Patent Description:
Hearing devices provide sound for the wearer. Some examples of hearing devices are headsets, hearing aids, speakers, cochlear implants, bone conduction devices, and personal listening devices. For example, hearing aids provide amplification to compensate for hearing loss by transmitting amplified sounds to a wearer's ear canals. Hearing devices may be capable of performing wireless communication with other devices, such as receiving streaming audio from a streaming device via a wireless link. Wireless communication may also be performed for programming the hearing device and transmitting information from the hearing device. For performing such wireless communication, hearing devices such as hearing aids can include a wireless transceiver and an antenna.

<CIT> relates to a ring-shaped antenna, which is formed in a ring shape and mounted between an earphone module housing and the outer circumference of a coin-type battery so as to communicate, through an NFMI, with an antenna mounted in another earphone module.

<NPL>relates to the size and shape of the ground conductor of axial mode helical antennas.

According to the invention, there is provided an ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer and comprising a housing configured to be supported at, by, in or on the wearer's ear. A processor is disposed in the housing, and a speaker or a receiver is operably coupled to the processor. A radio frequency transceiver is disposed in the housing and operably coupled to the processor. A battery-antenna module is disposed in the housing and comprises a battery, a helical antenna wrapped around the battery, wherein the helical antenna comprises a ground plane, and the battery is situated on the ground plane, and electrically insulating material disposed between the helical antenna and the battery. The helical antenna is operably coupled to the transceiver. In some embodiments, the battery/antenna module can be configured for fixed or permanent installation (e.g., non-removable/non-replaceable) in a body-worn electronic device or other electronic device, in which case the battery can be a rechargeable battery. In other embodiments, the battery/antenna module can be a replaceable component (removable) for installation in and removal from (e.g., by a user or technician) a body-worn electronic device or other electronic device, in which case the battery can be a conventional, non-rechargeable battery, but can alternatively be a rechargeable battery.

The above summary is not intended to describe each disclosed embodiment or every implementation of the present disclosure. The figures and the detailed description below more particularly exemplify illustrative embodiments.

Throughout the specification reference is made to the appended drawings wherein:.

It is understood that the embodiments described herein may be used with any ear-worn or ear-level electronic device without departing from the scope of this disclosure. The devices depicted in the figures are intended to demonstrate the subject matter, but not in a limited, exhaustive, or exclusive sense. Ear-worn electronic devices (also referred to herein as "hearing devices"), such as hearables (e.g., wearable earphones, ear monitors, and earbuds), hearing aids, hearing instruments, and hearing assistance devices, typically include an enclosure, such as a housing or shell, within which internal components are disposed. Typical components of a hearing device according to various embodiments can include a processor (e.g., a digital signal processor or DSP), memory circuitry, power management circuitry, one or more communication devices (e.g., a radio, a near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) device), one or more microphones, and a receiver or speaker, for example. Hearing device embodiments of the disclosure include an integrated battery/antenna module, which can be implemented as a hardwired battery/antenna module incorporating a rechargeable battery. Alternatively, the battery/antenna module can be removable from the hearing device, and include a conventional or rechargeable battery. The battery of the battery/antenna module is coupled to power management circuity of the hearing device, and the antenna is coupled to a radio or other wireless communication device of the hearing device. Hearing devices can incorporate a long-range communication device, for example, such as a Bluetooth® transceiver or other type of radio frequency (RF) transceiver. A communication device (e.g., a radio or NFMI device) of a hearing device can be configured to facilitate communication between a left ear device and a right ear device of the hearing device.

Hearing devices of the present disclosure incorporate an integrated battery/antenna module wherein the antenna is coupled to a high-frequency transceiver, such as a <NUM> radio. The RF transceiver can conform to an IEEE <NUM> (e.g., WiFi®) or Bluetooth® (e.g., BLE, Bluetooth® <NUM>. <NUM> or <NUM>) specification, for example. It is understood that hearing devices of the present disclosure can employ other transceivers or radios, such as a <NUM> radio.

Hearing devices of the present disclosure can be configured to receive streaming audio (e.g., digital audio data or files) from an electronic or digital source. Representative electronic/digital sources (e.g., accessory devices) include an assistive listening system, a TV streamer, a radio, a smartphone, a laptop, a cell phone/entertainment device (CPED) or other electronic device that serves as a source of digital audio data or other types of data files. Hearing devices of the present disclosure can be configured to effect bi-directional communication (e.g., wireless communication) of data with an external source, such as a remote server via the Internet or other communication infrastructure. Hearing devices that include a left ear device and a right ear device can be configured to effect bi-directional communication (e.g., wireless communication) therebetween, so as to implement ear-to-ear communication between the left and right ear devices.

The term hearing device of the present disclosure refers to a wide variety of ear-level electronic devices that can aid a person with impaired hearing. The term hearing device also refers to a wide variety of devices that can produce processed sound for persons with normal hearing. Hearing devices of the present disclosure include hearables (e.g., wearable earphones, headphones, earbuds, virtual reality headsets), hearing aids (e.g., hearing instruments), cochlear implants, and bone-conduction devices, for example. Hearing devices include, but are not limited to, behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), invisible-in-canal (IIC), receiver-in-canal (RIC), receiver-in-the-ear (RITE) or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) type hearing devices or some combination of the above. Throughout this disclosure, reference is made to a "hearing device," which is understood to refer to a system comprising a single left ear device, a single right ear device, or a combination of a left ear device and a right ear device.

