Hearing aid and energy charger as well as associated method

• US 8,344,689 B2
• Filed: 05/12/2009
• Issued: 01/01/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 05/13/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sivantos Pte. Ltd. (WS Audiology A/S)
• Original Assignee: Siemens Medical Instruments Pte Ltd (WS Audiology A/S)
• Inventors: Boguslavskij, Mihail
• Primary Examiner(s): Warren, David S.
• Application Number:
  US12/464,305
• Publication Number:
  US 20090285426A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,330 Days
• Field of Search: 381/315, 381/322, 381/151, 320/108, 320/137
• US Class Current: 320/108
• 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 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/602 of batteries

Abstract

A hearing aid with a rechargeable energy storage unit used as a power supply and an antenna used for wireless transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals is provided. The hearing aid also includes an energy charging unit which is arranged between the antenna and the energy storage unit, with the energy transmitted electromagnetically in a charging mode to the antenna being fed electrically via the energy charging unit into the energy storage unit. An energy charger and an energy storage method are also provided.

Claims

1. A hearing aid comprising:

a rechargeable energy storage unit used as a power supply;

an antenna used for wireless transmission and reception of electromagnetic signals between a second hearing aid and/or a remote control; and

an energy charging unit,

wherein the energy charging unit is arranged between the antenna and the rechargeable energy storage unit,

wherein in a charging mode an energy transmitted electromagnetically to the antenna is fed electrically via the energy charging unit into the energy storage unit, and

wherein the energy charging unit comprises a charge regulator for controlling a voltage induced in the antenna and a charge status monitoring unit for detecting an amount of energy flowing out of or into the rechargeable energy storage unit.

2. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the charge regulator and the charge status monitoring unit are electrically connected to a control logic unit, with the control logic unit switching between the charging mode and a communication mode.

3. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein the antenna comprises an antenna coil, enabling the energy to be transmitted inductively.

4. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein a parasitic diode arranged between the antenna and a ground is used for a rectification of an induced alternating current.

5. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 4, wherein a Schottky diode is connected in parallel to the parasitic diode, the Schottky diode arranged between the antenna and the ground whereby rectifying the induced alternating current.

6. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 1, wherein a transceiver module is used for wireless transmission and reception of the electromagnetic signals via the antenna.

7. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 6,

wherein a first data of an energy charger is transmitted to the hearing aid during the charging mode, and

wherein the energy transmitted to the antenna is modulated whereby the transceiver module determines the first data from a modulated energy.

8. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 7, wherein a second data is sent to the energy charger from the transceiver module in the communication mode.

9. The hearing aid as claimed in claim 8, wherein a switchover between the charging mode and the communication mode is undertaken under a time control or a protocol control.

10. A method for charging a rechargeable energy storage unit of a hearing aid having an antenna for a wireless transmission and reception of an electromagnetic signal to and from a second hearing aid and/or a remote control, comprising:

transmitting an electromagnetic energy to the antenna in a charging mode; and

electrically feeding the electromagnetic energy through an energy charging unit into the rechargeable energy storage unit, wherein the energy charging unit comprises a charge regulator and a charge status monitoring unit,

wherein the method further comprises;

controlling a voltage induced in the antenna, by the charge regulator, and

detecting an amount of energy flowing out of or into the rechargeable energy storage unit, by the charge status monitoring unit.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a first data is transmitted from an energy charger which charges the rechargeable energy storage unit to the hearing aid during a charging mode, whereby the electromagnetic energy transmitted to the antenna is modulated.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein a second data is transmitted from the hearing aid to the energy charger in a communication mode.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, a switch between the charging mode and the communication mode is made under a time control or under a protocol control.

14. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the charge regulator and the charge status monitoring unit are electrically connected to a control logic unit, with the control logic unit switching between the charging mode and the communication mode.

15. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein the antenna comprises an antenna coil, enabling the electromagnetic energy to be transmitted inductively.

16. The method as claimed in claim 10, wherein a parasitic diode arranged between the antenna and a ground is used for a rectification of an induced alternating current.