Antenna with flared cross-feed in a hearing assistance device
AssigneeStarkey Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsNasser Thomas Pooladian, Brent Anthony Bauman
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A hearing assistance device such as a hearing aid includes an antenna for wireless communication with another device. The antenna includes two antenna elements and a cross-feed that provides for electrical connection between the two antenna elements. The cross-feed having a flared structure configured to reduce an effect of head loading on the performance of the wireless communication by approximately minimizing capacitive coupling between the cross-feed and a wearer when the hearing assistance device is worn by the wearer.
Claims20
A hearing device configured to be worn by a wearer having an ear, comprising:
- a circuit configured to perform wireless communication;
- an antenna including two antenna elements and a cross-feed coupled directly between the two antenna elements, the cross-feed providing for electrical connection directly between the two antenna elements and including one or more bends configured to reduce capacitive coupling between the antenna and the wearer;
- an antenna feed coupled between the antenna and the circuit to provide for electrical connection between the antenna and the circuit;
- and
- a case housing the circuit, the antenna, and the antenna feed.
A hearing device configured to be worn by a wearer having an ear, comprising:
- a circuit configured to perform wireless communication;
- an antenna feed coupled to the circuit;
- an antenna coupled to the circuit via the antenna feed and including:
- two antenna loops;
- two cross-feed lines each coupled directly between the two antenna loops and coupled directly to the antenna feed, the two cross-feed lines each providing for an electrical connection directly between the two antenna loops;
- and
- a plurality of bends formed by at least each line of the two cross-feed lines to reduce capacitive coupling between the antenna and the wearer;
- and
- a case housing the circuit, the antenna feed, and the antenna.
A method for wireless communication to be performed by a hearing device configured to be worn by a wearer having an ear, comprising:
- providing an antenna including two antenna elements and a cross-feed connected directly between the two antenna elements, the cross-feed providing for electrical connection directly between the two antenna elements;
- reducing capacitive coupling between the antenna and the wearer by configuring the cross-feed to include one or more bends;
- and
- connecting the antenna to a circuit using an antenna feed configured to connect the cross-feed to the circuit, the circuit configured to perform the wireless communication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.