Ear-worn electronic devices configured for wireless communication, such as hearing aids and other types of hearing devices, are relatively small in size. Custom hearing devices, such as ITE, ITC, and CIC devices for example, are quite small in size. In the manufacture of a custom hearing device, for example, an ear impression or ear mold is taken for a particular wearer and processed to construct the housing of the hearing device. Because custom hearing devices are designed to be partially or fully inserted into a wearer's ear canal, the housing is necessarily quite small. In order to implement a functional wireless platform (e.g., @ <NUM>), the antenna must be small enough to fit within such devices while at the same time providing adequate antennal performance.

The severe space limitations within the housing of custom and other small hearing devices impose a physical challenge on designing the antenna. One approach to address this challenge is to install a conventional antenna, such as a loop, patch, or bowtie antenna, within the housing of the custom or small hearing device. For relatively small conventional antennas, including those that approach the electrically small antenna theoretical limit, such antennas typically have poor impedance matching, very narrow bandwidth, and low radiation efficiency. There is a trade-off between bandwidth and radiation efficiency. If the bandwidth improves, then the radiation efficiency drops. It is a challenge to design an antenna for custom and small hearing devices which has a wide bandwidth and good radiation efficiency given constraints imposed by limited housing space. Previous attempts to solve this challenge for custom and other small <NUM> hearing devices, for example, often suffer from unacceptably low antenna efficiency and insufficient bandwidth due to the restriction in antenna size.

Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to an integrated battery/antenna module which is space-efficient and provides good radiation efficiency and a wide bandwidth. A battery/antenna module according to various embodiments embeds the battery inside the antenna, such that the total size of the battery/antenna module is about the same as the size (e.g., within <NUM>-<NUM>%) of the battery. An integrated battery/antenna module according to various embodiments is particularly well suited for use within custom and small hearing devices. For relatively large hearing devices, an integrated battery/antenna module according to various embodiments provides a space-savings solution that reduces the housing volume requirement for accommodating the antenna.

According to some embodiments, an integrated battery/antenna module is implemented in accordance with electrically small antenna theory. Given a specified volume (e.g., a volume approximating that of the battery) within a custom or other small hearing device, the antenna of the battery/antenna module can be implemented to provide maximum bandwidth and radiation efficiency. In some embodiments, the antenna of the battery/antenna module can be self-resonant, which requires minimal or no matching effort (e.g., simplifies or eliminates a matching network). For embodiments implemented for operation within a <NUM> ISM frequency band, the antenna of the battery/antenna module has a relative wide bandwidth which can satisfy the entire Bluetooth® frequency range. In various embodiments, the antenna of the battery/antenna module is vertically polarized, which provides for reliable ear-to-ear communication over the Bluetooth® frequency band, since the vertically polarized antenna efficiently couples with human body creeping waves. Evaluation of a prototype battery/antenna module demonstrated an improvement in antenna radiation efficiency of about <NUM> dB compared to a conventional patch antenna. The prototype battery/antenna module also demonstrated a total radiated power that was comparable to that of a conventional tuned patch antenna.

<FIG> illustrate various components of a representative hearing device arrangement in accordance with any of the embodiments disclosed herein. <FIG> illustrate first and second hearing devices 100A and 100B configured to be supported at, by, in or on left and right ears of a wearer during use. In some embodiments, a single hearing device 100A or 100B can be supported at, by, in or on the left or right ear of a wearer during use. As illustrated, the first and second hearing devices 100A and 100B include the same functional components. It is understood that the first and second hearing devices 100A and 100B can include different functional components. The first and second hearing devices 100A and 100B can be representative of any of the hearing devices disclosed herein.

The first and second hearing devices 100A and 100B include an enclosure <NUM> configured for placement, for example, over or on the ear, entirely or partially within the external ear canal (e.g., between the pinna and ear drum) or behind the ear. Disposed within the enclosure <NUM> is a processor <NUM> which incorporates or is coupled to memory circuitry. The processor <NUM> can include or be implemented as a multi-core processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an audio processor or a combination of these processors. For example, the processor <NUM> may be implemented in a variety of different ways, such as with a mixture of discrete analog and digital components that include a processor configured to execute programmed instructions contained in a processor-readable storage medium (e.g., solid-state memory, e.g., Flash). A speaker or receiver <NUM> is coupled to an amplifier (not shown) and the processor <NUM>. The speaker or receiver <NUM> is configured to generate sound which is communicated to the wearer's ear.

An integrated battery/antenna module <NUM> is included within the enclosure <NUM>. The battery/antenna module <NUM> comprises a battery <NUM> encompassed by an antenna <NUM>. The battery <NUM> is coupled to power management circuitry and provides power to the various components of the hearing devices 100A and 100B. The battery <NUM> is preferably a rechargeable battery, such as a lithium-ion battery or a lithium polymer battery. Other battery technologies are contemplated. In some embodiments, the battery <NUM> can be implemented as a rechargeable supercapacitor power source, which incorporates one or more supercapacitors (e.g., coaxial fiber supercapacitors).

