Hearing aid and accessory for such a hearing aid

Abstract

The invention relates to a hearing aid which has device electronics for generating an acoustic output signal for a human ear on the basis of processed microphone signals, and which has a device body which carries the device electronics and at least one device magnetic-force retaining element which is provided for releasably magnetically retaining an accessory module on the hearing aid, wherein the hearing aid body has at least one first transmission device which is designed for the contactless transmission of electrical power from the accessory module to the device electronics for supplying electric power to the device electronics and / or for the contactless transmission of signals or data from the accessory module to the device electronics or from the device electronics to the accessory module.

Description

[0001] title

[0002] Hearing aid and accessories for such a hearing aid.

[0003] Description

[0004] Technical field

[0005] The invention relates to a hearing aid and an accessory for such a hearing aid.

[0006] background

[0007] WO 2013 / 188902 A1 discloses a modular hearing aid. The hearing aid consists of a device body and a modular component. The device body carries a hearing aid processor for processing microphone signals to generate an acoustic output signal for delivery to a user's ear. The device body also has one or more body magnets. The modular component has at least one module magnet. The body magnet(s) and the module magnet(s) are configured to cooperate to releasably hold the modular component to the device body. The modular component could be a disposable battery component or a rechargeable battery component for which a magnetic modular charging station is provided.

[0008] Against this background, the invention has set itself the task of creating an improved hearing aid and an improved accessory for such a hearing aid.

[0009] Summary of the invention

[0010] This object is achieved by a hearing aid according to claim 1. The subject matter of the invention is therefore a hearing aid which has device electronics for generating an acoustic output signal for a human ear on the basis of processed microphone signals, and which has a device body which carries the device electronics and at least one device magnetic force holding element which is provided for the releasably magnetic holding of an accessory module on the hearing aid, wherein the device body has at least one first transmission device which is designed for the contactless transmission of electrical power from the accessory module to the device electronics for the electrical supply of the device electronics and / or for the contactless transmission of signals or data from the accessory module to the device electronics or from the device electronics to the accessory module.

[0011] This object is further achieved by an accessory for a hearing aid according to claim 8. The invention therefore relates to an accessory module for a hearing aid, which has module electronics for providing a module function, and which has a module body that carries the module electronics and at least one module magnetic force holding element that is provided for releasably magnetically holding the accessory module to the hearing aid, wherein the module body has at least one second transmission device that is designed for the contactless transmission of electrical power from the accessory module to the hearing aid and / or for the contactless transmission of signals or data from the accessory module to the hearing aid or from the hearing aid to the accessory module.

[0012] The hearing aid and the accessory module together form a hearing aid system according to the invention.

[0013] The measures according to the invention have the advantage that, due to the combination of contactless transmission between the hearing aid and the accessory module on the one hand and the magnetism-based bond between the hearing aid and the accessory module on the other, handling the hearing aid and the accessory module is made considerably easier for the person handling it. The magnetic force attracts the hearing aid and the accessory module towards each other, provided they are positioned sufficiently close to one another, and the accessory module is positioned practically automatically in a zone provided for it on the device body by the magnetic force on the hearing aid. Positioned in this zone, transmission elements provided for transmission from the first transmission device on the one hand and the second transmission device on the other hand are optimally adjacent to one another, so that transmission can take place using the technology used in each case.The known use of mechanical contacts or contact elements, which are used in the prior art for the electrically conductive connection between the hearing aid and the accessory module for the purpose of transmitting electrical power and / or signals or data, is completely dispensed with. This dispensation also eliminates the typically problematic contamination or wear of the contacts or contact elements, as well as wear or damage to the plug connection carrying such contacts or contact elements. Likewise, this dispensation avoids the typically latent problem of faulty connection, or the attempt to create such a faulty connection, of plug elements carrying the contacts or contact elements.

[0014] The two problems mentioned here, which are avoided by the measures according to the invention, are particularly problematic for people who, on the one hand, are dependent on wearing a hearing aid and, on the other hand, also have other impairments, such as visual or haptic / motor impairments. Cleaning dirty contacts or even identifying damaged contacts or even studying an instruction manual with the aim of using the connectors correctly, presents a dramatic challenge for such people. The measures according to the invention free these people from these problems and enable them to use their hearing aid in conjunction with the accessory module without worry.

[0015] Further, particularly advantageous embodiments and developments of the invention emerge from the dependent claims and the following description.

