Shared coil for inductive charging and hearing-aid-compliance requirements in mobile phones

• US 8,462,968 B2
• Filed: 06/18/2010
• Issued: 06/11/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Drader, Marc
• Primary Examiner(s): FLETCHER, MARLON T
• Application Number:
  US12/818,574
• Publication Number:
  US 20110311084A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,089 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/26 using coils
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A mobile communication device that is compliant with the Hearing Aid Compliance Act. The device includes a coil and circuitry that can couple, through electromagnetic induction, the output of an audio codec of the device to a hearing aid. The coil and circuitry can also be used to charge the battery of the device. The coil and circuitry can further be used, through electromagnetic induction, to transfer energy from the battery of the device to the battery of the hearing aid to charge the battery of the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A mobile communication device comprising:

an electrical energy source;

a data converter to convert input data into an electrical output signal;

a coil; and

circuitry configurable to electrically connect the coil to the electrical energy source to charge the electrical energy source upon the coil being subjected to a mobile communication device electromagnetic induction charge signal, the circuitry also configurable to provide the electrical output signal of the data converter to the coil, the coil to produce, as a function of the electrical output signal, an electromagnetic induction output signal to be received by a peripheral device upon the coil being inductively coupled to the peripheral device.

2. The device of claim 1 wherein the mobile communication device electromagnetic induction charge signal generates a time-varying electrical signal in the coil, the circuitry including a rectifier to convert the time-varying electrical signal into a direct current electrical signal to charge the electrical energy source.

3. The device of claim 1 wherein the data converter is an audio codec and the peripheral device is a hearing aid.

4. The device of claim 3 wherein the circuitry includes an audio amplifier to amplify the electrical output signal of the audio codec.

5. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry is configurable to electrically connect the electrical energy source to the coil to provide a peripheral device electromagnetic induction charge signal to charge the peripheral device upon the peripheral device being inductively coupled to the coil.

6. The device of claim 5 wherein the circuitry includes a DC to AC converter to convert a direct current signal from the electrical energy source into the peripheral device electromagnetic induction charge signal.

7. The device of claim 1 wherein the circuitry includes a switching device to electrically connect the coil to the electrical energy source, and to electrically connect the data converter to the coil.

8. The device of claim 7 wherein the switching device includes a transistor.

9. The device of claim 8 wherein the transistor includes a field-effect transistor.

10. The device of claim 7 wherein the circuitry includes:

detection and control circuitry connected to the coil, the detection and control circuit to generate a detection signal as a function of a detection of the peripheral device or of the mobile communication device electromagnetic induction charge signal, the detection and control circuitry also to control the switching device as a function of the detection signal.

11. The device of claim 7 wherein the circuitry includes:

a sensor to detect the peripheral device and to detect the mobile communication device electromagnetic charge signal; and

detection and control circuitry connected to the sensor, the detection and control circuit to generate a detection signal as a function of a detection of the peripheral device or of the mobile communication device electromagnetic induction charge signal, the detection and control circuitry also to control the switching device as a function of the detection signal.

12. The device of claim 11 wherein the sensor includes a Hall effect sensor.

13. The device of claim 1 wherein the peripheral device is a biometric monitor having recorded thereon biometric data, the circuitry configurable to receive the biometric data from the biometric sensor and to store the biometric data in a memory of the device.

14. A method of coupling a mobile communication device to a hearing aid or to an electromagnetic induction charger, the mobile communication device comprising an electrical energy source, an audio codec, and a coil, the method comprising:

detecting one of a mobile communication device electromagnetic charge signal generated by the electromagnetic induction charger and a hearing aid identification electromagnetic induction signal generated by the hearing aid;

upon detection of the mobile communication device electromagnetic charge signal, electrically connecting the coil to the electrical energy source to provide a charge current to the electrical energy source to charge the electrical energy source, the charge current being a function of an electromagnetic induction current generated in the coil by the mobile communication device electromagnetic charge signal; and

upon detection of the hearing aid identification electromagnetic induction signal, electrically connecting the coil to the audio codec to provide an electrical output signal of the audio codec to the coil to generate an electromagnetic induction output signal to be received by the hearing aid.