Hearing aid system and a hearing aid

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9344816-B2
Application number	US-201313826702-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2013
Priority date	Jan 7, 2011
Publication date	May 17, 2016
Grant date	May 17, 2016

Abstract

A hearing aid ( 100 ) comprises first wireless link means configured to receive a first data signal using a first carrier frequency and second wireless link means configured to receive a second data signal using a second carrier frequency and wherein a first electrical antenna of the first wireless link means also forms part of a first band pass filter of the second wireless link means. The invention provides a hearing aid, a binaural hearing aid system and a method of receiving a first and second wireless signal.

First claim

We claim:

1. A hearing aid comprising:
first wireless link component configured to receive a first data signal on a first antenna using a first carrier frequency;
second wireless link component configured to receive a second data signal on a second antenna using a second carrier frequency; wherein the second wireless link component includes a first band pass filter that includes said first antenna of the first wireless link component and further comprises a frequency mixer configured to provide a frequency mixed signal with a down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency, wherein the down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency corresponds to the first carrier frequency.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said first band pass filter is configured to pass said down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency of the frequency mixed signal.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said first antenna is adapted for receiving an inductive wireless signal.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said first antenna is a coil.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein the frequency mixed signal is supplied to said first antenna.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1 , wherein said second wireless link component comprises a second band pass filter positioned up stream of the first band pass filter.

7. The hearing aid according to claim 6 , wherein said second band pass filter is positioned downstream of the frequency mixer and configured to filter out an image of the frequency mixed signal.

8. The hearing aid according to claim 6 , wherein said second band pass filter is positioned up stream of the frequency mixer and configured to filter out noise signals picked up by said second antenna of the second wireless link component.

9. The hearing aid according to according to claim 1 wherein said first data signal and said second data signal are demodulated using the same digital demodulator.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said first data signal and said second data signal are decoded using the same wireless protocol component.

11. The hearing aid according to according to claim 1 wherein said first carrier frequency is in the range between 3 and 12 MHz.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 1 wherein said second carrier frequency is in the range between 850 and 950 MHz.

13. A hearing aid comprising first wireless link component configured to receive a first data signal using a first carrier frequency;
a second wireless link component configured to receive a second data signal using a second carrier frequency;
wherein the second wireless link component comprises a frequency mixer configured to provide a frequency mixed signal with a down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency, wherein the down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency corresponds to said first carrier frequency and wherein a first electrical antenna of the first wireless link component also forms part of a first band filter of the second wireless link component.

14. A binaural hearing aid system comprising a first hearing aid comprising first wireless link component configured to receive a first data signal on a first antenna using a first carrier frequency; a second wireless link component configured to receive a second data signal on a second antenna using a second carrier frequency; wherein the second wireless link component comprises frequency mixer configured to provide a frequency mixed signal with a down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency, wherein the down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency corresponds to said first carrier frequency, and a second hearing aid, wherein said first wireless link component is configured to exchange data between said first and said second hearing aid, and wherein said second wireless link component includes a band pass filter and said first antenna forms at least a part of said band pass filter.

15. The binaural hearing aid system according to claim 14 , wherein said second wireless link component is configured to exchange data with a hearing aid fitting system.

16. The binaural hearing aid system according to claim 14 , wherein said second wireless link component is configured to receive data representing audio from an external source.

17. A method of receiving a first wireless signal and a second wireless signal in a hearing aid comprising the steps of
receiving a first wireless signal, having a first carrier frequency, using a first electrical antenna;
receiving a second wireless signal, having a second carrier frequency, using a second electrical antenna;
frequency mixing said second wireless signal, hereby providing a frequency mixed signal with a down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency;
band pass filtering said frequency mixed signal using a band pass filter, wherein said band pass filter includes said first electrical antenna and is configured to pass said down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency, hereby providing a frequency down-mixed signal;
demodulating and decoding said first wireless signal using first demodulating and decoding means; and
demodulating and decoding said frequency down-mixed signal using said first demodulating and decoding means.

18. A hearing aid comprising:
first wireless link component configured to receive a first data signal on a first antenna using a first carrier frequency;
second wireless link component configured to receive a second data signal on a second antenna using a second carrier frequency; wherein the second wireless link component comprises a frequency mixer configured to provide a frequency mixed signal with a down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency, wherein the down-mixed intermediate carrier frequency corresponds to said first carrier frequency, and wherein said first antenna forms at least part of a band pass filter for filtering said frequency mixed signal.

Assignees

• Widex As

Inventors

• Larsen Soren Mollskov
• Kroman Morten

Classifications

• H04B5/72

  for local intradevice communication · CPC title

• H04B5/26

  using coils · CPC title

• H04B5/24

  Inductive coupling · CPC title

• H01Q1/00

  Details of, or arrangements associated with, antennas (arrangements for varying orientation of directional pattern H01Q3/00) · CPC title

• H04R25/554 Primary

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