WO2000060834A1

WO2000060834A1 - A system for enabling a hearing aid to be used with a telephone

Info

Publication number: WO2000060834A1
Application number: PCT/SG1999/000025
Authority: WO
Inventors: Wan Cheong Lee
Original assignee: Siemens Audiologische Technik GmbH
Current assignee: Sivantos GmbH
Priority date: 1999-04-01
Filing date: 1999-04-01
Publication date: 2000-10-12
Anticipated expiration: 2001-10-01
Also published as: AU3352299A

Abstract

A system for enabling a hearing aid (7) to be used with a telephone (1) includes a coupling device (2) which permits the telephone (1) to be coupled to the hearing aid (7). The coupling device (2) couples non-audible signals from the telephone (1) to the hearing aid (7).

Description

A SYSTEM FOR ENABLING A HEARING AID TO BE USED WITH A

TELEPHONE

The invention relates to a system which permits a telephone to be used with a hearing aid, and in particular, permits a mobile phone to be used with a hearing aid.

Recently it has become common practice to use hands-free kits with mobile phones, especially in circumstances where the user of the mobile phone wishes to have both hands free, for example, when driving a car or other vehicle.

However, users of hearing aids cannot use these conventional hands-free kits as a hearing aid operates by picking up sound from outside the ear, amplifying it and then directing the amplified sound into the ear. However, hands- free kits for mobile phones frequently use an ear piece which is inserted into the ear. Hence, a user of a hearing aid cannot use such a hands-free kit as the sound emitted by the ear piece is directed into the ear and not towards the hearing aid. In addition, when the ear-piece is inserted into the ear, the loudspeaker in the ear-piece is close to the hearing aid and can cause interference with the hearing aid.

Furthermore, interference is a common problem for users of hearing aids when they try to use telephones, in general and not just with a hands-free kit, as the loudspeaker in the telephone handset is inevitably in close proximity to the hearing aid in normal use .

Also, in some countries, it is either illegal to drive while holding a mobile phone or the authorities discourage such use. Accordingly, users of hearing aids are at a disadvantage as they are not able to use conventional hands-free kits.

In accordance with the present invention, a system for enabling a hearing aid to be used with a telephone comprises a coupling device permitting the telephone to be coupled to a hearing aid to couple non-audible signals from the telephone to the hearing aid.

Typically, the coupling device may include a microphone to permit a user to input an audible signal, such as a voice signal, to the telephone.

^• Preferably, the telephone is a conventional mobile phone having a connector which permits the mobile phone to be coupled to a hands-free kit, and the coupling device comprises a first cable to couple the mobile phone to the hearing aid and a second cable to couple the microphone to the mobile phone.

In one example of the invention, the coupling device may be a conventional mobile phone hands-free kit with the ear- piece removed and the connection for the ear-piece coupled to the hearing aid.

An example of a system for permitting a hearing aid to be used in combination with a telephone in accordance with the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a schematic view showing a system in accordance with the invention.

■ Figure 1 shows a mobile phone 1 and hands- free kit 2 coupled to the mobile phone 1 by an adapter 3 and a jack plug 4. The hands-free kit 2 includes a microphone 5 and a speaker connector 6. The speaker connector 6 is coupled to a hearing aid 7 via an audio adapter 8.

The hands-free kit 2 is a conventional hands-free kit for a mobile phone 1 except that the conventional ear-piece (not shown) is removed from the hands-free kit 2 and the connector 6 instead of being coupled to the conventional ear-piece is coupled to an audio adapter 8 which in turn is coupled to the hearing aid 7.

In addition, the adapter 3 which permits the hands-free kit 2 to be coupled to the mobile phone 1 may not be necessary for some models of mobile phone 1 and hands-free kit 2. In such instances, it may be possible to couple the hands-free kit 2 directly into a hands-free kit socket provided on the mobile phone 1 without the use of the adapter 3.

For certain types of hearing aids, it may be necessary to use a special adapter (not shown) to couple the connector 6 to the audio adapter 8.

An advantage of the invention is that by coupling a hands- free kit 2 directly into the hearing aid 7, it is possible for a hearing aid user to use the mobile phone 1 in a hands-free environment. In addition, if the hands-free kit 2 was coupled to a conventional telephone or telephone hand set, it would also enhance the ability of a hearing user to use a conventional (non-mobile) telephone.

Claims

1) A system for enabling a hearing aid to be used with a telephone comprising a coupling device permitting the telephone to be coupled to a hearing aid to couple non- audible signals from the telephone to the hearing aid.

2) A system according to claim 1, wherein the coupling device includes a microphone to couple an audible signal into the telephone.

3) A system according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the telephone is a mobile phone having a connector for a hands - free kit, and the coupling device is adapted to be connected to the connector and to the hearing aid to couple the non-audible signals from the mobile to the hearing aid.

4) A system according to any of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the coupling device comprises an electrical cable which couples the non-audible signals to the hearing aid.