Antennas for standard fit hearing assistance devices
AssigneeStarkey Laboratories, Inc.
InventorsBeau Jay Polinske, Jorge F. Sanguino, Jay Rabel, Jeffrey Paul Solum, Michael Helgeson, David Tourtelotte
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Abstract
An embodiment of a hearing assistance device comprises a housing, a power source, a radio circuit, an antenna and a transmission line. The radio circuit is within the housing and electrically connected to the power source. The antenna has an aperture, and the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture. The transmission line electrically connects to the antenna to the radio circuit. Various antenna embodiments include a flex circuit antenna.
Claims20
A hearing assistance device, comprising:
- a housing, wherein the housing has a long axis;
- a power source within the housing;
- a radio circuit within the housing and electrically connected to the power source;
- a flex antenna configured to have an aperture with at least one loop in a plane substantially parallel to the long axis of the housing, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture;
- and
- a transmission line integrally formed with the flex antenna and configured to electrically connect to the radio circuit.
A method of forming a hearing assistance device, comprising:
- placing a radio circuit and a power source within a housing of the device, wherein the housing has a long axis and wherein the radio circuit includes a transmitter/receiver, a processor and storage;
- and
- looping a flex antenna to form a three-dimensional aperture and electrically connecting the flex antenna to the radio circuit using a transmission line integrated with the flex antenna, wherein the radio circuit is at least substantially within the aperture and the power source is not within the aperture,
- wherein, as assembled, the flex circuit antenna forms a loop in a plane substantially parallel to the long axis of the housing, and the aperture has an axis substantially perpendicular to the long axis of the housing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.