Controlling a Link for Different Load Conditions

• US 20130148828A1
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Published: 06/13/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Fort, Andrew, Meskens, Werner, Schindhelm, Adam
• Granted Patent: US 8,831,256 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

The present application discloses systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for determining prescription rules for a hearing prosthesis. A system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a receiver, a transmitter for wirelessly inducing electrical signals in the receiver, and first and second loads coupled to the receiver and associated with first and second applications, respectively. The system also includes a signal generator coupled to the transmitter. The signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a first duty cycle to the receiver for the first application and to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a second duty cycle to the receiver for the second application.

Claims

15. A method comprising:

inducing a first electrical signal over a wireless link at a first duty cycle in a receiver of a hearing prosthesis;

supplying the first electrical signal to the hearing prosthesis to operate in a first mode;

inducing a second electrical signal over the wireless link at a second duty cycle in the receiver;

supplying the second electrical signal to the hearing prosthesis to operate in a second mode.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein supplying the first electrical signal includes supplying the first electrical signal to a power source of the hearing prosthesis, and wherein supplying the second electrical signal includes supplying the second electrical signal to hearing prosthesis electronics of the hearing prosthesis.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first mode includes charging the power source and the second mode includes delivering data to the hearing prosthesis electronics.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second mode includes delivering power and data to the hearing prosthesis electronics.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and second modes includes providing program instructions to the hearing prosthesis.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the first mode corresponds to a first coupling factor of the wireless link and the second mode corresponds to a second coupling factor of the wireless link.

21. The method of claim 20, wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to be at least partially subcutaneously implanted, and wherein the first coupling factor corresponds to a first skin thickness over the receiver and the second coupling factor corresponds to a second skin thickness over the receiver.

22. A hearing prosthesis system comprising:

a primary coil;

a secondary coil;

an output signal interface for applying output signals to a user, the output signal interface coupled to the secondary coil; and

a controller configured to energize the primary coil with first electrical signals for inducing second electrical signals in the secondary coil, wherein the controller is configured to vary a duty cycle of the first electrical signals.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a first level for inducing the second electrical signals to charge a power source coupled to the secondary coil and to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a second level for inducing the second electrical signals to cause the output signal interface to apply output signals to the user.

24. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a third level for inducing the second electrical signals to load computing instructions to a storage device coupled to the secondary coil.

25. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a first level for inducing the second electrical signals over a first wireless link and to a second level for inducing the second electrical signals over a second wireless link.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the secondary coil is configured to be subcutaneously implanted, and wherein the first wireless link corresponds to a first coupling factor and the second wireless link corresponds to a second coupling factor.

27. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals in response to varying loads coupled to the secondary coil.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein the secondary coil is configured to induce third electrical signals in the primary coil indicative of the varying loads, and wherein the controller is configured to process the third electrical signals to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals.

29. A method comprising:

energizing a transmitter with first electrical signals to induce second electrical signals in a receiver of a hearing prosthesis; and

varying a duty cycle of the first electrical signals based on different loads coupled to the receiver.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of varying a duty cycle includes setting the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a first level for inducing the second electrical signals to charge a power source coupled to the receiver and setting the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a second level for inducing the second electrical signals to apply output signals to a user of the hearing prosthesis.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein the step of varying a duty cycle includes setting the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a third level for inducing the second electrical signals to load computing instructions to a storage device coupled to the receiver.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein the step of varying a duty cycle includes setting the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a first level for inducing the second electrical signals over a first wireless link and to a second level for inducing the second electrical signals over a second wireless link.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the receiver is configured to be subcutaneously implanted, and wherein the first wireless link corresponds to a first coupling factor and the second wireless link corresponds to a second coupling factor.

34. The method of claim 29, further comprising inducing third electrical signals in the transmitter indicative of the different loads and processing the third electrical signals to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals.

35. A hearing prosthesis system comprising:

means for delivering electrical signals over a wireless link;

means for receiving electrical signals over a wireless link;

means for applying output signals to a user, wherein the means for applying is coupled to the means for receiving, and wherein an output signal applied to the user enables the user to perceive sound; and

a controller configured to actuate the means for delivering with a first signal to deliver a second signal to the means for receiving, wherein the controller is configured to vary a duty cycle of the first signal.

1. A system comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter for wirelessly transferring electrical signals to the receiver;

first and second loads coupled to the receiver and associated with first and second applications, respectively;

a signal generator coupled to the transmitter, wherein the signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a first duty cycle to the receiver for the first application, and wherein the signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a second duty cycle to the receiver for the second application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first load is a power source and the second load includes hearing prosthesis electronics.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first duty cycle is greater than the second duty cycle.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first application is to charge the power source and the second application is to deliver data to the hearing prosthesis electronics.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the data includes acoustic signal data.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second application is to deliver power and data to the hearing prosthesis electronics.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the electrical signals for the second application include an On portion of a total power frame length, wherein the On portion and the total power frame length define the duty cycle, and wherein the data is block encoded within the On portion of the power frame.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third load coupled to the receiver and associated with a third application, wherein the signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to induce the electrical signals at a third duty cycle in the receiver for the third application.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the third load includes a data storage, and wherein the third application is to deliver program instructions to the data storage.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter includes a primary coil circuit and the receiver includes a secondary coil circuit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transfer electrical signals to the receiver via a coupled antenna structure.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transfer electrical signals to the receiver over magnetically coupled coils in the near-field.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver and the first and second loads are enclosed within a single operational unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the single operational unit is hermetically sealed and adapted to be at least partially implanted in a person.

36. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a first level to deliver the second signal to charge a power source coupled to the means for receiving and to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a second level to deliver the second signal to cause the means for applying to apply the output signal to the user.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a third level to deliver the second signal to load computing instructions to a storage device coupled to the means for receiving.

40. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically vary the duty cycle of the first signal in response to different loads coupled to the means for receiving.

41. The system of claim 40, wherein the means for receiving is configured deliver a third signal to the means for delivering, wherein the third signal is related to the different loads, and wherein the controller is configured to process the third signal to vary the duty cycle of the first signal.

37-1. The system of claim 35, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a first level to deliver the second signal over a first wireless link and to a second level to deliver the second signal over a second wireless link.

39. The system of claim 38, wherein the means for receiving is configured to be subcutaneously implanted, and wherein the first wireless link corresponds to a first coupling factor and the second wireless link corresponds to a second coupling factor.