Binaural Hearing Aid Wireless Link Quality Estimation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Binaural hearing aid systems face challenges in maintaining wireless transmission quality due to shadowing effects and increased power consumption, particularly when streaming audio, with existing solutions like data packet re-transmission introducing latency and conditional relaying not ensuring data integrity.
Innovation Solution
A binaural hearing aid system with a wireless inductive link and a quality estimator using cyclic redundancy check, parity bit check, or hash sum check to validate data packets, allowing for seamless relaying and selection of valid data packets between hearing aids to minimize latency and ensure quality.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If data packet re-transmission is used to improve transmission reliability, then data integrity is improved, but transmission latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by performing data packet validation checks (CRC, parity bit, or hash sum) on relayed packets before they are processed further. This pre-validation ensures that only valid packets are forwarded, preventing the need for re-transmission of invalid packets and thus avoiding the latency that would result from re-transmission attempts.
2Length of stationary object
If wireless far-field link is used for audio streaming, then transmission range is improved, but transmission quality deteriorates due to shadowing effects
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses the contra-lateral hearing aid as an intermediary device. When the far-field link experiences shadowing effects or poor quality, the system automatically relays data packets through the other hearing aid via a near-field inductive link. This intermediary path bypasses the shadowing problem while maintaining transmission quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the quality of the far-field wireless link and automatically switches to relay mode when quality deteriorates. This feedback mechanism ensures that transmission quality is maintained by detecting poor link conditions and activating an alternative transmission path through the contra-lateral hearing aid.
3Reliability
If conditional relaying is implemented to improve transmission reliability, then data integrity is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements conditional relaying by changing the transmission path parameter based on link quality. When far-field link quality falls below a threshold, the system switches from direct far-field transmission to relayed near-field transmission. This parameter change approach maintains reliability without requiring complex additional hardware, only dynamic switching of transmission modes.
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
This approach enhances data transmission quality and reduces power consumption by efficiently relaying and selecting valid data packets, thereby improving the overall performance of binaural hearing aid systems during audio streaming.
Implementation Method 1
a wireless inductive link adapted to transmit data packets between the first and second hearing aids
Implementation Method 2
a wireless far-field link adapted to transmit data packets from the auxiliary device and to the first and second hearing aid respectively
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A binaural hearing aid system (100) with improved diversity properties. The invention also provides a method for operating such a binaural hearing aid system (100).