MOBILE WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS DEVICE INCLUDING SHARED VOICE COIL TO PROVIDE HEARING AID COMPATIBILITY AND RELATED METHODS

• US 20090186653A1
• Filed: 08/13/2008
• Published: 07/23/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Wang, Qian, Drader, Marc, Hawker, Larry
• Granted Patent: US 8,014,821 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/556.100
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device is for use with a hearing aid including a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil. The device may include a portable housing and a wireless receiver carried by the portable housing. The device may also include at least one image capture component and a positioning coil associated therewith and carried by the portable housing. A controller may also be carried by the portable housing for selectively operating the positioning coil for image capture, and for inductively coupling received signals from the wireless receiver to the HAC coil.

Claims

1. A mobile wireless communications device for use with a hearing aid comprising a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil, the mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a portable housing;

a wireless receiver carried by said portable housing;

at least one image capture component and a positioning coil associated therewith and carried by said portable housing; and

a controller carried by said portable housing for selectively operating said positioning coil for image capture, and for inductively coupling received signals from said wireless receiver to the HAC coil.

2. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said at least one image capture component comprises a camera lens;

and wherein said positioning coil comprises an autofocus voice coil.

3. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 2 further comprising a charge coupled device (CCD) cooperating with said controller for capturing an image received via said camera lens.

4. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 wherein said controller further comprises a bias circuit for biasing said positioning coil between an image capture equilibrium position, and an HAC coil coupling equilibrium position different than the image capture equilibrium position.

5. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising an audio speaker carried by said portable housing adjacent said positioning coil.

6. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 5 further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) carried by said portable housing and carrying said audio output speaker and said positioning coil on a same side of said PCB.

7. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 5 wherein said controller selectively disables said audio output speaker.

8. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 1 further comprising a wireless transmitter carried by said portable housing.

9. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 8 wherein said wireless receiver and said wireless transmitter comprise a cellular receiver and a cellular transmitter, respectively.

10. A mobile wireless communications device for use with a hearing aid comprising a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil, the mobile wireless communications device comprising:

a portable housing;

a wireless cellular receiver carried by said portable housing;

a camera lens and an autofocus voice coil associated therewith and carried by said portable housing; and

a controller carried by said portable housing for selectively operating said autofocus voice coil for image capture, and for inductively coupling received signals from said wireless cellular receiver to the HAC coil.

11. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 10 further comprising a charge coupled device (CCD) cooperating with said controller for capturing an image received via said camera lens.

12. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 10 wherein said controller further comprises a bias circuit for biasing said positioning coil between an image capture equilibrium position, and an HAC coil coupling equilibrium position different than the image capture equilibrium position.

13. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 10 further comprising an audio speaker carried by said portable housing adjacent said positioning coil.

14. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) carried by said portable housing and carrying said audio output speaker and said positioning coil on a same side of said PCB.

15. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 wherein said controller selectively disables said audio output speaker.

16. The mobile wireless communications device of claim 13 further comprising a wireless transmitter carried by said portable housing;

and wherein said wireless receiver and said wireless transmitter comprise a cellular receiver and a cellular transmitter, respectively.

17. A method for operating a mobile wireless communications device comprising a wireless receiver and at least one image capture component and a positioning coil associated therewith, the method comprising:

selectively operating the positioning coil for image capture and for inductively coupling received signals from the wireless receiver to a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil of a hearing aid.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the at least one image capture component comprises a camera lens;

and wherein the positioning coil comprises an autofocus voice coil.

19. The method of claim 17 further comprising biasing the positioning coil between an image capture equilibrium position, and an HAC coil coupling equilibrium position different than the image capture equilibrium position.

20. The method of claim 17 wherein the mobile wireless communications device further comprises an audio speaker;

and further comprising selectively disabling the audio output speaker.