Wireless charging system for hearing instruments

• US 9,788,129 B2
• Filed: 05/20/2016
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Martius, Sebastian, Sewiolo, Benjamin
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, M D S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Dang, Julie X
• Application Number:
  US15/160,531
• Publication Number:
  US 20160269836A1
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 381323, 381315, 320137, 320108, 705 67, 307104
• CPC Class Codes: H01Q 21/24 Combinations of antenna units polarised in different directions for transmitting or receiving circularly and elliptically polarised waves or waves linearly polarised in any direction circularly polarised patch antennas H01Q9/0428; circularly polarised horns H01Q13/0241; cross-polarised horns H01Q13/0258; polarisation converters H01Q15/242; cross-polarised rear feeds H01Q19/136; crossed polarisation dual antenna H01Q25/001
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/12 of the resonant type
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/70 involving the reduction of electric, magnetic or electromagnetic leakage fields
• CPC Class Codes: H02J 50/80 involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices
• 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 2225/33 Aspects relating to adaptation of the battery voltage, e.g. its regulation, increase or decrease
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/51 Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/305 Self-monitoring or self-testing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/55 using an external connection, either wireless or wired
• 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 facility is provided for the wireless resonant charging of rechargeable hearing instruments. The hearing instrument is freely positionable in a charging device for charging purposes. The charging device for the wireless charging has a transmit antenna arrangement, a transmit amplifier for actuating the transmit antenna arrangement and a charging space. The transmit antenna arrangement has two feeding points, which are spatially arranged in relation to the charging space such that a circularly polarized electromagnetic field can thus be generated in the charging space. The transmit amplifier actuates the antennas accordingly to generate a circularly polarized electromagnetic field in the charging space. In the process a coil arrangement generates a circularly polarized HF field. A good resonant coupling, even with a tilted hearing instrument, is possible, in other words with an undetermined and unpredictable orientation and position of the receive coil of the hearing instrument.

Claims

1. A wirelessly chargeable hearing instrument, comprising:

a rechargeable battery;

a receive antenna configuration embodied for a resonant receipt of power;

a charging facility embodied to transform a signal received by said receive antenna configuration into a charging signal, to charge said rechargeable battery by supplying the charging signal and to control a charging process, said charging facility having a detection facility embodied to detect a charging parameter value; and

a transmit facility sending the charging parameter value in dependence on the resonant receipt of power to a charging device;

wherein the charging parameter value is a charging voltage and/or a charging current generated on account of the resonant receipt of power; and

wherein the charging parameter value includes a request to modify a transmission frequency until a maximum of the charging voltage or the charging current has been reached.

2. A charging system, comprising:

a charging device; and

a wirelessly chargeable hearing instrument including;

a rechargeable battery,

a receive antenna configuration embodied for a resonant receipt of power,

a charging facility embodied to transform a signal received by said receive antenna configuration into a charging signal, to charge said rechargeable battery by supplying the charging signal and to control a charging process, said charging facility having a detection facility embodied to detect a charging parameter value, and

a transmit facility sending the charging parameter value in dependence on the resonant receipt of power to said charging device,

wherein the charging parameter value is a charging voltage and/or a charging current generated on account of the resonant receipt of power, and

wherein the charging parameter value includes a request to modify a transmission frequency until a maximum of the charging voltage or the charging current has been reached.