Storage system for a hearing aid
Contents
1. 400 K Patent Application Publication Jun 7 2012 Sheet 3 of 4 US 2012 0140963 Al P li S00 wu 504 reveervvovervvvervvverrvvvervvervveedeeg BOD N EET ARN Seenaarerenernererereed FEE Seesereererveerr ost oo as EER ELE EER EE Fig 5 500 EE K op 5 rant LES 805 gr a SAAN EEEEEREE SEE SERE Ed g anaana f t f HL ere PERE PER rn 5 Kg gt 7 BO M N N N N N N N EN i N R N N sented Fig 6 Jun 7 2012 Sheet 4 of 4 US 2012 0140963 A1 Patent Application Publication at RS A A A A 3 a 4 a 4 4 a A 3 4 A a a a A 3 4 1 A a A 7 4 EE ES x SEN TUN Sy SSR Weresestetseret20tete reer reer eer grenen 2 ss N SUPLLSLLUILLEDE Dy AA AA A AA A A SSSR KRANAR ARARNAR Ee eer LEME Ey GAAN NEKKE ASSIS SSS SSS NUNES REELE Seen SA nnd SILISLISLSSISPSIIIID SNARE RRR RURA NAAR AR RR RR AR RR RA zi nti ne EET EE GE EE EE EE EE EE ET EE error a SSS Pn k z 5 5 V i 5 Wurssseatstettttssssdh DO I G ed NEVER EE EENS EER enn gms US 2012 0140963 Al STORAGE SYSTEM FOR A HEARING AID RELATED APPLICATIONS 0001 The present application is a continu2. help This could be from caretakers and or a device that can help them with the hearing aid s function and the positioning of the hearing aid in particular the earplug part thereof in the ear 0007 The user may not be able to express what is wrong with the hearing aid or express if anything in the hearing aid is malfunctioning at all in particular if the user is a child or a mentally challenged person In some cases the user may be able to express what is wrong with the hearing aid but not able to take care of the problem himself e g if the person is physically challenged and needs another person to take care of the problem The caretaker on the other hand may be an employee at a nursing home who has to deal with many different hearing aids and other aids during their day and doesn t have time to read all the different kinds of manuals that come with the aids Instead they need an instant solution with an intuitive user interface SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 0008 Based on this background a feature of the present invention is to provide a simple to use tool for guiding users of hearing aids or their caretakers in all aspects of hearing aid handling including the functioning and the positioning of the hearing aid 0009 In view ofthis a storage system capable of providing functioning and guiding information concerning the func tioning of the hearing aid and for guiding the user through positioning of the hearing aid respectiv
3. lid is closed a click sound is produced and the hearing aids are e g muted or switched off and vice versa when the lid is opened aclick sound is produced and the volume of the hearing aids is turned up or the hearing aid is turned on 0063 The embodiments shown in FIGS 2 4 may consti tute a kit of parts communicating together via communication means described under FIG 5 0064 FIG 5 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a storage system 500 The storage system 500 is made to work together with one or more hearing aids suchas the hearing aid in FIG 2 and in FIG 6 0065 The storage system 500 comprises a processing unit 501 that processes data input from the hearing aid and from a user For example the input can come from the testing and detecting means in the hearing aid or input from the remote control 0066 The storage system 500 further comprises output means 502 such as a display a screen loudspeakers or one or more light emitting diodes The output means may show the results of the testing and detecting in a user friendly manner e g simple and short sentences that do not require any analy sis 0067 Communication means 503 provides communica tion between the hearing aid and the storage system 500 or the remote control The communication means 503 may be selected from a group consisting of Blue Tooth infrared signals radio signals Wireless USB Near Field Communi cation NFC ZigBee Ultra wideband UWB ind
4. 52 The storage space for storing the remote control 400 comprise remote control securing means in order to secure that the remote control 400 doesn t fall out ifthe storage unit is moved It furthermore secures that only the caretaker and not a mentally challenged user removes the remote control and maybe displaces it The securing means comprise a resil ient material or spring like material in the form of clips positioned e g at the top or bottom of the area where the remote control 400 is meant to be placed in the storage unit 100 0053 The storage unit 100 further comprises a bar code or a 2D code 103 with a link to the internet Through the link the user can find information about the hearing aid user instruc tions etc The barcode or a 2D code 103 may be readable by means of a cell phone or other mobile communication termi nal By taking a picture of the barcode a link to the user manual may open in a browser in e g a mobile communica tion terminal In this way up to date information is always accessible 0054 The storage unit 100 further comprises a storage space 108 for storing a USB cable a storage space 106 for storing a power supply and a storage space 107 for storing a cleaning kit In this way the user or caretaker will have no problem finding the accessories to the storage unit 100 and hearing aid as they are all in the same place 0055 A storage system may also comprise separate user input means here shown
