WO2011147998A2

WO2011147998A2 - Method for providing distant support to a plurality of personal hearing system users and system for implementing such a method

Info

Publication number: WO2011147998A2
Application number: PCT/EP2011/063779
Authority: WO
Inventors: Michael Boretzki; Harald Krueger; Matthias Riepenhoff
Original assignee: Phonak Ag
Priority date: 2011-08-10
Filing date: 2011-08-10
Publication date: 2011-12-01
Also published as: WO2011147998A3

Abstract

Distant support is provided to a plurality of personal hearing system users (1, 2, 3) by one or more support providers (11, 12, 13) over a network (10). A sorted and/or tagged list (17) of support requests is shown to a support provider (11). The support provider can accept a support request by selecting it from the list (17). A personal hearing system adjustment user interface is automatically presented to the support provider (11) upon the accepting of a support request. The method and the corresponding system have the advantage that overall quality and efficiency of distant support is increased.

Description

Method for providing distant support to a plurality of personal hearing system users and system for implementing such a method

Technical Field The invention relates to the field of personal hearing systems. More particularly, it relates to a method for supporting a plurality of users of such systems over a network such as the internet. Further, it relates to a system for implementing such a method.

Background of the Invention A personal hearing system is a system which relates to the hearing of a particular individual. It may comprise as main components one or two hearing aids, also denoted as hearing prostheses, external and/or implanted, serving for compensating a hearing loss. However, it may also comprise as main components hearing protectors against harmful noise, communication devices allowing individuals to speak to each other remotely, inconspicuously and/or in noisy environments or headsets which deliver and/or pick-up sound at the head of an individual. There may also be auxiliary components, such as remote controls, audio streaming devices, or fitting interface devices. Typically all components of a personal hearing system are designed such that they can be carried at least temporarily at the body of its user. The configuration, use and maintenance of a personal hearing system requires much expertise, special devices and/or special software. Therefore, conventionally, the user visits the support provider.

It is known to replace such visits by distant support sessions. For example DE 199 38 318 Al discloses a method for performing the fitting of a hearing aid over the internet. Summary of the Invention

It is an object of he invention to provide for a method and a system for providing distant support to a plurality of personal hearing system users by one or more support providers wherein the support provider is enabled to handle multiple support requests in an efficient maimer.

This object is achieved by a method as defined in claim 1 and a system as defined in claim 14.

The invention is beneficial in that the support provider is informed about the queue of waiting personal hearing system users, so that th support provider is enabled to make an educated guess which support request is best to accept.

The method of claims 3 and 4 are beneficial in that support providers are enabled to make more efficient decisions in regard to which support request to accept first.

The method of claim 6 is beneficial in that wasting of time of personal hearing system users which are waiting for support can be avoided.

The method of claim 7 is beneficial in that the individual needs of support requesting users can be better complied with.

The method of claim 8 is beneficial in that the support provided is enabled to respond quickly to very urgent support requests.

The method of claim 10 is beneficial in that it enables to make use of the time while a user receiving support is doing something which can be self-administered.

The method of claim 11 is beneficial in that it enables the support provider to simultaneously support two personal hearing system users.

The method of claim 12 is beneficial in that the capability of the system to assess the urgency and kind of a requested support is improved.

Further embodiments and advantages emerge from the claims and the description referring to the figures. Brief Description of the Drawings

Below, the invention is described in more detail by referring to the drawings showing exemplified embodiments. Fig. l is a block diagram of a system for providing distant support to a plurality of personal hearing device users by a plurality of support providers;

Fig. 2is a flow diagram of actions in a distant support scenario in which two personal hearing system users request distant support.

The described embodiments are meant as examples and shall not confine the invention.

