Hearing Aid Location Tracking via Smartphone GPS
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing aids are frequently lost and difficult to replace due to their small size and high cost, causing significant quality of life issues for individuals with hearing impairments, as insurance often does not cover them and replacement plans are expensive and inconvenient.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a portable electronic device that communicates with a hearing aid via a wireless channel, using GPS to track and store the last known location and time of the hearing aid, allowing users to locate it through a graphical user interface on the device, and re-establish communication when in range, with visual and auditory cues for assistance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If hearing aids are made small and portable, then ease of operation and comfort are improved, but the risk of loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
A portable electronic device serves as an intermediary between the user and the lost hearing aid. The device communicates wirelessly with the hearing aid to track its location, store last known position data, and provide guidance cues to help the user recover the lost device without needing to physically handle or search for it manually.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by providing real-time location information and directional guidance cues to the user. The portable electronic device continuously monitors communication with the hearing aid, stores location data, and provides feedback through visual or auditory cues that guide the user toward the lost hearing aid's position.
2Ease of operation
If hearing aids are made small, then ease of operation is improved, but difficulty of detecting and measuring increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical detection methods (manual searching, visual inspection) with electronic and wireless communication systems. The hearing aid uses wireless transmitters to communicate its location, and the portable electronic device uses GPS and other positioning systems to detect and track the hearing aid's position electronically rather than through physical means.
Solution Approach 2:
The portable electronic device acts as an intermediary that amplifies the detection capability. It receives weak wireless signals from the small hearing aid, processes the location information using GPS and other positioning technologies, and presents the information in an easily interpretable format to the user.
3Ease of operation
If hearing aids are made compact, then ease of operation is improved, but loss of information about location occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by continuously tracking and storing the hearing aid's location information before loss occurs. The portable electronic device maintains an updated record of the last known position, which is preserved even when the hearing aid is lost, allowing for subsequent recovery efforts based on this pre-stored location data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback by continuously monitoring and storing location information. The portable electronic device receives location updates from the hearing aid, stores this information in memory, and provides feedback to the user about the current position, ensuring that location information is preserved and accessible even after the hearing aid is lost.
Data Source
AI summary
A smart phone including a computer readable storage medium to store a hearing aid locator application and a processor coupled to the computer readable storage medium to execute the hearing aid locator application to track a last known location of a hearing aid.