Hearing-aid

p0001The present invention relates to a hearing aid having a housing and an RF antenna and / or electrical coil for electromagnetic energy and / or data transmission.

p0002Basically, the aim is to make hearing aids as small as possible. On the other hand, are to be accommodated in the hearing aid to increase the functionality of the hearing aid as many electronic components. Therefore, the miniaturization of hearing aids or equipment, among other things by the dimensions of, for example, telecoil, battery charging coils or RF antennas for wireless communication is limited.

p0003At the same time an attempt is made the necessary components such. As coils, with the desired properties to reduce as much as possible, so they require little installation space in the device. For example, RF antennas are used, which are integrated in the printed circuit boards of the hearing aid electronics. Such printed circuit boards printed antennas are known for example from the whitepaper "λ / 4 monopole antenna printed for 2.45GHz" from Nordic VLSI ASA February of 2003.

p0004Furthermore, from the publications <patcit id="pcit0001" dnum="US4495917A"><text>US 4,495,917</text></patcit> and <patcit id="pcit0002" dnum="US6272382B"><text>US 6,272,382</text></patcit> implantable hearing aids known with inductors. In both cases, the coils are embedded in a sealing compound at the outer periphery of the respective hearing aid. Here a classic coil assembly is provided with a plurality of windings in a number of levels each.

p0005The publication <patcit id="pcit0003" dnum="DE10115896A1"><text>DE 101 15 896 A1</text></patcit> discloses a hearing aid system with a programmable hearing aid and a transmitting and receiving unit. In the housing of the hearing aid is arranged an antenna for transmitting and receiving unit.

p0006Furthermore, from document <patcit id="pcit0004" dnum="DE3443907"><text>DE 34 43 907</text></patcit> an earpiece for hearing impaired bebekannt with an induction coil. The induction coil is fixed with a flange at the earpiece.

p0007A disadvantage of the known reels that they require relatively much installation space as before.

p0008The object of the present invention is therefore, the need for coils of hearing aids installation space to shrink further.

p0009According to the invention this object is achieved by a hearing aid with a housing and an RF antenna and / or electrical coil for electromagnetic energy and / or data transmission, wherein the RF antenna and / or the electric coil in the material of the housing or on the housing as electrically conductive layer is formed.

p0010By the invention applying a coil formed of a conductive layer on the hearing aid housing or their integration in a housing of a hearing aid, the total volume can be further reduced. For some hearing aids until the opportunity is hereby opened to integrate an RF system.

p0011Preferably, the electrically conductive layer is formed by a metallization, which was subsequently structured. This allows the metallization of the hearing aid housing are very simple.

p0012It may also be advantageous to apply the electrically conductive layer as a patterned metal layer on the inside or outside of the housing. As a result, a complex may patterning process are avoided.

p0013A further variant for the production of an antenna or coil in the form of an electrically conducting layer consists in pouring the electrically conductive layer in the housing. Thus, the coil or antenna is protected against mechanical influences from outside.

p0014The electrically conductive layer may further consist of a conductive plastic material. This can find the standard plastic fabrication processes use in the manufacture of the coil or antenna.

p0015The antenna or coil may also be formed in that several layers of the electrically conductive layer are arranged one above the other in or on the housing. In this way can be worn with site conditions even further especially in cases where high inductances are required.

p0016The coil can also be formed around its longitudinal axis peripheral conductor as a housing. In BTE hearing aids, this example has the advantage that such, aligned parallel to the external ear coil can be well used as a telecoil. Such, the housing surrounding coil can be used even when the housing is longitudinally divided. In this case, the helical coil is formed by the assembly of the housing halves. Any other conductor structure may extend over both housing halves.

p0017The present invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:<dl id="dl0001" compact="compact"><dt>1 shows</dt><dd>a BTE hearing aid with an antenna according to a first embodiment; </dd><dt>FIG 2</dt><dd>a BTE hearing aid with an antenna according to a second embodiment; and</dd><dt>FIG 3</dt><dd>an ITE hearing device with an antenna according to a third embodiment of the present invention.</dd></dl>

p0018The more detail below embodiments represent preferred embodiments of the present invention.

p0019According to the present invention a structured in any form conductor is applied to the hearing device housing. Preferably this is done on the inside of the hearing aid housing, in order to avoid damage to the conductor structure by external influences. The conductor structure can also be mounted on the outside of the hearing aid housing, which is then advisable to apply a protective layer over it.

p0020An example of a formed at the hearing device housing RF antenna according to the invention is in <figref idrefs="f0001">1 shows</figref> shown. The L-shaped RF antenna HA is applied as a metal layer on the BTE hearing aid housing HG. Depending on the preferred Production RF antenna HA is applied as a preformed film formation on the hearing device housing HG or formed by subsequent patterning of a metallization of the hearing device housing HG. Alternatively, the RF antenna HA, as already mentioned, be formed as a conducting plastics layer during injection molding of the hearing aid housing HG in the desired shape.

p0021A further embodiment of a hearing aid according to the invention is in <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG 2</figref> reproduced. The coil shown therein SU has helical character and turns to the cabinet, in this<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG 2</figref> is shown as a BTE hearing aid housing HG. Specifically, the SU coil is formed in a casing portion and the axis of the coil SU corresponds to the longitudinal axis of this housing section. Here, the "axis" or "longitudinal axis" be like curved in the present case.

p0022A third embodiment of the present invention is shown in <figref idrefs="f0001">FIG 3</figref> sketched. Here, a helical antenna SI is attached to the outward-facing side of an ITE hearing aid housing IG. This hearing aid housing IG could also, for example, with a like<figref idrefs="f0001">FIG 2</figref> illustrated coil antenna to be fitted in the conical housing section. Conversely, of course, be provided with a helical antenna and a BTE housing.

p0023By suitable choice of the conductor geometry, the component generated by the conductor layer can be optimally adapted to the respective application. Thus leading to an improved profit, influence the directivity and impedance in a corresponding manner. In addition, several layers of the conductor layer can be placed within the shell layer above the other, in order to use the housing as a dielectric material.