Rechargeable hearing aid

• US 7,620,195 B2
• Filed: 11/09/2005
• Issued: 11/17/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/09/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zounds Hearing, Inc. (Zounds Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Zounds Incorporated
• Inventors: Bengtsson, Bradley Dean, Thomasson, Samuel L., Fink, Scott Raymond
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey; Brian
• Assistant Examiner(s): EASON, MATTHEW A
• Application Number:
  US11/270,289
• Publication Number:
  US 20070104343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,469 Days
• Field of Search: 381/323
• US Class Current: 381/323
• 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 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A hearing aid having a rechargeable battery and a charger for charging the battery includes a first microphone and a first speaker in the hearing aid and a second microphone and a second speaker in the charger for acoustically transferring data between the hearing aid and the charger. The hearing aid can detect the charge state of a battery and send a signal to the charger indicative of the charge state. The charger also includes a chamber for receiving at least a portion of the hearing aid.

Claims

1. In a hearing aid having a rechargeable battery and a charger for charging the battery, the improvement comprising:

a first microphone and a first speaker in said hearing aid and a second microphone and a second speaker in said charger for acoustically transferring data between the hearing aid the charger.

2. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein the transfer of data is unidirectional.

3. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 2 wherein the transfer of data is from the hearing aid to the charger.

4. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein the transfer of data is bidirectional.

5. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein the data is programming data for the hearing aid.

6. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein the battery is nickel metal hydride.

7. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hearing aid includes a first inductor and said charger includes a second inductor, wherein energy is transferred to the battery for storage by means of said first inductor and said second inductor.

8. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 7 wherein said charger includes a receptacle for holding the first inductor proximate the second inductor for magnetic coupling therebetween.

9. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 7 wherein the medium is a magnetic field and the means for transferring data includes said first inductor and said second inductor.

10. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hearing aid includes means for detecting the condition of the battery and for sending a signal to said charger, using said means for transferring data, representative of that condition.

11. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said hearing aid includes means for detecting when the battery is charged and for sending a signal to said charger, using said means for transferring data, that the battery is charged.

12. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said charger includes a chamber for receiving at least a portion of the hearing aid containing said speaker.

13. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said charger includes at least two receptacles for receiving hearing aids.

14. The hearing aid and charger as set forth in claim 1 wherein said charger includes a microprocessor and said microprocessor monitors the charge state of said battery from data transferred by said means for transferring data.

15. A method for recharging a rechargeable battery in a hearing aid using a charger, said method comprising the steps of:

acoustically transferring data between the hearing aid and the charger; and

charging the battery in accordance with the data.