[0016] To implement the first and second transmission devices, conventional technologies are used. The technology used on the hearing aid side is also used on the accessory module side to ensure compatibility of the two entities for the desired transmission. Depending on the conventional technologies, the respective transmission device can be designed as an inductive transmission device, an inductive-resonant transmission device, or a capacitive transmission device.

[0017] For the purposes of power or energy transmission, the inductive transmission device utilizes the principle of a loosely coupled transformer, with a transmitting coil and a receiving coil coupled via a variable magnetic flux generated by the transmitting coil. In the inductive-resonant transmission device, in addition to the two coils provided for coupling, series or parallel capacitors are used to achieve resonant behavior for transmission. In the capacitive transmission device, the electric field between two capacitor plates of a capacitor is utilized, with one capacitor plate located on the hearing aid side and the other capacitor plate located on the accessory module side.With regard to the implementation as a capacitive transmission device, it should be mentioned that when the hearing aid and the accessory module are assembled, a dielectric must remain between the two capacitor plates in order to maintain the desired capacitor function.

[0018] In addition to the aforementioned electronic components directly involved in the transmission, both the device electronics and the module electronics comprise additional electronic components, such as oscillators, amplifiers, rectifiers, etc., to complete the first and second transmission devices for power transmission. The underlying electronic circuits are known per se to those skilled in the art.

[0019] In particular for signal or data transmission, a microprocessor or microcontroller can be provided on the device electronics side as well as on the module electronics side, with the help of which the respective communication protocol used between the entities is implemented. The signal or data transmission, which is coordinated with the help of the microprocessor, can take place with the help of a modulator on the transmitter side and with the help of a demodulator on the receiver side, whereby the respective alternating field used, i.e. the magnetic flux or the electric field, is modulated according to the information to be transmitted. For bidirectional applications, transceivers are used on both the device electronics side and the module electronics side. To transmit analog signals, such as those from microphones, an analog-to-digital converter is implemented on the transmitter side.Often, the presence of a digital representation of the analog signals is sufficient on the receiver side, because this data is transmitted digitally using a microprocessor or microcontroller anyway. However, to make such analog signals usable again on the receiver side, a digital-to-analog converter can be implemented on the receiver side.

[0020] In any case, it should be mentioned that technologically mixed implementations can also exist in order to use one of the technologies mentioned for the transmission of electrical power or energy, whereas a different technology is used for the transmission of signals or data.

[0021] In the following, we will primarily focus on the inductive-based design of the transmission devices, whereby the statements made in this context can also be applied in a meaningfully adapted manner to capacitive-based designs of the transmission devices.

[0022] In these inductive-based embodiments, it has proven advantageous for the inductive or inductive-resonant first transmission device to have at least one first conductor loop intended for inductive transmission, which is coupled to the device electronics and supported by the device body, preferably by a device housing of the device body. The same applies analogously to the accessory module, so that the inductive or inductive-resonant second transmission device has at least one second conductor loop intended for inductive transmission, which is coupled to the module electronics and supported by the module body, preferably by a module housing of the module body. Attaching the respective conductor loop to the respective housing has the advantage that the two conductor loops can be positioned as close to one another as possible, thus achieving low-loss and reliable transmission.For example, the device body can be provided with a device surface, and the first conductor loop runs along the device surface of the device body. Analogously to this measure, the module body can also be provided with a module surface, and the second conductor loop runs along the module surface. This design can also result in the conductor loops being actually visible on the surface of the respective housing, which can sometimes make positioning the accessory module on the hearing aid easier for inexperienced persons.

[0023] However, in order to reliably protect the two conductor loops, which must be positioned close to one another for transmission, from accidental damage and still ensure a defined distance between them, which has a lasting positive effect on operational behavior and reliability, it has proven particularly advantageous for the first conductor loop to run within the device body adjacent to the device surface of the device body, and the second conductor loop to run within the module body adjacent to the module surface of the module body. If the hearing aid and the accessory module are joined together as intended, the two conductor loops are fully protected and, thanks to the fact that the housing walls orwhose thickness was manufactured in accordance with the specifications, and positioned at the perfect distance from each other in order to achieve optimal operating conditions during the transmission interaction between the accessory module and the hearing aid.

[0024] Since the two interacting transmission devices are inductively based, it can be advantageous for the first conductor loop and the second conductor loop to have multiple turns. The number of turns for both conductor loops can be identical or different.

