In-ear hearing aid

Abstract

The invention discloses an in-ear hearing aid. The in-ear hearing aid comprises a panel, an ear shell and a rechargeable battery, wherein the panel extends around a plane; wherein the rechargeable battery is fixed to the earlap, and the rechargeable battery is placed so as not to be in contact with the panel; and the rechargeable battery is neither orthogonal to the plane of the panel nor parallel to the plane of the panel about its circularly symmetric axis.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of Chinese patent application 202011074512.4, filed on October 9, 2020, with the invention name “Hearing aid battery connected to ear shell”. Technical Field

[0002] The present invention relates to an in-the-ear hearing aid. More specifically, the present invention relates to an in-the-ear hearing aid in which the battery is connected to the ear shell (e.g. floating relative to the faceplate), e.g. thereby enabling a reduction in the size of the in-the-ear hearing aid. The present invention also relates to a corresponding method and a binaural system. Background Art

[0003] The size of an in-the-ear hearing aid may be considered an important parameter because it indicates the size of the user the instrument may fit and / or because a smaller size is advantageous for reducing or eliminating the visible obtrusion of the hearing aid when placed in the user's ear canal. Therefore, there is a need to provide a solution that enables a size reduction. Summary of the invention

[0004] According to a first aspect, there is provided an in-ear hearing aid, comprising:

[0005] -panel;

[0006] - ear shells, such as custom-made ear shells; and

[0007] - a battery, wherein the battery is securable to the ear shell.

[0008] When designing a custom hearing instrument, one of the many constraints is that the placement and orientation of the microphone typically dictates the audio design (e.g., directionality). Another constraint is the placement of the battery, which is typically secured to the faceplate via its integrated battery drawer. Each hearing instrument is manufactured to fit the ear canal of an individual user, and since space is required for all the components from which the hearing instrument is made, the shape of these components and their placement becomes a constraint on the design, and subsequently on the size of the instrument. The instrument size is an important parameter because it dictates the amount of users the instrument can fit. The ear shell and the faceplate are typically directly interconnected, i.e., the two are directly connected. Traditionally, the faceplate is manufactured first, and the custom components are formed according to the shape of the actual ear canal of the intended user and connected to the faceplate.

[0009] An advantage of fixing the battery to the ear shell is that there may be no restrictions on the orientation of the battery (e.g. the orientation of the battery relative to the panel), which may in turn result in the position and / or orientation of the battery being optimized for the size of the in-ear hearing aid, thereby making the in-ear hearing aid less visible or not visible at all during use.

[0010] The support for holding the battery in a desired position and / or orientation may be part of the concha, for example a custom housing for an in-the-ear hearing aid, and / or a formable part of an interface with the faceplate.

[0011] A "hearing aid" can generally be understood as a hearing device adapted to improve or enhance the user's hearing ability, which is achieved by receiving an acoustic signal from the user's environment, generating a corresponding audio signal, possibly modifying the audio signal, and providing the possibly modified audio signal as an audible signal to at least one ear of the user. Generally, a hearing device includes: i) an input unit such as a microphone for receiving an acoustic signal from the user's environment and providing a corresponding input audio signal; and / or ii) a receiving unit for receiving the input audio signal electronically. The hearing device further includes a signal processing unit for processing the input audio signal and an output unit for providing an audible signal to the user based on the processed audio signal. An "in-the-ear hearing aid" can be understood as being the same as common hearing aids in the art, for example, a hearing aid adapted to be worn completely or partially in the user's auricle and / or ear canal. An "in-the-ear" hearing aid can be understood as also including "canal hearing aids" and / or "completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aids".

[0012] In the present specification, an in-the-ear hearing aid can be a "canal hearing aid" and / or a "completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid" and / or an in-the-ear hidden (IIC) hearing aid.

[0013] According to the present invention, there is provided an in-the-ear hearing aid in which a battery is placed so as not to contact the panel, for example, not in contact with the panel, such as adjacent to or near or in contact with the panel. The possible advantages of placing the battery so as not to contact the panel or at least having very little contact with the panel are that the position and / or orientation of the battery can be maintained independently of the panel. Another possible advantage of placing the battery so as not to contact the panel is that the panel can be removed without interfering with the position and / or orientation of the battery. Similarly, the panel can be formed without an opening for a battery cover or battery compartment, which provides an additional degree of freedom, namely freeing up the panel for other purposes such as charging terminals, antennas, buttons, volume dials, other interface elements, or ventilation holes. This can also make the hearing instrument smaller and have a smaller cross-section, such that they can fit the ear canals of a wider population. Another possible advantage of placing the battery so as not to contact the panel is that the ear shell and the battery can be assembled before the panel is installed.

