Hearing apparatus using an inductive switching controller as a radio transmitter

• US 8,224,003 B2
• Filed: 10/16/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 10/26/2007
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Reithinger, Jürgen
• Primary Examiner(s): Vu, David
• Assistant Examiner(s): Han, Jonathan
• Application Number:
  US12/288,055
• Publication Number:
  US 20090110221A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,370 Days
• Field of Search: 381312-331
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/353 Frequency, e.g. frequency shift or compression
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

The installation size of hearing apparatuses and in particular of hearing devices is to be reduced. Provision is thus made for a hearing apparatus with a transmitting facility including an antenna for the wireless, electromagnetic transmission of data and a switching controller including an inductor, which is used to supply energy to the hearing apparatus and the transmitting facility, with the inductor of the switching controller being identical to the antenna of the transmitting facility. This multiple use of the inductor can save on installation space. In order to avoid mutual interference of the transmitting facility and the switching controller, the signals thereof are modulated independently of one another.

Claims

1. A hearing apparatus, comprising:

a transmitting unit comprising an antenna that wirelessly and electromagnetically transmits data; and

a switching controller comprising an inductor that supplies energy to the hearing apparatus and the transmitting unit,

wherein the inductor is configured to be identical to the antenna,

wherein a base frequency and a base phase of a signal of the switching controller essentially remains unchanged during a control process for transmitting the energy,

wherein the inductor comprises one single partially open ring core, or

wherein the inductor comprises a cross-sectionally 8-shaped open core, wherein the 8-shaped open core is wound around a center bar that is closed, and wherein the 8-shaped open core comprises two outer bars each having a gap.

2. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a base frequency or a base phase of a signal of the transmitting unit is changed during a control process for transmitting the data.

3. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the switching controller transmits the energy using a modulation selected from the group consisting of:

a pulse width modulation, a pulse density modulation, and an amplitude modulation.

4. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein the transmitting unit transmits the data using a frequency modulation or a phase modulation.

5. The hearing apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein a supplementary inductor comprising a closed core is attached to the inductor.

6. A method for reducing an installation size of a hearing apparatus, comprising:

transmitting data by a transmitting unit of the hearing apparatus comprising an antenna; and

supplying energy to the hearing apparatus and the transmitting unit by a switching controller of the hearing apparatus comprising an inductor identical to the antenna,

wherein a base frequency and a base phase of a signal of the switching controller essentially remains unchanged during a control process for transmitting the energy,

wherein the inductor comprises one single partially open ring core, or

wherein the inductor comprises a cross-sectionally 8-shaped open core, wherein the 8-shaped open core is wound around a center bar that is closed, and wherein the 8-shaped open core comprises two outer bars each having a gap.