[0025] At this point it should also be mentioned that the respective conductor loop can have a special orientation. As already indicated, the conductor loop can extend along the shell of the device body or the module body. However, the respective conductor loop can also be oriented at an angle to the shape of the shell of the device body or the module body and thus extend, for example, from a zone immediately adjacent to the respective body shell into its interior. In an extreme orientation, the respective conductor loop can also be oriented normal to the shell of the respective body. These different orientations can be used to accommodate different space requirements for the electrical or mechanical components to be accommodated in the respective housing.

[0026] In addition to a flat design of the respective conductor loop, it can also be provided that the conductor loop or the coil forming it has a generous extension, i.e. the windings run essentially along a longitudinal axis of the coil.

[0027] Coil configurations can also be used to generate a magnetic field that differs from the dipole field. For example, a quadrupole magnetic field, a sextupole magnetic field, or even an octupole magnetic field can be used for the respective transmission, so that the type of transmission can also be coupled to the respective pole configuration.

[0028] Different designs can be used for the magnetic force holding element. For example, on the side of the hearing aid, the device magnetic force holding element can be a ferromagnet or a ferromagnetic body, such as a piece of iron, cobalt, or nickel in the form of a plate or rod, or in another shape, or made of a ferromagnetic alloy. Such a ferromagnet either generates a permanent magnetic field itself or is strongly attracted to the pole of another magnet forming the module magnetic force holding element. However, this configuration of the device magnetic force holding element and the module magnetic force holding element can also be implemented in reverse.

[0029] In any case, it has proven particularly advantageous to provide at least one magnet on both the hearing aid and the accessory module sides to implement the respective magnetic force holding element. The shape and / or magnetization direction of the respective magnet used (or the pairing of magnets used in the hearing aid and the accessory module) determines whether the accessory module can be freely attached to the hearing aid with any orientation, or whether the accessory module orients itself "on its own" due to the magnetic force distribution when attached to the hearing aid, i.e., under the influence of the existing magnetic field. This property can be used to assume a desired position and a desired orientation on the hearing aid.

[0030] For example, according to one embodiment, the device magnetic force holding element can be implemented as a dipole magnet (device dipole magnet) and the module magnetic force holding element can also be implemented as a dipole magnet (module dipole magnet). If the north pole of the device dipole magnet is oriented outwards with respect to the device body and the south pole of the module dipole magnet is also oriented outwards with respect to the module body, these two poles attract each other when the accessory module, with the side of its module housing on which the module dipole magnet is located, is brought close to the area of ​​the device housing where the device dipole magnet is located. The two opposing poles of the two dipole magnets attract each other and cause the accessory module to stand upright, centered around the connecting axis between the device dipole magnet and the module dipole magnet, adjacent to the device housing.However, the rotational orientation of the accessory module along the connecting axis of the two dipole magnets remains unaffected by the magnetic attraction force.

[0031] To enforce a defined rotational orientation of the accessory module on the hearing aid, for example, two device dipole magnets positioned at a distance from each other with the same pole orientation can be installed, and an analogous module dipole arrangement can be selected on the accessory module, but with the pole orientation reversed. If the accessory module is now brought closer to the hearing aid to the zone where the two device dipole magnets are installed, the module begins to orient itself, i.e., to align itself rotationally, in such a way that its two module dipoles align with the two device dipoles.

[0032] Depending on the number of magnets used and their positioning on the hearing aid and / or accessory device, or the design of the magnets (disc magnet, bar magnet, cuboid magnet, cube magnet, sphere magnet, ring magnet, etc.), or even the respective magnetization direction, the desired positioning and orientation of the accessory module can be precisely enforced. This can be particularly advantageous when different zones are intended for contactless transmission for different transmission types (power / signals / data), and the accessory module needs to be correctly positioned and oriented without manual adjustment by the operator, so that flawless transmission can take place across the various zones.

[0033] The number of magnets used or the material used for the magnet used also affects the total magnetic attraction force available to hold the accessory module.

[0034] For example, a stronger magnetic attraction may be necessary to hold a particular accessory module, which either requires the use of a relatively strong and usually more expensive magnet. Alternatively, a larger number of weaker magnets, which are usually also cheaper, can be used. This principle applies, for example, to a battery accessory module, which requires a high magnetic attraction due to the weight of the battery, or to an audio jack accessory module, which requires a relatively high magnetic attraction due to the expected pulling force exerted by the plug connected to the audio jack and the associated cable.

