Abstract: A method for providing sound to at least one user, in which audio signals are captured and transformed into audio data that is transmitted to at least one receiver unit; audio signals are generated from the received audio data and the hearing of the user(s) stimulated thereby; wherein the audio data is transmitted as audio data packets in separate slots of a TDMA frame structure, wherein the transmission unit and the receiver unit(s) are synchronized to form a wireless network, wherein each TDMA frame structure has at least one listening slot during which the synchronized network members do not transmit data and at least one network members listens, and wherein control data is transmitted from an external control device according to a sequence pattern selected according to the duration and periodicity of the listening slot(s) to be received by the at least one synchronized network member during said listening slot(s).

Abstract: A method of streaming an audio signal from an audio transmission device to first and second audio receiver devices via a Bluetooth link using a protocol that requires an audio data packet to be retransmitted if a positive packet receipt is not received. The first audio receiver device is synchronized to the audio transmission device to enable the first audio receiver device to receive an audio signal stream from the audio transmission device, the second audio receiver device is synchronized to the audio transmission device to enable the second audio receiver device to eavesdrop the audio signal stream to the first audio receiver device. When a positive packet receipt acknowledgement is not transmitted from the first audio receiver device to the audio transmission device, the audio transmission device repeats transmission of that audio data packet irrespective of whether the packet has been correctly received by the first audio receiver device.

Abstract: A system for providing sound to at least one user has at least one audio signal source, a transmission unit with a digital transmitter audio data packets from the audio signal source via a wireless digital audio link; at least one receiver unit having at least one digital receiver; and a hearing stimulator responsive to audio signals from the receiver unit. The transmission unit encodes the audio signal as audio data blocks distributed onto at least two audio data packets, one of which is a low-quality packet, and one of which is a high quality packet only a low-quality version of the audio signal being retrievable from the low-quality packets, and a high-quality version of the audio signal being retrievable from both the low-quality packets and the high-quality packets. The low-quality packets and the high-quality packets are transmitted in respective dedicated slots of a multiple access protocol frame.

Abstract: Method for providing sound to at least one user, involves supplying audio signals from an audio signal source to a transmission unit; compressing the audio signals to generate compressed audio data; transmitting compressed audio data from the transmission unit to at least one receiver unit; decompressing the compressed audio data to generate decompressed audio signals; and stimulating the hearing of the user(s) according to decompressed audio signals supplied from the receiver unit. During certain time periods, transmission of compressed audio data is interrupted, and instead, at least one control data block is generated by the transmission unit in such a manner that audio data transmission is replaced by control data block transmission, thereby temporarily interrupting flow of received compressed audio data, each control data block includes a marker recognized by the at least one receiver unit as a control data block and a command for control of the receiver unit.

Abstract: Method for providing sound to at least one user, involves supplying audio signals from an audio signal source to a transmission unit; compressing the audio signals to generate compressed audio data; transmitting compressed audio data from the transmission unit to at least one receiver unit; decompressing the compressed audio data to generate decompressed audio signals; and stimulating the hearing of the user(s) according to decompressed audio signals supplied from the receiver unit. During certain time periods, transmission of compressed audio data is interrupted, and instead, at least one control data block is generated by the transmission unit in such a manner that audio data transmission is replaced by control data block transmission, thereby temporarily interrupting flow of received compressed audio data, each control data block includes a marker recognized by the at least one receiver unit as a control data block and a command for control of the receiver unit.

Abstract: Method for providing sound to at least one user, involves supplying audio signals from an audio signal source to a transmission unit; compressing the audio signals to generate compressed audio data; transmitting compressed audio data from the transmission unit to at least one receiver unit; decompressing the compressed audio data to generate decompressed audio signals; and stimulating the hearing of the user(s) according to decompressed audio signals supplied from the receiver unit. During certain time periods, transmission of compressed audio data is interrupted, and instead, at least one control data block is generated by the transmission unit in such a manner that audio data transmission is replaced by control data block transmission, thereby temporarily interrupting flow of received compressed audio data, each control data block includes a marker recognized by the at least one receiver unit as a control data block and a command for control of the receiver unit.

Abstract: A system for providing sound to at least one user, with at least one audio signal source, a digital transmission unit applying a digital modulation scheme to transmit an audio signal via a wireless digital audio link; at least one receiver unit for receiving audio signals from the transmission unit, and an arrangement for stimulating the hearing of the user(s), the transmission unit transmitting each audio data packet according to an adaptive frequency hopping scheme and has a channel traffic detection unit for measuring the power in each channel of a monitored channel set and providing a channel traffic value for each channel based on the measured power, an interference detection unit for analyzing and deciding whether static interference is present, and determining the channel corresponding to the peak channel traffic, and a channel blanking unit for temporarily removing at least the channel corresponding to the peak channel.

