Hearing aid with a radio frequency receiver

• US 20040096076A1
• Filed: 03/27/2003
• Published: 05/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/04/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: Bogason, Gudmundur, Klemmensen, Bjarne
• Granted Patent: US 6,975,739 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A hearing aid includes a signal path having an input transducer, a processor and an output transducer, the hearing aid further including a radio frequency receiver, where the receiver includes a single crystal oscillator providing a single oscillator frequency and where means are provided for generating a further number of receiving frequencies by transforming the oscillator frequency to the desired receiving frequencies. The hearing aid and the RF receiver may be separate or integrated. The invention further relates to a separate element comprising a RF receiver, the separate element being adapted for mounting on a hearing aid.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising a signal path having an input transducer, a processor and an output transducer, where the signal path is connected to a power source, the hearing aid further comprising a radio frequency receiver, where the radio frequency receiver comprises a single crystal oscillator providing a single oscillator frequency and where means are provided for generating a further number of receiving frequencies by transforming the oscillator frequency to the desired receiving frequencies, where selector means for selecting a desired frequency are provided.

2. A hearing aid according to claim 1, where the radio frequency receiver is mounted as a separate element on the hearing aid.

3. A hearing aid according to claim 1, where the radio frequency receiver is integrated in the hearing aid.

4. A hearing aid according to claim 1, 2 or 3, where the signal path further comprises an analog to digital converter, where the radio frequency receiver generates a digital audio signal and where this digital audio signal is lead to the signal path of the hearing aid after the analog to digital converter.

5. A unit for mounting on a hearing aid, the unit comprising a radio frequency receiver, where the receiver comprises a single crystal oscillator providing a single oscillator frequency and where means are provided for generating a further number of receiving frequencies by transforming the oscillator frequency to the desired receiving frequencies, and where the unit comprises contact elements adapted for engagement with corresponding contact elements on the hearing aid for transmission of a signal from the element to the hearing aid.

6. A unit according to claim 5, where the radio frequency receiver generates a digital signal and where this digital signal is transmitted to the hearing aid.