[0035] In contrast, for a relatively lightweight accessory module, such as an input element or an RFID or NFC accessory module, a relatively weak magnet can be used compared to the previous example, which is usually also cheaper. Alternatively, a correspondingly smaller number of weak magnets can be provided.

[0036] Since the use of magnets can certainly be considered a cost driver, the conclusion drawn from the preceding discussions is that the hearing aid is equipped with a ferromagnetic element (rod, plate, ring, or similar) as the device's magnetic force holding element. For the accessory module, the type of magnet used, or the number and arrangement, are adapted accordingly depending on the type, weight, or expected mechanical load. This means that the most expensive magnets or the largest possible number of magnets do not always have to be used for all different types of accessory modules. Common permanent magnets can be manufactured using metallic alloys made of iron, nickel, aluminum, cobalt, copper, manganese, and other materials.Furthermore, the use of rare earth elements in magnet construction should be mentioned, as should common magnets based on neodymium-iron-boron, which offer relatively high magnetic attraction at relatively low cost, or samarium-cobalt, which offer relatively high energy density and operating temperature, coupled with relatively high costs. In particular, the use of plastic magnets should be mentioned, as these facilitate lightweight construction.

[0037] Common materials such as copper or silver are used for the aforementioned conductor loops. In addition to wire-like conductor loops, foil-like conductor loops or wound coils can also be used.

[0038] The respective conductor loop can generally run around the respective magnetic force holding element, i.e. enclose it. This can be advantageous if the magnetic force holding element does not have any orienting effect when attaching the accessory module to the hearing aid. On the other hand, the respective conductor loop can also be located adjacent to the respective magnetic force holding element. This can be advantageous if the magnetic force holding element has an orienting effect when attaching the accessory module to the hearing aid. This orienting effect can thus be used to automatically position the two conductor loops that cooperate during transmission, i.e. that of the hearing aid and that of the accessory module, adjacent to one another with a surface overlap. The same applies to the design with capacitor plates.

[0039] With regard to the function to be provided for the hearing aid with the help of the accessory module, it has proven particularly advantageous for the accessory module to be one of the following: an electrical power supply module, a microphone module, a battery charging module, a jack plug adapter module, a contactless communication module, preferably a USB, ZigBee, RFID, or NFC module. All of these forms of implementation share the common advantage that, although they may themselves be standardized and their functionality may be generally accessible externally (related to interaction with third-party devices, i.e., not related to interaction with the hearing aid), they can be connected to the hearing aid via a proprietary interface without contact, at least with regard to their communication capability with the hearing aid.This communication capability is protected by a proprietary protocol from the manufacturer against unauthorized intervention or connection of accessory modules by unauthorized third parties.

[0040] In general, it should be noted that the two entities, i.e., the hearing aid and the accessory module, each have a zone designated for systematic joining with the other entity, which, according to its intended purpose, is referred to as the joining zone. This joining zone is preferably essentially flat, and particularly preferably smooth. This design allows the two entities to align with each other under the influence of the magnetic attraction force, as far as possible without hindrance from structural elements or the influence of friction between the entities.

[0041] Finally, it should be generally mentioned that the electronic devices discussed, i.e. the hearing aid as well as the accessory module, contain the aforementioned electronics, which can be discrete or comprise integrated electronics, or a combination of both. Microcomputers, microcontrollers, Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs), possibly in combination with analog or digital electronic peripheral components, can also be used. Many of the device functionalities mentioned are implemented - possibly in conjunction with hardware components - with the help of software that runs on an electronic processor. In this context, it should be mentioned that the hearing aid can also have one or more microphones, so that one or more microphone signals can be processed using the device electronics. A signal processor can also be provided and used for this processing.This processing can be digitally programmed and tailored to the needs of the individual hearing-impaired person wearing the hearing aid. The electrical audio signal generated from the microphone signal(s) by the device's electronics is delivered to the person's ear as an acoustic audio signal via a sound delivery device (a speaker that fits in the ear).

[0042] It should also be mentioned that the hearing aid can be designed as a binaural hearing aid, in particular having an Ambisonics implementation. Such a (first) hearing aid, which is worn on the person's first ear, preferably has a radio device for transmitting its own microphone signals to an analog (second) hearing aid worn on the person's second ear, where the entire microphone signals from both hearing aids are processed jointly. The same applies to the microphone signals from the second hearing aid, which are transmitted to the first hearing aid for further processing via a (or the) radio connection.

