Controlling a link for different load conditions

• US 8,831,256 B2
• Filed: 12/09/2011
• Issued: 09/09/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/09/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Fort, Andrew, Schindhelm, Adam, Meskens, Werner
• Primary Examiner(s): Kuntz, Curtis
• Assistant Examiner(s): ROBINSON, RYAN C
• Application Number:
  US13/315,691
• Publication Number:
  US 20130148828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: 381/331, 381314-315, 381/323, 607/57, 307/104
• US Class Current: 381/315
• CPC Class Codes: A61N 1/36038 Cochlear stimulation
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 2310/23 The load being a medical device, a medical implant, or a life supporting device
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/10 using inductive coupling
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 7/00034 Charger exchanging data with an electronic device, i.e. telephone, whose internal battery is under charge
• 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 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

The present application discloses systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for determining prescription rules for a hearing prosthesis. A system in accordance with the present disclosure includes a receiver, a transmitter for wirelessly inducing electrical signals in the receiver, and first and second loads coupled to the receiver and associated with first and second applications, respectively. The system also includes a signal generator coupled to the transmitter. The signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a first duty cycle to the receiver for the first application and to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a second duty cycle to the receiver for the second application.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a receiver;

a transmitter for wirelessly transferring electrical signals to the receiver;

first and second loads coupled to the receiver and associated with first and second applications, respectively;

a signal generator coupled to the transmitter, wherein the signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a first duty cycle to the receiver for the first application, wherein the signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to transfer the electrical signals at a second duty cycle to the receiver for the second application, and wherein the first duty cycle is defined by a ratio between an On time and a frame time for the first application and the second duty cycle is defined by a ratio between the On time and the frame time for the second application.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first load is a power source and the second load includes hearing prosthesis electronics.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first duty cycle is greater than the second duty cycle.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the first application charges the power source and the second application delivers data to the hearing prosthesis electronics.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the data includes acoustic signal data.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the second application delivers power and data to the hearing prosthesis electronics.

7. The system of claim 4, wherein the data is block encoded within the On time of the frame time for the second application.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a third load coupled to the receiver and associated with a third application, wherein the signal generator is configured to energize the transmitter to induce the electrical signals at a third duty cycle in the receiver for the third application, wherein the third duty cycle is defined by a ratio between an On time and a frame time for the third application.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the third load includes a data storage, and wherein the third application delivers program instructions to the data storage.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter includes a primary coil circuit and the receiver includes a secondary coil circuit.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transfer electrical signals to the receiver via a coupled antenna structure.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the transmitter is configured to wirelessly transfer electrical signals to the receiver over magnetically coupled coils in a near-field.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the receiver and the first and second loads are enclosed within a single operational unit.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the single operational unit is hermetically sealed and adapted to be at least partially implanted in a person.

15. A method comprising:

inducing, in a receiver of a hearing prosthesis for operation in a first mode, a first electrical signal over a wireless link, wherein the first electrical signal has a first duty cycle, and wherein the first mode corresponds to the wireless link having a first coupling factor; and

inducing, in the receiver for operation in a second mode, a second electrical signal over the wireless link, wherein the second electrical signal has a second duty cycle, and wherein the second mode corresponds to the wireless link having a second coupling factor,

wherein the first duty cycle is defined by a ratio between an On time and a frame time for the first mode and the second duty cycle is defined by a ratio between the On time and the frame time for the second mode.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising supplying the first electrical signal to a power source of the hearing prosthesis, and supplying the second electrical signal to hearing prosthesis electronics of the hearing prosthesis.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first mode includes charging the power source and the second mode includes delivering data to the hearing prosthesis electronics.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the second mode includes delivering power and data to the hearing prosthesis electronics.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein at least one of the first and second modes includes receiving program instructions for the hearing prosthesis.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to be at least partially subcutaneously implanted, and wherein the first coupling factor corresponds to a first skin thickness over the receiver and the second coupling factor corresponds to a second skin thickness over the receiver.