In accordance with some embodiments, the electronics of the hearing devices 100A and 100B can incorporate wireless charging circuitry <NUM>. The wireless charging circuitry <NUM> is configured to cooperate with an external wireless charging station <NUM> to wirelessly charge the battery <NUM> of the battery/antenna module <NUM>. According to some embodiments, the wireless charging station <NUM> uses an induction coil to create an alternating electromagnetic field which is transmitted to the wireless charging circuitry <NUM> within the enclosure <NUM>. In response to the electromagnetic field, current is induced in an induction coil within the wireless charging circuitry <NUM> which charges the battery <NUM>. According to some embodiments, the wireless charging circuitry <NUM> and wireless charging station <NUM> are configured to implement inductive charging in accordance with the Qi open interface standard developed by the Wireless Power Consortium.

The processor <NUM> is coupled to a wireless transceiver <NUM> (also referred to herein as a radio), such as a BLE transceiver. The wireless transceiver <NUM> is operably coupled to the antenna <NUM> of the battery/antenna module <NUM> and configured for transmitting and receiving radio signals. The wireless transceiver <NUM> and antenna <NUM> can be configured to enable ear-to-ear communication between the two hearing devices 100A and 100B, as well as communications with an external device (e.g., a smartphone or a digital music player). As was discussed previously, the antenna <NUM> is preferably vertically polarized, which provides for reliable ear-to-ear communication since the vertically polarized antenna <NUM> efficiently couples with creeping waves.

In accordance with any of the embodiments disclosed herein, the antenna <NUM> is implemented as a helical antenna. In some embodiments, the battery <NUM> has a metal (e.g., stainless steel) exterior, and an electrically insulating material is disposed between the battery <NUM> and the antenna <NUM>. In other embodiments, the battery <NUM> is encased or otherwise sealed within plastic or other electrically insulating material. For example, the battery <NUM> can be a rechargeable battery (e.g., lithium-ion cell), and the encasement material provided over the battery <NUM> protects against battery leakage. The antenna <NUM> may include or exclude a protective coating, such as an electrically insulating material (e.g., polyimide).

According to various embodiments, the electrically insulating material disposed on, covering, or encapsulating the battery <NUM> provides support for the antenna <NUM>. For example, the material covering the battery <NUM> can include a support arrangement (e.g., a thread, channel or groove arrangement) configured to support the antenna <NUM> on the battery <NUM>. In some embodiments, the antenna <NUM> is implemented as a flexible printed wire antenna which is affixed (e.g., via an adhesive) to the battery <NUM>. In such embodiments, and electrically insulating layer (e.g., polyimide) of the flexible printed wire antenna serves as an electrical insulator between the antenna <NUM> and the battery <NUM>. Wrapping the helical antenna <NUM> around the battery <NUM> to form an integrated battery/antenna module <NUM> makes the antenna <NUM> much more robust and stable compared to conventional wire and flexible antennas incorporated in a hearing device. The integrated battery/antenna configuration mitigates unexpected coupling effects with other metal components of the hearing device, and reduces the degree of uncertainty during the assembly.

In some embodiments, the hearing devices 100A and 100B include a microphone <NUM> mounted on or inside the enclosure <NUM>. The microphone <NUM> may be a single microphone or multiple microphones, such as a microphone array. The microphone <NUM> can be coupled to a preamplifier (not shown), the output of which is coupled to the processor <NUM>. The microphone <NUM> receives sound waves from the environment and converts the sound into an input signal. The input signal is amplified by the preamplifier and sampled and digitized by an analog-to-digital converter of the processor <NUM>, resulting in a digitized input signal. In some embodiments (e.g., hearing aids), the processor <NUM> (e.g., DSP circuitry) is configured to process the digitized input signal into an output signal in a manner that compensates for the wearer's hearing loss. When receiving an audio signal from an external source, the wireless transceiver <NUM> may produce a second input signal for the DSP circuitry of the processor <NUM> that may be combined with the input signal produced by the microphone <NUM> or used in place thereof. In other embodiments, (e.g., hearables), the processor <NUM> can be configured to process the digitized input signal into an output signal in a manner that is tailored or optimized for the wearer (e.g., based on wearer preferences). The output signal is then passed to an audio output stage that drives the speaker or receiver <NUM>, which converts the output signal into an audio output.

Some embodiments are directed to a custom hearing aid, such as an ITC, CIC, or IIC hearing aid. For example, some embodiments are directed to a custom hearing aid which includes a wireless transceiver and an antenna arrangement configured to operate in the <NUM> ISM frequency band or other applicable communication band (referred to as the "Bluetooth® band" herein). As was discussed previously, creating a robust antenna arrangement for a <NUM> custom hearing aid represents a significant engineering challenge. A custom hearing aid is severely limited in space, and the antenna arrangement is in close proximity to other electrical components, both of which impacts antenna performance. Because the human body is very lossy and a custom hearing aid is positioned within the ear canal, a high performance antenna <NUM> (e.g., high antenna radiation efficiency and/or wide bandwidth) is particularly desirable. Embodiments of the disclosure are directed to an integrated battery/antenna module having a compact form factor and which incorporates a high performance helical antenna.

