Antennas for hearing aids

• US 8,180,080 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2009
• Issued: 05/15/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Polinske, Beau Jay
• Primary Examiner(s): Pan, Yuwen
• Assistant Examiner(s): Le, Phan
• Application Number:
  US12/550,821
• Publication Number:
  US 20100074461A1
• Time in Patent Office: 988 Days
• Field of Search: 381/322, 381/323, 381/324, 381/312
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/22 by structural association with other equipment or articles
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2208 associated with components used in interrogation type services, i.e. in systems for information exchange between an interrogator/reader and a tag/transponder, e.g. in Radio Frequency Identification [RFID] systems methods or arrangements for sensing record carriers, e.g. for reading patterns G06K7/00; record carrier for use with machines and with at least a part designed to carry digital markings G06K19/00
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2283 mounted in or on the surface of a semiconductor substrate as a chip-type antenna or integrated with other components into an IC package
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/2291 used in bluetooth or WI-FI devices of Wireless Local Area Networks [WLAN] H01Q1/241 takes precedence; WLAN in general H04W
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 11/08 Helical antennas
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 23/00 Antennas with active circuits or circuit elements integrated within them or attached to them
• 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: H04R 2225/023 Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
• 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

An antenna configured in a hybrid circuit provides a compact design for a hearing aid to communicate wirelessly with a system external to the hearing aid. In an embodiment, an antenna includes metallic traces in a hybrid circuit that is configured for use in a hearing aid. The antenna includes contacts in the hybrid circuit to couple the metallic traces to electronic devices in the hybrid circuit. In an embodiment, the metallic traces form a planar coil design having a number of turns of the coil in a substrate in the hybrid circuit. In another embodiment, the metallic traces are included in a flex circuit on a substrate in the hybrid circuit. An antenna configured in a hybrid circuit allows for use in a completely-in-the-canal hearing aid.

Claims

1. An apparatus for use in a hearing aid, the hearing aid including a housing portion for holding at least some electronics of the hearing aid, the apparatus comprising:

communication electronics configured such that at least a portion of the communication electronics are placed in the housing portion of the hearing aid, and the communication electronics are configured such that at least some of the communication electronics are mounted on a substrate; and

an antenna including one or more metallic traces connected to the communication electronics, the antenna configured for placement relative to the substrate of the at least some of the communication electronics such that the antenna includes at least one substantially planar portion that is perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to a plane of the substrate on which the at least some of the communication electronics are mounted and the antenna includes another portion connected to the substantially planar portion that is not parallel to the at least one substantially planar portion,

wherein the communication electronics is configured to provide radio frequency communications using the antenna for the hearing aid.

2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of one or more of the one or more metallic traces are connected to a polyimide.

3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the antenna is adapted for communications at frequencies in the range of about 400 MHz to about 3000 MHz.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna is adapted for communications at frequencies in the range of about 400 MHz to about 3000 MHz.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of planar coils.

6. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of planar coils.

7. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of planar coils.

8. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the antenna comprises a plurality of planar coils.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises a planar layer.

10. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the antenna comprises a planar layer.

11. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the antenna comprises a planar layer.

12. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the antenna comprises a planar layer.

13. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hearing aid includes at least a portion that is configured to be worn behind a wearer'"'"'s ear.

14. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the hearing aid includes at least a portion that is configured to be worn behind a wearer'"'"'s ear.

15. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the hearing aid includes at least a portion that is configured to be worn behind a wearer'"'"'s ear.

16. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein the hearing aid includes at least a portion that is configured to be worn behind a wearer'"'"'s ear.

17. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the hearing aid resides in a wearer'"'"'s ear.

18. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein at least a portion of the hearing aid resides in a wearer'"'"'s ear.

19. The apparatus of claim 3, wherein at least a portion of the hearing aid resides in a wearer'"'"'s ear.

20. The apparatus of claim 4, wherein at least a portion of the hearing aid resides in a wearer'"'"'s ear.