Antenna used in conjunction with the conductors for an audio transducer

• US 9,516,432 B2
• Filed: 10/20/2014
• Issued: 12/06/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Solum, Jeffrey Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, HOANG QUAN TRAN
• Application Number:
  US14/518,393
• Publication Number:
  US 20150172834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/241 used in mobile communications, e.g. GSM H01Q1/247, H01Q1/248 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/021 Behind the ear [BTE] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/0216 BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/025 In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
• 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

Abstract

A hearing assistance device to provide sound to the ear of a user, the device comprising a housing, hearing assistance electronics enclosed in the housing, an acoustic transducer adapted to be worn in the ear, a cable assembly adapted to connect the acoustic transducer to the hearing assistance electronics, a wireless communications receiver connected to the hearing assistance electronics, and an antenna comprising one or more conductors forming at least a portion of the cable assembly.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

using a cable assembly to connect hearing assistance electronics in a first housing to an acoustic transducer in a second housing, the acoustic transducer configured to emit or receive sounds, the cable assembly including a first electrical conductor configured to transmit signals between the hearing assistance electronics and the acoustic transducer and a second dedicated electrical conductor configured to form an antenna for wireless communication, the antenna connected to a wireless communication transceiver and configured to connect to a tuning component included in a connector of the antenna.

2. The method of claim 1, comprising connecting a microphone to the hearing assistance electronics using the one or more conductors.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the antenna further includes the one or more conductors connecting the microphone to the hearing assistance electronics.

4. The method of claim 1, comprising using conductive silicon for electrically connecting the acoustic transducer to the hearing assistance electronics.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the hearing assistance electronics are within a first housing and the acoustic transducer is within a second housing, and wherein the cable assembly is configured to connect the first housing to the second housing.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the first housing is configured to be worn on the ear of the user and the second housing is configured to be positioned in an ear canal of the user.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the cable assembly is formable to adjust the relative position of the first and second housing according to comfort and preference of the user.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the hearing assistance electronics include a processor and memory components configured to store program instructions for the processor.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the program instructions include functions allowing the processor and to process audio received by the microphone.

10. The method of claim 5, further comprising a microphone within the second housing.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first housing is configured to be worn on the ear of a user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the first housing includes an on-the-ear (OTE) housing.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first housing includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) housing.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the second housing includes an earmold.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the second housing includes an in-the-ear (ITE) housing.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the second housing includes an in-the-canal (ITC) housing.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein the second housing includes a completely-in-the-canal (CIC) housing.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein the second housing is an earbud.

19. The method of claim 1, wherein the antenna includes one or more of a monopole antenna, a dipole antenna, a patch antenna, a loop antenna or a wave guide antenna.