By : Maricris
Source : http://amog.com
Category : Patent News
In line with Apple’s release of iOS 6 this fall, the company filed a pair of patent applications to support its new “Made for iPhone” hearing aids further. The new filings offer a glimpse of how the iPhone maker could provide further benefit to users who are hearing impaired.
New ‘Made for iPhone’ Patents
Apple filed two applications that were published by U.S. Patent and Trademark Office earlier this week. The filings are entitled, Social Network for Sharing a Hearing Aid Setting and Remotely Updating a Hearing Aid Profile. Both patents describe these components as smart hearing aids, which can wirelessly connect to devices to make life easier for users with hearing problems.
The patent applications come as the company is set to release its built-in support for the new Made for iPhone hearing aids later this year. Together with the launch of iOS 6, the new accessories will be compatible with Apple’s iPhone 4S. However, the company’s latest patent application looks like more than a certified iPhone accessory.
For instance, the Social Network for Sharing a Hearing Aid setting is meant for hearing impaired users to communicate with one another. This will enable them to share information and can improve the overall quality of their lives. As stated on the patent application:
With the advent of programmable hearing aid whose signal processing can be at least partially modified, what is desired is providing a hearing aid user the ability to modify audio processing of the programmable hearing aid in the context for which the hearing aid will be used.
The company’s proposed network system will rely on the user’s mobile device, which is connected to the wireless hearing aid. The iPhone will then communicate with other users and share settings, so that they can acquire ideal hearing aid configuration depending on what they’re doing and their location.
The good thing about this technology is that users can store their hearing aid preference and share it through other devices.
On the other hand, the Remotely Updating a Hearing Aid Profile refers on how a system could save different configured user preferences. This will enable users to change his programmable hearing aid’s audio process in real time, depending on his current location and activity.
The configured hearing aid user preference can also be shared across iPhone’s social networking concept. The moment Apple turn these patents into reality, users with hearing impairment will now be able to communicate with other people more easily.
Source : http://amog.com/tech/153985-apple-patent-application-improved-iphone-support/