5. US 20120140963A1 as United States a2 Patent Application Publication o Pub No US 2012 0140963 A1 Larsen et al 43 Pub Date Jun 7 2012 54 75 73 21 22 63 STORAGE SYSTEM FOR A HEARING AID Inventors Soren Mollskov Larsen Varlose DK Mike Lind Rank Farum DK Mette Dahl Meincke Varlose DK Assignee WIDEX A S Lynge DK Appl No 13 368 807 Filed Feb 8 2012 Related U S Application Data Continuation in part of application No PCT DK2009 050199 filed on Aug 11 2009 Publication Classification 51 Int Cl HOAR 25 00 2006 01 52 TIS AAG ARE ann 381 315 57 ABSTRACT A storage system for storing a hearing aid comprises means for providing power 101 a storage space 102 for contain ing a hearing aid output means communication means through which data from the hearing aid is received wire lessly and a processing unit for processing data received from the hearing aid The output means is capable of providing functioning and guiding information 104 concerning the functioning of the hearing aid and for guiding the user through positioning of the hearing aid respectively The invention further provides a hearing aid a kit and a method of testing a hearing aid 208 CON B Patent Application Publication Jun 7 2012 Sheet 1 of 4 US 2012 0140963 Al Patent Application Publication Jun 7 2012 Sheet 2 of 4 US 2012 0140963 Al 404 AM
6. aid The remote control comprises a volume up button 402 and a volume down button 401 pictograms such as a status indica tor 403 which may indicate the status of automatic connec tions such as TV telecoil right hearing aid 404 and left hear ing aid 405 and a battery indicator 406 that indicates the amount of battery power remaining on the hearing aids The pictograms may be backlit and may be activated by pressing the status button or the pictogram itself The buttons may also be embodied in a touch screen on the storage unit or the remote control The remote control 400 may display func tioning and guiding information on an information providing part The remote control may also comprise processing means and output means so the hearing aid s can communicate exclusively with the remote control thereby eliminating the need for the whole system to be available at all times e g when the user is going out 0061 Other embodiments could also be considered e g an acoustic remote control that produces a simple click sound The click sound is then received by the microphones in the hearing aid and only requires a simple algorithm to be transformed into an action e g toggling between muting and Jun 7 2012 not muting the hearing aids More advanced series of clicks like a double click could also be implemented 0062 A click sound or acoustic signature could also be implemented in the lid of the storage unit So when the
7. aids are smaller and are better secured this way 0044 When it comes to functionality i e testing of the hearing aid and possibly charging it is easier to place the hearing aid correctly so the microphone speaker and radio module of the hearing aid is positioned correctly in relation the testing means in the storage unit 100 when the storage space 102 is molded or an outline of the hearing aid is drawn at the bottom of the storage space thus indicating the best position of the hearing aid The testing means will be described in further detail in association with FIG 7 0045 The storage space 102 preferably also serves as a charging space Thus the shape of the storage space 102 may affect how easy it is to transfer power from the storage unit 100 to the hearing aid if the charging is done wirelessly The battery of the hearing aid is left in the hearing aid while placed in the storage space 102 When the hearing aid is placed in the storage space 102 it starts to charge automatically This is done without further input from the user When the hearing aid is removed from the storage space 102 the hearing aid stops the charging Similarly the hearing aid will be turned off automatically when placed in the storage space 102 and turned on when removed from the storage space 102 0046 The storage unit is furthermore provided with a lid 109 which may comprise information 104 for the user or the caretaker This information is displayed a
