Patent Application
20240089674
This invention pertains to electronic hearing aids, hearing aid systems, and methods for their use.
Hearing aids are electronic instruments that compensate for hearing losses by amplifying sound. The electronic components of a hearing aid may include a microphone for receiving ambient sound, processing circuitry for amplifying the microphone signal in a manner that depends upon the frequency and amplitude of the microphone signal, a speaker for converting the amplified microphone signal to sound for the wearer, and a battery for powering the components. Hearing aids may also incorporate wireless transceivers for enabling communication with an external device and/or communication between two hearing aids worn by a user.
Hearing aids may incorporate wireless transceivers that enable communication communications between the two hearing aids typically worn by a user. Such ear-to-ear communication provides the convenience of synchronized adjustments to operating parameters as well enabling binaural signal processing between the hearing aids. Wireless transceivers may also be used by hearing aids to enable audio streaming from external sources such as a smartphones. In the case of ear-to-ear communication, the link between the hearing aids may be implemented as a near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) link operated in a frequency band between 3 and 15 MHz which easily propagates through and around the human head. The frequency band used for NFMI links, however, has a very limited propagation range. Therefore, in the case of communications between a hearing aid and an external device, far-field RF (radio-frequency) links using higher frequency bands such as the 900 MHz or 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial Scientific Medical) bands are preferred. The high frequency nature of far-field signals, however, also results in a short wavelength that does not propagate well through and around the human head and body. One possible solution to this problem is to use an NFMI transceiver for ear-to-ear communications and a far-field transceiver for communications with external sources, but that requires the hearing aid incorporate two separate radios with consequent added power consumption as well as other disadvantages. Another possible solution is the use of NFMI for ear-to-ear communications and a relay device that translates far-field communications from an external device into NFMI signals transmitted to the hearing aid (e.g., a neck loop transmitting to a telecoil in the hearing aid). A relay device produces some time delay, however, and that may not be acceptable in certain situations.
Described herein is a hearing aid which incorporates an antenna integrated into the housing that is configured to radiate with linear polarization such that the electric field is perpendicular to the head of a wearer. The described technique results in lower propagation losses from ear to ear and an improvement in ear-to-ear communications using a far-field link (e.g., in the 2.4 GHz band).
The bowtie-type antenna 190 connected the wireless transceiver 180 may be configured to produce a linearly polarized signal perpendicular to the user's head with a polarization otherwise optimized for ear-to-ear communications. In one embodiment, as illustrated by
In certain types of hearing aids, the electronic components are enclosed by a housing that is designed to be worn in the ear for both aesthetic and functional reasons. Such devices may be referred to as in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), completely-in-the-canal (CIC), or invisible-in-the-canal (IIC) hearing aids. Another type of hearing aid, referred to as a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid, utilizes a housing that is worn behind the ear that contains all of the components shown in
In one embodiment, a hearing aid comprises: a housing, wherein the housing contains components that include a microphone for converting an audio input into an input signal, a digital processing circuitry for processing the input signal, an output state to produce an output signal in a manner that compensates for the patient's hearing deficit, and a wireless transceiver connected to the digital processing circuitry; an antenna having a feedpoint connected to the wireless transceiver; and wherein the antenna is a bowtie-type antenna integrated with the housing and configured to radiate with polarization optimized for ear to ear communications. The bowtie-type antenna may be formed by two half-sections of the housing made of conductive material and separated by a dielectric material or formed by flex circuits disposed on the interior of two half-sections of the housing. The bowtie-type antenna may be printed on the exterior of two half-sections of the housing. The housing may be adapted to be worn behind a user's ear and may contain a speaker for converting the output signal into an audio output so as to constitute a behind-the-ear (BTE) type of hearing aid. The output stage contained within the housing may connected electrically to a speaker for converting the output signal into an audio output, wherein the speaker is adapted to be worn in the auditory canal of user to constitute a receiver-in-canal (RIC) type of hearing aid. The housing may further contains a speaker for converting the output signal into an audio output and is adapted to be worn in the ear of a user, and the housing may comprise a shell adapted to be worn in the ear in which is integrated one-half of the bowtie-type antenna and a faceplate in which is integrated the other half of the bowtie-type antenna. The wireless receiver is designed to operate in the 2.4 GHz or 900 MHz band. The antenna may be a solid bowtie-type antenna or a form bowtie-type antenna. A hearing assistance system may comprise two hearing aids in accordance with any of the embodiments described above.
It is understood that digital hearing aids include a processor. In digital hearing aids with a processor, programmable gains may be employed to adjust the hearing aid output to a wearer's particular hearing impairment. The processor may be a digital signal processor (DSP), microprocessor, microcontroller, other digital logic, or combinations thereof. The processing may be done by a single processor, or may be distributed over different devices. The processing of signals referenced in this application can be performed using the processor or over different devices. Processing may be done in the digital domain, the analog domain, or combinations thereof. Processing may be done using subband processing techniques. Processing may be done using frequency domain or time domain approaches. Some processing may involve both frequency and time domain aspects. For brevity, in some examples drawings may omit certain blocks that perform frequency synthesis, frequency analysis, analog-to-digital conversion, digital-to-analog conversion, amplification, buffering, and certain types of filtering and processing. In various embodiments the processor is adapted to perform instructions stored in one or more memories, which may or may not be explicitly shown. Various types of memory may be used, including volatile and nonvolatile forms of memory. In various embodiments, the processor or other processing devices execute instructions to perform a number of signal processing tasks. Such embodiments may include analog components in communication with the processor to perform signal processing tasks, such as sound reception by a microphone, or playing of sound using a receiver (i.e., in applications where such transducers are used). In various embodiments, different realizations of the block diagrams, circuits, and processes set forth herein can be created by one of skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present subject matter.
It is further understood that different hearing assistance devices may embody the present subject matter without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The devices depicted in the figures are intended to demonstrate the subject matter, but not necessarily in a limited, exhaustive, or exclusive sense. It is also understood that the present subject matter can be used with a device designed for use in the right ear or the left ear or both ears of the wearer.
The present subject matter is demonstrated for hearing assistance devices, including hearing aids, including but not limited to, behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), receiver-in-canal (RIC), or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) type hearing aids. It is understood that behind-the-ear type hearing aids may include devices that reside substantially behind the ear or over the ear. Such devices may include hearing aids with receivers associated with the electronics portion of the behind-the-ear device, or hearing aids of the type having receivers in the ear canal of the user, including but not limited to receiver-in-canal (RIC) or receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) designs.
This application is intended to cover adaptations or variations of the present subject matter. It is to be understood that the above description is intended to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the present subject matter should be determined with reference to the appended claims, along with the full scope of legal equivalents to which such claims are entitled.
This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/821,362, filed Aug. 22, 2022, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/948,487, filed Sep. 21, 2020, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,432,082, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/665,646, filed Oct. 28, 2019, now issued as U.S. Pat. No. 10,785,583, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/706,173, filed May 7, 2015, each of which are incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.
| Number | Date | Country | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Parent | 17821362 | Aug 2022 | US |
| Child | 18451241 | US | |
| Parent | 16948487 | Sep 2020 | US |
| Child | 17821362 | US | |
| Parent | 16665646 | Oct 2019 | US |
| Child | 16948487 | US | |
| Parent | 14706173 | May 2015 | US |
| Child | 16665646 | US |
