Hearing aid, hearing aid fitting management system, server device, and computer device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9247361-B2
Application number	US-201313747910-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 23, 2013
Priority date	Feb 8, 2012
Publication date	Jan 26, 2016
Grant date	Jan 26, 2016

Abstract

A hearing aid fitting management system comprises a fitting device, a server, and a client device that are connectable to each other in a network. The server stores hearing ability data received from the client device as a hearing ability certificate, produces a prescription number corresponding to the hearing ability certificate, and sends the prescription number to the client device. The fitting device sends the server the prescription number that has been inputted. The server sends the fitting device the hearing ability certificate corresponding to the prescription number received from the fitting device. The fitting device sends the hearing ability certificate to a hearing aid, and limits the settings in the fitting of the hearing aid to within the range of the hearing ability data.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A hearing aid fitting management system, comprising:
a first client device that makes fitting settings to a hearing aid;
a server device operationally connected to the first client device so as to be capable of sending and receiving data to and from the first client device; and
a second client device operationally connected to the server device so as to be capable of sending and receiving data to and from the server device,
wherein the second client device sends the server device hearing ability data about a user of the hearing aid,
the server device stores the hearing ability data received from the second client device, produces prescription number data corresponding to the hearing ability data, and sends the prescription number data to the second client device,
the first client device receives the prescription number data as an input, and sends the server device the prescription number data that has been inputted,
the server device sends the first client device the hearing ability data corresponding to the prescription number data received from the first client device, and
the first client device limits the fitting settings of the hearing aid to within a range based on the hearing ability data.

2. The hearing aid fitting management system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the first client device sends the server device first hearing aid ID data for identifying the hearing aid along with the prescription number data, in order to acquire the hearing ability data stored in the server device,
the server device stores the prescription number data such that the prescription number data is associated with the first hearing aid ID data, and
when the server device has received the prescription number data again along with second hearing aid ID data and has determined that the stored first hearing aid ID data differs from the second hearing aid ID data, the server device prohibits transmission of the hearing ability data corresponding to the prescription number data.

3. The hearing aid fitting management system according to claim 2 ,
wherein when the first client device has sent the server device the first hearing aid ID data and specific prescription number data that is different from any prescription number data stored in the server device, the server device eliminates the stored association of the first hearing aid ID with the prescription number data and becomes capable of transmitting the hearing ability data corresponding to the prescription number data by allowing association of the prescription number data with any hearing aid ID data that the server receives.

4. The hearing aid fitting management system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the hearing ability data includes at least data expressing a discomfort level.

5. The hearing aid fitting management system according to claim 4 ,
wherein the first client device limits the fitting settings of the hearing aid such that the discomfort level is not exceeded.

6. A computer device that is connectable to a hearing aid and makes fitting settings to hearing aid, said computer device comprising:
an input component that receives an input of data;
a memory that stores data; and
a controller that is operationally connected to the input component and the memory and that:
processes, transmits, and receives data,
sends prescription number data that has been inputted through the input component, to a server device operationally connected to the computer device, the prescription number data specifying hearing ability data about a user of the hearing aid,
receives the hearing ability data corresponding to the prescription number data from the server device and stores the hearing ability data in the memory,
limits the fitting settings of the hearing aid to within a range based on the hearing ability data, and
produces fitting data based on the fitting settings of the hearing aid, and sends the fitting data to the hearing aid.

7. The computer device according to claim 6 ,
wherein the hearing ability data is at least data expressing a discomfort level.

8. The computer device according to claim 7 ,
wherein the controller limits the fitting settings of the hearing aid such that the discomfort level is not exceeded.

9. A server device connectable to a first client device that makes fitting settings to a hearing aid, and to a second client device that produces hearing ability data for a user of the hearing aid, and that manages data for the fitting of the hearing aid, said server device comprising:
a memory; and
a controller that:
stores the hearing ability data received from the second client device in the memory,
produces prescription number data corresponding to the hearing ability data and sends the prescription number data to the second client device, and
when having received the prescription number data from the first client device, sends the first client device the hearing ability data corresponding to the received prescription number data wherein the hearing ability data is data based on which a range of the fitting settings of the hearing aid is to be limited by the first client device.

10. The server device according to claim 9 ,
wherein when the controller has received first hearing aid ID data for identifying the hearing aid along with the prescription number data from the first client device,
the controller determines whether or not any hearing aid ID data associated with the received prescription number data is stored in the memory, and
when the controller has determined that any hearing aid ID data associated with the received prescription number data is not stored in the memory, the controller stores the received prescription number data such that the received prescription number data is associated with the received first hearing aid ID.

11. The server device according to claim 9 ,
wherein, when the controller has received second hearing aid ID data along with the prescription number data,
the controller determines whether or not first hearing aid ID data stored in the memory and associated with the received prescription number data matches the second hearing aid ID data, and
when the controller has determined that there is no match, the controller prohibits transmission of the hearing ability data corresponding to the prescription number data.

12. The server device according to claim 11 ,
wherein when the controller has received the first hearing aid ID data and specific prescription number data that is different from any prescription number data stored in the memory, the controller eliminates the association of the first hearing aid ID with the prescription number data stored in the memory.

13. A hearing aid fitting management system, comprising:
the server device according to claim 9 ; and
a computer device that is connectable to the server device and to a hearing aid, operates as the first client device, and makes fitting settings to the hearing aid,
said computer device comprising:
an input component that receives an input of data;
a computer-device-memory that stores data; and
a computer-device-controller that is operationally connected to the input component and the computer-device-memory and that;
processes, transmits, and receives data,
sends prescription number data that has been inputted through the input component, to the server device operationally connected to the computer device, the prescription number data specifying hearing ability data about a user of the hearing aid,
receives the hearing ability data corresponding to the prescription number data from the server device and stores the hearing ability data in the c

Assignees

• Panasonic Corp
• Panasonic Ip Man Co Ltd

Inventors

• Nishizaki Makoto
• Noguchi Eiji
• Takagi Yoshiaki

Classifications

• H04R25/70 Primary

  Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting · CPC title

• H04R25/55

  using an external connection, either wireless or wired · CPC title