Remote Hearing Aid Fitting via Wireless Intermediary
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hearing aid fitting methods require specialized hearing aid fitters to be physically present, which can be inconvenient and costly for users, and may not efficiently utilize the expertise of multiple fitters due to geographical limitations and the need for on-site adjustments.
Innovation Solution
A remote hearing aid fitting system that allows multiple fitters with different competences to collaborate across various locations using a network-based system, where a client, external device, control server, and hearing aid user database server facilitate secure and efficient data transmission and fitting procedures, enabling fitters to access and adjust hearing aids via the internet or local networks without the need for specialized software on the user's device.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If traditional on-site hearing aid fitting is used, then specialized fitters can provide expert adjustments, but users must travel to specific locations which increases cost and inconvenience
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical system of physical travel and on-site fitting with a wireless communication system. The hearing aid fitting device communicates with the hearing aid via wireless link, allowing remote fitting without physical presence. This substitution eliminates the need for users to travel to specialized fitters while maintaining expert adjustment capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a wireless communication intermediary between the hearing aid fitting device and the hearing aid. This intermediary enables data transmission and parameter adjustment remotely, allowing specialized fitters to provide expert adjustments without direct physical contact with the user, thus resolving the contradiction between expert care and user accessibility.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple specialized fitters are used, then diverse expertise can be utilized, but geographical limitations prevent efficient collaboration
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing aid fitting device is designed with universal communication capabilities that can interface with multiple different hearing aids and support various fitters regardless of location. The device can function as a remote fitting station, allowing any authorized fitter with appropriate software to access and adjust hearing aid parameters, thus enabling diverse expertise utilization without geographical constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a virtual copy of the traditional on-site fitting environment through software implementation. The hearing aid fitting device with wireless communication capabilities replicates the functionality of physical fitting equipment, allowing multiple fitters to access hearing aid parameters remotely. This copying approach enables collaboration among specialists without requiring complex physical infrastructure.
3Ease of operation
If remote fitting is implemented, then user accessibility improves, but specialized software installation on user devices is required which complicates the system
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of requiring software on the user's device to initiate and control the fitting process, the patent inverts the architecture by placing the fitting software on the hearing aid fitting device (professional equipment) and using the user's device only as a wireless communication endpoint. The user's device runs no specialized software, eliminating installation complexity while maintaining remote accessibility.
Solution Approach 2:
The hearing aid itself is equipped with capabilities to receive and process fitting parameters wirelessly. The device can self-adjust its parameters based on instructions received from the remote fitting device, reducing the need for complex intermediary software on user devices. The system leverages the hearing aid's own processing capabilities to perform adjustments autonomously.
Data Source
AI summary
A hearing aid fitting system (100, 200, 300) adapted for remote fitting of a hearing aid system (110), wherein a direct communication channel between a hearing aid fitting part and an external device (102, 302), adapted to communicate directly with the hearing aid system (110), is established by a control server (103) based on unique identifications of the hearing aid fitting part, the external device and the hearing aid fitter. The invention also provides a method of remote fitting of a hearing aid system.