8. aning of the hear Jun 7 2012 ing aid a user manual or an instruction guide which may be a laminated sheet of paper and a power supply for charging the storage unit 0030 According to the invention in a fourth aspect a method of using a storage system comprises initiating a detection by the hearing aid of a position of the earplug part of the hearing aid in an ear receiving in the processing unit result values from the detection from said hearing aid comparing result values with reference values and providing feedback information for guiding the user regarding the position By providing feedback regarding the position it is possible to correct the position of the ear plug part of the hearing aid so the user does not have to wear a hearing aid that doesn t provide the adequate hearing support 0031 Any feature of the first aspect may be applied to the second the third or the fourth aspects Any feature of the second aspect may be applied to the third or the fourth aspects Any feature of the third aspect may be applied to the fourth aspect Other objectives features and advantages of the present invention will appear from the following detailed disclosure from the attached dependent claims as well as from the drawings 0032 Use of the word hearing aid microphone or loud speaker in singular is to be interpreted as at least one instance of a hearing aid microphone or loudspeaker respectively Any reference to a device
9. ation in part of application PCT DK 2009050199 filed on Aug 11 2009 in Denmark and published as WO2011018086 Al BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 0002 1 Field of the Invention 0003 The present invention relates to hearing aids and accessories for hearing aids The invention more specifically relates to a storage system for storing a hearing aid the storage system comprises means for providing power a stor age space for containing a hearing aid output means com munication means through which data from the hearing aid is received wirelessly and a processing unit for processing data received from the hearing aid The invention also relates to a hearing aid adapted for communicating with such a storage system a kit and a method of performing a test 0004 2 The Prior Art 0005 Hearing aids have been used for many years and as the development progresses the hearing aids have gotten smaller and contain a lot more technical features then they used to Some of the different hearing aids available today include Behind The Ear BTE devices Receiver In The Ear Canal RITE RIC In the Canal ITC and Completely In the Canal CIC devices 0006 Many people find themselves suddenly in a need of a hearing aid and are confronted with a small high tech prod uct they have to handle on a daily basis For some users such as elderly physically or mentally challenged or children this can be a difficult task that requires some form of
10. e rechargeable battery of the hearing aid wirelessly 10 The system according to claim 1 comprising a detector adapted to detect if the hearing aid is in the storage space 11 The system according to claim 1 further comprising testing means for testing functionality of the hearing aid Jun 7 2012 12 The system according to claim 1 comprising a storage unit provided with a lid 13 The system according to claim 12 wherein the lid comprises the output means 14 The system according to claim 2 comprising remote control securing means for keeping the remote control attached to the storage system 15 A hearing aid adapted to communicate wirelessly with communication means of a storage system 16 The hearing aid according to claim 15 comprising detecting means for detecting the position of an ear plug part of the hearing aid in the ear and communication means for communicating data from the detecting means to the storage system 17 The hearing aid according to claim 5 wherein the hearing aid is adapted for automatically turning off when placed in the storage system and automatically turning on when removed from the storage system 18 The hearing aid according to claim 5 comprising test ing means for testing functionality of the hearing aid 19 A kit comprising a hearing aid a remote control a storage unit and output means wherein the hearing aid is adapted to com municate wirelessly with communication m
11. e unit provided with a lid The lid may comprise output means The lid may serve as a closure for the storage unit which may be in the shape of a box In this way the different elements in the storage unit don t get dusty and it gets easier to transport the hearing aids The output means may serve as an information providing module displaying guiding and functioning information to help the user and the caretaker with handling of the hearing aid 0023 In another embodiment the storage system com prises remote control securing means for keeping the remote control attached to the storage system In this way the remote control doesn t bump into the hearing aid during transport which might break the hearing aid Moreover the securing means also prevents mentally challenged people or children from removing the remote control 0024 According to the invention in a second aspect a hearing aid is adapted to communicate wirelessly with com munication means of a storage system In this way there is no need to provide specific plugs and sockets for facilitating communication Furthermore the storage system can commu nicate with the hearing aid while it is positioned at the ear of a user 0025 Inanother embodiment the hearing aid comprises a rechargeable battery This eliminates the need for changing a small battery which may be difficult to handle for the user or manage for the caretaker at least on a daily basis 0026 In another pre
