Hearing Device Pairing Priority Automation

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing wireless hearing devices face challenges when switching pairings between multiple appliances, often resulting in pairing loss or latency.

Innovation Solution

A system and method utilizing pairing priorities and rules, facilitated by a smart device app, to automatically pair a hearing device with a preferred appliance among multiple options, based on user-defined priorities and environmental context.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If a hearing device is pairable to multiple devices, then the adaptability and versatility are improved, but the pairing stability and reliability deteriorate when switching between devices

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepairing capabilityVSAvoidpairing stability

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The system pre-establishes pairing priorities and rules before switching is needed. When multiple appliances are available, the hearing device automatically identifies the highest-priority appliance based on pre-configured rules, eliminating the need for manual re-pairing and preventing pairing loss during transitions.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system continuously monitors the connection status and environmental context, providing feedback to maintain the optimal pairing. When a user moves to a different environment or the highest-priority appliance becomes unavailable, the system detects this change and automatically reconnects to the appropriate appliance, ensuring continuous stable connection.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

2Ease of operation

If automatic pairing switching is implemented, then the ease of operation is improved, but the latency and response time worsen during transitions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvepairing automationVSAvoidpairing latency

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

Pairing priorities and rules are established in advance, and the hearing device maintains ready-to-connect information about multiple appliances. When switching is needed, the device can immediately connect to the predetermined appliance without going through a full pairing process, thus eliminating latency while maintaining ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system maintains continuous connection readiness by keeping the hearing device in a state where it can immediately connect to the highest-priority appliance. This continuous preparedness ensures that switching between appliances occurs without interruption or latency, as the useful action of audio transmission continues uninterrupted during the transition.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

Data Source

PatentUS20250156139A1System and method for pairing a hearing device and an appliance

Publication Date: 2025.05.15 UNIVERSAL ELECTRONICS INC

AI summary

When a device is determined to be capable of being of being paired with each of a plurality of appliances, a one of the plurality of appliances is automatically selected for an attempted pairing with the device. The one of the plurality of appliances is selected using priority information that has been associated with each of the plurality of appliances. Once the one of the plurality of appliances has been selected; the device is caused to automatically attempt to pair with the selected one of the plurality of appliances.