# US 11,451,911 B2 · Hearing device and method of manufacturing the same > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 11,451,911 B2 - Document ID: US11451911B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/989,985 - Filed: 2020-08-11 - Published: 2021-02-18 - Granted: 2022-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 2019-08-16 - Assignees: Sonova AG - Applicants: Sonova AG - Inventors: Mark Schmidt; Gabriel Perez; John Whitmore; Dave Ma; Munsoo Bae - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11451911B2 ## CPC - H01Q 1/273: {Adaptation for carrying or wearing by persons or animals} - H04R 25/652: {Ear tips; Ear moulds (hybrid ear moulds or post-processing thereof for their customisation H04R25/659)} - H01Q 9/265: {Open ring dipoles; Circular dipoles} - H01Q 9/285: {Planar dipole (H01Q9/065 takes precedence; patch antenna H01Q9/0407)} - H04R 1/1016: {Earpieces of the intra-aural type} - H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils} - H04R 25/658: {Manufacture of housing parts} - H04R 2225/023: Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids - H04R 2225/025: In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids - H04R 2225/51: Aspects of antennas or their circuitry in or for hearing aids - H04R 2420/07: Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones - H05K 1/189: characterised by the use of flexible or folded printed circuits - H01Q: ANTENNAS, i.e. RADIO AERIALS (radiators or antennas for microwave heating H05B6/72) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) - H05K: PRINTED CIRCUITS; CASINGS OR CONSTRUCTIONAL DETAILS OF ELECTRIC APPARATUS; MANUFACTURE OF ASSEMBLAGES OF ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS ## Abstract A hearing device including a shell to be worn at least in part in the ear canal and having an outer opening; a faceplate covering the outer opening of the shell and facing outwardly of the ear canal when the hearing device is worn in the ear canal; a transceiver configured to operate in an operating frequency range which is located within 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz; and a dipole antenna. The dipole antenna is integrated within the faceplate or at an outer surface of the faceplate in a manner so as to follow the contour of the outer surface of the faceplate to maximize radiation gain of the dipole antenna. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hearing device, comprising: a shell to be worn at least in part in the ear canal and having an outer opening; a faceplate covering the outer opening of the shell and facing outwardly of the ear canal when the hearing device is worn in the ear canal; a transceiver configured to operate in an operating frequency range which is located within 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz; a dipole antenna; wherein the dipole antenna is integrated within the faceplate or at an outer surface of the faceplate in a manner so as to follow the contour of the outer surface of the faceplate to maximize radiation gain of the dipole antenna and the dipole antenna has two arms with an end gap between the ends of the arms, and wherein the end gap is from 0.1 to 5 mm so as to control performance of the dipole antenna. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein the dipole antenna surrounds a battery and an electronics subassembly of the hearing device. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein the dipole antenna comprises radiating sections extending on both the outer and inner surfaces of the faceplate, spaced apart by the thickness of the faceplate. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein the dipole antenna is implemented as a flexible PCB placed internally in the faceplate within a trench on the inner surface of the faceplate. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The hearing device of claim 4, wherein the flexible PCB is mechanically locked within the trench by a snap-in mechanism. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The hearing device of claim 4, wherein an edge of the flexible PCB is flush with the inner surface of the faceplate when the flexible PCB is fully inserted within the trench. ### Claim 7 (depends on 4) The hearing device of claim 4, wherein the dipole antenna comprises a conductor trace located at the outer edge of the flexible PCB. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein the dipole antenna is implemented as a preformed wire placed internally or externally within a channel of the faceplate. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The hearing device of claim 8, wherein the preformed wire is inserted into a trench in the outer surface or into a trench in the inner surface of the faceplate, the trench forming the channel. ### Claim 10 (depends on 4) The hearing device of claim 4, wherein the trench is backfilled with dielectric material. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein the dipole antenna is implemented using an LDS (“laser direct structuring”) or LMA (“laser manufactured antenna”) technology. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The hearing device of claim 11, wherein the dipole antenna is printed as an LDS/LMA antenna pattern on the outer and/or inner surface of the faceplate. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The hearing device of claim 1, wherein the dipole antenna is implemented as a preformed antenna element embedded within the faceplate. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The hearing device of claim 13, wherein the antenna element is a stamped metal structure. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The hearing device of claim 13, wherein the antenna element is embedded by a two-stage molding process. ### Claim 16 A method of manufacturing a hearing device, comprising the steps of: providing for a shell to be worn at least in part in the ear canal and having an outer opening; providing for a faceplate for covering the outer opening of the shell and facing outwardly of the ear canal when the hearing device is worn in the ear canal; providing a transceiver configured to operate in an operating frequency range which is located within 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz; providing a dipole antenna with two arms with an end gap between the ends of the arms wherein the end gap is from 0.1 mm to 5 mm; and integrating the dipole antenna within the faceplate or at an outer surface of the faceplate in a manner so as to follow the contour of the outer surface of the faceplate to maximize radiation gain of the dipole antenna. ### Claim 17 A hearing device, comprising: a shell to be worn at least in part in the ear canal and having an outer opening; a faceplate covering the outer opening of the shell and facing outwardly of the ear canal when the hearing device is worn in the ear canal; a transceiver configured to operate in an operating frequency range which is located within 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz; a dipole antenna; wherein the dipole antenna is integrated within the faceplate or at an outer surface of the faceplate in a manner so as to follow the contour of the outer surface of the faceplate to maximize radiation gain of the dipole antenna, wherein the dipole antenna is implemented using an LDS (“laser direct structuring”) or LMA (“laser manufactured antenna”) technology. ### Claim 18 A method of manufacturing a hearing device, comprising the steps of: providing for a shell to be worn at least in part in the ear canal and having an outer opening; providing for a faceplate for covering the outer opening of the shell and facing outwardly of the ear canal when the hearing device is worn in the ear canal; providing a transceiver configured to operate in an operating frequency range which is located within 2.4 GHz to 2.5 GHz; providing a dipole; and integrating the dipole antenna within the faceplate or at a surface of the faceplate in a manner so as to follow the contour of the surface of the faceplate to maximize radiation gain of the dipole antenna, wherein the dipole antenna is implemented using an LDS (“laser direct structuring”) or LMA (“laser manufactured antenna”) technology. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The hearing device of claim 18, wherein the dipole antenna is printed as an LDS/LMA antenna pattern on an outer and/or inner surface of the faceplate.