Filter to suppress harmonics for an antenna

• US 9,883,296 B2
• Filed: 12/03/2014
• Issued: 01/30/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 12/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Flood, Stephen Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Etesam, Amir
• Application Number:
  US14/559,560
• Publication Number:
  US 20160165364A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,154 Days
• Field of Search: 381 7111
• CPC Class Codes: H03H 7/38 Impedance-matching networks
• 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

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for filtering to suppress harmonics for a hearing assistance device antenna. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a hearing assistance system for a wearer including a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver, an antenna and a filter connected between the RF transceiver and the antenna. According to various embodiments, the filter is configured to suppress harmonics for the antenna, and configured to maintain impedance and prevent inversion of impedance presented to the RF transceiver from the antenna.

Claims

1. A hearing assistance device, comprising:

a microphone;

a wireless radio frequency (RF) transceiver including antenna match circuitry;

hearing assistance electronics connected to the microphone and the RF transceiver;

an antenna; and

a balanced low pass filter connected between the antenna match circuitry of the RF transceiver and the antenna such that the low pass filter does not impede the transceiver'"'"'s ability to tune the antenna, the filter configured to suppress harmonics and attenuate generated harmonics for the antenna to prevent inversion of impedance and to provide a symmetrical impedance load presented to the RF transceiver from the antenna.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF transceiver is configured to operate in a 900 MHz band.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the RF transceiver is configured to operate using antenna tuning circuitry.

4. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a resonant loop antenna.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter is implemented using low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology.

6. The device of claim 1, wherein the filter is implemented using thin film technology.

7. The device of claim 1, wherein the hearing assistance device includes a cochlear implant.

8. The device of claim 1, wherein the hearing assistance device includes a hearing aid.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid.

10. The device of claim 8, wherein the hearing aid includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid.

11. The device of claim 8, wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid.

12. The device of claim 8, wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid.

13. The device of claim 8, wherein the hearing aid includes a completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid.

14. The device of claim 8, wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aid.

15. A method, comprising:

providing a balanced low pass filter connected between antenna match circuitry of an RF transceiver and an antenna of a hearing assistance device including a microphone and hearing assistance electronics connected to the microphone and the RF transceiver, the filter configured to suppress harmonics and attenuate generated harmonics for the antenna to prevent inversion of impedance and to provide a symmetrical impedance load presented to the RF transceiver from the antenna, wherein the filter does not impede the transceiver'"'"'s ability to tune the antenna.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein providing a balanced low pass filter includes providing a balanced low pass filter using discrete LC technology.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the RF transceiver is configured to operate in a 900 MHz band.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein the antenna is a resonant loop antenna.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the filter includes using low temperature co-fired ceramic (LTCC) technology.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein providing the filter includes using thin film technology.