Assembly for hearing aid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11089414-B2
Application number	US-202016927560-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 13, 2020
Priority date	Dec 29, 2016
Publication date	Aug 10, 2021
Grant date	Aug 10, 2021

Abstract

An assembly for a hearing aid is disclosed. The hearing aid with the assembly comprises an in the ear part and a behind the ear part and a part mechanically interconnecting the two parts. In the interconnection, a flexible substrate is arranged. The flexible substrate comprises conductive paths. The conductive paths may be used for communication between the in the ear part and the behind the ear part, and/or for an antenna function.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A hearing aid comprising:
a first part configured to be positioned at or behind the ear of a user and an assembly comprising a second part configured to be positioned at or at least partly in the ear canal of the user and a third part having a flexible body extending between the first part and the second part, the third part thus being configured to connect the first part and the second part,
the second part having an output transducer,
the first part having an input transducer,
the third part having a flexible substrate whereon a number of conductive paths are formed, the number of conductive paths including at least one conductive path that is embedded in the flexible substrate and at least one conductive path that is provided on a surface of the flexible substrate,
a protective member surrounds the flexible substrate and extends along the length of the flexible substrate,
an antenna formed in the third part, the antenna being connected to a wireless interface configured to communicate via the antenna,
the antenna being formed by at least the at least one conductive path embedded in the flexible substrate and
wherein the number of conductive paths includes at least one conductive path that acts as a ground to one or more of the other conductive paths and at least one conductive path that carries signals to the output transducer.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna comprises an antenna trap configured so that the first operational frequency is a carrier frequency of around 2.4 GHz.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein an electrically conductive path on one surface of the flexible substrate forms at least part of the antenna.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the second part includes one or more sensors including sensors for sensing temperature, pressure, EEG, accelerometers, gyro sensors or other direction/inclination/orientation sensors.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the flexible substrate has a rectangular cross section, and/or wherein the flexible substrate is a multi-layer flexible circuit board where at least part of the plurality of transmission paths are formed on respective opposite sides of the flexible substrate.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the second part includes a memory device and/or a processor and/or a filter device.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the antenna extends at least part of the length of the flexible substrate or the entire length of the flexible substrate.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 7 , wherein an electrical component is positioned at a position between the ends of the flexible substrate that isolates the antenna so that the length of the antenna is only a part of the length of the flexible substrate.

9. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the second part includes a first input transducer, and the hearing aid further comprising a processor in the first part and/or in the second part, configured to process the output from the first input transducer so as to compensate for a hearing loss of the user.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 9 , wherein the first part further comprises a second input transducer, and the processor is further configured to establish a processed audio signals based on output from both the first input transducer and the second input transducer.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 9 , wherein the first part includes a third input transducer, and the hearing aid further comprising a processor, in the first part and/or in the second part, configured to process the output from the third input transducer so as to compensate for a hearing loss of the user.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the first part comprises an interface having a plurality of pins or sockets and the third part includes a tab connector, an adaptor having a first end configured to interface with the plurality of pins or sockets and a second end configured to interface with the tab connector inserted between the first and second part.

13. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein a parasitic antenna element is arranged in the first part, the parasitic antenna element being tuned to the operation frequency of the antenna.

14. An assembly configured to be connected as a third member in a hearing aid, the assembly comprising a speaker, a connector and an elongate member, wherein the assembly is configured to be used with a hearing aid having a housing configured to be positioned behind the ear of a wearer, the speaker being configured to output an acoustic signal to the users outer ear canal, the connector connecting to the hearing aid housing, the assembly comprising an ear piece configured to be placed in or at the users outer ear canal and the speaker being arranged in the ear piece, the elongate member mechanically connecting the ear piece with the connector,
a flexible substrate arranged in the connector, wherein the flexible substrate comprises conductive paths, wherein at least one conductive path is embedded into the flexible substrate and the at least one embedded conductive path is part of an antenna, and at least one conductive path that acts as a ground to one or more of the other conductive paths and at least one conductive path that carries signals to the speaker.

15. The assembly according to claim 14 , wherein the antenna includes an antenna trap configured to establish a first operational frequency of the antenna and a second operational frequency, the first operational frequency being lower than the second operational frequency, the antenna trap being formed by one or more electrical components mounted on the flexible substrate.

Assignees

• Oticon As

Inventors

• Møller Kenneth Rueskov
• Troelsen Jens
• Sø Rune
• Sundberg Oliver
• Danielsen Finn
• Johansen Jesper B
• Sager Mads
• Petersen Svend Oscar
• Jakobsen Bent

Classifications

• H04R2225/43

  Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility · CPC title

• H04R25/50 Primary

  Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics · CPC title

• H04R2225/51

  Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids · CPC title

• H04R25/607 Primary

  of earhooks · CPC title

• H04R25/554 Primary

  using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils · CPC title