<FIG> and <FIG> illustrate a custom hearing aid system which incorporates an integrated battery/antenna module in accordance with any of the embodiments disclosed herein. The hearing aid system <NUM> shown in <FIG> and <FIG> includes two hearing devices, e.g., left 201a and right 201b side hearing devices, configured to wirelessly communicate with each other and external devices and systems. <FIG> conceptually illustrates functional blocks of the hearing devices 201a, 201b. The position of the functional blocks in <FIG> does not necessarily indicate actual locations of components that implement these functional blocks within the hearing devices 201a, 201b. <FIG> is a block diagram of components that may be disposed in and/or at least partially within the enclosure 205a, 205b of the hearing device 201a, 201b.

Each hearing device 201a, 201b includes a physical enclosure 205a, 205b that encloses an internal volume. The enclosure 205a, 205b is configured for at least partial insertion within the wearer's ear canal. The enclosure 205a, 205b includes an external side 202a, 202b that faces away from the wearer and an internal side 203a, 203b that is inserted in the ear canal. The enclosure 205a, 205b comprises a shell 206a, 206b and can include a faceplate 207a, 207b. The shell 206a, 206b typically has a shape that is customized to the shape of a particular wearer's ear canal.

A battery/antenna module 220a, 220b is disposed within the shell 206a, 206b. As is shown in <FIG>, the battery/antenna module 220a, 220b comprises an antenna 222a, 222b that partially or completely encompasses a battery 221a, 221b. As is shown in other figures, the battery/antenna module 220a, 220b can also comprise electrically insulating material disposed between the antenna 222a, 222b and the battery 221a, 221b. According to various embodiments, the antenna 222a, 222b is wrapped around the battery 221a, 221b to define a highly compact and space-efficient component of the hearing device 201a, 201b. In some embodiments, the battery/antenna module 220a, 220b is mounted on the faceplate 207a, 207b. In embodiments in which the battery/antenna module 220a, 220b is implemented as a non-removable component of the hearing device 201a, 201b, the battery 221a, 221b is a rechargeable battery. In other embodiments, the faceplate 207a, 207b may include a door 208a, 208b or drawer disposed near the external side 202a, 202b of the enclosure 205a, 205b and configured to allow the battery/antenna module 220a, 220b to be inserted into and removed from the enclosure 205a, 205b. In embodiments in which the battery/antenna module 220a, 220b is implemented as a removable component of the hearing device 201a, 201b, the battery 221a, 221b is typically a conventional battery (e.g., non-rechargeable), but may alternatively be a rechargeable battery.

The battery 221a, 221b of the battery/antenna module 220a, 220b powers electronic circuitry 230a, 230b which is also disposed within the shell 206a, 206b. As illustrated in <FIG> and <FIG>, the hearing device 201a, 201b may include one or more microphones 251a, 251b configured to pick up acoustic signals and to transduce the acoustic signals into microphone electrical signals. The electrical signals generated by the microphones 251a, 251b may be conditioned by an analog front end <NUM> (see <FIG>) by filtering, amplifying and/or converting the microphone electrical signals from analog to digital signals so that the digital signals can be further processed and/or analyzed by the processor <NUM>. The processor <NUM> may perform signal processing and/or control various tasks of the hearing device 201a, 201b. In some implementations, the processor <NUM> comprises a DSP that may include additional computational processing units operating in a multi-core architecture.

The processor <NUM> is configured to control wireless communication between the hearing devices 201a, 201b and/or an external accessory device (e.g., a smartphone, a digital music player) via the antenna 222a, 222b. The wireless communication may include, for example, audio streaming data and/or control signals. The electronic circuitry 230a, 230b of the hearing device 201a, 201b includes a transceiver <NUM> operably coupled to the antenna 222a, 222b. In some embodiments, a matching network is coupled between the antenna 222a, 222b and the transceiver <NUM>. In other embodiments, the antenna 222a, 222b is configured as a self-resonant antenna, in which case no matching network or only a simplified matching network is needed.

The transceiver <NUM> has a receiver portion that receives communication signals from the antenna 222a, 222b, demodulates the communication signals, and transfers the signals to the processor <NUM> for further processing. The transceiver <NUM> also includes a transmitter portion that modulates output signals from the processor <NUM> for transmission via the antenna 222a, 222b. Electrical signals from the microphone 251a, 251b and/or wireless communication received via the antenna 222a, 222b may be processed by the processor <NUM> and converted to acoustic signals played to the wearer's ear <NUM> via a speaker or receiver 252a, 252b.