[0014] According to the present invention, an in-the-ear hearing aid is provided, in which the battery floats relative to the panel and / or relative to the inner surface of the side wall, for example relative to the custom-shaped part of the in-the-ear hearing aid. If the battery in the in-the-ear hearing aid is not fixed to the panel but is free to float relative to the panel, this enables the design of the in-the-ear housing to fit the ear canal optimally, for example by rotating and / or tilting the battery relative to the panel, so that the in-the-ear hearing aid can be made smaller and a better fitting rate can be obtained, that is, more users can be fitted with in-the-ear hearing aids of a similar type. In other hearing aids, the limitation that the battery is fixed to the panel, such as in a battery drawer, restricts the size of the hearing aid to a minimum size that does not fit everyone. This is the case, for example, when a relatively large battery such as a size 13 battery is stored in a battery drawer connected to the panel, which then also requires the placement of other components such as a microphone, buttons, etc., which again results in a certain size such as the diameter, and finally this means that the hearing aid may not fit the person it is intended to fit. Advantageously, after the design stage where the components of the hearing aid have been designed by a program or the user, the battery can be fixed to the housing, such as the custom-shaped part of the in-the-ear housing.

[0015] "Rotation" means that the battery is capable of rotating not around the central battery axis formed at the center of the circular battery, but around an axis transverse to the central battery axis, for example, so that the battery can be located in the custom part to make the custom part as small as possible.

[0016] A floating battery is possible and advantageous, especially when considering rechargeable batteries (where the battery drawer and its limitations are eliminated). "The battery floats relative to the panel" can be understood as the position and / or orientation of the battery can vary relative to the panel, and may also vary after the in-the-ear housing has been assembled.

[0017] According to the present invention, an in-the-ear hearing aid is provided, in which the battery can be fixed to the ear shell independently of the panel, for example, glued to the ear shell and / or fixed to the ear shell by interference fit and / or by protruding structures on the inner surface of the ear shell and / or by structures connected to the inner surface of the ear shell. "Fixed to the ear shell independently of the panel" can be understood as the battery is fixed to the ear shell, and this fixation is independent of the panel. For example, the panel can be removed while the battery remains fixed to the ear shell. It also includes that the battery can also be fixed to the panel, that is, the battery can be fixed to the ear shell and the panel or only to the ear shell. The advantage of fixing the battery to the ear shell independently of the panel is that it enables the removal or installation of the panel while the battery (or holder) is fixed to the ear shell. Another advantage of fixing the battery to the ear shell independently of the panel is that it enables the optimal positioning and / or orientation of the battery in order to reduce or minimize the size of the in-the-ear hearing aid.

[0018] According to the present invention, an in-the-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the battery can be fixed only to the ear shell, for example, glued to the ear shell and / or fixed to the ear shell by interference fit and / or by a protruding structure on the inner surface of the ear shell and / or by a structure connected to the inner surface of the ear shell. The advantage of fixing the battery only to the ear shell is that other parts such as the panel can be removed or installed while the battery (or holder) is fixed to the ear shell. Another advantage of fixing the battery only to the ear shell is that it enables the battery to be optimally positioned and / or oriented for the purpose of reducing or minimizing the size of the in-the-ear hearing aid. "Interference fit" can also be referred to as press fit or friction fit, and can be understood as the fixing between two parts, which is achieved by friction after these parts are pushed together, rather than by any other fixing means.

[0019] According to the present invention, an in-the-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the central axis of the battery, for example, the axis about which the battery has the minimum moment of inertia and / or the axis about which the battery exhibits circular symmetry, is neither orthogonal nor parallel to the panel plane (such as the mathematical plane that is optimally fitted to the panel). For example, the angle between the axis and the plane is within [5°; 85°], such as within [10°; 80°], such as within [20°; 70°], such as within [30°; 60°]. The possible advantage that the central axis of the battery is neither orthogonal nor parallel to the panel plane is that it enables the orientation of the battery to be improved for the purpose of reducing or minimizing the size of the in-the-ear hearing aid.

