Hearing Device Transaction Token for Controller State Consistency

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Solution Overview

Problem

The inconsistency in controlling the state of hearing devices, such as volume settings, when multiple distributed controllers act sequentially or interleaved can result in undesirable system behavior that does not align with user expectations.

Innovation Solution

A hearing system that maintains a transaction token within the device, requiring each controller to prove possession of the current token value to ensure state changes are accepted, thereby preventing inconsistent adjustments.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If multiple distributed controllers are allowed to control the hearing device independently, then controller versatility and ease of operation are improved, but system consistency and reliability deteriorate due to interleaved actions causing lost updates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontroller versatilityVSAvoidsystem consistency

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

A transaction token is introduced as an intermediary mechanism between controllers and the hearing device state. The token acts as a mediator that controllers must acquire and present to validate their state change requests, ensuring that only one controller can successfully modify the state at any given time even when multiple controllers are independently operating.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

Controllers must perform preliminary action by acquiring the transaction token before they can modify the hearing device state. This preliminary step ensures that the controller has exclusive rights to perform state changes, preventing interleaved actions from causing inconsistent updates while maintaining independent controller operation.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Device complexity

If controllers read and modify state parameters sequentially, then system complexity is reduced, but productivity and responsiveness deteriorate due to lost control actions

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecontrol mechanism simplicityVSAvoidcontrol action effectiveness

Core Design Contradiction:

Device complexityVSProductivity

Solution Approach 1:

The hearing device provides feedback to controllers about the current transaction token state. Controllers use this feedback to determine whether their state change requests will be accepted, allowing them to adjust their actions accordingly. This feedback mechanism ensures that control actions are effective without requiring complex inter-controller communication protocols.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11218820B2Hearing device with multiple consistent controllers

Publication Date: 2022.01.04 SONOVA AG

AI summary

A hearing system comprising a hearing device and at least two controllers connected to the hearing device for changing a state of the hearing device, wherein the hearing device is configured to maintain a transaction token having a present value associated with at least one present state parameter value of the hearing device. Each controller is configured to acquire, prior to changing the state of the hearing device, the present transaction token value and the present at least one state parameter value of the hearing device, to change the acquired parameter value, and to send back to the hearing device, as a state change request, the new at least one state parameter value together with the acquired transaction token value.