Wireless communication device having electromagnetic compatibility for hearing aid devices

• US 7,343,181 B2
• Filed: 08/08/2005
• Issued: 03/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Google Technology Holdings LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Motorola, Inc. (Motorola Solutions, Inc.)
• Inventors: Kim, Jin D., Gavilan, Joselito C., Chan, Yiu K.
• Primary Examiner(s): LE, THANH C
• Application Number:
  US11/199,298
• Publication Number:
  US 20070032271A1
• Time in Patent Office: 946 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 455/575.3
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0214 Foldable telephones, i.e. with body parts pivoting to an open position around an axis parallel to the plane they define in closed position combined with translation movement H04M1/0235
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0235 Slidable or telescopic telephones, i.e. with a relative translation movement of the body parts; Telephones using a combination of translation and other relative motions of the body parts
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/035 Improving the acoustic characteristics by means of constructional features of the housing, e.g. ribs, walls, resonating chambers or cavities
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/02 including a Bluetooth interface
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/49 Reducing the effects of electromagnetic noise on the functioning of hearing aids, by, e.g. shielding, signal processing adaptation, selective (de)activation of electronic parts in hearing aid
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A wireless communication device for minimizing electromagnetic interference with hearing aid devices. The wireless communication device comprises a lower housing (112, 312, 412, 512, 612) and an upper housing (114, 314, 414, 514, 514) adjacent to the lower housing. The lower housing (112, 312, 412, 512, 612) supports a wireless transceiver (108, 202) capable of producing an electromagnetic field, and the upper housing includes an ear piece (104, 504, 604). For one embodiment the upper housing (114, 314, 514, 614) and all components supported by the upper housing consist of non-electromagnetic conductive material. For other embodiments, all electromagnetic conductive components of the upper housing (414, 514, 614) are restricted to an area adjacent to an ear piece (104, 504, 604) of the upper housing.

Claims

1. A wireless communication device for minimizing electromagnetic interference with hearing aid devices comprising:

a lower housing supporting a wireless transceiver and an acoustic transducer, the wireless transceiver being capable of producing an electromagnetic field;

an upper housing, adjacent to the lower housing, including an ear piece, the upper housing and all components supported by the upper housing consisting of non-electromagnetic conductive material; and

a passage coupling the acoustic transducer of the lower housing to the ear piece of the upper house.

2. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the ear piece of the upper housing is distal to the acoustic transducer.

3. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein a minimum distance between the acoustic transducer and the ear piece is about a quarter wavelength, which is a function of an operating frequency of the wireless transceiver.

4. The wireless communication device of claim 1, further comprising at least one antenna coupled to the wireless transceiver and supported, in its entirety, by the lower housing.

5. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the wireless transmitter is capable of operating between an 800 MHz to 960 MHz frequency range of a cellular communication system.

6. The wireless communication device of claim 5, wherein the cellular communication system is a Global System of Mobile Communications (“

GSM”

) system.

7. The wireless communication device of claim 1, wherein the passage communicates between the acoustic transducer and the ear piece via one of gas, liquid or solid material.

8. A wireless communication device for minimizing electromagnetic interference with a hearing aid device comprising:

a lower housing supporting a wireless transceiver capable of producing an electromagnetic field; and

an upper housing, adjacent to the lower housing, including an ear piece, all electromagnetic conductive components of the upper housing being restricted to an area adjacent to the ear piece.

9. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the upper housing supports a magnetic transducer capable of generating a magnetic field to drive a tele-coil of the hearing aid device.

10. The wireless communication device of claim 9, wherein the magnetic transducer includes a portable power source.

11. The wireless communication device of claim 10, wherein the portable power source of the magnetic transducer is rechargeable when the magnetic transducer is not communicating with the tele-coil of the hearing aid device.

12. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the upper housing supports an acoustic transducer capable of generating audio to the ear piece.

13. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the lower housing supports an acoustic transducer capable of generating audio for the ear piece.

14. The wireless communication device of claim 13, further comprising a passage coupling the acoustic transducer of the lower housing to the ear piece of the upper house.

15. The wireless communication device of claim 8, further comprising a short-range receiver located in the area adjacent to the ear piece of the upper housing, and a short-range transmitter located in the lower housing.

16. The wireless communication device of claim 15, wherein one or more components of the upper housing located in the area adjacent to the ear piece communicates with one or more components of the lower housing via the short-range transmitter and the short-range receivers.

17. The wireless communication device of claim 8, further comprising at least one antenna coupled to the wireless transceiver and supported, in its entirety, by the lower housing.

18. The wireless communication device of claim 8, wherein the wireless transmitter is capable of operating between an 800 MHz to 960 MHz frequency range of a cellular communication system.

19. The wireless communication device of claim 18, wherein the cellular communication system is a Global System of Mobile Communications (“

GSM”

) system.