Detailed Description of the Invention

Fig. 1 shows a system for providing distant support to a plurality of personal hearing device users 1, 2, 3 by one or more support providers 11, 12. The term "distant" hereinafter is to be understood as "at least in another room ". Instead of the term "distant support" the term "distance support" may be used. There is a data network 10, in particular the internet. A first, a second and a third user computer 7, 8, 9, are each connected to the data network 10. A first and a second supporter computer 13, 14 are each connected to the data network 10 as well. The communication between user computer 7, 8, 9 and supporter computer 13, 14 may be direct or indirect over a relay server, e.g. server 15. A first personal hearing system 4 is connected to the first user computer 7. A second personal hearing system 5 is connected to the second user computer 8. A third personal hearing system 6 is connected to the third user computer 9. The connections between the personal hearing systems 4, 5, 6 and the user computer 7, 8, 9 are preferably wireless. The system enables the users 1, 2, 3, to transmit support requests. In particular a first support request may be submitted by the personal hearing system user 1 of the first personal hearing system 4 and a second support request may be submitted by the personal hearing system user 2 of the second personal hearing system 5. There are means for generating a sorted and/or tagged list 17 of support requests by applying a sorting criterion and/or by adding at least one request tag to at least one support request. Such means can for example include a software running on a supporter computer 13, 14 or a software running on a server 15. In a particular embodiment all requests are tagged. However, it is also possible to tag only the most urgent support request or requests. There are also means enabling support providers 1 1, 12 to start support sessions by accepting support requests, for example a software component which allows a support provider 1 1 to select an item from the sorted and/or tagged list 17. Once a support session is started the system provides a personal hearing system adjustment user interface which is accessible by the support provider 11 or 12 associated with the support session and which allows to adjust a personal hearing system 4, 5 or 6 associated with the support session. Data, such as a fitting history or personal data of support requesting users may be stored on a server 15 in a database 16. The personal hearing system adjustment user interface may be provided by a so called fitting software such as "Phonak Target". The database 16 may be part of the "HIMSA Noah" framework, which integrates fitting software of different manufacturers. The personal hearing system 4, 5 or 6 will typically comprise a right hearing aid and the left hearing aid. These are ear-level hearing devices designed for compensating a hearing loss. The term "ear-level" means worn at the ear, i.e. behind the ear, in the ear, in the canal and/or implanted. Alternatively, only one side may be provided with such a device. Further, instead of hearing aids, there may be one or two cochlear implants, each comprising implanted and external parts. Finally, there may be a so called bimodal fitting, i.e. a hearing aid on one side and a cochlear implant on the other side. The personal hearing system 4, 5 or 6 may also comprise an auxiliary device. The auxiliary device may communicate with the hearing aids over a radio link. It may further be communicating with a user computer 7, 8 or 9 over a Bluetooth interface and/or universal serial bus (USB).

The supporter computers 13 and 14 and the server 15 form part of a support provider system.

Fig. 2 shows a flow diagram of actions in a distant support scenario in which two personal hearing system users request distant support. In a first stage 21 a first support request is transmitted by a first personal hearing system user of a first personal hearing system. The support request may simply contain an identification of the support requesting user or personal hearing system. However, the support request may further be enhanced by data such as personal hearing system usage 5 logging data, personal hearing system self-test results or an issue description or identification entered by the personal hearing system user.

The above mentioned personal hearing system self-test may in particular be a hardware test in which the device determines fully or partly automatically the proper functioning or condition of parts such as microphone, receiver, protective membrane or battery. l o Such a self-test is for example disclosed in WO 2003 / 007655 Al .

In a second stage 22 a second support request is transmitted by a second personal hearing system user of a second personal hearing system. In the example there are only two support requests. However, in a practical scenario there may be numerous pending support requests at the same time.

15 In a third stage 23 a sorted and/or tagged list 17 of support requests is generated by applying a sorting criterion and/or by adding at least one request tag to each support request. The sorting criterion may be selected by a support provider. It may in particular be an urgency or preference indicator. Such an urgency or preference indicator may be a level or value and may for example be or be determined based one or more of the

20 following:

- a need to finish an interrupted support session;

- time passed since a transmission of the support request;

- time passed since a reception of the support request;

- an accumulated waiting time;

25 - the existence of an appointment for the current time;

- a questionnaire answered by a personal hearing system user; - a personal hearing system self-test result;

- personal hearing system usage logging data;

- time passed since a last appointment;

- an indicator if a support request is associated with a new customer and/or a person not having a hearing system yet;

- an urgency estimate entered by a supervisor;

- an estimated duration of the requested support session;

- a personal hearing system user identification, in particular a name;

- a personal hearing system device type or model; - an age or a date of birth and/or gender.

