Portable electronic device which provides hearing aid compatibility

• US 9,020,175 B2
• Filed: 12/16/2011
• Issued: 04/28/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: Blackberry Limited
• Inventors: Hawker, Larry Edward, Lorenz, Christian
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US13/327,834
• Publication Number:
  US 20120155682A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,229 Days
• Field of Search: 381/326, 381/331, 381/312, 381/324, 381/380, 381/386
• US Class Current: 381/326
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/0277 for a printed circuit board assembly
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72478 for hearing-impaired users
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils

Abstract

A portable electronic device which provides hearing aid compatibility and a printed circuit board (PCB) for use in a portable electronic device are provided. The PCB comprises a body having at least one signal trace, a hearing aid compatibility (HAC) coil located in the body and electrically coupled to the at least one signal trace, and a ferrite core located in the body for amplifying a magnetic field generated by the HAC coil.

Claims

1. An electrical assembly, comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) including a body comprised of multiple layers having at least one signal trace on one of the multiple layers;

a hearing aid compatibility (HAC) coil located in the body of the PCB and electrically coupled to the at least one signal trace, wherein the HAC coil comprises one or more traces formed on one or more of the multiple layers of the body; and

a ferrite core located in the body of the PCB for amplifying a magnetic field generated by the HAC coil, wherein the ferrite core has a cross-sectional area which is substantially the same or larger than a cross-sectional area of HAC coil.

2. The electrical assembly of claim 1 wherein the ferrite core is located proximate to the HAC coil to amplify the magnetic field generated by the HAC coil.

3. The electrical assembly of claim 1 further comprising a speaker mounted to a surface of the body.

4. The electrical assembly of claim 3 wherein the speaker is located in the centre of the PCB.

5. The electrical assembly of claim 3 wherein the ferrite core is located proximate to the HAC coil to amplify the magnetic field generated by the HAC coil, and wherein the ferrite core is located proximate to the speaker.

6. The electrical assembly of claim 3 wherein the ferrite core is located centrally below the HAC coil.

7. The electrical assembly of claim 3 wherein the ferrite core is located centrally below the HAC coil and the speaker.

8. The electrical assembly of claim 3 wherein the HAC coil surrounds the ferrite core.

9. The electrical assembly of claim 3 further comprising an audio drive circuit for concurrently driving the HAC coil and the speaker.

10. The electrical assembly of claim 1 wherein the ferrite core comprises a ferrite film formed on one or more of the multiple layers of the body.

11. The electrical assembly of claim 1 wherein the ferrite core and HAC coil each have a cross-sectional area of approximately 4 mm.

12. The electrical assembly of claim 1 wherein the ferrite core and HAC coil each have a cross-sectional area which spans a majority of the PCB.

13. The electrical assembly of claim 1 wherein the HAC coil is a conventional HAC coil.

14. The electrical assembly of claim 13 wherein the body is comprised of multiple layers and the ferrite core comprises a ferrite film formed on one or more of the multiple layers of the body.

15. The electrical assembly of claim 1 wherein the ferrite core is a ceramic material having a cubic crystalline structure with the chemical formula MO.Fe₂O₃ where MO refers to a combination of two or more divalent metal oxides selected from the alternatives of ZnO, NiO, MnO and CuO.

16. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an electrical assembly comprising;

a printed circuit board (PCB) including a body comprised of multiple layers having at least one signal trace on one of the multiple layers;

a hearing aid compatibility (HAC) coil located in the body of the PCB and electrically coupled to the at least one signal trace, wherein the HAC coil comprises one or more traces formed on one or more of the multiple layers of the body; and

a ferrite core located in the body of the PCB for amplifying a magnetic field generated by the HAC coil, wherein the ferrite core has a cross-sectional area which is substantially the same or larger than a cross-sectional area of HAC coil; and

a processor, input device and an output device each electrically coupled to the electrical assembly.

17. The portable electronic device of claim 16 wherein the HAC coil is configured for receiving an electric audio signal from the processor, and generating a magnetic audio signal which corresponds to the electric audio signal received from the processor.

18. The portable electronic device of claim 16 further comprising a communication subsystem configured to facilitate wireless transfer of audio signals containing audio over a wireless network.

19. The portable electronic device of claim 16 further comprising a housing defining an opening, and a boot for acoustically porting sound from the speaker through the opening in the housing to an environment external to the portable electronic device.

20. An electrical assembly, comprising:

a printed circuit board (PCB) including a body having at least one signal trace;

a speaker mounted to a surface of the body of the PCB;

a hearing aid compatibility (HAC) coil located in the body of the PCB and electrically coupled to the at least one signal trace, wherein the HAC coil is located centrally below the speaker; and

a ferrite core located in the body of the PCB for amplifying a magnetic field generated by the HAC coil, wherein the ferrite core is located centrally below the speaker, wherein the ferrite core has a cross-sectional area which is substantially the same or larger than a cross-sectional area of HAC coil.

21. The electrical assembly of claim 20 wherein the body of the PCB is comprised of multiple layers and the HAC coil comprises one or more traces formed on one or more of the multiple layers of the body.

22. The electrical assembly of claim 20 wherein the ferrite core comprises a ferrite film formed on one or more of the multiple layers of the body.

23. The electrical assembly of claim 20 wherein the ferrite core and HAC coil each have a cross-sectional area of approximately 4 mm.

24. The electrical assembly of claim 20 wherein the ferrite core and HAC coil each have a cross-sectional area which spans a majority of the PCB.

25. The electrical assembly of claim 20 wherein the ferrite core is a ceramic material having a cubic crystalline structure with the chemical formula MO.Fe₂O₃ where MO refers to a combination of two or more divalent metal oxides selected from the alternatives of ZnO, NiO, MnO and CuO.

26. A portable electronic device, comprising:

an electrical assembly comprising;

a printed circuit board (PCB) including a body having at least one signal trace;

a speaker mounted to a surface of the body of the PCB;

a hearing aid compatibility (HAC) coil located in the body of the PCB and electrically coupled to the at least one signal trace, wherein the HAC coil is located centrally below the speaker; and

a ferrite core located in the body of the PCB for amplifying a magnetic field generated by the HAC coil, wherein the ferrite core is located centrally below the speaker, wherein the ferrite core has a cross-sectional area which is substantially the same or larger than a cross-sectional area of HAC coil; and

a processor, input device and an output device each electrically coupled to the electrical assembly.

27. The portable electronic device of claim 26 wherein the HAC coil is configured for receiving an electric audio signal from the processor, and generating a magnetic audio signal which corresponds to the electric audio signal received from the processor.

28. The portable electronic device of claim 26 further comprising a communication subsystem configured to facilitate wireless transfer of audio signals containing audio over a wireless network.