12. eans of the storage unit and wherein the output means is adapted for providing information concerning the functioning of the hearing aid and for guiding the user through positioning of the hearing aid in the ear 20 A method of using a storage system the method com prising initiating a detection by the hearing aid ofa position of the earplug part of the hearing aid in an ear receiving in the processing unit result values from the detection from said hearing aid comparing result values with reference values and providing feedback information for guiding the user regarding the position x x
13. element means or part in singular or in plural may also be interpreted as at least one instance of a device element means or part respectively 0033 Regarding use of the words storage system and stor age unit the storage unit is a part of the storage system as will be described in the detailed part of the specification while the storage system may comprise more features or accessories than the storage unit When speaking of the positioning of the hearing aid or the earplug part the skilled person will realize that what is meant is primarily the position of the earplug of the hearing aid part in the ear Moreover he will realize that if the hearing aid is an ITC or a CIC hearing aid the whole hearing aid may effectively constitute the ear plug part Ifit is a RITE hearing aid only a part of the hearing aid is actually in the ear Using hearing aid or ear plug part does not mean that any type of hearing aid is excluded BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 0034 The invention will now be explained in more detail below by means of examples of embodiments with reference to the drawings in which 0035 FIG 1 illustrates an embodiment of a storage unit and a remote control of the system according to the invention 0036 FIG 2 illustrates an embodiment of a hearing aid 0037 FIG 3 illustrates an embodiment of a power supply 0038 FIG 4 illustrates an embodiment of a remote con trol 0039 FIG 5 illustrates a dia
14. ely has been devel oped 0010 The invention in a first aspect provides a storage system for storing a hearing aid the system comprising means for providing power a storage space for containing a Jun 7 2012 hearing aid output means communication means adapted for wireless reception of data from the hearing aid a processing unit for processing data received from the hearing aid wherein the output means is adapted for providing informa tion concerning the functioning of the hearing aid and for guiding the user through positioning of the hearing aid in the ear respectively The guiding information allows for easy positioning of the hearing aid at the ear This is in particular useful if the user is physically or mentally challenged and not able to position the hearing aid by himself or able to provide feedback whether the hearing aid is positioned correctly or not The functioning information may comprise information for each of right and left hearing aid comprising battery status connection status for TV telecoil self test diagnostics wax filter status etc 0011 In another embodiment the storage system further comprises a remote control By having a remote control it is possible to communicate with the system or the hearing aid without being in the vicinity of the system 0012 In another embodiment the storage system may comprise user input means for receiving user input This is easier for either a user or a caretaker a
15. ferred embodiment the hearing aid comprises detecting means for detecting the position of an ear plug part of the hearing aid in the ear and communication means for communicating data from the detecting means to the storage system 0027 Inanother embodiment the hearing aid is automati cally turned off when placed in the storage system and auto matically turned on when removed from the storage system This makes it easier for the user as the user doesn t have to worry about turning the hearing aid on and off 0028 In another embodiment the hearing aid further comprises testing means for testing functionality of the hear ing aid The testing means makes it possible for the user to find out if something in the hearing aid is malfunctioning 0029 The invention in a third aspect provides a kit com prising a hearing aid a remote control a storage unit and output means wherein the hearing aid is adapted to commu nicate wirelessly with communication means of the storage unit and wherein the output means is adapted for providing information concerning the functioning of the hearing aid and for guiding the user through positioning of the hearing aid in the ear By providing the user with a kit all the elements needed to perform the different tests are found in one place The kit may further comprise one or more of the following devices for holding inserting or removing a hearing aid cleaning agents brushes and cloths for cle