21. A hearing prosthesis system comprising:

a primary coil;

a secondary coil;

an output signal interface for applying output signals to a user, the output signal interface being coupled to the secondary coil; and

a controller configured to energize the primary coil with first electrical signals for inducing second electrical signals in the secondary coil, wherein the first electrical signals have a duty cycle, and wherein the controller is configured to dynamically vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals in response to varying loads coupled to the secondary coil,

wherein the duty cycle is defined by a ratio between an On time and a frame time of the first electrical signals.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a first level for inducing the second electrical signals to charge a power source coupled to the secondary coil and to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a second level for inducing the second electrical signals to cause the output signal interface to apply output signals to the user.

23. The system of claim 22, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a third level for inducing the second electrical signals to load computing instructions to a storage device coupled to the secondary coil.

24. The system of claim 21, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a first level for inducing the second electrical signals over a first wireless link and to a second level for inducing the second electrical signals over a second wireless link.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the secondary coil is configured to be subcutaneously implanted, and wherein the first wireless link corresponds to a first coupling factor and the second wireless link corresponds to a second coupling factor.

26. The system of claim 21, wherein the secondary coil is configured to induce third electrical signals in the primary coil indicative of the varying loads, and wherein the controller is configured to process the third electrical signals to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals.

27. A method comprising:

energizing a transmitter with first electrical signals to induce second electrical signals in a receiver of a hearing prosthesis, wherein the first electrical signals have a duty cycle; and

varying the duty cycle of the first electrical signals based on different loads coupled to the receiver, wherein the step of varying the duty cycle includes setting the duty cycle to a first level for inducing the second electrical signals to charge a power source coupled to the receiver, and setting the duty cycle to a second level for inducing the second electrical signals to apply output signals to a user of the hearing prosthesis,

wherein the duty cycle is defined by a ratio between an On time and a frame time of the first electrical signals.

28. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of varying a duty cycle includes setting the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a third level for inducing the second electrical signals to load computing instructions to a storage device coupled to the receiver.

29. The method of claim 27, wherein the step of varying a duty cycle includes setting the duty cycle of the first electrical signals to a third level for inducing the second electrical signals over a first wireless link and to a fourth level for inducing the second electrical signals over a second wireless link.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the receiver is configured to be subcutaneously implanted, and wherein the first wireless link corresponds to a first coupling factor and the second wireless link corresponds to a second coupling factor.

31. The method of claim 27, further comprising inducing third electrical signals in the transmitter indicative of the different loads and processing the third electrical signals to vary the duty cycle of the first electrical signals.

32. A hearing prosthesis system comprising:

means for delivering electrical signals over a wireless link;

means for receiving electrical signals over a wireless link;

means for applying output signals to a user, wherein the means for applying is coupled to the means for receiving, and wherein an output signal applied to the user enables the user to perceive sound; and

a controller configured to actuate the means for delivering with a first signal to deliver a second signal to the means for receiving, wherein the first signal has a duty cycle, and wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a first level to deliver the second signal over a first wireless link, and to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a second level to deliver the second signal over a second wireless link,

wherein the duty cycle is defined by a ratio between an On time and a frame time of the first signal.

33. The system of claim 32, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a third level to deliver the second signal to charge a power source coupled to the means for receiving and to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a fourth level to deliver the second signal to cause the means for applying to apply the output signal to the user.

34. The system of claim 33, wherein the controller is configured to vary the duty cycle of the first signal to a fifth level to deliver the second signal to load computing instructions to a storage device coupled to the means for receiving.

35. The system of claim 32, wherein the means for receiving is configured to be subcutaneously implanted, and wherein the first wireless link corresponds to a first coupling factor and the second wireless link corresponds to a second coupling factor.

36. The system of claim 32, wherein the controller is configured to dynamically vary the duty cycle of the first signal in response to different loads coupled to the means for receiving.

37. The system of claim 36, wherein the means for receiving is configured deliver a third signal to the means for delivering, wherein the third signal is related to the different loads, and wherein the controller is configured to process the third signal to vary the duty cycle of the first signal.