Electronic devices with protective capacity

• US 11,128,960 B2
• Filed: 09/25/2012
• Issued: 09/21/2021
• Est. Priority Date: 09/25/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Original Assignee: Cochlear Limited
• Inventors: Holmberg, Paul Francis
• Primary Examiner(s): Le, Huyen D
• Application Number:
  US13/626,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20140086440A1
• Time in Patent Office: 3,283 Days
• Field of Search: 381312, 381314, 381315, 381322, 381323, 381330, 381123, 381381, 381326, 381380, 379 52, 600 25, 607 55, 607 56, 607 57
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/39 Aspects relating to automatic logging of sound environment parameters and the performance of the hearing aid during use, e.g. histogram logging, or of user selected programs or settings in the hearing aid, e.g. usage logging
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/60 Mounting or interconnection of hearing aid parts, e.g. inside tips, housings or to ossicles ear wax retarders, e.g. mounting thereof H04R25/654
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/606 acting directly on the eardrum, the ossicles or the skull, e.g. mastoid, tooth, maxillary or mandibular bone, or mechanically stimulating the cochlea, e.g. at the oval window

Abstract

Electronic devices are designed having a housing and are configured to provide an improved degree of protection to electrical and/or mechanical components disposed therein that may be susceptible to damage from environmental elements external from the housing. The electrical device can be one carried or worn by a user, e.g., on the user'"'"'s head, which can include an external component of a hearing prosthesis. The electrical device can be configured to provide an output signal in the event that a predetermined condition within the housing is detected to alert the user and/or place the electrical device in an alternative state of operation.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a component of a hearing prosthesis, the component having a housing that includes an electrical component disposed therein; and

a sensor disposed within the housing for detecting moisture;

wherein the apparatus is configured to provide an output when moisture is detected by the sensor,

wherein the output is used to place the hearing prosthesis in an alternate state of operation that is other than a normal state of operation, and

wherein;

the housing is worn on a user'"'"'s head.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the component includes one or both of a visual indicator or a speaker, and wherein the output is used to produce one or both of a visual indication and an audible indication respectively using the visual indicator or the speaker that is part of the component.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the output is wiredley provided to a device that is remote from the component.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1, wherein the apparatus is a battery-powered electrical prosthesis.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the apparatus is configured to perform one or more functions selected from the group consisting of providing a visual alarm, providing an audible alarm, providing data information, change the state of operation of one or more of the components disposed within the housing from a normal state to an alternative state, and combinations thereof.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the apparatus comprises a receiver component that receives a signal from an electrical device.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 6 wherein the electrical device is a cellular phone, and the receiver component comprises a remote receiver.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein the housing is a housing of a Behind-The-Ear device that includes an ear hook configured to extend over a pinna of a recipient.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a component of a hearing prosthesis, the component having a housing that includes an electrical component disposed therein; and

a sensor disposed within the housing for detecting moisture;

wherein the apparatus is configured to provide an output when moisture is detected by the sensor,

wherein the output is used to place the hearing prosthesis in an alternate state of operation that is other than a normal state of operation,

wherein the sensor is shielded from an ambient environment by the housing, and

wherein at least one of;

(i) the output is used to provide information data and the information data is stored;

(ii) the housing is worn on a user'"'"'s head;

or

(iii) the moisture sensor is positioned within the housing adjacent an opening through the housing.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the output is used to provide the information data.

11. The apparatus as recited in claim 10 wherein the information data is stored.

12. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the housing is worn on the user'"'"'s head.

13. The apparatus as recited in claim 12 wherein the housing is worn adjacent a user'"'"'s ear.

14. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the moisture sensor is positioned within the housing adjacent the opening through the housing.

15. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein the housing comprises a moisture-sensitive component disposed therein.

16. The apparatus as recited in claim 15 wherein the moisture-sensitive component is the electrical component.

17. A method for detecting the presence of moisture within a device worn on a user'"'"'s head, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a sensor within a housing of the device, wherein the housing comprises a moisture-sensitive component disposed therein, and wherein the sensor is configured to detect the presence of moisture; and

providing an indication when the sensor detects moisture, wherein the indication is used to alert the user and/or alter the operation of the device, wherein

during the step of providing, the indication is used to shut the device off, and

the method further includes transmitting a signal from the device transcutaneously into the head of the recipient utilizing a coil of the device, wherein the signal is a radio frequency signal.

18. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the indication to alert the user is in the form of a visual alert and/or an audible alert.

19. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the during the step of providing, data information is provided.

20. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the device is an external component of a hearing prosthesis.

21. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein at least one of:

the sensor is positioned adjacent an opening through the housing;

or

the sensor is one that also detects temperature.

22. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein at least one of:

the sensor is positioned adjacent an opening through the housing;

the sensor is one that also detects temperature;

or

the device is an external component of a hearing prosthesis.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein:

the device is a Behind-The-Ear device that includes an ear hook configured to extend over a pinna of a recipient.

24. The method as recited in claim 17 wherein the signal contains sound data based on sound captured by the device, the method further comprises evoking a hearing percept based on the transcutaneously transmitted signal.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein the device includes an external transmitter coil corresponding to the coil of the device connected to the housing, wherein the external transmitter coil is located completely outside the housing and the sensor is entirely located within the housing.

26. A method for detecting the presence of moisture within a device worn on a user'"'"'s head, the method comprising the steps of:

operating a sensor within a housing of the device, wherein the housing comprises a moisture-sensitive component disposed therein, and wherein the sensor is configured to detect the presence of moisture; and

providing an indication when the sensor detects moisture, wherein the indication is used to alert the user and/or alter the operation of the device, wherein

during the step of providing, the indication is used to shut the device off, and

the device is part of a cochlear implant.

27. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein the sensor is positioned adjacent an opening through the housing.

28. The method as recited in claim 27 wherein the sensor is positioned within the housing at a location interposed between the opening and the moisture-sensitive component.

29. The method as recited in claim 26 where the sensor is one that also detects temperature.

30. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein an output is provided to an electrical component disposed within the housing.

31. The method as recited in claim 26 wherein an output is provided to a component remote from the device.

32. The method as recited in claim 26, further including

transmitting a signal from the device utilizing a coil of the device, wherein the signal is a radio frequency signal, and wherein the coil is held against the head using a magnet.

33. The method of claim 26, wherein the device includes a battery located outside the housing, wherein no battery is located within the housing.

34. The method as recited in claim 26 further including:

transmitting a signal from the device transcutaneously into the head of the recipient utilizing a coil of the device, wherein the signal is a radio frequency signal, and wherein the coil is held against the head via a transcutaneous magnetic field.