<FIG> illustrates a custom hearing aid <NUM> having a custom-shaped ITC shell <NUM> within which are housed a conventional arrangement of a separate battery <NUM> (e.g., a <NUM> battery) and a separate antenna <NUM>, such as a PIFA shown in <FIG>. As is evident in <FIG>, the antenna <NUM> takes up an appreciable amount of space within the shell <NUM>. The antenna <NUM> sits above the battery <NUM> and below a faceplate <NUM> of the hearing aid <NUM>. In some implementations, the separate battery <NUM> and separate antenna <NUM> can have a total z-direction thickness (height) in excess of <NUM>. According to various embodiments, the custom hearing aid <NUM> or other hearing device can effectively eliminate the space dedicated to a separate antenna <NUM> within the device housing <NUM> by incorporating an integrated battery/antenna module <NUM> of the present disclosure, such as that shown in <FIG>.

Because the helical antenna is wrapped around the battery, the battery/antenna module <NUM> can occupy about the same space allocated for the battery <NUM> alone. In various embodiments, the helical antenna can have a diameter from about <NUM> to <NUM> and a height from about <NUM> to <NUM>. For example, and in accordance with some embodiments, the battery/antenna module <NUM> can have a total z-direction thickness (height) of about <NUM>. The battery/antenna module <NUM> can have a radius of about <NUM> (diameter of <NUM>). Given that space is very limited in a custom form factor device, incorporating the battery/antenna module <NUM> in a custom or other small form factor device provides for a significant reduction in the overall size of the device.

In various embodiments, the antenna of an integrated battery/antenna module can be implemented in accordance with electrically small antenna theory. An antenna is considered to be an electrically small antenna as a function of its occupied volume or overall size relative to the wavelength of a signal or band of signals the antenna is intended to receive and/or transmit. An electrically small antenna is one that ka<<NUM>, where k is the free space wavenumber (2π/λ), and a is the radius of an imaginary sphere which circumscribes its maximum dimensions. As the antenna size decreases, undesired strong coupling effects occur. These include, but are not limited to, a narrow bandwidth or high Q, poor impedance matching, low radiation efficiency, etc..

It is known that any electrically small antenna can be tuned to be impedance matched at a single frequency using an external matching network with reactive components. However, one challenge is that the loss resistance in the matching components may decrease the overall efficiency. The antenna can be self-tuned to be impedance matched using a number of techniques, which is often more efficient than using an external matching network. This also reduces the costs of the matching components.

Another challenge is optimizing the antenna bandwidth as well as the radiation efficiency. It has been found that the lower bound of the Q is determined by the antenna radiation efficiency and its overall size relative to the wavelength. That is, the Q is proportional to the radiation efficiency and inversely proportional to ka, according to the Wheeler-Chu limit theory. As is well understood, the Q and matched bandwidth are inversely related. Therefore, the bandwidth of the antenna will not be greater than the predicted inverse Q, the fundamental limit. In other words, no electrically small antenna will have a Q that is less than the lower bound.

In accordance with some embodiments, the antenna of an integrated battery/antenna module is implemented as a helical wire antenna based on electrically small antenna theory. According to electrically small antenna theory, the optimized bandwidth of an antenna is determined by the antenna radiation efficiency and its size to the wavelength. The relationship between the bandwidth B, wavenumber k, size a, and radiation efficiency η is as follows:
<MAT>
Therefore, at a certain operating frequency, the size of the antenna can only be reduced at the expense of the bandwidth or efficiency. In general, the best antenna performance can be achieved if the geometry aspect ratio is close to unity, and if the fields inside the antenna fill the minimum size which encloses the sphere with the greatest uniformity possible.

According to electrically small antenna theory, for a PIFA such as that shown in <FIG>, the maximum dimension of the PIFA is <NUM> in the context of the custom ITC hearing aid shown in <FIG>. Therefore, a ≈ <NUM>. However, the PIFA shape only occupies a limited portion of the imaginary sphere with radius of <NUM>. The PIFA does not utilize the whole imaginary sphere volume. Thus, the bandwidth of the PIFA is narrower than the fundamental limit. Also, the PIFA uses a high dielectric material as the substrate, which degrades the radiation efficiency. This is also a reason why a patch antenna usually has lower efficiency than a wire antenna. The helical antenna of an integrated battery/antenna module <NUM>, however, attempts to occupy the battery module (cylinder) volume as much as possible. The helical antenna uses a low dielectric substrate as the holding structure, which can be made relatively thin so the efficiency will not degrade significantly from the dielectric loss. The helical antenna can be designed to approach the electrically small antenna limit, that is, by utilizing the whole volume of the battery, to gain a relative wider bandwidth, lower Q, and higher radiation efficiency. At the same time, the helical antenna can be self-resonant around <NUM>, and requires no or only minimal impedance matching effort for operation in the Bluetooth® frequency band.

<FIG> show an integrated battery/antenna module comprising a helical antenna in accordance with any of the embodiments disclosed herein. The antenna of the battery/antenna module can be implemented in accordance with electrically small antenna theory. The battery/antenna module <NUM> shown on <FIG> includes a helical antenna <NUM> wrapped around a battery <NUM>. The helical antenna <NUM> includes a ground plane <NUM> and a radiating arm arrangement <NUM>. The battery <NUM> is situated on the ground plane <NUM>. Although not shown in <FIG>, electrically insulating material is disposed between the battery <NUM> and the helical antenna <NUM> (see, e.g., <FIG>, and <FIG>). For example, electrically insulating material is disposed between the battery <NUM> and the radiating arm arrangement <NUM>, and between the battery <NUM> and the ground plane <NUM>.

