Starkey Laboratories, Inc.

Casey Edward Murray

Jay Rabel

Sidney A Higgins

Gregory John Haubrich

Beau Jay Polinske

Stephen Paul Flood

Zhenchao Yang

Kyle D Olson

Paul Anders Shriner

Brent Anthony Bauman

Sasidhar Vajha

Janet Marie Glenn

Fue Yang

Jay Rabel Jr

An ear-wearable electronic device comprises a shell and a faceplate connected to the shell. Electronic circuitry and a power source are respectively disposed in the shell. A removal handle includes a proximal end connected to the faceplate. First and second electrical conductors extend along the removal handle and comprise first and second proximal ends coupled to the electronic circuitry. An electrical contact module is disposed at a distal end of the removal handle. The electrical contact module comprises a substrate. A first electrical contact is mounted on, or supported by, the substrate and coupled to a first distal end of the first electrical conductor. A second electrical contact is mounted on, or supported by, the substrate and coupled to a second distal end of the second electrical conductor.

Ear-wearable electronic device including multi-function removal handle

An antenna system for a wearable device comprises an antenna that includes a plurality of elements. The elements include an antenna element that comprises an electrically conductive material. The antenna also includes one or more feed points configured for operable coupling to a wireless transceiver. Additionally, the antenna includes a set of one or more switch units. For each respective switch unit of the set of switch units: the respective switch unit is connected to one or more elements of the respective switch unit in the plurality of elements, a flow of electrical current to the one or more elements connected to the respective switch unit is dependent on a switch state of the respective switch unit. A radiation characteristic of the antenna is dependent on the switch states of the switch units.

Antenna designs with switch units for wearable devices

Ear-worn devices may include one or more structural elements formed of high-dielectric material. The position and shape of the structural element may be selected relative to an antenna of the ear-worn device to provide specific enhancements of the electric and/or magnetic field generated by the antenna. The structural elements may include a host resin material and a plurality of dielectric material elements. The structural elements may have an effective dielectric constant greater than 5. One or more loading strips may be used to tune a resonating structure formed by the antenna and the structural elements. The antenna may be an antenna array with structural elements disposed between elements of the array.

Ear-worn devices with high-dielectric structural elements

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

The present disclosure relates to inclusion of a non-contact antenna. The non-contact antenna can allow a variety of antennas to be used on a hearing assistance device and can overcome issues associated with mounting an antenna internal to the case of a hearing assistance device. A non-contact antenna may include a proximity coupled antenna, such as an antenna mounted on a hearing assistance device case (external to the case) near a feed line that will transfer energy between the antenna and an SMD internal to the case. A non-contact antenna may include an aperture coupled antenna, such as an antenna mounted external to the case on an antenna substrate, where the antenna substrate is on a feed substrate with a feed line, and where there is an aperture in a ground plane.

Non-contact antenna feed

Left/Right (L/R) hearing assistance device (HA) symmetrical performance of the antenna is highly desired when using the same HA design for both the left and the right ears. Physical symmetry and loading of the antenna, both internal and external to the HA, is usually not possible because the antenna should avoid the microphone, battery, and switch locations within the HA. Described herein are antenna structures, hearing assistance devices with integrated antennas, and methods of wireless communication in hearing assistance devices which create symmetrical (L/R) antenna performance with physically asymmetrical antenna designs.

Growing community of inventors

Apple Valley, MN, United States of America

Casey Edward Murray