[0020] According to the present invention, an in-the-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery. The advantage of having a rechargeable battery is that it makes the action of replacing the battery to keep the in-the-ear hearing aid running redundant when the energy in the battery has been exhausted. In the present invention, the rechargeable battery can be recharged without having to remove the battery from the in-the-ear hearing aid. For example, the battery can be recharged through an electrical connector that can be accessed without removing the battery, such as an electrical connector that can be accessed on the external part of the in-the-ear hearing aid, or the battery can be wirelessly recharged, such as through an induction coil. The advantage of being able to recharge the battery without having to remove it is that it enables the limitation that the battery should be removable or even replaceable, for example, easily removable or replaceable, to be disregarded, and furthermore, there is no limitation that the battery should be placed and oriented in a specific way in the in-the-ear hearing aid (such placement and orientation may not be optimal for reducing or minimizing the size of the hearing aid).

[0021] According to the present invention, an in-the-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the battery is a rechargeable battery, and wherein the hearing aid may further include an induction coil configured to wirelessly charge the rechargeable battery. As an alternative or in addition, contact charging solder joints may be included. The induction coil may also be configured for communication, for example, it can operate between two states (i.e., charging and communication), even charging and communicating simultaneously, for example, intermittently charging and communicating, which can be perceived as occurring simultaneously.

[0022] According to the present invention, an in-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the panel includes an antenna configured for high-frequency wireless communication, such as an antenna having an operating frequency of 2.4 GHz or 5.8 GHz. A possible advantage thereof is to generate, for example, another communication channel. "Configured to have an operating frequency of 2.4 GHz" can be understood as being suitable for the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band of 2.4 GHz. "An antenna configured to have an operating frequency of 2.4 GHz" can be understood as the antenna being suitable for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic signals within the 2.4 GHz ISM band and / or within the wavelength range of [2.4; 2.5] GHz. "Configured to have an operating frequency of 5.8 GHz" can be understood as being suitable for the industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) band of 5.8 GHz. "An antenna configured to have an operating frequency of 5.8 GHz" can be understood as the antenna being suitable for transmitting and / or receiving electromagnetic signals within the 5.8 GHz ISM band and / or within the wavelength range of [5.725; 5.875] GHz.

[0023] According to the present invention, an in-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the panel includes one or more microphones, such as one microphone, such as two microphones.

[0024] According to the present invention, an in-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the battery is fixed to the ear shell via a protrusion that may be integral with the ear shell. The protrusion enables an interference fit.

[0025] According to the present invention, an in-ear hearing aid is provided, comprising:

[0026] - a substrate carrying at least one electronic component;

[0027] wherein the substrate carrying at least one electronic component floats relative to the panel or is connected to the panel.

[0028] According to the present invention, an in-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein a protective layer is applied to at least one electronic component in the in-ear hearing aid. If the protective layer is applied, such as a liquid protective thin layer such as epoxy resin or silicone or polyurethane (PU), on at least one electronic component such as an integrated circuit (IC), especially on the IC edge, the risk of damage can be dramatically reduced. The effect of the protective layer can vary with characteristics, for example, one or more of the effects in the following non-exhaustive list: stabilized by filling (micro) gaps and / or an increased force distribution layer and / or padding.

[0029] According to the present invention, an in-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the ear shell is integral, for example, made as one piece, for example, 3D printed. Alternatively, the ear shell can be manufactured in multiple pieces at the beginning and then assembled to form a single piece. A possible advantage of the integral ear shell is to enable simplified production, simplified assembly, and / or increased resistance to moisture and liquids.

[0030] According to the present invention, an in-the-ear hearing aid is provided, wherein the in-the-ear hearing aid includes a housing, the housing includes a front panel and an ear shell, and wherein the in-the-ear hearing aid further includes a pickup coil disposed within the housing.

[0031] According to a second aspect, a plurality of in-the-ear hearing aids according to the first aspect are provided, for example, electronic components are identical across multiple hearing aids, wherein

[0032] - the shapes and / or sizes of the ear shells are different from each other, for example, the shapes and / or sizes of these ear shells are shaped respectively for the left and right ears of a specific person, wherein the ear shells have different geometric shapes from each other; and wherein

[0033] - the positions and / or orientations of the batteries relative to the respective front panels are different from each other.

[0034] A possible advantage of the shapes and / or sizes of the ear shells being different from each other is that the in-the-ear hearing aids can be suitable for different users, for example, each in-the-ear hearing aid can be optimized for a specific user. A possible advantage of the positions and / or orientations of the batteries relative to the front panels being different from each other is that it enables minimizing or reducing the size of each individual in-the-ear hearing aid.

