1. A method for operating an electronic battery-powered hearing instrument, comprising the steps of:
providing primary function means with power from the battery via a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal, and via a rectifier circuit for providing a positive supply voltage and a negative supply voltage regardless of the polarity of the battery relative to the first and second power supply terminals, the rectifier circuit and primary function means being part of an electronic circuit assembly,
inferring a status of at least one interface means, wherein a first terminal of the interface means is electrically connected to the first power supply terminal externally of the electronic circuit assembly to communicate both a signal from the first terminal of the interface means to the electronic circuit assembly and power between the first power supply terminal and the electronic circuit assembly via a shared IO contact provided to the electronic circuit assembly, and a second terminal of the interface means is electrically connected to at least one interface line, wherein said status of the at least one interface means is inferred from a voltage of the interface line, and
communicating said status of the interface means to the primary function means, wherein the interface means serves for the input of information into the hearing aid or for bidirectional communication with the hearing aid and the interface means is not part of the electronic circuit assembly and is not identical to the battery.
2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of determining a status of the rectifier circuit as being either in a first state or a second state, wherein
the first state corresponds to the first power supply terminal being connected to the negative terminal of the battery and the second power supply terminal being connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and
the second state corresponds to the first power supply terminal being connected to the positive terminal of the battery and the second power supply terminal being connected to the negative terminal of the battery.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the step of determining the status of the rectifier circuit comprises one of the steps of
comparing the voltage of one of the power supply terminals with the positive supply voltage or with a reduced positive supply voltage, and, if said voltages are substantially equal, inferring that said supply terminal is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and otherwise inferring that said supply terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the battery, or
comparing the voltage of one of the power supply terminals with the negative supply voltage, and, if said voltages are substantially equal, inferring that said supply terminal is connected to the negative terminal of the battery, and otherwise inferring that said supply terminal is connected to the positive terminal of the battery.
4. The method according to one of claims 2 or 3, further comprising the steps of,
if the status of the rectifier corresponds to the first power supply terminal being connected to the positive terminal of the battery, then connecting the interface line to a pull-down resistor or a current sink circuit which is electrically connected to the negative supply voltage,
or else, if the status of the rectifier corresponds to the first power supply terminal being connected to the negative terminal of the battery, then connecting the interface line to a pull-up resistor or a current source circuit which is electrically connected to the positive supply voltage.
5. The method according to claim 1, further comprising the step of toggling a connection of the interface line between a pull-up resistor or a current source circuit electrically connected to the positive supply voltage and a pull-down resistor or a current sink circuit electrically connected to the negative supply voltage, and determining at least one of the status of the input and or the status of the rectifier means according to the two values of the input voltage corresponding to the two toggled states.
6. The method according to claim 5, where the interface means is an input means and is an electrical switch and further comprising the step of, when toggling the connection of the interface line,
determining the status of the switch as being conducting if the voltage on the interface line does not change substantially, and
determining the status of the switch as being nonconducting if the voltage on the interface line does change substantially within the limits of the supply voltage.
7. The method according to claim 5, where the input means is a variable resistor, and the status of the input means corresponds to an analog value proportional to the value of the resistor, and further comprising the step of, when toggling the connection of the interface line, determining,
if one of the two values of the input voltage corresponding to the two toggled states is substantially equal to the positive supply voltage or to a predetermined reduced reference voltage, the status of the input means as a first function of the other one of the two values of the input voltage, or
if one of the two values of the input voltage corresponding to the two toggled states is substantially equal to the negative supply voltage, the status of the input means as a second function of the other one of the two values of the input voltage.
8. The method according to claim 6 or 7, further comprising the step of determining a status of the rectifier circuit as being either in a first state or a second state, wherein
the first state corresponds to the first power supply terminal being connected to the negative terminal of the battery and the second power supply terminal being connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and
the second state corresponds to the first power supply terminal being connected to the positive terminal of the battery and the second power supply terminal being connected to the negative terminal of the battery
and where the status of the rectifier is determined to be
in the first state, if one of the two values of the input voltage corresponding to the two toggled states is substantially equal to the negative supply voltage,
in the second state, if one of the two values of the input voltage corresponding to the two toggled states is substantially equal to the positive supply voltage or to a predetermined reduced reference voltage.
