Hearing apparatus including coil operable in different operation modes

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9729980-B2
Application number	US-201614996583-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 15, 2016
Priority date	Apr 16, 2013
Publication date	Aug 8, 2017
Grant date	Aug 8, 2017

Abstract

A hearing apparatus includes a coil and a coil operation mode selector configured to select either a first coil operation mode for communicating with a wireless communication terminal, or a second coil operation mode for wirelessly charging a battery of the hearing apparatus.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a coil adapted to receive a signal to be used for communication, and to receive power to be used for wireless charging;
communication circuitry adapted to communicate, using the signal received via the coil, with an electronic device external to the apparatus;
charging circuitry adapted to charge, using the power received via the coil, a battery operatively coupled with the apparatus; and
a processor adapted to:
identify a state of the apparatus as corresponding to the communication or the wireless charging;
communicate, using the signal, with the electronic device via the communication circuitry, in response to a determination that the state of the apparatus corresponds to the communication; and
charge, using the power, the battery via the charging circuitry, in response to a determination that the state of the apparatus corresponds to the wireless charging.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a sensor, wherein the processor is further adapted to:
recognize the state of the apparatus using the sensor.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the sensor comprises an acceleration sensor or a gyro sensor.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the charging circuitry comprises another communication circuitry, wherein the processor is further adapted to:
receive information indicative of the wireless charging via the other communication circuitry; and
determine the state of the apparatus based at least in part on the information.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is adapted to:
receive information indicative of the wireless charging via the coil; and
determine the state of the apparatus based at least in part on the information.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted to:
detect a current corresponding to the signal or the power; and
determine the state of the apparatus based at least in part on the current.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further adapted to:
generate, via the coil, a current to charge the battery using the power based at least in part on the other determination.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a switch coupled with the communication circuitry and the charging circuitry.

9. The apparatus of claim 8 , wherein the processor is further adapted to:
generate a control signal to control the switch based at least in part on the determination or the other determination.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further adapted to:
selectively couple, using the switch, the coil with a corresponding one of the communication circuitry and the charging circuitry based at least in part on the control signal.

11. An apparatus comprising:
a coil adapted to receive a signal transmitted from an electronic device external to the apparatus;
communication circuitry;
charging circuitry; and
a processor adapted to:
determine whether the signal corresponds to communication or wireless charging;
communicate, using the signal, with the electronic device via the communication circuitry based at least in part on a determination that the signal corresponds to the communication; and
charge, using the signal, the apparatus via the charging circuitry based at least in part on another determination that the signal corresponds to the wireless charging.

12. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising impedance matching circuitry coupled with the coil.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the wireless charging comprises inductive charging or resonance charging, wherein the processor is further adapted to:
set the impedance matching circuitry according to a corresponding one of the inductive charging and the resonance charging.

14. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further adapted to:
generate, via the coil, a current to charge the battery using the signal based at least in part on the determination.

15. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the processor is further adapted to:
detect a current corresponding to the signal; and
determine, using the current, a state of the apparatus in relation with the communication or the wireless charging.

16. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the charging circuitry comprises another communication circuitry, wherein the processor is further adapted to:
receive information indicative of the wireless charging via the other communication circuitry; and
determine a state of the apparatus in relation with the wireless charging further based at least in part on the information.

17. The apparatus of claim 11 , further comprising a switch coupled with the communication circuitry and the charging circuitry, wherein the processor is further adapted to:
generate a control signal to control the switch based at least in part on the determination or the other determination.

18. The apparatus of claim 17 , wherein the processor is further adapted to:
selectively couple, using the switch, the coil with the communication circuitry and the charging circuitry based at least in part on the control signal.

19. The apparatus of claim 11 , wherein the apparatus comprises a hearing apparatus.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage device storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving, at an electronic device including a coil, communication circuitry, and charging circuitry, a signal from another electronic device external to the electronic device using the coil;
determining whether the signal received from the other electronic device corresponds to communication or wireless charging; and
communicating, using the signal, with the other electronic device via the communication circuitry based at least in part on a determination that the signal corresponds to the communication; and
charging, using the signal, the electronic device via the charging circuitry based at least in part on a determination that the signal corresponds to the wireless charging.

Assignees

• Samsung Electronics Co Ltd

Inventors

• Ku Yun Seo
• Kim Jong Jin
• Uhm Jun Whon
• Yoon Chang Wook
• Kim Dong Wook
• Sohn Jun Il
• Choi Jong Min
• Han Jong Hee

Classifications

• H04R25/43

  Electronic input selection or mixing based on input signal analysis, e.g. mixing or selection between microphone and telecoil or between microphones with different directivity characteristics (H04R25/407 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2225/31

  Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells · CPC title

• H04R1/1025

  Accumulators specially adapted for earpieces; Arrangements specially adapted for charging thereof · CPC title

• H04R25/30

  Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power · CPC title

• H04R25/554 Primary

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