16. ght detected the ear plug part is positioned correctly 0078 An incorrect positioning of the hearing aid at the ear may result in a voice message through the hearing aid to the user that the hearing aid requires repositioning 0079 Parts of the detecting means may also be imple mented in the storage system 0080 The hearing aid also comprises a processing unit 601 The processing unit 601 processes data collected from the one or more positioning detectors 608 In this way the data can be processed in the hearing aid 600 instead of in the storage system The data may also be transmitted to the stor age system where the results are analyzed in a processing unit and displayed as positioning information on the storage unit e g in the lid 0081 The processing unit 601 is furthermore used for controlling the different programs between which the hear ing aid can automatically switch This includes reception of a telecoil signal The processing unit 601 is furthermore used for controlling sound processing noise reduction etc 0082 The hearing aid further comprises a radio module 606 which allows for TV streaming 0083 The hearing aid 600 further comprises two micro phones 602 which allow for the use of a directional system which reduces noise and increases speech understanding in noisy surroundings 0084 The hearing aid 600 further comprises a battery 604 and a charging coil 605 The battery is preferably a recharge able ba
17. gram of an embodiment of a storage system 0040 FIG 6 illustrates a diagram of an embodiment of a hearing aid 0041 FIG 7 illustrates a diagram of an embodiment of a storage unit DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 0042 FIG 1 shows a storage unit 100 The storage unit 100 is used for storing hearing aids as well as for providing guiding and functioning information concerning the position US 2012 0140963 Al ing of the hearing aid in the ear The storage unit 100 com prises two storage spaces 102 for storing the hearing aids The storage space 102 may have different shapes or forms depending on the type of hearing aid and the functionality of the storage unit 100 Depending on the type of hearing aid the storage space 102 is e g a plane surface or a depression shaped like a sphere or like a box A plane surface would be useful if transport is not necessary e g the storage unit 100 could be a flat tray or plate where the storage space is marked or designated areas for placing the hearing aids The design of such a plate or tray might appeal aesthetically more to some people than a closed box would 0043 These shapes are preferred when the hearing aid is e g a BTE RITE or an RIC hearing aid as it might be difficult to place a connector as shown in FIG 2 in a molded form For other types of hearing aids such as ITC or CIC a storage space 102 molded in the form of the hearing aid is preferred because the hearing
18. in the form ofa remote control Here the user provides instructions to turn up or down the volume to mute the hearing aid or to turn off the storage unit etc This is easier to handle and control from a remote unit than from the hearing aid itself as it may be difficult to handle buttons or input means situated directly on the hearing aid due to their size and position at the ear The user input means may also be placed completely or partly in the remote control 400 as well as in the storage unit 100 The remote control may be operated US 2012 0140963 Al both when it is placed in the storage unit 100 and when it is placed outside the storage unit 0056 FIG 2 shows an embodiment of a hearing aid 200 The hearing aid 200 is of a kind that is able to communicate with the storage system The hearing aid 200 comprises a housing 202 an ear plug part 201 and a connector 203 for connecting the housing 202 with the ear plug part 201 By housing 202 is meant the housing including the circuitry inside In this embodiment the hearing aid is a RITE as it is relatively small and a cosmetically attractive hearing aid and it is robust and easy to handle Other types of hearing aids may be used as well The hearing aid may be a Behind The Ear BTE In the Canal ITC or a Completely In the Canal CIC hearing aid If the hearing aid is an ITC or a CIC hearing aid the housing will be a part of the ear plug part as well and there will be no separate hous