[0035] According to a third aspect, a binaural system is provided, including two in-the-ear hearing aids according to the first aspect. In the present invention, these hearing aids can be configured as a "binaural (hearing) system", for example, a system including two hearing aids, wherein the two hearing aids are adapted to cooperatively provide audible signals to both ears of a user.

[0036] According to a fourth aspect, a method for providing an in-the-ear hearing aid such as the in-the-ear hearing aid according to the first aspect is provided, the method including:

[0037] - obtaining data representing the shape and / or size of the ear canal of a specific person, for example, three-dimensional data of at least a part of the ear canal extending from the outer ear to the middle ear;

[0038] - based on the data, establishing a digital model of the ear shell of the hearing aid for the ear canal, such as a customized ear shell;

[0039] wherein the providing includes determining the position and / or orientation (direction) of the battery within the ear shell, the position and / or orientation increasing or maximizing the distance from the outer ear to the front panel. The method can be beneficial for receiving information about the geometry of the ear canal and providing information about the ear shell for the ear canal, such as a computer-aided design (CAD) model or another digital model, wherein the position and / or orientation of the battery is optimized to minimize or reduce the size of the ear shell (and / or maximize the distance from the outer ear to the front panel, and this maximization can reduce or eliminate the visibility of the in-the-ear hearing aid during use). The result of the method can be information related to the ear shell, for example, a digital model of the ear shell.

[0040] It can be said that the basic insight of the present inventor is that the position and / or orientation of the battery can be advantageously optimized during the design of an in-ear hearing aid, such as at least during the design of the custom-designed part of the hearing aid, such as the ear shell, and this optimization can be carried out in order to minimize or reduce the size of the ear shell (and / or maximize the distance from the outer ear to the panel, which maximization can reduce or eliminate the visibility of the in-ear hearing aid during use). It is understood that during the design process, the battery can "float" relative to the panel, for example, the position and / or orientation of the battery can be optimized independently of the position and / or orientation of the panel. In cases where there are restrictions on the orientation and / or position of the battery, this can enable the improvement of the design of the in-ear hearing aid. Another advantage is that the hearing instrument can be formed without the need for a battery drawer, which enables the hearing instrument to be smaller than a hearing instrument that includes a battery drawer in or connected to the panel (where a battery door is formed in the panel to enable battery replacement).

[0041] According to the present invention, a method for providing an in-ear hearing aid is proposed, which method further includes, for example, in the following order:

[0042] - Obtaining data representing an ear shell for the ear canal, such as three-dimensional data;

[0043] - Providing the ear shell according to the data representing the ear shell for the ear canal, for example by three-dimensional printing (optionally, with protrusions enabling interference fit / force fit with the battery);

[0044] - Connecting the battery to the ear shell, for example by gluing or interference fit;

[0045] - Connecting the panel to the ear shell.

[0046] The result of this method can be an in-ear hearing aid, possibly an in-ear hearing aid according to the first aspect, for example.

[0047] The features and / or technical details outlined above can be combined in any suitable way.

[0048] According to a first alternative aspect, for example an aspect not necessarily limited by the features of the claims, an in-ear hearing aid is proposed, which may include a panel, an ear shell such as a custom ear shell, a battery, and wherein the battery is fixed to the panel, and wherein the central axis of the battery, for example the axis about which the battery has the minimum moment of inertia and / or the axis about which the battery exhibits circular symmetry, may be neither orthogonal nor parallel to the panel plane (such as the mathematical plane of optimal fit relative to the panel), for example the angle between said axis and said plane is within [5°; 85°], such as within [10°; 80°], such as within [20°; 70°], such as within [30°; 60°]. This first alternative aspect can be combined with any other features.

[0049] According to the present invention, an in-ear hearing aid can be provided, in which a battery is connected to a panel via a protrusion integrally formed with the panel or via an insert.

[0050] According to the present invention, an in-ear hearing aid can be provided, in which the battery is only connected to the panel, for example, the battery is not connected to the ear shell.

[0051] According to a second alternative aspect, for example, an aspect not necessarily limited by the features of the claims, an in-ear hearing aid is proposed, comprising:

[0052] - a panel;

[0053] - an ear shell such as a custom ear shell;

[0054] - a battery;

[0055] wherein the battery floats relative to the panel. This second alternative aspect can be combined with any other aspect and / or any other feature of the present invention.