Abstract: A hearing assistance system having a hearing assistance device to be worn at one of a user's ears and a scanning device, the hearing assistance device and the scanning device both having an interface for wireless data exchange between the hearing assistance device and the scanning device, wherein the hearing assistance device is adapted for wireless data exchange with an external device, wherein the scanning device is adapted to scan for wireless signals from the external device and to transmit, once such signals have been received by the scanning device, a message to the hearing assistance device for notifying the hearing assistance device of the availability of the external device, and wherein the hearing assistance device is adapted to decide, upon receipt of such notification message from the scanning device, whether on not to initiate wireless data exchange with the external device.

Abstract: A method and system of establishing a wireless network for audio data transmission with a first and second audio devices having first and second transceivers, the first audio device being an audio signal transmission unit with a user operable switch, and the first and second audio devices being assistive listening devices. Periodically the second transceiver listens for pairing information, at at least one public frequency channel; operating the switch by the user to initiate pairing at any time during operation of the first audio device; the first transceiver transmitting pairing information at said at least one public frequency channel upon operation of the switch. The second audio device automatically pairs to the first audio device upon reception of pairing information from the first transceiver. The first and second transceivers are controlled so that reception of the pairing information from the first audio device is accepted by the second audio device.

Abstract: A system for providing hearing assistance having: an audio signal source; a transmission unit transmitting audio signals as data packets in a frame structure; a receiver unit for receiving audio signals from the transmission unit and associated with an ear-worn device having a power source and a hearing stimulator, and having a digital transceiver powered by the power source of the ear-worn device with a value between lower and upper limits. The transceiver listens, and optionally transmits, during part of each frame and otherwise sleeps. The receiver unit has a capacitor connected in parallel to the transceiver for supplying the transceiver with current during listening or transmission. A controlled current for controlling current flowing from the power source to the transceiver and the capacitor. The controlled current source has a DC/DC converter with an input connected to the power source and an output voltage connected to the capacitor.

Abstract: A system for providing sound to at least one user, with at least one audio signal source, a digital transmission unit applying a digital modulation scheme to transmit an audio signal via a wireless digital audio link; at least one receiver unit for receiving audio signals from the transmission unit, and an arrangement for stimulating the hearing of the user(s), the transmission unit transmitting each audio data packet according to an adaptive frequency hopping scheme and has a channel traffic detection unit for measuring the power in each channel of a monitored channel set and providing a channel traffic value for each channel based on the measured power, an interference detection unit for analyzing and deciding whether static interference is present, and determining the channel corresponding to the peak channel traffic, and a channel blanking unit for temporarily removing at least the channel corresponding to the peak channel.

Abstract: A system providing sound to a user, having at least one audio signal source; a transmission unit with a digital transmitter which transmits audio signals via a wireless digital audio link as audio data packets, each packet having a start frame delimiter, audio data and a frame check sequence; at least one receiver unit having at least two digital receivers connected to a common processing unit and an antenna, and including a demodulator and a buffer, and a mechanism for stimulating the hearing of the user. Each receiver receives, verifies and buffers the audio data packets, and the processing unit reads an audio data packet from the buffer of one of the receivers. If the packet is correctly received by the receiver, the buffer of the other receivers is flushed, and if the packet has been incorrectly received, the audio data packet from the buffer of another receiver is read.

Abstract: A system for providing hearing assistance to at least one user, having at least one audio signal source; a transmission unit with a digital transmitter for wirelessly transmitting audio signals as data packets to a frame structure from the audio signal source; at least one ear-worn receiver unit for receiving the transmitted audio signals and a hearing stimulating mechanism, the receiver unit having a digital transceiver adapted to listen, and optionally transmit, during part of each frame and to sleep during the remainder of the frame; wherein the receiver unit has a capacitor for supplying current to the transceiver during listening or transmission operation, and a controlled current source including a control unit for controlling current flowing to the transceiver and the capacitor a manner preventing changes in the current flowing to the transceiver and the capacitor caused by the transceiver switching between sleeping and listening/transmission operation and vice versa.