9. The method according to claim 1, where the interface line is electrically connected, via a pull resistor, to the second power supply terminal.
10. The method according to claim 9, where the interface means is an input means and is an electrical switch in series with an input resistor and further comprising the step of,
determining the status of the switch as being nonconducting if the voltage on the interface line is substantially equal to either the positive or the negative supply voltage, and
otherwise determining the status of the switch as being conducting.
11. The method according to claim 9, where the input means is a variable resistor, and the status of the input means corresponds to an analog value proportional to the value of the resistor, and further comprising the step of,
if the input voltage lies within a first predetermined voltage range, determining the status of the input means as a first function of the input voltage, or
if the input voltage lies within a second predetermined voltage range, determining the status of the input means as a second function of the input voltage.
12. The method according to one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the hearing aid comprises at least two interface lines and further comprising the step of associating interface lines with predetermined communication functions.
13. The method according to claim 12, wherein the interface lines are associated with predetermined communication functions according to a status of the rectifier circuit.
14. The method according to claim 12, wherein the interface lines are associated with predetermined communication functions by performing, in the hearing aid, measurements of signals on the interface lines and associating the communication functions accordingly.
15. An electronic battery-powered hearing instrument comprising
a first power supply terminal and a second power supply terminal arranged to contact a battery,
a rectifier circuit for providing a positive supply voltage and a negative supply voltage regardless of a polarity of the battery relative to the first and second power supply terminal,
an electronic circuit assembly comprising the rectifier circuit, primary function means and at least a first IO contact electrically connected to the first power supply terminal and a second IO contact electrically connected to the second power supply terminal for conducting power between the battery and the electronic circuit assembly,
the primary function means being arranged to be powered by the positive and negative supply voltage, and
at least one interface means for inputting information into the hearing instrument or for facilitating a bidirectional communication with the hearing instrument, wherein the at least one interface means comprises a first terminal electrically connected to the first power supply terminal externally of the electronic circuit assembly and to the first IO contact,
wherein the interface means is not part of the electronic circuit assembly and is not identical to the battery and a second terminal of the interface means is electrically connected to an interface line which is electrically connected, via an IO contact of the electronic circuit assembly, to an inference means arranged on the electronic circuit assembly and configured to determine a status of the interface means from a voltage of the interface line.
16. The hearing instrument according to claim 15, comprising means for connecting the interface line to either a pull-up resistor or a current source circuit connected to the positive supply voltage, or to a pull-down resistor or a current sink circuit connected to the negative supply voltage.
17. The hearing instrument according to claim 16, comprising means for determining the status of the interface means according to whether the voltage of the interface line changes substantially when it is switched from the pull-up resistor or the current source circuit to the pull-down resistor or the current sink circuit, or vice versa.
18. The hearing instrument according to claim 16, comprising means for comparing a voltage of one of the power supply terminals to one of the positive or negative supply voltage and for controlling the connection of the interface line to the pull-up resistor or current source circuit, or the pull-down resistor or current sink circuit accordingly.
19. The hearing instrument according to claim 16, comprising a resistor connecting the interface line to the second power supply terminal, an optional high input impedance amplifier for determining a decoupled input voltage corresponding to the input voltage, and comparison means for comparing the optionally decoupled input voltage to at least one of the positive or the negative supply voltage.