The following may also be considered:

- a customer monetary turnover;

- an estimated probability of a new purchase;

- an amount offered to be paid or available for the support. Applying "time passed since a reception of the support request" as sorting criterion results in a queue.

In a particular embodiment the urgency or preference indicator is support provider specific. It is determined based on a value indicative of how well a support provider for whom the sorted and/or tagged list is compiled matches a user and/or a personal hearing system associated with a support request, in particular in regard to one or more of the following aspects:

- an existence of a predefined assignment of a user to a particular support provider; - an existence of, or a number of, previous person-to-person meetings between a user and a particular support provider;

- an existence of, or a number of, previous support sessions between a user and a particular support provider;

5 - support provider experience with a relevant personal hearing system;

- support provider experience with a relevant age group or gender;

- existence of a common language spoken by both user and support provider;

- geographic distance between user and support provider.

The following may also be considered: l o - difference between price expectance or budget of a user and the offered price level by a particular support provider.

In a fourth stage 24 the sorted and/or tagged list 17 is displayed at least partially to at least one of the support providers. In a special embodiment "at least partially" may mean that only the first, most urgent and/or most preferred support request of the list is

15 displayed. Typically the list may show all pending support requests and/or accordingly all waiting support requesting users. When another support provider accepts a request, or when a user withdraws a request the list may change. Further, the order of the list may change, for example, if the support provider changes the sorting criterion or if an urgency changes, which may be the case when a particular appointment time has been

20 reached.

While support requesting users are waiting, there may be the following interactions with them, or communications to them, with the intent to make the waiting time more pleasant, to make use of the waiting time and/or to support the waiting user in the decision if it is worth to wait at all:

- announcement of an estimated waiting time;

- announcement of a number waiting users; - announcement of a number waiting users expected to be served before the user for whom the announcement is made;

- playing music or advertisements;

- offering and/or conducting self-administered hearing training;

- offering and/or conducting self-administered hearing tests;

- offering and/or conducting self-administered personal hearing system tests;

- offering and/or conducting automatic questionnaires;

- offering and/or conducting interconnection with a receptionist;

- offering and/or conducting interconnection with a supervisor;

- offering and/or conducting a callback, in particular by phone or short message service (SMS);

- offering a discount to compensate for the waiting time;

- offering a discount for a postponement of the support request;

- offering to register or update customer data;

- proposing an alternative appointment, in particular if a number of waiting users or an estimated waiting time has exceeded maximum.

Some of the above mentioned interactions or communications can be further improved by making them customer specific. The following data on customers, i.e. personal hearing system users, and their devices may be available for such a customization: a) customer contact data, age and gender; b) hearing loss data; c) personal hearing system model data; d) personal hearing system fitting data; e) personal hearing system usage logging data.

The personal hearing system will typically store c), d) and e) of the above mentioned. A fitting software and an associated database will typically store a), b), c) and d) of the above mentioned. A token, such as a health data card may typically store a) and b) of the above mentioned.

The following interactions or communications can be especially improved by making them customer specific:

- conducting self-administered hearing trainings;

- conducting self-administered hearing tests; - conducting an automatic questionnaire;

- conducting an automatic hearing aid adjustment;

- playing advertisements or music.

A customer specific hearing-training is for example disclosed in WO 2010 / 092566 Al .

In a hearing test generally acoustic stimuli are presented to an individual. The test may regard detection, distinction and/or recognition. The stimuli may be pure tones, noises of different band- widths, wobble tones, phonemes, logatomes, syllables, words and/or sentences. The responses may be given by a conventional personal computer user interface. However, answers may also be given verbally making use of a speech recognition system. Preferably, hearing tests are carried out using calibrated equipment. Calibration may be performed by simple means, as for example a normal hearing person. However, if a calibration is not possible stimuli may be presented together with a background noise. The test may then measure a signal to noise ratio threshold. A hearing test may be customer specific for example in regard to one or more of the following aspects: - starting a measuring at previously measured thresholds;

- focusing on the verification of previous measurement results; - providing themes for specific age or interest groups, as for example cartoons for children;

- adapting the language of speech tests to the language of the individual.

