Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Brent Anthony Bauman

Gregory John Haubrich

Stephen Paul Flood

Jeffrey Paul Solum

Thomas Howard Burns

Trevor Webster

Jorge F Sanguino

Nasser Thomas Pooladian

Beau Jay Polinske

Jay Rabel

Greg Haubrich

Casey Edward Murray

Shahin Nikookhoy

A hearing device, such as a hearing aid, includes an antenna for wireless communication. The antenna is housed in the hearing aid with an orientation determined to approximately minimize change in performance of the wireless communication when the hearing aid goes onto a wearer's head from free space. In various embodiments, the orientation of the antenna can be optimized by considering various factors including head loading and performance of wireless communication with various other devices.

Hearing device antenna with optimized orientation

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.

Antenna with flared cross-feed in a hearing assistance device

Methods and systems are described for transferring programming information to a hearing instrument. Such programming information may include hearing loss compensation parameters and/or other information pertaining to device operation. In one embodiment, each of a pair of hearing instruments prescribed and configured for a particular hearing loss contains the necessary information for operation on either the left or right ear. The data from one hearing instrument may then be transferred to the other hearing instrument by means of wireless communication. In other embodiments, programming information is transferred wirelessly by an external device connected to a database.

Methods and systems for loading hearing instrument parameters

Multiple antennas at the receiver and/or transmitter are commonly used in wireless communications systems to provide diversity in order reduce fading and other effects brought about by multi-path propagation. Due to the size of hearing aids and the wavelengths of the frequencies used for communication, it is difficult to achieve what is called spatial diversity by disposing the multiple antennas at different locations. Described herein are techniques for providing polarization diversity in hearing aids using antennas with different polarizations and applying the appropriate phase shifts to the received and/or transmitted signals to improve the signal quality.

Adjustable elliptical polarization phasing and amplitude weighting for a hearing instrument

A pair of binaural hearing devices can dynamically assess and select a channel from a plurality of frequency channels suitable for ear-to-ear communication with each other. In various embodiments, the hearing aids can each initiate a channel assessment by calibrating a channel quality threshold and transmitting a packet including the channel quality threshold to the other hearing aid. The other hearing aid can then receive the packet, measure the quality parameter on the packet, and compare the measured value of the quality parameter to the received channel quality threshold to determine whether the channel is suitable for the ear-to-ear communication.

Method and apparatus for channel selection in ear-to-ear communication in hearing devices

A hearing aid includes an antenna for wireless communication with another device. The antenna includes a primary element connected to the circuit of the hearing aid and one or more secondary elements parasitically coupled to the primary element. This antenna configuration substantially increases radiation efficiency when compared to an antenna with the primary element alone, without substantially increasing the size, power consumption, and complexity of the hearing aid.

Hearing aid with inductively coupled electromagnetic resonator antenna

A hearing assistance system includes one or more hearing aids capable of wireless communication and an antenna assembly external to the one or more hearing aids for improving performance of the wireless communication. In various embodiments, the antenna assembly includes one or more fabric patches configured to be worn by a hearing aid user to function as an antenna or an antenna reflector. In various embodiments, the one or more fabric patches are integrated with a garment worn by the hearing aid user.

Method and apparatus for improving hearing aid antenna efficiency

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for embedding a conductive trace for a hearing assistance device housing. One aspect of the present subject matter includes a method of forming a hearing assistance device housing. The housing is constructed of plastic including a photo conductive dopant, in various embodiments. According to various embodiments, the housing is laser printed to activate the photo conductive dopant on the surface of the plastic to provide a conductive trace on a surface of the housing. The housing is plated using an electroless process to increase the conductivity of the conductive trace, in various embodiments.

Growing community of inventors

Minneapolis, MN, United States of America

Brent Anthony Bauman