BTE hearing aid having two driven antennas

• US 9,369,813 B2
• Filed: 01/14/2013
• Issued: 06/14/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: GN Resound A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Original Assignee: GN Resound A/S (GN Store Nord A/S)
• Inventors: Kvist, Soren
• Primary Examiner(s): Eason, Matthew
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nguyen, Sean H
• Application Number:
  US13/740,471
• Publication Number:
  US 20140010392A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,247 Days
• Field of Search: 381/315
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 9/24 Shunt feed arrangements to single active elements, e.g. for delta matching
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency

Abstract

A behind the ear hearing aid includes: a signal processor for processing a first audio signal into a second audio signal compensating a hearing loss of a user of the hearing aid; a receiver that is connected to an output of the signal processor for converting the second audio signal into an output sound signal; and a transceiver for wireless data communication interconnected with an antenna for emission and reception of an electromagnetic field; wherein the antenna comprises a first actively fed resonant structure provided proximate a first side of the hearing aid, a second actively fed resonant structure provided proximate a second side of the hearing aid, and a conducting segment short circuiting the first resonant structure and the second resonant structure to provide a current bridge between the first side of the hearing aid and the second side of the hearing aid.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising:

a housing configured for being arranged behind a pinna of an ear of a user;

a microphone for receiving sound;

a signal processor for providing a processed audio signal for compensating a hearing loss of the user;

an antenna;

a transceiver and/or a receiver for wireless data communication interconnected with the antenna for electromagnetic field transmission and/or electromagnetic field emission;

a first electrical conductor;

a first electrical connection connecting the antenna to the first electrical conductor; and

a second electrical connection at the antenna;

wherein the antenna comprises

a first antenna structure located closer to a first side of the hearing aid than a second side of the hearing aid,

a second antenna structure located closer to the second side of the hearing aid than the first side of the hearing aid, and

a conducting antenna segment connecting the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure to provide a current bridge between the first side of the hearing aid and the second side of the hearing aid;

wherein the first electrical connection is closer to the first side than the second side of the hearing aid, and the second electrical connection is closer to the second side than the first side of the hearing aid; and

wherein the first electrical connection is closer to the first side than a location that is midway between the first side and the second side.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the current bridge has a direction substantially parallel with an ear to ear axis of the user when the hearing aid is worn in its operational position by the user.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure are substantially identical.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein one or each of the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure comprises a monopole antenna structure.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein a length of one, or each, of the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure as measured from the short circuit to a free end is substantially lambda/4.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein one or each of the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure has a circumference of lambda/2.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein one or each of the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure extends in a plane being substantially parallel to a side of a head when the hearing aid is worn in its operational position by the user.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a balanced antenna.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the antenna further comprises a feed system for exciting the antenna to thereby induce a current in at least the conducting antenna segment, wherein the feed system is configured such that the current has a first local maxima proximate the first side of the hearing aid and a second local maxima proximate the second side of the hearing aid.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 9, wherein the feed system comprises a first feed point for exciting the first antenna structure and a second feed point for exciting the second antenna structure.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 10, further comprising a plane of partition extending between the first side and the second side of the hearing aid, wherein at least a part of the antenna intersects the partition plane at an intersection so that a relative difference between a first distance from the first feed point to the intersection and a second distance from the second feed point to the intersection is less than or equal to a first threshold.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 11, wherein the first threshold is less than 25%.

13. The hearing aid according to claim 12, wherein the first threshold is 0.

14. The hearing aid according to claim 10, wherein a distance between the first feed point and the short circuit, and a distance between the second feed point and the short circuit, respectively, are tailored according to a desired antenna impedance.

15. The hearing aid according to claim 11, wherein the plane of partition is a symmetry plane for the first and second resonant structures.

16. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the conducting antenna segment contributes at least some radiation for the antenna.

17. The hearing aid according to claim 1, further comprising a third side, wherein the conducting antenna segment comprises a single wire, and wherein the single wire is the only component at the third side of the hearing aid connecting the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure.

18. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the second electrical connection is closer to the second side than the location that is midway between the first side and the second side.

19. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a resonant antenna.

20. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the antenna has a length that is at least a quarter of a wavelength of the electromagnetic field.

21. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises an open end.

22. The hearing aid of claim 1, further comprising a second electrical conductor, wherein the second electrical connection connects the antenna to the second electrical conductor.

23. The hearing aid of claim 22, wherein the second electrical conductor comprises ground.

24. A hearing aid comprising:

a housing configured for being arranged behind a pinna of an ear of a user;

a microphone for receiving sound;

a signal processor for providing a processed audio signal for compensating a hearing loss of the user;

an antenna;

a transceiver and/or a receiver for wireless data communication interconnected with the antenna for electromagnetic field transmission and/or electromagnetic field emission;

a first electrical conductor;

a first electrical connection connecting the antenna to the first electrical conductor; and

a second electrical connection at the antenna;

wherein the antenna comprises

a first antenna structure located closer to a first side of the hearing aid than a second side of the hearing aid,

a second antenna structure located closer to the second side of the hearing aid than the first side of the hearing aid, and

a conducting antenna segment connecting the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure to provide a current bridge between the first side of the hearing aid and the second side of the hearing aid;

wherein the first electrical connection is between and away from the first side and the second side of the hearing aid, and the second electrical connection is between and away from the first side and the second side of the hearing aid; and

wherein the first electrical connection is closer to the first side than a location that is midway between the first side and the second side.

25. The hearing aid of claim 24, wherein the antenna comprises an open end.

26. The hearing aid of claim 24, further comprising a second electrical conductor, wherein the second electrical connection connects the antenna to the second electrical conductor.

27. The hearing aid of claim 26, wherein the second electrical conductor comprises ground.

28. A hearing aid comprising:

a housing configured for being arranged behind a pinna of an ear of a user;

a microphone configured to receive sound;

a signal processor configured to provide a processed audio signal for compensating a hearing loss of the user;

an antenna;

a transmitter and/or receiver for wireless data communication interconnected with the antenna for electromagnetic field transmission and/or electromagnetic field emission;

a first electrical conductor;

a first electrical connection connecting the antenna to the first electrical conductor; and

a second electrical connection at the antenna;

wherein the antenna comprises

a first antenna structure located closer to a first side of the hearing aid than a second side of the hearing aid,

a second antenna structure located closer to the second side of the hearing aid than the first side of the hearing aid, and

a conducting antenna segment connecting the first antenna structure and the second antenna structure to provide a current bridge between the first side of the hearing aid and the second side of the hearing aid;

wherein the first electrical connection is closer to the first side than the second side of the hearing aid, and the second electrical connection is closer to the second side than the first side of the hearing aid;

wherein the first electrical connection is closer to the first side than a location that is midway between the first side and the second side; and

wherein the antenna comprises an open end.

29. The hearing aid of claim 28, further comprising a second electrical conductor, wherein the second electrical connection connects the antenna to the second electrical conductor.

30. The hearing aid of claim 29, wherein the second electrical conductor comprises ground.