19. ing 0057 The hearing aid comprises a battery or power pack The battery may be charged wirelessly via an inductive charger in the storage system or the power pack may be recharged by removing the power pack from the hearing aid by pulling or twisting the power pack This power pack may then be inserted in a charger and placed in the hearing aid after charging 0058 The hearing aid comprises a telecoil a charging coil a radio module two or more microphones and a tele phone i e a miniature speaker not shown These features and others will be explained in more detail in association with FIG 6 0059 FIG 3 shows an embodiment of a power supply 300 that can provide power to the storage system This embodi ment has a USB plug 301 for connecting the power supply 300 to a USB socket on the storage system A cable 303 connects the USB plug 301 with a transformer 302 The power supply 300 is insertable into a regular household power outlet The power may also be provided from a battery 0060 FIG 4 shows an embodiment of a remote control 400 The remote control 400 facilitates the communication between the user and the hearing aid and works as an infor mation providing part The information providing part is mainly for the caretaker to use and it can be hidden so the remote control 400 only looks like a normal remote control 400 The remote control 400 is easy to handle compared to buttons that are positioned directly on the hearing
20. nal generator 703 is used to generate test signals which are transmitted over the loud speaker 702 in order to test the microphone s of the hearing aid The communication between the hearing aid and the storage unit 700 takes place via the inductive charger 704 The way the different tests work will now be explained in more detail below 0088 The microphone s in the hearing aid is tested by placing the hearing aid in a known acoustic environment such as the storage unit 700 and by playing a known input signal aloud The response of the hearing aid will also be known If the response doesn t correspond to what would be expected then the hearing aid malfunctions E g by having the signal generator 703 send a test signal suchas a chirp over frequency it is possible to see if one of two microphones or both microphones fail and which one it is 0089 The radio module of the hearing aid may also be tested by placing the hearing aid in the storage unit 700 The distance between the radio module in the hearing aid and a radio 705 in the storage unit 700 as well as the acoustic environment in the storage unit 700 will be known The transmission power is then reduced to a minimum and the signal generator 702 generates a signal If no signal is received by the radio module in the hearing aid then the radio module in the hearing aid is out of order Furthermore the telephone may also be tested 0090 The loudspeaker is tested by detec
21. ng aid the system comprising means for providing power a storage space for containing a hearing aid output means communication means adapted for wireless reception of data from the hearing aid a processing unit for processing data received from the hearing aid wherein the output means is adapted for providing infor mation concerning the functioning of the hearing aid and for guiding the user through positioning of the hearing aid in the ear respectively 2 The system according to claim 1 comprising a remote control 3 The system according to claim 1 comprising user input means for receiving user input 4 The system according to claim 3 wherein the user input means is selected from a group consisting of a remote control a touch screen and keys 5 The system according to claim 1 wherein the function ing and guiding information is presented in a form selected from a group consisting of written statements and figures pictograms LED s sound and a bar code 6 The system according to claim 1 wherein the output means is selected from a group consisting ofa display a light emitting diode and a loud speaker 7 The system according to claim 2 wherein the output means is provided on the remote control 8 The system according to claim 1 comprising charging means adapted for charging a rechargeable battery of the hearing aid 9 The system according to claim 8 wherein the charging means is adapted to charge th
22. rage unit further comprises a USB socket 101 allowing feeding power from a power supply to the storage unit 100 The power socket may be a USB socket 101 a mini USB socket or any other socket through which the storage unit can receive power The power may also be pro vided through a battery in the storage unit 100 The battery may be a rechargeable or a disposable battery 0049 The storage unit 100 may also comprise securing means for securing the hearing aids The securing means are for securing that the hearing aid doesn t break during trans port These securing means comprise shaping of the storage space 102 in shape of the hearing aid ribbons which are provided with Velcro for tying together a lid 109 that doesn t provide any free space between the hearing aid and the lid 109 a clip under which the whole or part of the hearing aid can be squeezed under or a sliding part that can slide over the hearing aid thus securing the hearing aid to the storage unit 100 0050 The storage unit further comprises a storage space for storing the remote control 400 By having a dedicated space for the remote control 400 it is always easy to find it 0051 The storage space for the remote control is prefer ably shaped in the form of the remote control The storage space for the remote control is provided with one or more indentations 110 along the side in order to allow one to get hold on the remote control 400 with one s fingers 00
