Hearing Aid Contact Sync and Tone Optimization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Communication devices for hearing impaired individuals face challenges in maintaining up-to-date contact information and customizing audio tone settings, with existing solutions being non-intuitive and requiring users to adjust settings during calls, which can disrupt conversations.
Innovation Solution
A web-based system allows caregivers to remotely update and synchronize contact information on the user's device, and enables pre-set tone settings to be optimized using sample voice recordings, allowing users to select the best settings based on voice characteristics without interrupting conversations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If contact information is stored locally on the device, then accessibility is improved, but device complexity and difficulty of maintenance increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a remote server as an intermediary to store and manage contact information. The server acts as a mediator between the user device and contact data, allowing the device to access contact information without storing it locally. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining accessibility while reducing device complexity and maintenance burden.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves contact information storage from the local device dimension to a remote cloud dimension. By transitioning from local storage to remote server storage, the system maintains accessibility through network connectivity while eliminating the complexity of local contact management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If tone settings are adjusted during calls, then customization is improved, but conversation continuity is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-adjusting tone settings before the call begins. The system analyzes the caller's voice characteristics and optimizes tone settings in advance, so that when the call starts, the settings are already customized and ready. This eliminates the need to adjust settings during the call, maintaining conversation continuity while achieving customization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-service by automatically analyzing voice characteristics and adjusting tone settings without user intervention during the call. The automated voice analysis and setting adjustment occur in the background, allowing customization to happen independently of the conversation flow.
3Device complexity
If double-duty data input components are used, then device simplicity is improved, but ease of use deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the contact information entry function from the voice call function. Instead of using the voice interface for both calling and contact entry (double-duty), the system separates these functions by providing dedicated on-screen keyboard interfaces for contact management. This resolves the contradiction by maintaining device simplicity while improving ease of use for contact entry.
Data Source
AI summary
A method for maintaining contact information in a hearing impaired assisted user's communication device includes the steps of (a) providing a web site for altering assisted user contact information, (b) linking a proxy device to the web site, (c) receiving an identifier associated with the assisted user's device via the proxy device, (d) identifying an assisted user's device via the received identifier, (e) enabling the proxy device to be used to modify contact information for the assisted user associated with the received identifier, (f) starting a timer to time out a sync timeout period, (g) during the sync timeout period, receiving an indication via the assisted user's device confirming a desire to update the assisted user's contact information, (h) updating the assisted user's contact information, and (i) at the end of the timeout period, ceasing an indication that updated data is ready to be used from the assisted user's device.