[0056] According to a third alternative aspect, for example, an aspect not necessarily limited by the features of the claims, an in-ear hearing aid is proposed, comprising:

[0057] - a panel;

[0058] - an ear shell such as a custom ear shell;

[0059] - a battery;

[0060] - a substrate carrying at least one electronic component, such as the battery;

[0061] wherein the substrate carrying at least one electronic component floats relative to the panel or is connected to the panel. This third alternative aspect can be combined with any other aspect and / or any other feature of the present invention.

[0062] Furthermore, a plurality of in-ear hearing aids according to any aspect proposed herein, for example, in which the electronic components are identical across multiple hearing aids, in which the shapes and / or sizes of the ear shells of the plurality of in-ear hearing aids are different from each other, for example, the shape and / or size of each of these ear shells is shaped respectively for the left and right ears of a specific person, in which the ear shells have different geometries from each other; and in which the positions and / or orientations of the batteries relative to the respective panels are different from each other.

[0063] Moreover, a binaural system can be provided, comprising two in-ear hearing aids according to any of the previous aspects.

[0064] In addition, a method for providing an in-ear hearing aid such as an in-ear hearing aid according to any of the previous aspects can be provided, the method may comprise:

[0065] - Obtain data representing the shape and / or size of the ear canal of a specific person, such as three-dimensional data of at least a part of the ear canal extending from the outer ear to the middle ear;

[0066] - Based on the data, establish a digital model of the ear shell of a hearing aid, such as a custom ear shell, for the ear canal;

[0067] wherein the providing includes determining the position and / or orientation of the battery in the space within the ear shell, and the position and / or orientation increases or maximizes the distance from the outer ear to the panel.

[0068] The method may further include, for example, in the following order:

[0069] - Obtain data representing the ear shell for the ear canal, such as three-dimensional data;

[0070] - Provide the ear shell, for example, by three-dimensional printing, according to the data representing the ear shell for the ear canal;

[0071] - Connect the battery to the ear shell;

[0072] - Connect the panel to the ear shell.

[0073] The features and / or technical details outlined above can be combined in any suitable manner. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0074] Various aspects of the present invention will be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For clarity, these drawings are schematic and simplified, showing only the details necessary for understanding the present invention and omitting other details. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding parts. Each feature of each aspect can be combined with any or all features of other aspects. These and other aspects, features, and / or technical effects will be apparent from and elucidated in conjunction with the following drawings, in which:

[0075] Figure 1 is a schematic illustration of an in-the-ear hearing aid;

[0076] Figure 2 is a schematic illustration of an in-the-ear hearing aid;

[0077] Figure 3 shows a method according to the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

[0078] The following detailed description presented in conjunction with the accompanying drawings serves as a description of various different configurations. The detailed description includes specific details for providing a thorough understanding of multiple different concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts may be implemented without these specific details. Several aspects of an in-ear hearing aid, multiple in-ear hearing aids, a binaural system, and a method are described by means of multiple different blocks, functional units, modules, elements, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively referred to as "elements"). Depending on a particular application, design constraint, or other reasons, these elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, a computer program, or any combination thereof.

[0079] The electronic hardware may include a microprocessor, a microcontroller, a digital signal processor (DSP), a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a programmable logic device (PLD), gated logic, discrete hardware circuits, and other suitable hardware configured to perform the multiple different functions described in this specification. A computer program should be construed broadly as instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, execution threads, programs, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description language, or by any other name.

[0080] Figure 1 Schematic diagram of an in-ear hearing aid 100 placed in a user's ear canal as seen in a direction parallel to the ear canal axis. The in-ear hearing aid has two microphones, which are limited to being located on the horizontal axis. The first dotted line (forming a rectangle with the side parallel to the edge of the paper and the horizontal axis) shows the orientation of the battery 106 that complies with the limitation that the battery 106 must be placed in this orientation (direction). This limitation may result in the in-ear hearing aid being unnecessarily large. The second dotted line (forming a rectangle that is approximately 60 degrees with respect to the rectangle formed by the first dotted line) shows an alternative orientation of the battery 106, which may be the result of optimization to reduce or minimize the size of the in-ear hearing aid, and which may result in the in-ear hearing aid being smaller (compared to possible designs under the limitation that the battery 106 must be oriented as indicated by the first dotted line).

