Apple has been granted another patent (number 20190261102) for “remotely controlling a hearing device.” It involves replacing a current hearing aid profile stored in a hearing aid.
In one embodiment, the hearing aid profile is updated by sending a hearing aid profile update request to a hearing aid profile service, receiving the updated hearing aid profile from the hearing aid profile service, and replacing the current hearing aid profile in the hearing aid with the updated hearing aid profile.
Apple says it’s important for a hearing aid user to be able to easily control the settings of his hearing aid. However, to control most hearing aids, users have to either fumble through the small buttons on the hearing aids themselves, or carry a separate device specifically for controlling the hearing aid.
This makes the control of the hearing aid rather cumbersome for most users, according to Apple. The solution may be to allow iPhones, Apple Watches, and perhaps even iPads and Macs to store and update info on hearing aids.
A 2016 Apple filling with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) showed that the company is urging the FCC should “recognize solutions such as the MFi [Made for iPhone] hearing aid platform as alternatives for hearing aid compatibility compliance.” And the tech company apparently has other plans along these lines, having filed for a patent (number 2017022341) for “remotely updating a hearing aid profile.”