20. The hearing instrument according to one of claims 15 to 19, wherein the interface means is an input means and is an electrical switch or a resistor in series with an electrical switch or a variable resistor.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
We claim:
1. A method of media data switching, comprising:
receiving a plurality of media data units at an ingress port;
determining a corresponding egress port for each of said plurality of media data units based on the type of each said media data unit;
reformatting one or more said media data unit into a low-overhead encapsulated packet;
directing each said encapsulated packet toward said corresponding egress port, wherein said directing uses direct fiber optic interconnections;
at each said egress port, receiving and reformatting said encapsulated packets into a second plurality of media data units; and
transmitting said second plurality of media data units to complete said media data switching.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said media data units comprise audio data.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said media data units comprise video data.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said media data units comprise television signals in digital form.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises securely processing said media data units.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said securely processing further comprises concealing the IP addresses of the transmitting party from the receiving party and concealing the IP addresses of the receiving party from the transmitting party.
7. The method of claim 5, wherein said securely processing further comprises providing CALEA services undetectable to either the transmitting or receiving parties.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining is based in part on the type of media data in each said media data unit.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein said determining further comprises queuing said media data units using high-granularity, class-based queues to provide protection from Denial of Service attacks.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein said queuing employs a plurality of queues for each class of service.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein said directing occurs in real-time.
12. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling said media data switching through a single element management system.
13. A method of cable media switching, comprising:
receiving data at an ingress port;
reformatting said data into a plurality of low-overhead units;
switching said plurality of low-overhead units to one or more egress ports, based in part on said reformatting, wherein said switching uses direct fiber optic interconnections;
reformatting said encapsulated packets into second data; and
transmitting said second data to complete said cable media switching, wherein said cable media switching is performed under the control of a single element management system.
14. An apparatus for integrated media switching comprising:
a plurality of ingress ports each receiving a plurality of media data units;
a processor connected, comprising means for:
determining a corresponding egress port for each of said plurality of media data units based on the type of each said media data unit; and
reformatting one or more said media data unit into a low-overhead encapsulated packet;
a plurality of egress ports, comprising means for receiving and reformatting said encapsulated packets into a second plurality of media data units; and
means for transmitting said second plurality of media data units to complete said media switching,
wherein said ingress ports, said processor, and said egress ports are operably connected to each other with a fiber optic backplane.
15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said ingress ports, said processor, said egress ports, and said backplane are provided in a single chassis.
16. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said processor further comprises high-granularity, class-based queues of said media data units constituted to provide protection from Denial of Service attacks.
17. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein said ingress ports, said processor, said egress ports, and said backplane are controlled though a single element management system.
18. A computer system for use in media data switching, comprising computer instructions for:
receiving a plurality of media data units at an ingress port;
determining a corresponding egress port for each of said plurality of media data units based on the type of each said media data unit;
reformatting one or more said media data unit into a low-overhead encapsulated packet;
directing each said encapsulated packet toward said corresponding egress port, wherein said directing uses direct fiber optic interconnections;
at each said egress port, receiving and reformatting said encapsulated packets into a second plurality of media data units; and
transmitting said second plurality of media data units to complete said media data switching.
19. A computer-readable medium storing a computer program executable by a plurality of server computers, the computer program comprising computer instructions for:
receiving a plurality of media data units at an ingress port;
determining a corresponding egress port for each of said plurality of media data units based on the type of each said media data unit;
reformatting one or more said media data unit into a low-overhead encapsulated packet;
directing each said encapsulated packet toward said corresponding egress port, wherein said directing uses direct fiber optic interconnections;
at each said egress port, receiving and reformatting said encapsulated packets into a second plurality of media data units; and
transmitting said second plurality of media data units to complete said media data switching.
20. A computer data signal embodied in a carrier wave, comprising computer instructions for:
receiving a plurality of media data units at an ingress port;
determining a corresponding egress port for each of said plurality of media data units based on the type of each said media data unit;
reformatting one or more said media data unit into a low-overhead encapsulated packet;
directing each said encapsulated packet toward said corresponding egress port, wherein said directing uses direct fiber optic interconnections;
at each said egress port, receiving and reformatting said encapsulated packets into a second plurality of media data units; and
transmitting said second plurality of media data units to complete said media data switching.