Hearing Prosthesis Interface Control With Adaptive Data Displays

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current hearing prostheses, such as cochlear implants, lack a user-friendly interface for adjusting settings and providing data-driven feedback, making it difficult for individuals to optimize their hearing experience without manual intervention or specialized tools.

Innovation Solution

A portable handheld device with a mobile computer and touchscreen display that communicates with a hearing prosthesis to receive data and present customizable interface displays, allowing users to adjust settings and control hearing functions remotely through a user-friendly interface.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If a hearing prosthesis uses conventional interfaces for adjusting settings, then the device structure remains simple, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to lack of user-friendly interface and data-driven feedback

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveease of operationVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a portable handheld device as an intermediary between the user and the hearing prosthesis. This mediator provides a user-friendly touchscreen interface with data-driven feedback while the actual prosthesis remains relatively simple in structure. The intermediary handles the complexity of data processing and presentation, allowing easy operation without directly complicating the prosthesis device itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

2Adaptability or versatility

If the hearing prosthesis provides detailed data and control functions, then the adaptability improves, but the device complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the system into two distinct parts: a simple hearing prosthesis that collects data and provides basic functionality, and a separate portable handheld device that provides detailed data processing, analysis, and control functions. This segmentation allows the prosthesis to remain simple while the overall system achieves high adaptability through the sophisticated handheld interface.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

3Adaptability or versatility

If the interface display shows all available functions and settings, then the adaptability improves, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to information overload

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveadaptabilityVSAvoidease of operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements a dynamic interface display that adapts its content based on the user's needs, context, and usage patterns. Rather than showing all functions simultaneously, the display dynamically presents relevant information and controls, making the system highly adaptable while maintaining ease of operation through context-aware information presentation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

4Productivity

If manual intervention is required to adjust settings, then the device complexity remains low, but the productivity deteriorates due to time-consuming adjustments

Engineering Contradiction:
ImproveproductivityVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements data-driven feedback mechanisms where the portable handheld device analyzes usage data and automatically provides recommendations for optimizing hearing prosthesis settings. This feedback loop enables quick adjustments based on objective data rather than time-consuming manual trial-and-error, significantly improving productivity while the system handles the complexity of data analysis automatically.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS11917375B2Prosthesis functionality control and data presentation
Publication Date: 2024.02.27 COCHLEAR LIMITED
  • US11917375B2 patent drawing
  • US11917375B2 patent drawing
  • US11917375B2 patent drawing

AI summary

A portable body carried device, including a mobile computer having a display, wherein the portable body carried device is configured to receive data from a hearing prosthesis, such as a cochlear implant, and present an interface display on the display from among a plurality of different interface displays based on the received data.