In a fifth stage 25 a first support provider accepts a support request and starts thereby a support session. This can be carried out by selecting an item from the sorted and/or tagged list, for example by clicking on it with a mouse or, in case of a touch-screen, with a finger or by selecting it with one or more keyboard commands. The support session may be something purely logical, without any physical representation. However, typically both, the software on the user computer as well as the software on the supporter computer will set a flag that the session has started and/or will be operating in a session mode.

In a sixth stage 26 the support session is carried out. During the support session a personal hearing system adjustment user interface is provided to the first support provider. The personal hearing system adjustment user interface allows an adjustment of the personal hearing system associated with the support session. Preferably, together with providing the adjustment user interface, a speech communication link is established between personal hearing system user and support provider. Such a link can be based on the before mentioned data network. However, the conventional telephone network may also be used. The support provider may further be enabled to send visual messages to the personal hearing system user. This may be necessary during phases in which the personal hearing system is not fully operational.

In a special embodiment the list of support requests is still monitored by a support provider after he or she engaged in a support session. If there is an especially urgent support request, the support provider may interrupt the current support session by accepting the urgent support request. The interrupted support session may then reappear as support request on the list. When interrupting a support session the support provider may assign a particular automatic interaction with, or communication to, the a personal hearing system user associated with the interrupted session for the waiting period, as for example a self-administered hearing training or a self-administered hearing test. The system may also be designed to allow support providers to engage in more than one support session at the time. Toggling between two sessions may be possible by a simple user interface action, such as clicking on a button, pressing one or more keys on the keyboard or simply by moving the mouse cursor into another window.

In a particular embodiment a self-administered test is carried out before the actual support request is made. The purpose of such a self-administered test may be to determine if a support is necessary at all. For example a potential new customer may test with an audiometry and/or with a questionnaire if he or she needs hearing aids at all. If this question is answered with yes the customer may have to go through a self- administered registration procedure. Finally, unless there was a cancellation, he or she is put on the list of support requesting users.

Claims

Claims:

A method for providing a distant support to a plurality of personal hearing system users (1,

2,

3) by one or more support providers (11, 12) via a support provider system (13, 14, 15), comprising the steps of:

A) transmitting a first support request by a first personal hearing system user (1) of a first personal hearing system (4) via a data network (10) to the support provider system (13, 14, 15);

B) transmitting a second support request by a second personal hearing system user (2) of a second personal hearing system (5) via said data network (10) to the support provider system (13, 14, 15);

C) generating a list (17) of support requests by the support provider system (13, 14, 15), said list (17) comprising said first and second support request;

D) displaying said list (17) via the support provider system (13, 14, 15) at least partially to at least one of said one or more support providers (11, 12);

E) starting a support session by accepting a support request by a first support provider (1) of said one or more support providers via the support provider system (13, 14, 15), wherein an item is selected from said list (17);

F) adjusting, via a personal hearing system adjustment user interface accessible to said first support provider (1), a personal hearing system (4) associated with said support session.

The method of one of the preceding claims, wherein said list (17) is a tagged list, tagged by adding at least one request tag to at least one support request.

The method of claim 2, wherein said at least one request tag is an urgency or preference indicator, said urgency or preference indicator in particular being determined based one or more of the following:

- a need to finish an interrupted support session; - time passed since a transmission of a support request;

- time passed since a reception of a support request;

- an accumulated waiting time;

- the existence of an appointment for the current time;

- a questionnaire answered by a personal hearing system user;

- a personal hearing system self-test result;

- personal hearing system usage logging data;

- time passed since a last appointment;

- an urgency estimate entered by a supervisor;

- an estimated duration of the requested support session;

- a personal hearing system user identification, in particular a name;

- a personal hearing system device type or model;

- an age, a date of birth and/or a gender;

4. The method of claim 3, wherein said urgency or preference indicator is support provider specific and is determined based on how well a support provider (11, 12, 13) for whom said list (17) is compiled matches a support requesting user (1, 2, 3) and/or a personal hearing system (4, 5, 6) of said support requesting user (1, 2, 3) in regard to one or more of the following aspects:

- an existence of a predefined assignment of a user (1, 2, 3) to a particular support provider (11, 12, 13); - an existence of, or a number of, previous person-to-person meetings between a user (1 , 2, 3) and a particular support provider (11, 12, 13);

- an existence of, or a number of, previous support sessions between a user (1, 2, 3) and a particular support provider (11, 12, 13);

- support provider experience with a relevant personal hearing system (4, 5, 6);

- support provider experience with a relevant age group or gender;

- existence of a common language spoken by both user and support provider;

- geographic distance between user and support provider.

