Hearing aid with wireless battery charging capability

• US 8,644,542 B2
• Filed: 09/08/2009
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/08/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Klemenz, Harald, Lim, Pei Chyi Kristy, Neumann, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D
• Application Number:
  US13/394,867
• Publication Number:
  US 20120170781A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,610 Days
• Field of Search: 381/322, 381/323, 381/324, 381/328, 381/330, 381/331, 320/107, 320/108, 429/163, 429/164, 429/176, 429/186
• US Class Current: 381/323
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/0042 characterised by the mechanical construction
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/31 Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries

Abstract

In an embodiment, a hearing aid is provided. The hearing aid may include a set of battery charging terminals configured to be connected to a battery. A receiver oscillator circuit is electrically coupled to the set of battery charging terminals, the receiver oscillator circuit includes a receiver coil. The receiver coil may be tuned to resonate at a resonance frequency in a range of MHz and at the resonance frequency. The receiver coil may be configured to receive magnetic energy in the form of electromagnetic waves of a frequency similar to the resonance frequency of the receiver coil and to convert the magnetic energy of the received electromagnetic waves to an electrical current to charge the battery via the set of battery charging terminals.

Claims

1. A hearing aid, comprising:

a set of battery charging terminals configured to be connected to a battery;

a receiver oscillator circuit electrically coupled to said set of battery charging terminals, said receiver oscillator circuit having a receiver coil tuned to resonate at a resonance frequency in a range of MHz, and at the resonance frequency said receiver coil configured to receive magnetic energy in a form of electromagnetic waves of a frequency similar to the resonance frequency of said receiver coil and to convert the magnetic energy of the electromagnetic waves received to an electrical current to charge the battery via said set of battery charging terminals; and

a coating partially surrounding said receiver coil.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said receiver oscillator circuit has a receiver resistor.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said receiver oscillator circuit further has a receiver capacitor, said receiver capacitor is variable so as to tune said receiver coil to resonate at the resonance frequency.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a rectifying circuit electrically coupled to an output of said receiver oscillator circuit.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 4, wherein said rectifying circuit is configured to receive an alternating current signal from said receiver oscillator circuit and to convert the alternating current signal to a direct current signal to be provided to the battery.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a loading circuit electrically coupled to said set of battery charging terminals.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 6, wherein said loading circuit has an electrical component selected from the group consisting of a microphone, a signal processing circuit, a loud speaker and a volume control.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said receiver coil is positioned such that said receiver coil surrounds the battery.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a battery chamber housing, said receiver coil is disposed in said battery chamber housing.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said coating has a gap dimensioned and disposed to prevent electrical current from generating a further magnetic field which further generates a further electrical field.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said coating contains a permeable material.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein said coating contains a plastic hose.

13. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is selected from the group consisting of a behind-the-ear hearing aid, an in-the-ear hearing aid, an in-the-canal hearing aid and a completely-in-the-canal hearing aid.