Parallel antennas for standard fit hearing assistance devices

• US 9,743,199 B2
• Filed: 03/21/2016
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Starkey Laboratories Incorporated
• Inventors: Polinske, Beau Jay, Sanguino, Jorge F., Rabel, Jay, Solum, Jeffrey Paul, Helgeson, Michael, Tourtelotte, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Ensey, Brian
• Application Number:
  US15/076,479
• Publication Number:
  US 20160345109A1
• Time in Patent Office: 519 Days
• Field of Search: 381312, 381315, 381322, 381323, 381324, 381328, 381330, 381331
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 1/243 with built-in antennas
• 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: H04R 2225/0216 BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
• 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 25/609 of circuitry of electronic switches or control elements H04R25/603

Abstract

An embodiment of a hearing assistance device comprises a housing, a power source, a radio circuit, an antenna and a transmission line. The radio circuit is within the housing and electrically connected to the power source. The antenna has an aperture, and the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture. The transmission line electrically connects to the antenna to the radio circuit. Various antenna embodiments include a flex circuit antenna.

Claims

1. A hearing assistance device, comprising:

a housing;

a power source;

a radio circuit within the housing and electrically connected to the power source;

an antenna having an aperture, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture, wherein the antenna has two substantially parallel loops each conforming to an inside surface of an outer perimeter of opposite sides of the housing, wherein an axis of each of the loops is orthogonal to an axis of symmetry of the hearing assistance device; and

a transmission line to electrically connect the antenna to the radio circuit.

2. The device of claim 1, where in the radio circuit includes a hybrid radio circuit.

3. The device of claim 1, wherein the hearing assistance device includes a hearing aid.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid.

5. The device of claim 3, wherein the hearing aid includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid.

6. The device of claim 3, wherein the hearing aid includes an on-the-ear (OTE) hearing aid.

7. The device of claim 3, wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid.

8. The device of claim 3, wherein the hearing aid includes a completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid.

9. The device of claim 3, wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) hearing aid.

10. The device of claim 1, wherein the antenna is a flex circuit antenna, the flex circuit antenna including a flex circuit.

11. The device of claim 10, wherein the power source is not within the aperture of the flex circuit antenna.

12. The device of claim 10, further comprising a microphone, a receiver, and signal processing circuitry connected to the antenna, the microphone and the receiver.

13. The device of claim 12, wherein the microphone is not within the aperture of the flex circuit antenna.

14. The device of claim 12, wherein the receiver is not within the aperture of the flex circuit antenna.

15. The device of claim 10, wherein the flex circuit antenna includes a conductor layer between dielectric layers.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the dielectric layers includes a polyimide material.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the conductor layer includes copper.

18. A method of forming a hearing assistance device, comprising:

placing a radio circuit within a housing of the device; and

looping an antenna to form an aperture and electrically connecting the antenna to the radio circuit, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture, and wherein the antenna has two substantially parallel loops each conforming to an inside surface of an outer perimeter of opposite sides of the housing, wherein an axis of each of the loops is orthogonal to an axis of symmetry of the hearing assistance device.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the housing of the device includes a groove, wherein looping the antenna includes placing at least a portion of the antenna in the groove.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising electrically connecting the radio circuit to a power source in the housing, to a microphone in the housing and to a receiver in the housing, wherein the power source, the microphone and the receiver are not within the aperture.