23. rma tion without bringing the system with him 0018 In another embodiment the storage system com prises charging means for charging a rechargeable battery of the hearing aid This makes it possible to charge the battery at times when the hearing aid is not in use anyway Moreover there is no need to change the battery in the hearing aid 0019 In another embodiment the charging means is adapted to charge the rechargeable battery of the hearing aid wirelessly This will increase user friendliness as no part has to fit specifically to another part which would have been the case if the device had to be plugged in Furthermore it is easier to keep clean 0020 In another embodiment the storage system com prises a detector adapted to detect if the hearing aid is in the storage space In this way the storage system can either start US 2012 0140963 Al a test of the hearing aid immediately or start charging the battery as soon as the hearing aid is in place in the storage space which may also function as a charging space Thus no further user interaction is required This eases the use and handling of the hearing aid 0021 In a preferred embodiment the storage system fur ther comprises testing means for testing functionality of the hearing aid The testing means makes it possible for the user to find out if something in the hearing aid is malfunctioning 0022 In another embodiment the storage system further comprises a storag
24. s printed text or a screen displaying varying text such as guiding and function ing information e g battery status wax filter status care instructions or information as to whether or not the hearing aid is positioned correctly The information 104 is written permanently on a surface of the lid 109 possibly assisted by light emitting diodes to indicate which information 104 is currently relevant for the user The information 104 depends e g on tests performed on the hearing aid relating to the functioning and the positioning of the hearing aid Light emitting diodes 105 may also be used in front of a piece of text in the lid 109 providing user guidance in form of information 104 thus indicating the correct instruction to the user If an error is detected the light emitting diode 105 may emit a light To indicate an error the light may be red If the user runs a test and it is passed or if the hearing aid is positioned correctly at the ear a light emitter may emit a green light Other kinds of light emitters may also be used A display a monitor a screen a laminated sheet or any other means for displaying informa tion may also be used instead of simple light emitters 0047 Instead of using visual means the guiding informa tion and functioning information may also be provided as Jun 7 2012 sound directly through the hearing aid and into to the ear of the user or as sound transmitted through the storage unit 100 0048 The sto
25. s the buttons on a hearing aid may be small and hard to reach 0013 In another embodiment the user input means is selected from a group consisting of a remote control a touch screen and keys These are input means that are easy to relate to for the user or caretaker and they are easier to see and may provide more information than buttons on a hearing aid 0014 Inanother embodiment the functioning and guiding information is presented in a form selected from a group consisting of written statements and figures pictograms light emitting diodes LED s sound and a bar code This makes the information user friendly even for persons not familiar with the hearing aid and its functions or for physically or mentally challenged 0015 In another embodiment the output means is selected from a group consisting of a display a light emitting diode and a loud speaker The output means makes it easy for the user or a caretaker to see or hear what needs to be cor rected or adjusted 0016 In another embodiment the output means is pro vided on the remote control This makes the output more accessible to the user as the user does not need to be near the system to get the information provided through the output means 0017 In another embodiment the processing means is provided in the remote control This way the data can be processed directly in the remote control So if the user is out somewhere he can receive guiding and functioning info
26. ting higher har monics such as 3 harmonics occurring if a defective loud speaker distorts an applied pure tone 0091 The processing unit 501 is used to process the data from the microphone 701 the loudspeaker 702 the signal generator 703 and a radio 705 and evaluate the data This can be done by having reference values comparable with result values from the test When the reference values have been compared with the result values feedback is provided The feedback may be in the form of data or instructions being sent to the hearing aid or it may be in the form of a voice message being sent to the user from either the hearing aid or from the storage unit or a combination of these The test may be performed with the hearing aid in the storage unit or with the ear plug part in the ear The test may also be handled exclu sively from the hearing aid or in connection with the remote control that may function as a processing unit The tests can be performed by the user or caretaker and the results of the tests are then presented in a user friendly manner on the output means 502 0092 Theinvention has mainly been described above with reference to a few embodiments However as is readily appreciated by a person skilled in the art other embodiments than the ones disclosed above are equally possible within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended patent claims US 2012 0140963 Al 1 A storage system for storing a heari
