Mobile wireless communications device including shared voice coil to provide hearing aid compatibility and related methods

• US 8,311,597 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2011
• Issued: 11/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Research In Motion Limited (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Drader, Marc, Wang, Qian, Hawker, Larry
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US13/196,351
• Publication Number:
  US 20110286617A1
• Time in Patent Office: 469 Days
• Field of Search: 455/550.1, 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/41.2, 381/312, 381/317
• US Class Current: 455/575.1
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0264 for a camera module assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/52 including functional features of a camera
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/00 Deaf-aid sets , i.e. electro-acoustic or electro-mechanical hearing aids; Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception electrical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N1/36038; optical stimulation of auditory nerves to promote the auditory function A61N5/0622
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence

Abstract

A mobile wireless communications device is for use with a hearing aid including a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil. The device may include a portable housing and a wireless receiver carried by the portable housing. The device may also include at least one image capture component and a positioning coil associated therewith and carried by the portable housing. A controller may also be carried by the portable housing for selectively operating the positioning coil for image capture, and for inductively coupling received signals from the wireless receiver to the HAC coil.

Claims

1. An electronic device for use with a hearing aid comprising a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil, the electronic device comprising:

a housing;

circuitry carried by said housing;

at least one image capture component and a positioning coil associated therewith and carried by said housing; and

a controller carried by said housing and configured to selectively operate said positioning coil for image capture, and to inductively couple signals from said circuitry to the HAC coil.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said at least one image capture component comprises a camera lens;

and wherein said positioning coil comprises an autofocus voice coil.

3. The electronic device of claim 2 further comprising a charge coupled device (CCD) configured to cooperate with said controller for capturing an image received via said camera lens.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said controller further comprises a bias circuit configured to bias said positioning coil between an image capture equilibrium position, and an HAC coil coupling equilibrium position different than the image capture equilibrium position.

5. The electronic device of claim 1 further comprising an audio speaker carried by said housing adjacent said positioning coil.

6. The electronic device of claim 5 further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) carried by said housing and carrying said audio speaker and said positioning coil on a same side of said PCB.

7. The electronic device of claim 5 wherein said controller is configured to selectively disable said audio speaker.

8. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said circuitry comprises a wireless receiver and a wireless transmitter.

9. The electronic device of claim 8 wherein said wireless receiver and said wireless transmitter comprise a cellular receiver and a cellular transmitter, respectively.

10. An electronic device for use with a hearing aid comprising a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil, the electronic device comprising:

a housing;

cellular circuitry carried by said housing;

a camera lens and an autofocus voice coil associated therewith and carried by said housing; and

a controller carried by said housing and configured to selectively operate said autofocus coil, and to inductively couple signals from said cellular circuitry to the HAC coil.

11. The electronic device of claim 10 further comprising a charge coupled device (CCD) configured to cooperate with said controller for capturing an image received via said camera lens.

12. The electronic device of claim 10 wherein said controller further comprises a bias circuit configured to bias said positioning coil between an image capture equilibrium position, and an HAC coil coupling equilibrium position different than the image capture equilibrium position.

13. The electronic device of claim 10 further comprising an audio speaker carried by said housing adjacent said positioning coil.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 further comprising a printed circuit board (PCB) carried by said housing and carrying said audio speaker and said positioning coil on a same side of said PCB.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 wherein said controller is configured to selectively disable said audio speaker.

16. A method for operating an electronic device comprising circuitry, and at least one image capture component and a positioning coil associated therewith, the method comprising:

selectively operating the positioning coil for image capture and for inductively coupling signals from the circuitry to a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil of a hearing aid.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the at least one image capture component comprises a camera lens;

and wherein the positioning coil comprises an autofocus voice coil.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising biasing the positioning coil between an image capture equilibrium position, and an HAC coil coupling equilibrium position different than the image capture equilibrium position.

19. The method of claim 16 wherein the electronic device further comprises an audio speaker;

and further comprising selectively disabling the audio speaker.