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

• US 8,548,537 B2
• Filed: 10/01/2012
• Issued: 10/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 01/18/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Drader, Marc A., Wang, Qian, Hawker, Larry Edward
• Primary Examiner(s): Trinh, Sonny
• Application Number:
  US13/632,815
• Publication Number:
  US 20130029722A1
• Time in Patent Office: 365 Days
• Field of Search: 455/556.1, 455/575.1, 455/41.2, 455/550.1, 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;

an audio speaker carried by said housing;

a positioning coil carried by said housing; and

circuitry carried by said housing and coupled to said audio speaker and said positioning coil and configured to selectively operate said positioning coil for positioning and for inductively coupling with the HAC coil;

said circuitry comprising a bias circuit configured to bias said positioning coil between a first equilibrium position and a second equilibrium position for coupling with the HAC coil.

2. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said positioning coil comprises an autofocus voice coil.

3. The electronic device of claim 1 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.

4. The electronic device of claim 1 wherein said circuitry is configured to selectively disable said audio speaker.

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

6. The electronic device of claim 5 wherein said wireless receiver and said wireless transmitter comprise a cellular receiver and a cellular transmitter, respectively.

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

a housing;

an audio speaker carried by said housing;

a positioning coil carried by said housing; and

circuitry carried by said housing and coupled to said audio speaker and said positioning coil and configured to selectively operate said positioning coil for positioning and for inductively coupling with the HAC coil;

said circuitry comprising at least one wireless transceiver and a bias circuit configured to bias said positioning coil between a first equilibrium position, and a second equilibrium position for coupling with the HAC coil.

8. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein said positioning coil comprises an autofocus voice coil.

9. The electronic device of claim 7 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.

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

11. The electronic device of claim 7 wherein said wireless transceiver comprise a cellular transceiver.

12. A method for operating an electronic device comprising circuitry, an audio speaker coupled to the circuitry, and a positioning coil coupled to the circuitry, the method comprising:

selectively operating the positioning coil for positioning and for inductively coupling with a hearing aid compatible (HAC) coil of a hearing aid including biasing the positioning coil between a first equilibrium position, and a second equilibrium position for coupling with the HAC coil.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the positioning coil comprises an autofocus voice coil.

14. The method of claim 12 further comprising selectively disabling the audio speaker.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the circuitry comprises a wireless receiver and a wireless transmitter;

and further comprising operating the wireless receiver and wireless transmitter.