The radiating arm arrangement <NUM> shown in <FIG> includes a plurality of radiating arms that collectively wrap around the battery <NUM> in a spiral configuration. In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the radiating arm arrangement <NUM> includes four radiating arms 406a-406d. Each of the radiating arms 406a-406d has a first end <NUM> and an opposing second end <NUM>. The first ends <NUM> of the radiating arms 406a-406d are electrically connected together, such as by use of a radiating arm connector <NUM> situated above the battery <NUM>. The second ends <NUM> of at least one or more (or some) of the radiating arms 406a-406d (e.g., three of the four radiating arms) are electrically coupled to the ground plane <NUM>. The second end <NUM> of at least one of the radiating arms 406a-406d (e.g., one of the four radiating arms) is connected to a feed line, which is coupled to a radio frequency transceiver of the hearing device.

The radiating arms 406a-406d are radially offset from one another. For example, the four radiating arms 406a-406d are radially offset from one another by <NUM> degrees. More particularly, radiating arm 406b is radially offset from radiating arm 406a by <NUM> degrees. Radiating arm 406c is radially offset from radiating arm 406b by <NUM> degrees. Radiating arm 406d is radially offset from radiating arm 406c by <NUM> degrees. As is shown in <FIG>, each of the radiating arms 406a-406d preferably has a length electrically equivalent to about a quarter of a wavelength of a signal having a frequency falling within a specified frequency band, such as a Bluetooth® band. Provision of radiating arms 406a-406d having a length electrically equivalent to about a quarter of the wavelength facilitates the implementation of a self-resonant (self-matched) helical antenna <NUM>, in which the inductive reactance and the capacitive reactance of the helical antenna <NUM> are cancelled without the need of a matching network.

The radiating arm arrangement <NUM> shown in <FIG> includes four radiating arms 406a-406d that collectively wrap around the battery <NUM> in a spiral configuration. It is understood that a radiating arm arrangement of the present disclosure can include more or fewer than four radiating arms. For example, a radiating arm arrangement according to any of the embodiments disclosed herein can incorporate N radiating arms, where N can equal one, two, three, four, five, six, seven or eight radiating arms, for example.

As discussed previously, the largest component in a hearing device, such as a custom hearing device, is typically the battery. A <NUM> hearing aid battery, for example, has a quasi-cylindrical shape with a radius dimension of <NUM> and a height dimension of <NUM>. The space in the hearing device allocated for the battery can instead be used to accommodate an integrated battery/antenna module, particularly in view of its unique cylinder-liked shape. In the context of electrically small antenna theory, and with reference again to <FIG>, an imaginary cylinder can be made to accommodate the battery, though the imaginary sphere is an ideal one. The helical antenna <NUM> of the battery/antenna module <NUM> shown in <FIG> can be designed from a single radiating arm 406a, one turn helix wire first, which is shown in <FIG>. The helix wire 406a can be considered a meandered wire monopole. The radius (e.g., a=<NUM>, with a ranging from ~<NUM> to ~<NUM>) of the helix wire 406a is preferably the same as the pitch (e.g., b=<NUM>, with b ranging from ~<NUM> to ~<NUM>), to obtain the largest circumscribing cylinder as possible. The total helix wire length is approximately a quarter wavelength, as previously discussed. The helical antenna <NUM> is then folded by three other arms 406b,c,d, each of which is radially offset by <NUM> degrees of separation. The top of the helical wire arrangement <NUM> is connected as a crisscross section via radiating arm connector <NUM>. The folded technique provides for a helical antenna <NUM> which is self-matched at the resonant frequency. The helical antenna <NUM> and encompassed battery <NUM> are placed on a <NUM> x <NUM> ground plane <NUM> in this illustrative example. In some embodiments, the feed can be located at the bottom of one radiating arm, while the other three radiating arms are connected to the ground plane <NUM>. As was discussed previously, an electrically insulating material is disposed between the battery <NUM> and the helical antenna <NUM>.

<FIG> show an integrated battery/antenna module comprising a helical antenna in accordance with any of the embodiments disclosed herein. <FIG> are top and bottom perspective views of a battery/antenna module <NUM>, respectively. The battery/antenna module <NUM> includes a helical antenna <NUM> wrapped around a battery <NUM>. Wrapping the helical antenna <NUM> around the battery <NUM> to form an integrated battery/antenna module <NUM> makes the antenna <NUM> much more mechanically robust and stable compared to conventional wire and flexible antennas incorporated in hearing devices.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the battery <NUM> has a sidewall having a generally cylindrical shape enclosed by top and bottom planar end surfaces 504a, 504b. It is understood that the battery <NUM> may have a different shape or cross-section, such as a substantially oval, square or rectangular shape or cross-section. In some embodiments, the antenna <NUM> can have a shape that conforms to the battery shape, such as by having wires or traces forming a meandered, oval, square, rectangular, spherical, or conical shape (or any combination of these shapes). Electrically insulating material <NUM> is disposed between the battery <NUM> and the helical antenna <NUM>. All or a portion of the battery <NUM> can be encased in plastic, a ceramic-based high dielectric constant material, or other electrically insulating material <NUM>. The electrically insulating material <NUM> can conform to the shape of the battery <NUM> or have a shape differing from that of the battery <NUM>. For example, the electrically insulating material <NUM> can have a shape that dictates the shape of the antenna <NUM>, irrespective of the shape of the battery <NUM>.