[0043] Unless otherwise stated in this description, devices designed for radio communication typically include an antenna configuration for transmitting and receiving radio signals as part of a transceiver module. The electronic devices may also have an internal electrical power supply, which may be implemented, for example, with a replaceable or rechargeable battery.

[0044] These and other aspects of the invention are apparent from the figures discussed below.

[0045] Short character description

[0046] The invention is explained in more detail below with reference to the accompanying figures using exemplary embodiments, to which, however, the invention is not limited. In the various figures, identical components are provided with identical reference numerals. They show schematically:

[0047] Fig. 1 shows a hearing aid system comprising a hearing aid with a magnetically held accessory module;

[0048] Fig. 2 a number of different accessory modules for the hearing aid;

[0049] Fig. 3 is an electronic block diagram of the hearing aid and the accessory module; Fig. 4 is a section of the hearing aid and the accessory module located adjacent to a joining zone according to a first embodiment;

[0050] Fig. 5 shows further embodiments of the sections shown in Figure 4; Figs. 6 to 7 show further embodiments of the section located around the joining zone of the hearing aid.

[0051] Description of the embodiments

[0052] Figure 1 shows a hearing aid system comprising a hearing aid 1 with its device body 2 and an accessory module 3 with its module body 4 held magnetically thereto, wherein the hearing aid 1 is designed and intended to be worn on the ear of a hearing-impaired person and wherein the accessory module 2 provides different module functions for the hearing aid 1 depending on the design, which has been discussed in detail in connection with Figure 2.

[0053] The hearing aid 1 further comprises a loudspeaker capsule 5, which is provided and designed to deliver an audio signal generated by the hearing aid 1 to the ear of the person.

[0054] The hearing aid 1 further comprises a first touch-sensitive input element 6, which is provided for entering settings, preferably menu settings for accessing the audio signal processing, using a person's finger. The input element 6 is designed such that it makes the position of the finger available in an electronically readable manner. Depending on the type of input element 6 installed, this design can be, for example, resistive or capacitive. The first input element 6 is positioned primarily at the front of the ear (in the direction of the person's gaze) for easy access. Touching can preferably be ergonomically simple from the side of the head.

[0055] The hearing aid 1 further comprises device electronics 7, which is arranged within the device body 2 and is shown visible along a section of the device body 2 by cutting free the section of the device housing.

[0056] The hearing aid 1 further comprises a second touch-sensitive input element 8, which is provided for inputting settings, preferably volume settings for the audio signal to be output, using the user's finger. The second touch-sensitive input element 8 is designed analogously to the first input element 7 and is oriented toward the rear (opposite the direction of the user's gaze) and can be touched from there with the user's finger.

[0057] The hearing aid 1 has a haptic module 9 on the device body 2, which runs essentially behind the ear from top to bottom, with the aid of which the person can receive haptically perceptible feedback when operating the hearing aid 1.

[0058] The hearing aid 1 also has two rechargeable batteries 10 in this section of the device body 2. It should be noted in this context that only a single battery or even three batteries can be provided for the operation of the hearing aid 1. Microphones 11 and 12, particularly their sound inlet openings, are also visible on the outside of the device body 2.

[0059] The device electronics 7 are connected to the aforementioned electronic components of the hearing aid 1 by means of individual wires or foil conductors or by means of an electronic bus system. This connection concerns the microphones 11 and 12, whose microphone signals are processed into the electronic audio signal by the device electronics 7. This connection also concerns the loudspeaker capsule 5, in particular the transducer located there. This allows the electronic audio signal to be transmitted to the loudspeaker capsule 5, which leads to the acoustic audio signal being transmitted by the loudspeaker capsule 5.The device electronics 7 are further connected to the first input element 6 and the second input element 9, so that a person's interaction there leads to a change in the processing parameters of the device electronics 7, which processing parameters are used for processing the microphone signals and for emitting the electronic audio signal. The device electronics 7 are powered by the two batteries 10.

[0060] Figure 2 shows some exemplary accessory modules 3, each of which provides an individual module function, namely:

[0061] - a jack plug accessory module 3A having a jack plug for connecting to a plug-socket connection of an external device, wherein this accessory module can also be designed as a socket accessory module for connecting to a jack plug of an external device;

[0062] - a USB adapter accessory module 3B designed to connect to a USB connector of another external device;

[0063] - a connecting cable accessory module 30, which provides a (jack) plug attached to a cable with a length of, for example, 1 meter or longer, in order to connect even remote external devices to the hearing aid;

[0064] - a supply accessory module 3D designed to provide an additional battery for the operation of the hearing aid, i.e. to support the batteries installed in the hearing aid, or designed to charge the batteries installed in the hearing aid;

[0065] - an additional microphone accessory module 3E, which provides an additional microphone for the operation of the hearing aid 1.

