HEARING AID-COMPATIBLE APPARATUS FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION DEVICES

• US 20120051570A1
• Filed: 08/30/2010
• Published: 03/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Arche, Glenn S.
• Granted Patent: US 8,923,528 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

Apparatus and methods are disclosed for wireless communications using a hearing aid, or other suitable receiver. According to one embodiment, a mobile phone device comprises an LCD display having a substantially planar top viewing surface, a transmitter for outputting an electromagnetic signal to an inductively-coupled hearing aid telecoil receiver, and a layer of austenitic stainless steel forming a support frame for the LCD display. A portion of the transmitter and the layer of austenitic stainless steel are positioned underneath the LCD display, thus providing a compact mobile phone design with negligible impact, or even improvement, of the output electromagnetic signal.

Claims

1. A wireless communication apparatus, comprising:

a display having a top viewing surface and bottom surface;

a transmitter for outputting a signal suitable for a hearing aid receiver, wherein the transmitter is positioned underneath at least a portion of the bottom surface of the display; and

a layer of non-ferromagnetic material interposed between the transmitter and at least a portion of the bottom surface of the display.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the non-ferromagnetic material comprises austenitic stainless steel; and

the non-ferromagnetic material is coupled to the bottom surface of the display to be a support layer for the display.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein a relative magnetic permeability of the non-ferromagnetic material is not greater than 1.01.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein:

the non-ferromagnetic layer covers substantially all of the bottom surface of the display.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising:

a housing, wherein the transmitter, the non-ferromagnetic layer, and at least the bottom surface of the display are positioned inside the housing, wherein the bottom surface of the display and the top viewing surface of the display are substantially parallel; and

a receiving region, the receiving region being a defined area of space outside the housing for a user to place the hearing aid receiver in proximity with the apparatus, wherein the transmitter is operable to non-acoustically couple with a telecoil located in the receiving region.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic speaker having a speaker coil, wherein the transmitter is the speaker coil, and wherein the speaker coil is operable to produce the signal, the signal being an inductive signal.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising an acoustic speaker for producing an acoustic signal, wherein the transmitter is a an inductive coil that is not for producing the acoustic signal, wherein the transmitter is wired in series with the speaker coil.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the area of the transmitter positioned underneath the at least a portion of the bottom surface of the display is at least 10%.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the area of the transmitter positioned underneath the at least a portion of the bottom surface of the display is at least 50%.

10. A wireless communication apparatus having a first axis and a second axis, wherein the first axis is perpendicular to the second axis, the apparatus comprising:

a transmitter;

a display, the display having a substantially planar bottom surface, the display being configured when the apparatus is in an operable position such that the first axis is substantially parallel to the bottom surface of the display; and

a layer of non-ferromagnetic material, wherein;

the transmitter, the display, and the non-ferromagnetic layer are each configured such that when the apparatus is in the operable position the second axis passes through at least a portion of the transmitter, at least a portion of the bottom surface of the display, and at least a portion of the non-ferromagnetic layer.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a housing, wherein:

the transmitter, the non-ferromagnetic layer, and at least the bottom surface of the display are positioned inside the housing;

the housing substantially consists of a low-carbon material, the low-carbon being selected such that it does not substantially interfere with transmission between the transmitter and a hearing aid receiver positioned outside the housing.

12. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising a housing having a top surface and a speaker port, the speaker port being located on the top surface of the housing, wherein:

at least a portion of the top surface of the housing is substantially parallel with top surface of the display; and

the speaker port does not overlap the non-ferromagnetic layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is a speaker coil.

14. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the transmitter is an inductive coil that is not part of a speaker.

15. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein the non-ferromagnetic layer forms a backing covering at least a portion of the bottom surface of the display, wherein the display is a liquid crystal display (LCD).

16. The apparatus of claim 10, further comprising:

a backlight for the display;

a transparent cover for the display;

an acoustic cavity, the acoustic cavity having at least one speaker port, wherein the speaker port is not intersected by the second axis;

a housing, wherein the housing is made of a low-carbon material for avoiding interference with a hearing aid;

a touch screen sensor below the transparent cover; and

wherein the non-ferromagnetic material comprises austenitic stainless steel.

17. The apparatus of claim 16, wherein the display is configurable to be positioned such that the first axis is substantially parallel to the top surface during operation of the transmitter.

18. A method of operating a wireless transmitter, comprising:

producing a communication signal;

transmitting an inductive signal from the transmitter through a layer of non-ferromagnetic material substantially parallel to a viewing surface of an electronic display; and

receiving the inductive signal using an electromagnetic receiver, wherein;

the inductive signal is derived from the communications signal,

the non-ferromagnetic layer is at least partially interposed between the electronic display and the transmitter.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the communication signal is an audio signal and the electromagnetic receiver is a telecoil in a hearing aid.

20. The method of claim 20, wherein the communication signal is a data signal and the electromagnetic receiver is a radio-frequency identification (RFID) or electronic article surveillance receiver.