ALL-IN-ONE METHOD FOR WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY AND CONTACTLESS BATTERY CHARGING OF SMALL WEARABLES

• US 20190174239A1
• Filed: 12/01/2017
• Published: 06/06/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/01/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Semiconductor Components Industries LLC (ON Semiconductor Corporation)
• Inventors: NIKLAUS, Marcus P., KAZANC, Onur
• Granted Patent: US 10,356,537 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/273 Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 7/00 Loop antennas with a substantially uniform current distribution around the loop and having a directional radiation pattern in a plane perpendicular to the plane of the loop
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 5/79 for data transfer in combination with power transfer
• 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 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/61 Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• 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 25/602 of batteries

Abstract

One illustrative wearable device embodiment includes: a battery; an antenna coil; a wireless charging module coupled to the antenna coil to harvest wireless power for charging the battery; an NFC (near field communications) module coupled to the antenna coil to receive a query signal and provide a tag response signal; and an NFMI (near field magnetic induction) module coupled to the antenna coil to send and receive audio streams. An illustrative wireless communications method embodiment includes: coupling an antenna coil to a wireless charging module to charge a battery; coupling the antenna coil to an NFC (near field communications) module; and coupling the antenna coil to an NFMI (near field magnetic induction) module to send or receive an audio stream. When coupled, the NFC module receives a query signal, provides a tag response signal, and receives a command signal to set at least one parameter value affecting rendering of the audio stream.

Claims

1. A wearable device comprising:

a battery;

an antenna coil;

a wireless charging module coupled to the antenna coil to harvest wireless power for charging the battery;

an NFC (near field communications) module coupled to the antenna coil to receive a query signal and provide a tag response signal; and

an NFMI (near field magnetic induction) module coupled to the antenna coil to send and receive audio streams.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising a microphone and speaker, wherein the device operates as a hearing aid.

3. The device of claim 2, wherein said audio streams are exchanged by said hearing aid in a first ear of a user with a second hearing aid in a second, opposite ear of said user.

4. The device of claim 2, wherein the NFC module further reports parameter values and accepts new parameter values for operation as said hearing aid.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna coil comprises a ferrite element.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a controller that selectively enables one of said wireless charging, NFC, and NFMI modules at a time.

7. The device of claim 6, further comprising an adjustable capacitance in series or parallel with said antenna coil to provide a tunable resonant frequency, wherein the controller adjusts the resonant frequency to a value suitable for the selected one of said wireless charging, NFC, and NFMI modules.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the controller systematically cycles through each resonant frequency value for said wireless charging, NFC, and NFMI modules.

9. The device of claim 7, wherein the controller monitors charging of the battery when the wireless charging module is selected and, upon detecting an overvoltage, the controller adjusts the capacitance to detune the antenna coil to a different resonant frequency that protects against the overvoltage.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the adjustable capacitance is in parallel with said antenna coil.

11. A wireless communication method that comprises:

coupling an antenna coil to a wireless charging module to charge a battery;

coupling the antenna coil to an NFC (near field communications) module, the NFC module;

receiving a query signal;

providing a tag response signal; and

receiving a command signal to set at least one parameter value affecting rendering of an audio stream; and

coupling the antenna coil to an NFMI (near field magnetic induction) module to send or receive the audio stream.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

rendering the audio stream via a speaker in a hearing aid.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein said audio stream is exchanged by said hearing aid in a first ear of a user with a second hearing aid in a second, opposite ear of said user.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the NFC module further reports parameter values and accepts new parameter values for operation of said hearing aid.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the antenna coil comprises a ferrite element.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein said couplings are performed selectively, one at a time, by a controller.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising adjusting a capacitance in series or parallel with said antenna coil to tune a resonant frequency to a value suitable for a selected one of said wireless charging, NFC, and NFMI modules.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the controller systematically cycles through each resonant frequency value for said wireless charging, NFC, and NFMI modules.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising monitoring charging of the battery when the wireless charging module is selected and, upon detecting an overvoltage, the varying the capacitance to detune the antenna coil to a different resonant frequency that protects against the overvoltage.

20. A hearing aid that comprises:

a microphone;

a speaker;

a battery;

an antenna coil around a ferrite element;

a controller powered by the battery, wherein the controller filters and amplifies sound received via the microphone for playback via the speaker, and wherein the controller includes;

a wireless charging module coupled to the antenna coil to harvest wireless power for charging the battery;

an NFC (near field communications) module coupled to the antenna coil to receive a query signal and provide a tag response signal, wherein the NFC module further reports parameter values and accepts new parameter values for operation as said hearing aid; and

an NFMI (near field magnetic induction) module coupled to the antenna coil to exchange audio streams with a second hearing aid in an opposite ear,

wherein the controller selectively enables only one of the wireless charging, NFC, and NFMI modules at a time by setting an adjustable capacitance in series or parallel with said antenna coil to provide a tunable resonant frequency, wherein the controller adjusts the resonant frequency to a value suitable for the selected one of said wireless charging, NFC, and NFMI modules.