Wrist-worn Audio Remote for Hearing Aid Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing aid users face challenges in controlling their devices and selecting audio sources without carrying multiple separate devices, and existing hearing aids consume significant battery power when streaming audio.
Innovation Solution
A wrist-worn remote device with radio transceivers, digital storage, and an accelerometer allows users to control hearing aids and stream audio, offloading signal processing to reduce battery consumption and integrate timekeeping, music playback, and remote control functions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hearing aids stream audio directly, then audio streaming capability is achieved, but battery power is consumed significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the audio processing function from the hearing aid and relocates it to an external audio device. The hearing aid only receives and transmits audio data via wireless communication, while the computationally intensive audio processing is performed by the external device with its own power source, thereby preserving hearing aid battery life while maintaining audio streaming capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an external audio device as an intermediary between the user and the hearing aid. This intermediary handles all audio processing tasks, acting as a mediator that offloads the power-consuming processing functions from the hearing aid system, allowing the hearing aid to maintain its low-power operation while still providing audio streaming functionality
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple separate devices are carried for timekeeping, remote control, and music playback, then each device can be optimized for its specific function, but device complexity and user burden increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple separate devices (timepiece, remote control, music player) into a single integrated wearable device. This unified device combines timekeeping functionality with audio processing and hearing aid control capabilities, reducing the number of separate devices users must carry and manage while providing optimized performance for each function through dedicated hardware components
Solution Approach 2:
The patent designs a universal wearable device that performs multiple functions: it serves as a timepiece for timekeeping, an audio player for music playback, a remote control for hearing aid operation, and a wireless communication device for audio streaming. This multi-functional device eliminates the need for separate specialized devices while maintaining optimized performance for each function
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables convenient control of hearing aids and audio streaming while reducing battery drain by processing audio before transmission and integrating multiple functions into a single wearable device, enhancing user experience and extending hearing aid battery life.
Implementation Method 1
The watch may also include an accelerometer interfaced to the processing circuitry and wherein the processing circuitry is configured so that wrist movements of a wearer of the watch result in selected audio information or operating parameters being transmitted to the hearing aid
Implementation Method 2
The remote device may communicate wirelessly with one or more hearing aids by means of radio transceivers incorporated into the remote device and the hearing aids
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are devices and methods for enabling a hearing aid user to control the operation of the hearing aid and also select an audio source for streaming audio information such as music directly to the hearing aid. In one embodiment, these functionalities are combined into a single wrist-worn remote device that may also function as a watch.