Ear-Wearable Self-Check in Charging Cases for Predictive Maintenance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current ear-wearable electronic devices, such as hearing aids, lack effective mechanisms for regular health monitoring and preventive maintenance, relying on user feedback and delayed professional interventions, which can lead to performance degradation and reduced device lifespan.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a Self-Check protocol within a charging case that wirelessly couples ear-wearable devices to assess their performance using acoustic, electrical, optical, thermal, and mechanical measurements, comparing them to nominal profiles, and storing results for analysis and prescriptive actions like cleaning or replacement.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If user feedback and delayed professional interventions are used for device monitoring, then device complexity is reduced, but reliability deteriorates due to performance degradation and reduced device lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing devices perform self-diagnostics by automatically activating electronic components and assessing their own performance. The device generates test stimuli through its acoustic transducer and analyzes the response through its microphone, enabling autonomous health monitoring without external intervention or complex monitoring systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by comparing the actual response of electronic components to expected performance profiles. The processor analyzes the difference between the test stimulus response and the stored profile to detect deviations indicating component degradation or failure, enabling proactive maintenance decisions.
2Reliability
If automatic self-check protocols are implemented, then reliability is improved through predictive maintenance, but device complexity increases due to additional monitoring functions
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing device autonomously performs health assessments by activating its own electronic components and analyzing their responses. The processor executes the self-check protocol independently, using the device's existing microphone and acoustic transducer to generate test stimuli and measure component performance without requiring external testing equipment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the hearing device's existing acoustic components (microphone and acoustic transducer) for dual purposes: normal hearing function and self-diagnostics. The same hardware elements that process auditory signals are repurposed to generate test stimuli and assess component health, eliminating the need for dedicated testing hardware.
3Duration of action of stationary object
If professional interventions are delayed, then device complexity is reduced, but loss of time increases due to reduced device lifespan
Solution Approach 1:
The self-check protocol performs preliminary assessments of electronic component health before failures occur. By continuously monitoring component responses against expected profiles, the system detects early signs of degradation and alerts users to seek maintenance before actual failures happen, extending the effective operational lifespan of the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback on component health status by comparing actual performance measurements to expected profiles. This feedback mechanism enables early detection of performance deviations, allowing users to take preventive action before failures occur, thereby reducing the time to failure and extending device lifespan.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables automatic, daily monitoring of device health, predicting potential failures, and initiating preventive measures, thereby extending device lifespan and reducing downtime through proactive maintenance.
Implementation Method 1
generating an acoustic test stimulus by a second acoustic transducer of the second hearing device
Implementation Method 2
assessing performance of the first microphone in response to the acoustic test stimulus by comparing a response of the first microphone
Data Source
AI summary
An ear-wearable electronic device includes one or more processors configured to detect presence of first and second hearing devices in a charging case, and to initiate a self-check protocol by at least one of the first and second hearing devices. The self-check protocol comprises wirelessly coupling the first and second hearing devices, selectively activating at least one electronic component of the first hearing device, and assessing performance of the second hearing device using an output or a response of the at least one electronic component of the first hearing device. The self-check protocol also comprises selectively activating at least one electronic component of the second hearing device, assessing performance of the first hearing device using an output or a response of the at least one electronic component of the second device, and storing results of the performance assessment in a memory.