HEARING AID WITH INTEGRATED TELECOIL AND BATTERY RECHARGE COIL

• US 20120314893A1
• Filed: 03/15/2012
• Published: 12/13/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Sacha, Michael Karl, Newton, James R.
• Granted Patent: US 8,953,827 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/323
• 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 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A hearing aid is powered by a rechargeable battery and senses a sound signal being a magnetic field using a telecoil. The hearing aid includes a battery recharge coil for receiving power from a hearing aid charger via an inductive couple. The telecoil and the inductive coil are integrated into a single device.

Claims

1. A hearing aid for delivering sounds to an ear canal, comprising:

a coil assembly integrating a telecoil and a recharge coil, the telecoil configured to generate a sound signal in response to a sound magnetic field, the recharge coil configured to generate a power signal in response to a power magnetic field;

a processor coupled to the telecoil, the processor configured to process the sound signal;

a receiver coupled to the processor, the receiver configured to deliver the processed sound signal to the ear canal;

a rechargeable battery; and

a charging circuit coupled between the recharge coil and the rechargeable battery, the charging circuit configured to charge the rechargeable battery using the power signal.

2. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the coil assembly comprises:

a core;

a first wire wound on the core to form the telecoil; and

a second wire wound on the core to form the recharge coil.

3. The hearing aid of claim 2, wherein the core comprises a permeable core.

4. The hearing aid of claim 2, wherein the core comprises a metallic core.

5. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the coil assembly comprises the telecoil and the recharge coil integrated by winding separate wires on a core.

6. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the charging circuit comprise a rectifier, a low-pass filter, and a voltage regulator.

7. The hearing aid of claim 6, wherein the charging circuit further comprises a charge controller configured to control whether and when to charge the rechargeable battery for optimal performance of the rechargeable battery.

8. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the processor comprises a digital signal processor.

9. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery comprises a nickel metal hydride type battery, a nickel cadmium type battery, a lithium air type battery, a lithium ion type battery, a lithium polymer type battery, a lithium sulphur type battery, a silver-zinc type battery, or a super capacitor type battery.

10. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is a behind-the-ear type hearing aid.

11. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is an in-the-ear type hearing aid.

12. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is an in-the-canal type hearing aid.

13. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is a completely-in-the-canal type hearing aid.

14. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is a receiver-in-the-ear type hearing aid.

15. The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid is a receiver-in-canal type hearing aid.

16. A method for operating a hearing aid for delivering sounds to an ear canal, comprising:

generating a sound signal in response to a sound magnetic field using a telecoil wound on a permeable core;

generating a power signal in response to a power magnetic field using a recharge coil wound on the permeable core;

processing the sound signal for delivery to the ear canal; and

charging a rechargeable battery of the hearing aid using the power signal.

17. The method of claim 16, comprising generating the sound signal in response to the sound magnetic field generated by an assistive hearing device.

18. The method of claim 17, comprising generating the sound signal in response to the sound magnetic field generated by a hearing aid compatible telephone.

19. The method of claim 16, further comprising controlling whether and when to charge the rechargeable battery for optimal performance of the rechargeable battery.

20. The method of claim 16, wherein processing the sound signal comprises processing the sound signal using a digital signal processor.