# US 2014/0153760 A1 · Hearing aid with magnetostrictive electroactive sensor > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153760 A1 - Document ID: US20140153760A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/176,760 - Filed: 2014-02-10 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2011-07-11 - Assignees: Starkey Laboratories, Inc. - Applicants: Starkey Laboratories, Inc. - Inventors: James R. Newton; Michael Karl Sacha; Wei Li Lin - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153760A1 ## CPC - H04R 25/658: {Manufacture of housing parts} - H02J 7/34: Parallel operation in networks using both storage and other DC sources, e.g. providing buffering (H02J7/14 takes precedence) - H02J 50/001: {Energy harvesting or scavenging} - H02J 50/10: using inductive coupling - H02J 50/80: involving the exchange of data, concerning supply or distribution of electric power, between transmitting devices and receiving devices - H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils} - H04R 25/43: {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)} - H04R 25/558: {Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency} - H04R 25/603: {of mechanical or electronic switches or control elements} - H04R 2225/31: Aspects of the use of accumulators in hearing aids, e.g. rechargeable batteries or fuel cells - H04R 2225/61: Aspects relating to mechanical or electronic switches or control elements, e.g. functioning - 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) - H02J: ELECTRIC POWER NETWORKS; CIRCUIT ARRANGEMENTS OR SYSTEMS FOR SUPPLYING OR DISTRIBUTING ELECTRIC POWER; SYSTEMS FOR STORING ELECTRIC ENERGY ## Abstract A hearing aid includes a magnetostrictive electroactive (ME) sensor that generates an electrical signal in response to a magnetic field or a mechanical pressure. In various embodiments, the ME sensor is used for cordless charging of a rechargeable battery in the hearing aid by generating an electrical signal in response to a magnetic field generated for power transfer, magnetic sound signal reception, and/or detection of user commands by sensing a magnetic field or a pressure applied to the hearing aid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A hearing aid, comprising: a hearing aid circuit including a microphone, a receiver, and an audio processor coupled between the microphone and the receiver; a rechargeable battery coupled to the hearing aid circuit to power the hearing aid circuit; a magnetostrictive electroactive (ME) sensor configured to generate an power signal in response to a first magnetic field and generate a driving signal in response to a second magnetic field or a pressure; and a sensor processing circuit coupled to the ME sensor, the sensor processing circuit including: a battery charging circuit coupled to the rechargeable battery and configured to charge the rechargeable battery using the power signal; and a switch coupled to the hearing aid circuit and configured to control the hearing aid circuit using the driving signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The hearing aid of claim 1, comprising a housing encapsulating at least the hearing aid circuit and the sensor processing circuit. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The hearing aid of claim 2, wherein the ME sensor is encapsulated in the housing. ### Claim 4 (depends on 2) The hearing aid of claim 2, wherein the ME sensor is incorporated into the housing. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The hearing aid of claim 4, wherein the housing comprises a battery door, and the ME sensor is incorporated into the battery door. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the ME sensor comprises two magnetostrictive layers and a piezoelectric layer sandwiched between the two magnetostrictive layers. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the ME sensor is configured to scavenge power from environmental magnetic fields. ### Claim 8 (depends on 7) The hearing aid of claim 7, wherein the ME sensor is configured to scavenge power from magnetic fields generated by electric power lines. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the ME sensor is configured to generate a sound signal in response to a third magnetic field representing a sound, and the sensor processing circuit comprises a sound processing circuit configured to process the sound signal to recover the sound from the sound signal. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a magnetic switch driven by the driving signal, and the ME sensor is configured to generate the driving signal in response to the command magnetic field applied on the ME sensor for at least a specified duration. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the command magnetic field is modulated by data representative of user commands, the ME sensor is configured to generate the driving signal in response to the command magnetic field applied on the ME sensor, the driving signal including the data representative of the user commands, and the switch is configured to control the hearing aid circuit according to the user commands. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The hearing aid of claim 1, wherein the switch comprises a touch switch driven by the driving signal, and the ME sensor is configured to generate the driving signal in response to a mechanical pressure applied on the ME sensor for at least a specified duration. ### Claim 13 A method for operating a hearing aid powered by a rechargeable battery, the method comprising: generating a power signal in response to a first magnetic field applied to the hearing aid using a magnetostrictive electroactive (ME) sensor in the hearing aid; converting the power signal into a DC electrical signal; charging the rechargeable battery using the DC electrical signal; detecting a user command as a second magnetic field or a pressure applied to the hearing aid using the ME sensor; and adjusting an operation of the hearing aid in response to the user command. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising generating the power signal using the ME sensor in response to a magnetic field generated by a hearing aid charger using a coil. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising generating the power signal by scavenging power from environmental magnetic fields using the ME sensor. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein scavenging the power from the environmental magnetic fields comprises scavenging power from magnetic fields generated by power lines carrying AC current of approximately 60 Hz. ### Claim 17 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising generating a sound signal in response to a third magnetic field representing a sound, and processing the sound signal to recover the sound. ### Claim 18 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, comprising generating a driving signal suitable for driving a switch in the hearing aid in response to the second magnetic field using the ME sensor ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein generating the driving signal comprises generating the driving signal in response to presence of a magnet in proximity of the hearing aid. ### Claim 20 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, wherein the second magnetic field is modulated by data representative of the user command, and generating the driving signal comprises generating a driving signal including the data representative of the user command in response to the second magnetic field being applied to the hearing aid using an electromagnet.