[0066] The list of accessory modules 3 given here is not exhaustive.

[0067] Furthermore, it should be mentioned that the device body 2 of the hearing aid 1 can have plastically deformable device body sections 2A and 2B in some areas, with which the hearing aid 1 can be adapted to the shape of the ear of the person wearing the hearing aid 1.

[0068] The magnetic and transmission interaction of the hearing aid 1 and the accessory module 3 is discussed below.

[0069] Figure 3 shows the principle of the transmission technology used in the form of a block diagram, whereby in this case an inductive-based transmission is used.

[0070] In detail, Figure 3 shows on the left the hearing aid 1 with its device electronics 7 and a first transmission device 13, which is formed on the one hand by a part of the device electronics 7 and on the other hand by a first transmission coil 14 connected to the device electronics 7, wherein the first coil 14 is positioned on the inside of the housing of the device body 2 where the accessory module 3 is brought together with the hearing aid 1, which is visualized in the perspective view of Figure 4.

[0071] Furthermore, Figure 3 shows the accessory module 3 on the right, which has a module electronics 15 housed in its module body 4 and a second transmission coil 16 connected to the module electronics 15. A second transmission device 17 is formed by the second transmission coil 16 and a part of the module electronics 15, wherein the second coil 15 is positioned on the inside of the housing of the module body 4 where the accessory module 3 is joined to the hearing aid 1, as visualized in the perspective view of Figure 4.

[0072] Where the hearing aid 1 rests against the accessory module 3 when the two entities are in the assembled state, there are joining zones 18 of the hearing aid 1 and the accessory module 3, which are also shown in Figure 1. For the sake of simplicity, it is assumed in the present case that the two joining zones 18 are circularly delimited, as visualized in Figures 4 to 7, and have a smooth design. The device body 2 as well as the module body 4 also end in a circular shape at the respective joining zone 18 in order to create a step-free, i.e. essentially smooth, transition between the two bodies 2 and 4. However, it should also be mentioned that the peripheral structure can also be other than circular, such as polygonal.

[0073] In the present case, it is assumed that the accessory module 3 is the supply accessory module 3D, in which an energy storage device (e.g., a rechargeable battery) for storing electrical energy is provided as part of the module electronics 15. The module electronics 15 is therefore designed to inductively transfer the stored energy to the hearing aid. This implies that the two transmission devices 13 and 14 are designed for the inductive transmission of electrical power or energy for the operation of the hearing aid 1 and are optimally coordinated with one another.

[0074] If the transmission were to be inductive, the two transmission devices would have to be optimized and coordinated with each other for the inductive transmission of information. However, the inductive transmission of energy and information can also be combined, if necessary with a compromise regarding the optimization for the respective transmission case. The transmission of energy can also take place at a different time than the transmission of information. Optionally, separate transmission devices can be provided which carry out the energy transmission on the one hand and the information transmission on the other hand independently of each other. For this purpose, the hearing aid 1 and the accessory module 3 can each be provided with two first coils and two second coils which are arranged spatially separate from each other in order to avoid influencing each other as much as possible during simultaneous operation.

[0075] With the help of Figure 4, we will now explain how the accessory module 3 is held purely magnetically to the hearing aid 1 and what effects the purely magnetic holder has on the positioning and orientation of the devices (hearing aid 1 and accessory module 3). Specifically, Figure 4 shows a section of the device body 2 that extends adjacent to the joining zone 18 and a section of the module body 4 that extends adjacent to the joining zone 18. The two bodies 2 and 4 are shown at a slight distance from each other with respect to the joining zones 18 in order to make details clearer. Under the influence of the magnetic attraction force acting between them, which will be discussed in detail below, the two bodies 2 and 4, if at least the accessory module can move freely, would be attracted to each other and ultimately adhere to each other.

