Hearing device and method for a wireless receiving and/or sending of data

• US 8,300,863 B2
• Filed: 12/23/2008
• Issued: 10/30/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/27/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: Knudsen, Ove, Henriksen, Poul, Bodvarsson, Thorvaldur Oli
• Primary Examiner(s): Jackson, Jr., Jerome
• Assistant Examiner(s): Page, Dale E
• Application Number:
  US12/342,241
• Publication Number:
  US 20090169038A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,407 Days
• Field of Search: 381/6, 381/315
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0213 Constructional details of earhooks, e.g. shape, material
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

The present invention is related in particular to means for a wireless communication to and from a hearing device (10) comprising a first portion (12) adapted for being arranged at a user and for providing a signal, an output transducer (18) for converting said signal to an acoustic output and a second portion (14) adapted for being arranged in an ear canal of said user and for providing said acoustic output to said user and further related to a method for a wireless receiving and/or sending of data in a hearing device (10). In order to provide such a hearing device (10) with sufficient characteristics regarding the ability to send and/or receive data in a wireless manner using desired frequencies without a need for additional external antenna solutions or for a size not meeting the current requirements of smallness for hearing devices a hearing device (10) it is proposed, further comprising a coupling element (16) coupling said first portion (12) and said second portion (14), an antenna, and a wireless interface (22) for receiving and/or sending data by means of said antenna, wherein said coupling element (16) comprises an electrically conducting element (24) coupled to said wireless interface (22), wherein said electrically conducting element (24) is at least a part of said antenna. A corresponding method and use of a hearing device is also proposed.

Claims

1. A hearing device, comprising:

a first portion configured to be arranged at a user and to provide a signal to a second portion;

the second portion configured to be arranged in an ear canal of said user and to provide acoustic output to said user, the second portion including an output transducer for converting said signal into said acoustic output;

a coupling element coupling said first portion and said second portion and transmitting said signal to said output transducer, the coupling element including an electrically conducting element;

an antenna; and

a wireless interface for receiving and/or sending data through said antenna,

wherein said electrically conducting element is operatively coupled to said wireless interface and functions as at least a part of said antenna by wirelessly receiving or transmitting RF signals.

2. The hearing device according to claim 1,

wherein said electrically conducting element is configured to carry said signal upon transmission to said output transducer.

3. The hearing device according to claim 1,

wherein said coupling element comprises two balanced wires for transmitting said signal to said output transducer, wherein said electrically conducting element comprises said wires.

4. The hearing device according to claim 3,

wherein said wireless interface is coupled to said wires via a high-pass filter, wherein said wireless interface is coupled to said high-pass filter via a balun and wherein said high-pass filter is coupled to said wires via respective capacitors, wherein said first portion includes a low-pass filter in the path of said signal.

5. The hearing device according to claim 4,

wherein said balun comprises a transformer and wherein said high-pass filter comprises a capacitor and an inductance.

6. The hearing device according to claim 1,

wherein said coupling element comprises two wires for transmitting said signal to said output transducer and a shield element for shielding said wires, wherein said electrically conducting element comprises said shield element.

7. The hearing device according to claim 6,

wherein said wireless interface is coupled to said shield element via a high-pass filter, wherein said wireless interface is coupled to said high-pass filter via a balun, wherein said first portion includes a low-pass filter in the path of said signal.

8. The hearing device according to claim 7,

wherein said balun comprises a transformer and wherein said high-pass filter comprises a capacitor and an inductance.

11. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein

said wireless interface is configured to receive and/or send data as radio frequency signals by electromagnetic radiation in the frequency range of 1 MHz to 1000 GHz, and

the wireless interface is configured to receive and/or send data according to a communications standard.

12. The hearing device according to claim 1,

wherein said first portion is adapted for being arranged behind an ear of said user.

14. The hearing device according to claim 6, wherein said shield element is a conductive wire operatively connected to the wireless interface.

16. The hearing device according to claim 11, wherein the communications standard is Bluetooth.

17. The hearing device according to claim 11, wherein the frequency range is from 1 MHz to 3 GHz, inclusive.

18. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the first portion is a behind-the-ear portion configured to be located at or behind an ear of the user.

19. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein said electrically conducting element included in the coupling element has a spatial extension less than 5 cm.

20. The hearing device according to claim 1, wherein the hearing device has a size on the order of 0.01 m.

9. A hearing device, comprising:

a first portion configured to be arranged at a user and to provide acoustic output to a second portion, wherein said first portion includes an output transducer for converting a signal into the acoustic output;

the second portion configured to be arranged in an ear canal of said user and to provide said acoustic output to said ear canal;

a coupling element provided for transmitting said acoustic output to said second portion, the coupling element including

an electrically conducting element, and

a tube for acoustically transmitting said acoustic output to said second portion;

an antenna; and

a wireless interface for receiving and/or sending data through said antenna,

wherein said electrically conducting element is operatively coupled to said wireless interface and functions as at least a part of said antenna by wirelessly receiving or transmitting RF signals.

10. The hearing device according to claim 9,

wherein said wireless interface is coupled to said electrically conducting element via a balun.

15. The hearing device according to claim 9, wherein the tube is a flexible tube.

21. The hearing device according to claim 9, wherein the first portion is a behind-the-ear portion configured to be located at or behind an ear of the user.

22. The hearing device according to claim 9, wherein said electrically conducting element included in the coupling element has a spatial extension less than 5 cm.

23. The hearing device according to claim 9, wherein the hearing device has a size on the order of 0.01 m.

24. The hearing device according to claim 9, wherein said second portion includes an ear mould.

13. A method of wirelessly receiving and/or sending of data in a hearing device comprising a coupling element coupling a first portion and a second portion of said hearing device, the method comprising the steps of:

providing an electrically conducting element in said coupling element;

arranging said first portion at a user of said hearing device;

arranging said second portion in an ear canal of said user;

operatively coupling said electrically conducting element to a wireless interface of the hearing device;

and

wirelessly receiving and/or sending RF signals by said electrically conducting element.