In some embodiments, the electrically insulating material <NUM> forms a cap or sleeve which covers all or a portion of the battery <NUM>. The cap or sleeve can be a 3D-printed structure, and the printing material can be VisiJet M3 Crystal material available from 3D Systems, Inc. At a minimum, electrically insulating material <NUM> is disposed between electrically conductive surfaces of the battery <NUM> and electrically conductive surfaces of the helical antenna <NUM>.

The helical antenna <NUM> includes a ground plane <NUM> adjacent the bottom planar end surface 504b of the battery <NUM>, a radiating arm connector <NUM> (e.g., crisscross section) adjacent the top planar end surface 504a of the battery <NUM>, and a radiating arm arrangement <NUM> extending between the ground plane <NUM> and the radiating arm connector <NUM>. The radiating arm arrangement <NUM> includes a plurality of radiating arms that wrap around the battery <NUM> in a spiral configuration. As shown, the radiating arm arrangement <NUM> includes four radiating arms 506a-506d. Each of the radiating arms 506a-506d has a first end <NUM> and an opposing second end <NUM>. The first ends <NUM> of the radiating arms 506a-506d are electrically connected together by the radiating arm connector <NUM>. The second ends <NUM> of at least one or more (or some) (e.g., three) of the radiating arms 506a-506d are electrically coupled to the ground plane <NUM>. The second end <NUM> of at least one of the radiating arms 506a-506d is configured to be electrically coupled to a feed line of a radio transceiver.

In some embodiments, an integrated battery/antenna module can incorporate a helical wire antenna. <FIG> shows a cross-section of a battery/antenna module <NUM> incorporating a helical wire antenna <NUM> in accordance with any of the embodiments disclosed herein. The battery/antenna module <NUM> includes a battery <NUM> having a top planar surface 604a, an opposing bottom planar surface 604b, and a sidewall <NUM>. The battery <NUM> has a generally cylindrical shape, but can have other shapes as previously described. Disposed on the sidewall <NUM> of the battery <NUM> is electrically insulating material <NUM>. In some embodiments, the electrically insulating material <NUM> represents a pre-fabricated cap which covers at least the sidewall <NUM> of the battery <NUM>. Typically, electrically insulating material <NUM> (e.g., the cap) also covers the top and bottom planar surfaces 604a, 604b (see, e.g., <FIG>).

According to various embodiments, the electrically insulating material <NUM> defines a cap configured to support the helical wire antenna <NUM>. More particularly, the cap <NUM> includes a support arrangement configured to receive and capture one or more wires <NUM> of the helical wire antenna <NUM>. The cap <NUM> can include individual threads <NUM> (e.g., grooves, channels) configured for receiving and capturing individual wires <NUM> of the helical wire antenna <NUM>. For example, the cap <NUM> can include four separate threads <NUM> configured to receive and capture four individual wires <NUM> of the helical wire antenna <NUM>. In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the cap <NUM> incorporates C-shaped grooves <NUM> configured to receive and capture round wires <NUM>. It is understood that different shapes and/or cross-sections of the grooves <NUM> and wires <NUM> are contemplated. For example, and with reference to <FIG>, electrically insulating material <NUM> (e.g., formed as a cap) covering a battery can incorporate a polygonal-shaped (e.g., rectangle or square) thread, grooves or channel <NUM> configured to receive a polygonal-shaped (e.g., rectangle or square) wire <NUM>.

In accordance with other embodiments, an integrated battery/antenna module can incorporate a flexible printed wire antenna. <FIG> shows a cross-section of a battery/antenna module <NUM> incorporating a flexible printed wire antenna <NUM> wrapped around a sidewall <NUM> of a battery <NUM>. The flexible printed wire antenna <NUM> is shown mounted to the sidewall <NUM> of the battery <NUM> via an adhesive <NUM>. The flexible printed wire antenna <NUM> can incorporate an electrically conductive trace pattern encased in electrically insulating material. The trace pattern can include one or multiple traces (e.g., four traces) that form a helical trace configuration (see, e.g., <FIG> and <FIG>). For example, the flexible printed wire antenna <NUM> can be implemented as a multiple-layer structure comprising a plurality of printed conductive traces (e.g., copper) encased by electrically insulating films, such as polyimide or polyester films.

