Wireless Digital Voice Routing for Hearing Aid Systems
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing communication systems for hearing-impaired users, which rely on analog telephone adaptors, are limited by wired connections, restricting device placement and increasing installation and maintenance costs due to the need for physical network cables.
Innovation Solution
A communication device with wireless and digital data ports, coupled with an analog telephone adaptor, enables the routing of digital voice data between devices and a relay service, allowing wireless communication and reducing the need for wired connections, thereby enhancing flexibility and simplifying installation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If analog telephone adaptors are used for conversion between analog and digital voice signals, then communication functionality for hearing-impaired users is enabled, but device placement is restricted and installation costs increase due to wired connections
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical wired connection system with a wireless communication system. The communication device uses wireless transceivers to communicate with the analog telephone adaptor, eliminating the need for physical network cables and enabling flexible device placement without wiring constraints.
Solution Approach 2:
The communication device acts as an intermediary between the user and the analog telephone adaptor. It receives analog voice signals from the user, converts them to digital signals, and transmits them wirelessly to the adaptor, thereby mediating the connection and eliminating the need for direct wired connection between the user and the network.
2Reliability
If wired connections are used between communication device and analog telephone adaptor, then reliable signal transmission is achieved, but installation complexity and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent substitutes the mechanical wired connection system with a wireless communication system using electromagnetic signals. The communication device and analog telephone adaptor communicate wirelessly, eliminating installation complexity associated with wiring while maintaining reliable signal transmission through wireless protocols.
3Reliability
If analog telephone adaptors are deployed with wired connections, then voice signal conversion is reliable, but network cable installation and maintenance costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical network cable infrastructure with wireless electromagnetic communication. The analog telephone adaptor and communication device exchange signals wirelessly, eliminating the need for physical network cables and associated installation and maintenance costs while preserving voice signal conversion reliability.
Data Source
AI summary
A communication system facilitating communication for assisting hearing-impaired users includes an analog telephone adaptor (ATA) device and a communication device. The communication device is configured to route digital voice data between the ATA device and a second communication device during a conversation involving the communication device and a second communication device through a wireless port of communication device, and communicate through the wireless port with a relay service configured to provide interpretive assistance for a hearing-impaired user of the communication device. A method includes routing digital voice data received wirelessly by a communication device to an ATA device, routing digital voice data received from the ATA device from the communication device wirelessly to a second communication device, and communicating wirelessly with a relay service configured to provide captioning services of the content of a portion of the voice data received by the communication device from the second communication device.