Abstract: A method and system of establishing a wireless network for audio data transmission with a first and second audio devices having first and second transceivers, the first audio device being an audio signal transmission unit with a user operable switch, and the first and second audio devices being assistive listening devices. Periodically the second transceiver listens for pairing information, at at least one public frequency channel; operating the switch by the user to initiate pairing at any time during operation of the first audio device; the first transceiver transmitting pairing information at said at least one public frequency channel upon operation of the switch. The second audio device automatically pairs to the first audio device upon reception of pairing information from the first transceiver. The first and second transceivers are controlled so that reception of the pairing information from the first audio device is accepted by the second audio device.

Abstract: A method of streaming an audio signal from an audio transmission device to first and second audio receiver devices via a Bluetooth link using a protocol that requires an audio data packet to be retransmitted if a positive packet receipt is not received. The first audio receiver device is synchronized to the audio transmission device to enable the first audio receiver device to receive an audio signal stream from the audio transmission device, the second audio receiver device is synchronized to the audio transmission device to enable the second audio receiver device to eavesdrop the audio signal stream to the first audio receiver device. When a positive packet receipt acknowledgement is not transmitted from the first audio receiver device to the audio transmission device, the audio transmission device repeats transmission of that audio data packet irrespective of whether the packet has been correctly received by the first audio receiver device.

Abstract: A system for providing sound to at least one user, having at least one audio signal source for providing audio signals; a transmission unit with a digital transmitter for wirelessly transmitting the audio signals as data packets; at least one receiver unit with at least one digital receiver for reception of the audio signals from the transmission unit; a mechanism for stimulating the hearing of the user(s) according to audio signals supplied from the receiver unit. The transmission unit transmits each data packet in a separate slot of a TDMA frame at a different frequency in a frequency hopping sequence, in at least some of the slots, the audio signals are transmitted as audio data packets, the same audio packet being transmitted at least twice in the same TDMA frame without expecting acknowledgement, and the TDMA frames being structured for unidirectional broadcast transmission of the audio data packets.

Abstract: A system for providing sound to at least one user has at least one audio signal source, a transmission unit with a digital transmitter audio data packets from the audio signal source via a wireless digital audio link; at least one receiver unit having at least one digital receiver; and a hearing stimulator responsive to audio signals from the receiver unit. The transmission unit encodes the audio signal as audio data blocks distributed onto at least two audio data packets, one of which is a low-quality packet, and one of which is a high quality packet only a low-quality version of the audio signal being retrievable from the low-quality packets, and a high-quality version of the audio signal being retrievable from both the low-quality packets and the high-quality packets. The low-quality packets and the high-quality packets are transmitted in respective dedicated slots of a multiple access protocol frame.

Abstract: A system for providing hearing assistance having: an audio signal source; a transmission unit transmitting audio signals as data packets in a frame structure; a receiver unit for receiving audio signals from the transmission unit and associated with an ear-worn device having a power source and a hearing stimulator, and having a digital transceiver powered by the power source of the ear-worn device with a value between lower and upper limits. The transceiver listens, and optionally transmits, during part of each frame and otherwise sleeps. The receiver unit has a capacitor connected in parallel to the transceiver for supplying the transceiver with current during listening or transmission. A controlled current for controlling current flowing from the power source to the transceiver and the capacitor. The controlled current source has a DC/DC converter with an input connected to the power source and an output voltage connected to the capacitor.

Abstract: A method for providing sound to at least one user, in which audio signals are captured and transformed into audio data that is transmitted to at least one receiver unit; audio signals are generated from the received audio data and the hearing of the user(s) stimulated thereby; wherein the audio data is transmitted as audio data packets in separate slots of a TDMA frame structure, wherein the transmission unit and the receiver unit(s) are synchronized to form a wireless network, wherein each TDMA frame structure has at least one listening slot during which the synchronized network members do not transmit data and at least one network members listens, and wherein control data is transmitted from an external control device according to a sequence pattern selected according to the duration and periodicity of the listening slot(s) to be received by the at least one synchronized network member during said listening slot(s).

Abstract: A system for providing hearing assistance to at least one user, having: at least one audio signal source (16, 20) for providing audio signals; a transmission unit (10) for wireless transmission of audio signals; at least one receiver unit (12, 14) for wireless reception of audio signals from the transmission unit; a device (42, 82) for stimulating the hearing of the user according to audio signals supplied from the at least one receiver unit. The transmission unit has both an analog transmitter (26) for applying an analog modulation scheme and a digital transmitter (28) for applying a digital modulation scheme in order to transmit the audio signals from the audio signal source (16, 20) simultaneously via an analog audio link (34) and a digital audio link (40).