Multi-coil coupling system for hearing aid applications

• US 7,099,486 B2
• Filed: 01/31/2003
• Issued: 08/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 01/07/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: III Holdings 7, LLC
• Original Assignee: Etymotic Research Incorporated
• Inventors: Soede, Willem, Drambarean, Viorel, Julstrom, Stephen D.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Sinh
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US10/356,290
• Publication Number:
  US 20030152243A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,306 Days
• Field of Search: 381/312, 381/315, 381/322, 381/326, 381/327, 381/328, 381/329, 381/330, 381/331, 455/100, 607/57
• US Class Current: 381/331
• 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 25/43 Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics H04R25/407 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/502 using analog signal processing
• 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 25/603 of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements

Abstract

A hearing improvement device using a multi-coil coupling system and methods for operating such a device are disclosed. An embodiment of the present invention may use an array microphone to provide highly directional reception. The received audio signal may be filtered, amplified, and converted into a magnetic field for coupling to the telecoil in a conventional hearing aid. Multiple transmit inductors may be used to effectively couple to both in-the-ear and behind-the-ear type hearing aids, and an additional embodiment is disclosed which may be used with an earphone, for users not requiring a hearing aid.

Claims

1. A hearing improvement device comprising:

a first inductor for converting electrical signals representative of sound into a first magnetic field having a first magnetic field orientation for efficient coupling to a first type of hearing aid;

a second inductor for converting electrical signals representative of sound into a second magnetic field having a second magnetic field orientation for efficient coupling to a second type of hearing aid;

a switch for selecting one of the first inductor and the second inductor for coupling a respective one of the first magnetic field and the second magnetic field to a telecoil of a hearing aid; and

wherein the first inductor, the second inductor, and the switch are arranged in a common housing suitable for wearing proximate an ear of a user.

2. The hearing improvement device of claim 1 wherein the type of hearing aid comprises one of the following:

a behind the ear hearing aid and an in the ear hearing aid.

3. The hearing improvement device of claim 1 wherein the first inductor comprises a first winding and a second winding spaced apart by a distance and located on a common core.

4. A hearing improvement device comprising:

a plurality of inductors, each inductor arranged to generate, during operation, a magnetic field having a magnetic field orientation most suitable for coupling to a different one of a plurality of hearing aid types;

switch circuitry for selectively passing an electrical signal representative of sound to one of the plurality of inductors; and

a housing suitably arranged for wearing proximate an ear of a user, the housing containing at least the plurality of inductors and the switch circuitry.

5. The hearing improvement device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a microphone for converting sound to the electrical signal.

6. The hearing improvement device according to claim 5, wherein the microphone comprises a directional array microphone.

7. The hearing improvement device according to claim 4, further comprising:

a first electrical connector portion for mating with a second electrical connector portion, the first and second electrical connector portions, when mated, passing to the switch circuitry the electrical signal representative of sound, from a source external to the housing.

8. The hearing improvement device according to claim 4 wherein the housing is arranged for wearing behind an ear of a user.

9. The hearing improvement device according to claim 4 wherein the plurality of hearing aid types comprises one of the following:

a behind the ear hearing aid and an in the ear hearing aid.

10. A hearing improvement system comprising:

a hearing aid comprising a telecoil;

a hearing improvement device comprising at least two inductors and a housing, each of the at least two inductors having a magnetic field orientation for coupling to a type of hearing aid; and

wherein the hearing improvement device comprises switch circuitry for passing an electrical signal representing sound to one of the at least two inductors, the switch circuitry enabling a user to select a magnetic field orientation supporting a most efficient coupling arrangement to the telecoil of the hearing aid.

11. The hearing improvement system according to claim 10, further comprising:

microphone circuitry for converting sound to the electrical signal.

12. The hewing improvement system according to claim 11, wherein the microphone circuitry comprises a directional array microphone.

13. The hewing improvement system according to claim 10, wherein the hearing improvement device further comprises:

a first electrical connector portion for mating with a second electrical connector portion, the first and second electrical connector portions, when mated, passing an electrical signal representative of sound to the hewing improvement device from a source external to the housing, for coupling to the hearing aid.

14. The hearing improvement system according to claim 10, wherein the at least two inductors comprises one of the following:

an inductor having a magnetic field orientation supporting a relatively higher coupling efficiency with a first type of hewing aid and a relatively lower coupling efficiency with a second type of hearing aid, and an inductor having a magnetic field orientation supporting a relatively lower coupling efficiency with the first type of hearing aid and a relatively higher coupling efficiency with the second type of hearing aid.

15. The hewing improvement system according to claim 10, wherein the hearing aid comprises one of the following:

a behind the ear hewing aid and an in the ear hearing aid.