COMPACT RECHARGEABLE THIN FILM BATTERY SYSTEM FOR HEARING AID

• US 20090010462A1
• Filed: 07/02/2007
• Published: 01/08/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 07/02/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Front Edge Technology, Inc
• Original Assignee: Front Edge Technology, Inc
• Inventors: ARIAS, Jeffrey Lynn, NIEH, Kai Wei, Wang, Weng-Chung, EKCHIAN, Leon
• Application Number:
  US11/772,797
• Publication Number:
  US 20090010462A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/0436 Small-sized flat cells or batteries for portable equipment
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/44 Methods for charging or discharging circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/46 Accumulators structurally combined with charging apparatus circuits for charging H02J7/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/247 specially adapted for portable devices, e.g. mobile phones, computers, hand tools or pacemakers
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/402 the two or more transmitting or the two or more receiving devices being integrated in the same unit, e.g. power mats with several coils or antennas with several sub-antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0029 with safety or protection devices or circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00302 Overcharge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00306 Overdischarge protection
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00308 Overvoltage protection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries

Abstract

A rechargeable battery module for powering an external electronic device comprises a rechargeable thin film battery, a receiving induction coil, and a battery control circuit. The battery control circuit comprises a rectifier circuit, a battery charging circuit to limit the charging voltage provided by the direct current to the battery to a maximum charging voltage, and a battery discharging circuit to terminate a discharge voltage from the battery to less than a predetermined discharge voltage. A pair of output terminals to provide an output voltage to an external electronic device.

Claims

1. A rechargeable battery module to power an external electronic device, the battery module comprising:

(a) a rechargeable thin film battery comprising;

(i) a substrate having a thickness of less than about 100 microns;

(ii) a plurality of battery component films on the substrate, the battery component films including at least a pair of electrode films about an electrolyte film, the electrode films comprising one or more of a cathode current collector film, cathode film, anode film, and anode current collector film; and

(iii) battery terminals connected to the pair of electrode films;

(b) a receiving induction coil electrically coupled to the battery terminals;

(c) a battery control circuit electrically coupled to the receiving induction coil and the battery terminals, the battery control circuit comprising;

(i) a rectifier circuit electrically coupled to the receiving induction coil to convert an alternating current that is generated within the coil to a direct current for charging the battery;

(ii) a battery charging circuit to limit the charging voltage provided by the direct current to the battery to a maximum charging voltage; and

(d) a pair of output terminals to provide an output voltage to an external electronic device.

2. A battery module according to claim 1 wherein the substrate comprises mica.

3. The rechargeable battery module of claim 1 wherein the battery control circuit further comprises:

(iii) a battery discharging circuit to terminate a discharge voltage from the battery when the discharge voltage reaches a predetermined minimum discharge voltage.

4. A battery module according to claim 1 comprising at least one of the following:

(1) an anode or cathode film comprising lithium cobalt oxide, lithium nickel oxide, lithium cobalt nickel oxide, amorphous vanadium manganese pentoxide, crystalline iron V₂O₅ or TiS₂; and

(2) an anode or cathode current collector film comprise aluminum, copper, platinum, silver or gold.

5. A battery module according to claim 1 wherein the electrolyte comprises lithium phosphorous oxynitride, the cathode comprises lithium cobalt oxide, and the anode comprises lithium.

6. A battery module according to claim 1 further comprising a protective coating about the rechargeable battery, the protective coating comprising a plurality of polymer and ceramic layers superimposed on each other.

7. A battery module according to claim 1 comprising a plurality of rechargeable battery cells.

8. A battery module according to claim 1 wherein the receiving induction coil comprises between about 100 and about 1000 turns.

9. A battery module according to claim 1 wherein the rectifier circuit comprises a diode and a capacitor.

10. A battery module according to claim 1 wherein the battery charging circuit is adapted to limit the charging voltage to a maximum charging of about 4.2 volts.

11. A battery module according to claim 3 wherein the battery discharging circuit terminates the discharge voltage from the battery when the discharge voltage reaches a voltage of about 3.4 volts.

12. A battery module according to claim 1 further comprising a voltage converter circuit comprising a step-down voltage circuit.

13. A battery module according to claim 12 wherein the step-down voltage circuit provides a stepped down voltage ratio of from about 1.1 to about 4.5.

14. A battery module according to claim 12 wherein the step-down voltage circuit is capable of stepping down an input voltage of between about 2.5 and 4.5 Volts to an output voltage of about 1.2 volts.

15. A rechargeable battery assembly comprising the rechargeable battery module of claim 1 and a battery charger, the battery charger comprising:

(1) an external housing comprising a receiving surface to receive and conform to the enclosure of the rechargeable battery module or electronic device;

(2) a transmission induction coil in the external housing; and

(3) a voltage transforming circuit for connecting to an external power supply to provide an alternating voltage to the transmission induction coil.

16. A battery assembly according to claim 15 further comprising a support bracket for surrounding the receiving surface of the external housing.

17. A battery assembly according to claim 15 wherein the transmission induction coil outputs a power of up to about 10 watts.

18. A rechargeable hearing aid comprising:

(a) a housing;

(b) a rechargeable battery module in the housing;

(c) a microphone to convert ambient sound into an electrical signal;

(d) a signal processor to receive the signal from the microphone and output a modified electrical signal; and

(e) a speaker to receive the modified electrical signal from the signal processor and output a sound wave.

19. A hearing aid according to claim 19 wherein the rechargeable battery module comprises:

(1) a rechargeable thin film battery comprising;

(i) a substrate having a thickness of less than about 100 microns;

(ii) a plurality of battery component films on the substrate, the battery component films including at least a pair of electrode films about an electrolyte film, the electrode films comprising one or more of a cathode current collector film, cathode film, anode film, and anode current collector film; and

(iii) battery terminals;

(2) a receiving induction coil electrically coupled to the battery terminals;

(3) a battery control circuit electrically coupled to the receiving induction coil and the battery terminals, the battery control circuit comprising;

(i) a rectifier circuit electrically coupled to the receiving induction coil to convert an alternating current that is generated within the coil to a direct current for charging the battery;

(ii) a battery charging circuit to limit the charging voltage provided by the direct current to the battery to a maximum charging voltage; and

(ii) a battery discharging circuit to terminate a discharge voltage from the battery when the discharge voltage reaches a predetermined minimum discharge voltage; and

(4) a pair of output terminals to provide an output voltage to an external electronic device.

20. A hearing aid according to claim 20 wherein the substrate comprises mica.