27. tive methods where the capacitance between conducting areas placed separately on the ear plug part is measured This is based on the fact that the relative permeability for skin is much larger than for air US 2012 0140963 Al thus the capacitance will be much greater if the ear plug part is in contact with the ear Another method is to use an electrically biased material In this case instead of measuring the capacitance the voltage on a capacitor is measured 0074 Electro mechanical methods based on the fact that when skin or tissue touches the ear plug part a deformation or a pressure on the ear plug part may be registered This may be registered by strain gauges or by a contact that is being connected when the pressure is registered 0075 Optical methods comprising active and passive methods 0076 The active methods comprise placing one or more light emitters and receivers on the ear plug part and measur ing the amount of light reflected by means of one or more light sensors If the ear plug part is in contact with the skin a higher reflection will be obtained The emitted light may also be modulated and the detected light demodulated in order to differentiate the test light from the surrounding light 0077 The passive method comprises measuring if there is ambient light by means of one or more light sensors placed on the ear plug part If light is detected the ear plug part is not positioned correctly If there is no li
28. ttery a zinc silver battery or a lithium polymer bat tery The important thing is that the battery can handle a nightly recharge over a longer period of time e g 112 2 years Depending on the type of battery a power management circuit may be required in order to control and monitor the charging and discharging of the battery if it is a rechargeable battery 0085 The hearing aid further comprises a telephone i e a miniature loudspeaker 603 to transmit the sound The hearing aid 600 may comprise a wax filter indicator which indicates if the wax filter requires changing This may be done by chang ing the color of the wax filter 0086 FIG 7 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a storage unit 700 This embodiment is able to test the func Jun 7 2012 tionality of the hearing aid The test may be initiated either by the user e g by pressing a button or producing a sound or the test may be initiated automatically by use of detectors Func tional testing of hearings aids as such is known in the art inter alia from US2007 0286429 which describes an apparatus for testing the functioning of a hearing device 0087 The testing means according to the present inven tion comprises the microphone 701 the loudspeaker 702 the signal generator 703 and a radio 705 The testing means can test the microphone s the telephone and the radio module of the hearing aid The microphone 701 is used to test the tele phone of the hearing aid The sig
29. uction via the charger or other communication technologies 0068 The storage system 500 may also comprise a memory The memory may be used for storing information received from the hearing aid 0069 The storage system 500 also comprises means for providing power 504 such as a USB a mini USB a battery a storage space 505 and a charging space for the hearing aid s where the hearing aid s may be charged wirelessly via elec tromagnetic induction radio frequency waves or electromag netic resonance 0070 FIG 6 shows a diagram of an embodiment of a hearing aid 600 that can be used in connection with the storage system The hearing aid 600 can communicate with the storage system and provide data regarding the positioning of the ear plug part in a user s ear 0071 The hearing aid 600 comprises detecting means which detect if the earplug part is positioned correctly These detecting means comprise different positioning detectors 608 which have different means for detecting the position of the ear plug part Examples of the means and the methods are described in the following 0072 Electro acoustic methods based on measurement of the acoustic impedance from the telephone to two external microphones or measurement of the acoustic impedance from the telephone to an internal micro phone and comparison of this acoustic impedance with a pre stored impedance measured when the ear plug part is correctly positioned 0073 Capacita
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