearing aid; amplifying the external sound; and generating an in-ear announcement; providing the in-ear announcement, the in-ear announcement being at a volume level higher than the external sound; and Including, A system characterized by:

2. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic, when executed, is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations including attenuating the external sound while providing the in-ear announcement.

3. The logic, when executed, is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations including: amplifying one or more first components of the external sound; attenuating one or more second components of the external sound; and Including, 2. The system of claim 1 .

4. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-ear announcement includes at least one message.

5. 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the in-ear announcement includes hearing aid control information.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the in-ear announcement includes configuration information associated with the hearing aid.

7. 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the logic, when executed, is further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform actions, the actions including providing the in-ear announcement at a moment based on at least one predetermined announcement policy.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon program instructions, the program instructions being operable, when executed by one or more processors, to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations including: Receiving external sounds with a hearing aid; amplifying the external sound; and generating an in-ear announcement; providing the in-ear announcement, the in-ear announcement being at a volume level higher than the external sound; and Including, A computer-readable storage medium comprising:

9. 9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations including attenuating the external sound while providing the in-ear announcement.

10. The instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, including: amplifying one or more first components of the external sound; attenuating one or more second components of the external sound; and Including, 9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8.

11. 10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the in-ear announcement includes at least one message.

12. 10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the in-ear announcement includes hearing aid control information.

13. 10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the in-ear announcement includes configuration information associated with the hearing aid.

14. 9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the instructions, when executed, are further operable to cause the one or more processors to perform operations, the operations including providing the in-ear announcement at a moment based on at least one predetermined announcement policy.

15. 1. A computer-implemented method comprising: receiving an external sound with a hearing aid; amplifying the external sound; generating an in-ear announcement; providing the in-ear announcement, the in-ear announcement being at a volume level higher than the external sound; Including, A method comprising:

16. 16. The method of claim 15, further comprising attenuating the external sound while providing the in-ear announcement.

17. amplifying one or more first components of the external sound; attenuating one or more second components of the external sound; 16. The method of claim 15 further comprising:

18. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the in-ear announcement includes at least one message.

19. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the in-ear announcement includes hearing aid control information.

20. 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the in-ear announcement includes configuration information associated with the hearing aid.

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