Apple wants the iPhone to be able to control hearing aids

Apple wants the iPhone to be able to control hearing aids — and those hearing aids could include future AirPods. The tech giant has filed for a patent (number US 20230276184 A1) for “Remotely Updating a Hearing Aid Profile.”

About the patent filing

The patent filing relates to method, system and apparatus for processing and/or enhancing audio signals used by a hearing aid. In particular, techniques for providing real time adjustment of a hearing aid audio processing are described.

In the patent filing, Apple notes that modern hearing aids can help to mitigate at least some of the problems associated with impaired hearing by amplifying sound. Programmable hearing aids that allow a user to adjust the hearing aid response to their own preference have been recently made available at reasonable cost, the tech giant adds.

With the advent of programmable hearing aids whose signal processing can at least be partially modified, what is desired is allowing a hearing aid user to modify the audio processing of the programmable hearing aid in real time in accordance with the context for which the hearing aid is or will be used. Apple thinks the iPhone could fill this role.

Summary of the patent filing

Here’s Apple’s abstract of the patent filing: “Broadly speaking, the embodiments disclosed herein describe 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.”