[0076] According to this exemplary embodiment, a dipole magnetic rod 19 or 20 is located in both the hearing aid 1 and the accessory module 3 adjacent to the respective joining zone 18 (see also Figure 1) of the respective body 2 or 4. The two dipole magnetic rods 19 and 20 are positioned along a central axis (axis of symmetry) of the body parts of the two devices 1 and 3, which in the present case run in a straight line and have a round cross-section. An analogous positioning running in the longitudinal direction of the respective body part would also be possible for a body section with a rectangular, square, or other shaped cross-section, whereby positioning along the axis of symmetry, if one exists at all, can be dispensed with.

[0077] The first dipole magnetic rod 19, which forms a device magnetic force holding element, is installed such that its north pole N is oriented toward the joining zone 18 and its south pole S is oriented into the device body 2. The second dipole magnetic rod 20, which forms a module magnetic force holding element, is installed such that its north pole N is oriented into the module body 4 and its south pole S is oriented toward the joining zone 18. These orientations of the two dipole magnetic rods 19 and 20 cause the two dipole magnetic rods 19 and 20 to attract each other, thus holding the two bodies 2 and 4 together purely magnetically, yet releasably from each other.The magnetic attraction also causes the two dipole magnet rods 19 and 20 to align with each other along the essentially flat joining zones 18, i.e., the respective bodies 2 and 4 also slide against each other along the joining zones 18 until the two dipole magnets 19 and 20 are positioned such that the distance between the north pole N of the first dipole magnet rod 19 and the south pole S of the second dipole magnet rod 20 is a minimum. If the two transmission coils 14 and 16 are now centered around the respective dipole magnet rods 19 and 20 and essentially parallel to the joining zones 18, the two transmission coils 14 and 16 also come to lie in an optimized position relative to each other, completely without manual intervention.

[0078] In the present exemplary embodiment, the magnetic force effects a purely translational alignment along the joining zones 18. A rotational alignment or orientation of the two bodies 2 and 4 in or along the joining zones 18 does not occur. However, if more than two magnets are used, a rotational alignment or orientation along the joining zone can also be effected. This can be of interest if, for example, several coils, which are arranged in each of the bodies 2 and 4 spatially offset from one another and parallel to the respective joining zone 18, are to be automatically positioned corresponding to one another so that the desired transmission between the hearing aid 1 and the accessory module can be carried out with the respective coil pair thus formed.

[0079] Figure 5 illustrates an embodiment with multiple bar dipole magnets 19 and 20 oriented along the longitudinal extent, in particular the central axis (axis of symmetry), of the respective section of bodies 2 and 4. The dipole moments 19 and 20 are arranged in a ring-like pattern, i.e., each along a circular ring, in a grid, so that at the respective joining zone 18, either only north poles N or only south poles S end, which is shown only once in Figure 5 for the respective bodies 2 and 4, respectively. The ring of dipole magnets 19 is configured analogously to the ring of dipole magnets 20 in terms of its dimensions (diameter and grid). The respective transmission coil 14 and 16 is spanned parallel to the respective joining zone and is also positioned centered around the central axis. This arrangement of the magnets 19 and 20 ensures homogeneous force transmission along the respective ring.In addition to the positioning along the joining zones 18, an orientation is also carried out so that the respective attracting poles N and S come as close to each other as possible.

[0080] The desired orientation of the two bodies 2 and 4 can also be adjusted by an orientation of the magnets 19 and 20 that deviates from the orientation shown, so that, for example, one group of magnets 19 is oriented with its north pole N toward the joining zone 18 and another group of magnets 19 is oriented with its south pole S toward the joining zone 18. The orientation of the magnets 20 of the module body 4 must then also be adjusted analogously.

[0081] Furthermore, the desired orientation of the two bodies 2 and 4 can also be adjusted by the actual shape of the distribution of the magnets 19 and 20 in or adjacent to the respective joining zone 18. For example, instead of a circular distribution, an elliptical distribution or a linear distribution can be selected.

[0082] Such a linear distribution in the simplest possible configuration is shown in Figure 6, where only two magnets 19 are oriented along a line passing through the center of the transmission coil 14, with their north pole N pointing toward the joining zone 18. Their south pole points away from the joining zone 18. If an analogous arrangement is provided on the module body 4, but with the south pole S pointing toward the joining zone 18, only one orientation exists in which the two bodies 2 and 4 can be positioned next to each other in the rest position.

