Light sensor in hearing instrument

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12015899-B2
Application number	US-202217811759-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 11, 2022
Priority date	Jan 14, 2020
Publication date	Jun 18, 2024
Grant date	Jun 18, 2024

Abstract

A system may have a rechargeable hearing instrument with a power source, an ultraviolet (UV) sensor configured to convert received UV light into electrical power and charging circuitry coupled to the UV sensor and to the power source. The charging circuitry may use the electrical power to charge the power source. A charger may have a charging cavity configured to receive the rechargeable hearing instrument. A power source within the charger powers a UV light source located within the charger configured to provide UV light to the UV sensor of the rechargeable hearing instrument when the rechargeable hearing instrument is placed within the charging cavity.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for operating a hearing instrument, the method comprising the following steps:
measuring, with one or more sensors of the hearing instrument, an ambient light level at the hearing instrument;
determining a delta ambient light level that indicates a change in the detected ambient light level detected by the one or more sensors of the hearing instrument at different times;
recording the delta ambient light level;
determining whether an absolute value of the delta ambient light level exceeds a predetermined threshold;
determining, based on the absolute value of the delta ambient light level exceeding the predetermined threshold and the delta ambient light level being positive, a user has moved to an outdoor environment; and
setting a signal processing parameter of the hearing instrument as a function of the determination the user is in the outdoor environment or an indoor environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the user has not changed environments based on the predetermined threshold not being exceeded.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising determining the user has moved to the indoor environment based on the delta ambient light level being negative.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sensor is a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the PPG sensor has an optical coating to restrict detected wavelengths to wavelengths common to the indoor environment and the outdoor environment.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include multiple photosensors, each of the multiple photosensors being sensitive to a specific wavelength.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include an ultraviolet (UV) sensor.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors include a spectrometer to determine a spectral range and intensity correlating to ambient light.

9. A hearing instrument comprising:
one or more sensors configured to measure an ambient light level at the hearing instrument; and
one or more processors configured to:
determine a delta ambient light level that indicates a change in the detected ambient light level detected by the one or more sensors of the hearing instrument at different times;
record the delta ambient light level;
determine whether an absolute value of the delta ambient light level exceeds a predetermined threshold;
determine, based on the absolute value of the delta ambient light level exceeding the predetermined threshold and the delta ambient light level being positive, a user has moved to an outdoor environment; and
set a signal processing parameter of the hearing instrument as a function of the determination the user is in the outdoor environment or an indoor environment.

10. The hearing instrument of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the user has not changed environments based on the predetermined threshold not being exceeded.

11. The hearing instrument of claim 9 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured to determine the user has moved to the indoor environment based on the delta ambient light level being negative.

12. The hearing instrument of claim 9 , wherein the sensor is a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor.

13. The hearing instrument of claim 12 , wherein the PPG sensor has an optical coating to restrict detected wavelengths to wavelengths common to the indoor environment and the outdoor environment.

14. The hearing instrument of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors include multiple photosensors, each of the multiple photosensors being sensitive to a specific wavelength.

15. The hearing instrument of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors include an ultraviolet (UV) sensor.

16. The hearing instrument of claim 9 , wherein the one or more sensors include a spectrometer to determine a spectral range and intensity correlating to ambient light.

Assignees

• Starkey Labs Inc

Inventors

• Flanagan Peter
• Olson Kyle
• Sacha Michael Karl
• Lin Andy S
• Wang Fa

Classifications

• H04R2225/41

  Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest · CPC title

• G01J2001/4266

  for measuring solar light · CPC title

• G01J3/28

  Investigating the spectrum (using colour filters G01J3/51) · CPC title

• G01J1/429

  applied to measurement of ultraviolet light (using counting tubes G01T) · CPC title

• G01J1/4204

  with determination of ambient light (solar light G01J2001/4266) · CPC title