Antennas for standard fit hearing assistance devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A hearing assistance device, comprising:
- a housing, wherein the housing has a long axis;
a power source;
a radio circuit within the housing and electrically connected to the power source, wherein the radio circuit includes a transmitter/receiver, a processor and storage;
an antenna having an aperture with at least one loop, the antenna configured to provide a three-dimensional aperture within the loop, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture; and
a transmission line to electrically connect the antenna to the radio circuit,wherein the antenna is a flex circuit antenna and, as assembled, the flex circuit antenna forms a loop in a plane substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the housing, and the aperture has an axis substantially parallel to the long axis, and the flex circuit antenna includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the first and second portions form a first aperture, the first and third portions form a second aperture, and the second and third portions are electrically connected in parallelwherein the housing includes an outer shell with an inside surface and an outside surface, and at least a portion of the antenna conforms to a portion of the inside surface of the outer shell.
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Abstract
An embodiment of a hearing assistance device comprises a housing, a power source, a radio circuit, an antenna and a transmission line. The radio circuit is within the housing and electrically connected to the power source. The antenna has an aperture, and the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture. The transmission line electrically connects to the antenna to the radio circuit. Various antenna embodiments include a flex circuit antenna.
125 Citations
23 Claims
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1. A hearing assistance device, comprising:
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a housing, wherein the housing has a long axis; a power source; a radio circuit within the housing and electrically connected to the power source, wherein the radio circuit includes a transmitter/receiver, a processor and storage; an antenna having an aperture with at least one loop, the antenna configured to provide a three-dimensional aperture within the loop, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture; and a transmission line to electrically connect the antenna to the radio circuit, wherein the antenna is a flex circuit antenna and, as assembled, the flex circuit antenna forms a loop in a plane substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the housing, and the aperture has an axis substantially parallel to the long axis, and the flex circuit antenna includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the first and second portions form a first aperture, the first and third portions form a second aperture, and the second and third portions are electrically connected in parallel wherein the housing includes an outer shell with an inside surface and an outside surface, and at least a portion of the antenna conforms to a portion of the inside surface of the outer shell. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17)
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18. A method of forming a hearing assistance device, comprising:
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placing a radio circuit within a housing of the device, wherein the housing has a long axis and wherein the radio circuit includes a transmitter/receiver, a processor and storage; and looping a flex circuit antenna to form a three-dimensional aperture and electrically connecting the antenna to the radio circuit, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture, wherein, as assembled, the flex circuit antenna forms a loop in a plane substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the housing, and the aperture has an axis substantially parallel to the long axis, and wherein the flex circuit antenna includes a first portion, a second portion and a third portion, the first and second portions form a first aperture, the first and third portions form a second aperture, and the second and third portions are electrically connected in parallel, and wherein the housing includes an outer shell with an inside surface and an outside surface, and at least a portion of the coil antenna conforms to a portion of the inside surface of the outer shell. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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Specification