[0083] An analogous effect can be achieved with just a single dipole magnet 19 and 20 per body 2 and 4, if it is accommodated parallel to the respective joining zone 18 in the respective body 2 or 4, as shown in Figure 7. This functionality of magnetic force-induced orientation can be particularly advantageous when it is a matter of automatically bringing together several coil pairs of the respective bodies 2 or 4. In the present example, two coils 14A and 14B are provided in the hearing aid 1 adjacent to the dipole magnet 19, i.e. on the left and right sides of its longitudinal extension. In module 3 (not shown), there is also an analogous arrangement of coils 17A and 17B on the left and right sides of the longitudinal extension of the dipole magnet 20 installed there. Since the two dipole magnets 19 and 20 are always aligned parallel to one another, two coil pairs 14A and 17A or14B and 17B are adjacent to each other and can be used selectively for transmission.

[0084] Finally, it should be noted once again that the figures described in detail above are merely exemplary embodiments that can be modified in a variety of ways by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the invention. For the sake of completeness, it should also be noted that the use of the indefinite articles "a" or "an" does not exclude the possibility that the relevant features may be present multiple times.

Claims

Claims 1. Hearing aid (1), - which has device electronics (7) for generating an acoustic output signal for a human ear based on processed microphone signals, and - which has a device body (2) which carries the device electronics (1) and at least one device magnetic force holding element (19) which is provided for the releasable magnetic holding of an accessory module (3) on the hearing aid (1), characterized in that the device body (2) has at least one first transmission device (13) which is designed for the contactless transmission of electrical power from the accessory module (3) to the device electronics (7) for the electrical supply of the device electronics (7) and / or for the contactless transmission of signals or data from the accessory module (3) to the device electronics (7) or from the device electronics (7) to the accessory module (3).

2. Hearing aid (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first transmission device (13) is realized according to one of the following embodiments, namely: - inductive transmission device - inductive-resonant transmission device - capacitive transmission device.

3. Hearing aid (1) according to claim 2, wherein - the inductive or inductive-resonant first transmission device (13) has at least one first conductor loop (14) intended for inductive transmission, which is coupled to the device electronics (7) and is carried by the device body (2), preferably by a device housing of the device body (2).

4. Hearing aid (1) according to claim 3, wherein - the device body (2) has a device surface, and - the first conductor loop (14) runs along the device surface of the device body (2).

5. Hearing aid (1) according to claim 3, wherein - the first conductor loop (14) runs within the device body (2) adjacent to the device surface of the device body (2).

6. Hearing aid (1) according to claim 2, wherein - the first conductor loop (14) has a plurality of turns.

7. Hearing aid (1) according to claim 1, wherein the device magnetic force holding element (19) is realized as a dipole magnet.

8. Accessory module (3) for a hearing aid (1), - which has a module electronics (15) for providing a module function, and - which has a module body (4) which carries the module electronics (15) and at least one module magnetic force holding element (20) which is provided for the releasable magnetic holding of the accessory module (3) on the hearing aid (1), characterized in that the module body (4) has at least one second transmission device (16) which is designed for the contactless transmission of electrical power from the accessory module (3) to the hearing aid (1) and / or for the contactless transmission of signals or data from the accessory module (3) to the hearing aid (1) or from the hearing aid (1) to the accessory module (3).

9. Accessory module (3) according to claim 8, wherein the second transmission device (16) is realized according to one of the following embodiments, namely: - inductive transmission device - inductive-resonant transmission device - capacitive transmission device. 10 Accessory module (3) according to claim 9, wherein - the inductive or inductive-resonant second transmission device (16) has at least one second conductor loop (17) intended for inductive transmission, which is coupled to the module electronics (15) and is carried by the module body (4), preferably by a module housing of the module body (4).

11. Accessory module (3) according to claim 10, wherein - the module body (4) has a module surface and - the second conductor loop (17) runs along the module surface.

12. Accessory module (3) according to claim 10, wherein - the second conductor loop (17) runs within the module body (4) adjacent to the module surface of the module body (4).

13. Accessory module (3) according to claim 10, wherein - the second conductor loop (17) has a plurality of turns.

14. Accessory module (3) according to claim 8, wherein the module magnetic force holding element (20) is realized as a dipole magnet.

15. Accessory module (3) according to claim 8, which is one of the following, namely: - electrical power supply module (3D), - a microphone module (3E), - a battery charging module, - a jack plug adapter module (3A), - a contactless communication module (3B), preferably a USB, ZigBee, R.FID, or NFC module.

16. Hearing aid system comprising at least one hearing aid (1) according to one of claims 1 to 7 and an accessory module (3) according to one of claims 8 to 15, which is releasably held thereon by a magnet.

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