5. The method of one of preceding claims, further comprising the step of:

F') providing a speech communication link between said first support provider (1) and a personal hearing system user (1) associated with said support session.

6. The method of one of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of:

D') interacting with, or communicating to, a waiting support requesting user (1, 2, 3), in particular by one or more of the following:

- announcement of an estimated waiting time;

- announcement of a number waiting users;

- announcement of a number waiting users expected to be served before the user for whom the announcement is made;

- playing music or advertisements;

- offering and/or conducting self-administered hearing training;

- offering and/or conducting self-administered hearing tests;

- offering and/or conducting self-administered personal hearing system tests; - offering and/or conducting automatic questionnaires;

- offering and/or conducting interconnection with a receptionist;

- offering and/or conducting interconnection with a supervisor;

- offering and/or conducting a callback, in particular by phone or short message service;

- offering a discount to compensate for long waiting times;

- offering a discount for postponement of the support request;

- offering to register or update customer data;

7. The method of one of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of:

D") loading or receiving data associated with a waiting support requesting user (1, 2, 3), said data in particular being one or more of the following:

- customer contact data, age and gender;

- hearing loss data;

- personal hearing system model data;

- personal hearing system fitting data;

- personal hearing system usage logging data; and performing a customized interaction with, or communication to, said waiting support requesting user (1, 2, 3), in particular one or more of the following:

- conducting self-administered custom hearing trainings;

- conducting self-administered custom hearing tests; - conducting an automatic custom questionnaire;

- conducting an automatic hearing aid adjustment;

- playing custom advertisements or music.

8. The method of one of the preceding claims, further comprising the step of: G) interrupting said support session by accepting a further support request by said first support provider (11), thereby starting a further support session and yielding an interrupted support session.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein said support request associated with said interrupted support session is put back on said list (17).

10. The method of one of the claims 8 or 9, further comprising the step of:

H) assigning an automatic interaction to said interrupted support session by said first support provider (11), said automatic interaction being performed with a personal hearing system user associated with said interrupted support session, said automatic interaction in particular being a self-administered hearing test or a self-administered hearing training.

1 1. The method of one of the claims 8 to 10, further comprising the step of:

I) toggling between said support session and said further support session, in particular by a single support provider user interface user action;

12. The method of one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and/or second support request comprises one or more of the following data:

- personal hearing system usage logging data;

- issue data defined by a personal hearing system user;

- personal hearing system self-test results.

13. The method of one of the preceding claims, wherein said first and/or second personal hearing system (4, 5) comprises one or more of the following:

- a left hearing aid for compensating a hearing loss;

- a right hearing aid for compensating a hearing loss;

- an auxiliary device for providing a data connection between one or two hearing aids and a personal computer (7, 8).

14. A system for providing distant support to a plurality of personal hearing system users (1, 2, 3) by one or more support providers via a support provider system (13, 14, 15), comprising:

- a data network (10);

- a first user computer (7) connected to said data network (10);

- a second user computer (8) connected to said data network (10);

- a supporter computer (13) connected to said data network (10)

- a first personal hearing system (4) connected to said first user computer (7);

- a second personal hearing system (5) connected to said second user computer

(8);

- means (7, 10) for transmitting a first support request by a first personal hearing system user (1) of said first personal hearing system (4) to the support provider system (13, 14, 15); and

- means (8, 10) for transmitting a second support request by a second personal hearing system user (1) of said second personal hearing system (4) to the support provider system (13, 14, 15); the support provider system (13, 14, 15) comprising

- means (13, 14, 15) for generating a list (17) of support requests; - means (13, 15) for starting a support session by accepting a support request by a first support provider (1) of said one or more support providers,; and

- a personal hearing system adjustment user interface accessible by said first support provider (1), said personal hearing system adjustment user interface allowing an adjustment of a personal hearing system (4) associated with said support session.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the means (13, 15) for starting a support session comprise means for enabling said first support provider (11) to select an item from said list (17).