[0081] Figure 2Schematic diagram of an in-ear hearing aid 100 having a concha 104 and a panel 102 placed in a user's ear canal as seen in a direction orthogonal to the ear canal axis and parallel to the plane of the panel 102. The first dotted line (forming a rectangle with the side parallel to the edge of the paper) shows the orientation of the battery 106 that complies with the limitation that the battery 106 must be placed in this orientation. Such a limitation can result in the in-ear hearing aid being unnecessarily large. The second dotted line (forming a rectangle that is approximately 60 degrees with respect to the rectangle formed by the first dotted line) shows an alternative orientation of the battery 106, which can be the result of optimization to reduce or minimize the size of the in-ear hearing aid, and which can result in the in-ear hearing aid being smaller (compared to a possible design under the limitation that the battery 106 must be oriented as indicated by the first dotted line).

[0082] Figure 3 A method according to the present invention is shown, which shows a method for providing an in-ear hearing aid such as the in-ear hearing aid according to the first aspect, the method comprising:

[0083] Step 232, obtaining data such as three-dimensional data representing the shape and / or size of at least a part of the ear canal of a specific person, for example, the part of the ear canal extending from the outer ear to the middle ear;

[0084] Step 234, based on the data, establishing a digital model of the concha of the hearing aid, such as a custom concha, for the ear canal;

[0085] Wherein the method includes step 233 of determining the position and / or orientation (orientation) of the battery 106 in the concha 104, which increases or maximizes the distance from the outer ear to the panel 102, and wherein the method further includes, for example, including in the following order:

[0086] Step 236, providing the concha 104 (optionally having protrusions enabling interference fit / force fit with the battery) according to the data representing the concha for the ear canal, for example, by three-dimensional printing;

[0087] Step 238, connecting the battery 106 to the concha, for example, by gluing or interference fit;

[0088] Step 240, connecting the panel 102 to the concha.

[0089] The method can be regarded as a sequence, but alternatively, the method can also simply define the individual steps that can be interchanged with other steps or can have intermediate steps therebetween.

[0090] Unless otherwise specified, as used herein, the singular forms "a", "the" also include the plural forms (i.e., having the meaning of "at least one"). It should be further understood that the terms "having", "including" and / or "containing" as used in the specification indicate the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components and / or combinations thereof. It should be understood that unless otherwise specified, when an element is referred to as being "connected" or "coupled" to another element, it can be directly connected or coupled to the other element, or intervening elements may be present. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. Unless otherwise specified, the steps of any method disclosed herein do not have to be performed in the exact order disclosed.

[0091] It should be appreciated that reference to "an embodiment" or "embodiments" or "aspect" or features that "may" be included in this specification means that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Additionally, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be appropriately combined in one or more embodiments of the invention. The foregoing description is provided to enable a person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects.

[0092] The claims are not limited to the aspects shown herein, but encompass the full scope consistent with the claim language, where unless otherwise specified, an element recited in the singular does not mean "one and only one" but rather "one or more". Unless otherwise specified, the term "some" means one or more.

[0093] Accordingly, the scope of the invention should be determined in accordance with the claims.

Claims

1. An in-ear hearing aid, comprising: A panel extending around a plane; An ear shell; And A rechargeable battery; Wherein the rechargeable battery is fixed to the ear shell, and the rechargeable battery is placed so as not to contact the panel; And Wherein the axis about which the rechargeable battery is rotationally symmetric is neither orthogonal to the plane of the panel nor parallel to the plane of the panel.

2. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the panel comprises one or more microphones.

3. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the panel comprises two microphones arranged on a horizontal line when the hearing aid is placed in a user's ear.

4. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is fixed to the ear shell (104) independently of the panel.

5. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is fixed only to the ear shell.

6. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the angle between the axis and the plane is within [5°; 85°].

7. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the hearing aid further comprises an induction coil configured to wirelessly charge the rechargeable battery.

8. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the panel comprises an antenna configured to perform high-frequency wireless communication.

9. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the rechargeable battery is fixed to the ear shell via a protrusion integrally combined with the ear shell.

10. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, comprising: - A substrate carrying at least one electronic component; Wherein the substrate carrying at least one electronic component floats relative to the panel or is connected to the panel.

11. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein a protective layer is applied to at least one electronic component in the in-ear hearing aid.

12. The in-ear hearing aid according to any one of claims 1-8, wherein the ear shell is integral.

13. The in-ear hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the in-ear hearing aid comprises a housing, the housing comprises the panel and the ear shell, and wherein the in-ear hearing aid further comprises a sound pickup coil disposed in the housing.

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