© Copyright 2000 Siemens Information & Communication Products - All Rights Reserved Presentation To EU Ministerial ConferenceRev – 04/11/00 - HSB WIRELESS.

© Copyright 2000 Siemens Information & Communication Products - All Rights ReservedPresentation To EU Ministerial Conference Rev – 04/11/00 - HSB

WIRELESS TELEPHONESAND

HEARING AIDS

Stephen BergerSiemensAustin, Tx.

USA



HEARING AIDS

The Issue

The RF transmission from a wireless Telephone can cause interference (a buzz) in some hearing aids.

Hearing Aid users will hold a wireless telephone very close to their hearing aid, where the RF field is very high.

Hearing Aids in T-Coil mode have special problems due their normal operating characteristics.



HEARING AIDS



HEARING AIDS



HEARING AIDS



HEARING AIDS



HEARING AIDS


WIRELESS HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY

HISTORY & PROCESS

HISTORY

FCC Summit - 1996 US, European & Australian

Research Started - 1996 IEC 118-13 & Australian By-Stander

Project Approved - 1996 ANSI User Project Approved - August ‘96 Mature Draft & Initiation of Validation - December ‘97 1st Meeting on Int’l harmonization - May ’98 OU Objective & Subjective Study - Summer

’99 ANSI Balloting Initiated - Nov. ’99 IEC Harmonization Effort - Dec. ‘99


WIRELESS HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY ANSI STANDARD C63.19

PROJECT SCOPE

SCOPE: ANSI C63.19

Methods of Measurement and Parametric Criteria for

Hearing Aid Compatibility (HAC) with Wireless Communication Devices



PARTICIPATION DURING THE PROJECTHEARING AID INDUSTRY

SUB-TOTAL - 21 participants from 15 organizations

WIRELESS INDUSTRY

SUB-TOTAL - 44 participants from 14 organizationsOTHER ORGANIZATIONS

SUB-TOTAL - 25 participants from 16 organizations

GRAND TOTAL 90 participants from 45 organizations

CURRENT ACTIVE PARTICIPANTS 30 participants from 19 organizations



Current Situation

Advancement in Products

RF Immune Hearing Aid Components Compatibility a Competitive Advantage in HA Market Phone Neckloops & Other Accessories CTIA Access Education Effort

Research & Validation

RERC study of intelligibility OU Validation Studies HAMPIIS Validation Studies

ANSI Beginning Balloting Process



Summary – OU Validation Studies Objective Study – 10 Phones / 8 HA

Predicted Result

– 38.8 % Excellent

– 28.8% Recommended

– 67.6% Recommended or Better Actual Result

– 41.7 % Excellent

– 26.4% Recommended

– 68.1% Recommended or Better

Test Accuracy

– 51.4% Exact Match

– 93.1% Exact Match or Better Than Predicted Performance



Summary – OU Validation Studies

Subjective Study – 18 Subjects / 6 Phones

Test Accuracy

6 Hearing Aids were good with all phones Some Hearing Aids were not acceptable with any

phone There is a middle ground where a Hearing Aid /

Phone combination must be tried by the user.

– Some users will find the combination perfectly acceptable

– Other users, with the same test results will find the combination unaccptable



TECHNICAL ISSUES

MATCH HEARING AID IMMUNITY WITH

WIRELESS HANDSET EMISSIONS

FOR T-COIL MODE:

PROVIDE SUFFICIENT SIGNAL STRENGTH AND SIGNAL QUALITY



USABILITY CATEGORIES

USABLE

NORMAL USE

EXCELLENT PERFORMANCE

10 -

19

dB S

/N.3

- .4

AI

20 -

29

dB S

/N.5

- .6

AI

30

dB

S/N

.7

AI



MANY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONSHEARING AID IMMUNITY

HA

ND

SET

EM

ISSI

ON

S

USABLE GOOD EXCELLENT





MANY POSSIBLE SOLUTIONSHEARING AID IMMUNITY

HA

ND

SET

EM

ISSI

ON

S

U3

U2

U1

U0

U2U0 U1 U3



USER HAS CHOICES

For Example:

Owner of a U2 hearing aid will get good to excellent performance with a U1 or higher phoneOwner of a U2 phone will get good to excellent performance with a U1 or higher hearing aid



WHAT ARE THE TESTS?

(For Hearing Aids)

The near-field EM immunity is assessed.The HA is tested using a dipole.

The HA is tested near the dipole tip for E-Field immunity

and near the dipole center for H-Field immunity.There is no HA T-Coil mode test,

other than RF immunity.The HA is assumed to be designer to ANSI S-22

for its T-Coil performance.



DIPOLE TEST LOCATIONS

FOR HEARING AIDS

Signal Generator

AmplifierDipole

Magnetic Field Probe

Electric Field Probe

1 cm



WHAT ARE THE TESTS?

(For Wireless Handset)

The near-field EM emissions are assessed.The phone is categorized based on the peak in

a contiguous 2/3 of the area normally used by the HA.A non-mandatory T-Coil mode test is available. Compliance with the T-Coil test allows addition of the

“T”, for T-Coil, designation to the category classification.The T-Coil test includes a requirement for signal level,

audio frequency response and signal quality.



EM ASSESSMENT AREA ON HANDSET

10mm

MeasurementPlane

ReferencePlane

5 cm x 5 cmControl Area

Center Line



T-COIL TEST POSITIONS ON HANDSET

5

1

2

3

4

3

1

MeasurementPlane

ReceiverAxis

Axial

MeasurementLocation

MeasurementRadial

Locations(1,2,3,&4)

MeasurementRadius

10 mm

16 mm

R.M.

.

.

.

AXIALLocation

5

Secondary Auxiliary

Axis(Example)



Summary

A significant effort has been underway since 1995 to assure that hearing aid users could use digital wireless devices.

Both industries have made significant advances and have many products which work quite well together.

IEC & Australia have standards for by-stander protection.

The ANSI C63.19 Standard has begun its final ballot.

Efforts to harmonize the ANSI Standard with an IEC draft are underway.

Carriers are starting to require hearing aid compatible phones in their contracts.

© Copyright 2000 Siemens Information & Communication Products - All Rights Reserved Presentation To EU Ministerial ConferenceRev – 04/11/00 - HSB WIRELESS.

Documents

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hsb wireless telephones

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eu ministerial conferencerev

wireless communication

hearing aid users

hearing aid compatibility

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