In the embodiment shown in <FIG>, the battery <NUM> need not be covered by electrically insulating material since the flexible printed wire antenna <NUM> includes at least one layer of electrically insulating material as an outer protective film. Although not shown in <FIG>, the flexible printed wire antenna <NUM> can incorporate a ground plane, which can be situated adjacent a bottom planar end surface 804b of the battery <NUM>, and further incorporate a trace connector arrangement (e.g., a crisscross connector) situated adjacent a top planar end surface 804a of the battery <NUM>. The flexible printed wire antenna <NUM> can include one or a number of conductive traces (e.g., four traces) which are electrically connected to the ground plane, connector arrangement, and feedline in a manner previously described.

Simulations were performed on a homogenous phantom head using a battery/antenna module having a helical antenna. The battery/antenna module (a helical antenna with battery inserted within the antenna) was placed in the phantom's ear canal. The phantom is filled with effective muscle tissue with a relative dielectric constant of εr = <NUM>, and an electrical conductivity of σ = <NUM> siemens/m. The simulated antenna reflection coefficient (S11) vs. frequency is plotted as curve <NUM> in <FIG>. As shown in <FIG>, the antenna resonant frequency is shifted to the higher range of the Bluetooth® band (around <NUM>) in the simulations. This is due to the stainless steel <NUM> battery introducing more capacitance in the antenna. Also, the ground plane size is small in the simulation, compared to the ideal infinitely large ground plane case. The result, however, is very encouraging because S11 can get much lower than -<NUM> dB. The -<NUM>-dB bandwidth is <NUM>, which is wide enough to cover the Bluetooth® <NUM> frequency range.

<FIG> also shows S11 vs. frequency plotted as curve <NUM> derived from on-head measurement using a prototype battery/antenna module having a helical antenna. The prototype battery/antenna module comprised a helical antenna placed in an ITE shell, with a <NUM>-dummy battery placed inside the antenna. A flexible circuit and receiver were placed inside the shell near the helical antenna to mimic the entire system. The antenna input impedance was measured using a Keysight N5230C Vector Network Analyzer.

The measured S11 vs. frequency results are plotted as curve <NUM> in <FIG>. It can be seen that the helical antenna achieves a very good impedance match around <NUM>. The -<NUM>-dB bandwidth is <NUM> (<NUM> - <NUM>). A similar measurement was performed on a PIFA (see, e.g., <FIG>) within an ITE shell on a phantom head. The PIFA demonstrated a poor impedance match over the entire Bluetooth® frequency band. The lowest S11 for the PIFA was -<NUM> dB at <NUM>, which would require a significant impedance matching effort at the desired frequency band. The helical antenna, in contrast, requires no or only minimal matching effort since it has a wide bandwidth around <NUM>.

Total radiated power (TRP) measurements were obtained for the helical and PIFA antennas. Both the helical antenna (encompassing the <NUM>-dummy battery) and PIFA were placed in an ITE shell (and connected to a flexible circuit for making the measurements) on the left ear of the phantom head and a human subject, respectively. The TRP measurement results demonstrate that the helical antenna has comparable performance with the PIFA. It is noted that the PIFA was tuned under the active circuit environment, with an external matching network. The helical antenna, in contrast, did not have any external matching network and was directly connected to the flexible circuit. Since the helical antenna was not fully optimized under the active environment (e.g., with radio, filter, transmission line etc.), the helical antenna it is expected to have a higher TRP once it is tuned with the circuit. Given the construction of the helical antenna under evaluation, the helical antenna achieved a good result, comparable to that of the tuned PIFA.

<FIG> and <FIG> show the radiation pattern of the helical antenna positioned on the head and operating at <NUM>. In <FIG>, the darker coloring indicates stronger electric field strength. It was found that the helical antenna is mainly vertically polarized when placed on the head. More specifically, the helical antenna generates an electric field having a direction of propagation substantially parallel around the wearer's head, and generates an electric field polarization substantially normal to the wearer's head. This is particularly beneficial to establishing an ear-to-ear communication link, since the vertically polarized antenna couples the creeping wave much more efficiently. The peak directivity at <NUM> was <NUM> dB and radiation efficiency was -<NUM> dB. The radiation efficiency is high compared to other <NUM> custom hearing device antennas.

Claim 1:
An ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer, comprising:
a housing (<NUM>) configured to be supported at, by, in or on the wearer's ear,
a processor (<NUM>, <NUM>) disposed in the housing (<NUM>);
a speaker or a receiver (<NUM>, 252a, 252b) operably coupled to the processor (<NUM>, <NUM>);
a radio frequency transceiver (<NUM>) disposed in the housing (<NUM>) and operably coupled to the processor (<NUM>, <NUM>); and
a battery-antenna module (<NUM>, 220a, 220b, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) disposed in the housing (<NUM>) and comprising:
a battery (<NUM>, 221a, 221b, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>);
a helical antenna (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) wrapped around the battery (<NUM>, 221a, 221b, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) and operably coupled to the transceiver (<NUM>); and
electrically insulating material (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) disposed between the helical antenna (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) and the battery (<NUM>, 221a, 221b, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>),
the ear-worn electronic device being characterised in that
the helical antenna (<NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) comprises a ground plane (<NUM>, <NUM>), and the battery (<NUM>, 221a, 221b, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>, <NUM>) is situated on the ground plane (<NUM>, <NUM>).