Hearing Aid Power Dongle for Extended Battery Life
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing aids face challenges in achieving acceptable battery life without increasing weight or size, with rechargeable batteries requiring daily recharging and disposable batteries needing frequent replacement, leading to high operating costs and environmental concerns.
Innovation Solution
A power dongle configured to releasably couple to a hearing aid, providing an auxiliary power source that can recharge the battery or supplement the internal power, allowing extended use and reducing the need for frequent battery replacements, while also capable of receiving and transmitting audio signals from media sources.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Duration of action of moving object
If rechargeable batteries with acceptable size and weight are used in hearing aids, then battery life is improved, but the hearing aid requires daily recharging which is not always available
Solution Approach 1:
The power system is segmented into two independent components: the internal rechargeable battery for daily use and the external power dongle for supplemental power. This segmentation allows the hearing aid to maintain a small, lightweight battery while providing extended operational capability through the detachable dongle that can be carried separately and connected when needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The power dongle acts as an intermediary power source between the hearing aid and external power outlets. It receives power from standard electrical outlets and transfers it to the hearing aid's internal battery, solving the problem of unavailable recharging by providing a portable intermediate storage device that can be recharged anywhere with electrical access.
2Weight of moving object
If disposable non-rechargeable batteries are used in hearing aids, then hearing aid size and weight are reduced, but operating cost increases due to frequent battery replacement
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary action by recharging the internal battery using the power dongle before the battery is depleted. This proactive recharging approach extends the interval between disposable battery replacements, reducing the frequency of purchases and lowering operating costs while maintaining the lightweight benefit of smaller batteries.
3Weight of moving object
If disposable batteries are used in hearing aids, then hearing aid size and weight are reduced, but environmental harm increases due to landfill contribution and chemical leakage
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements discarding and recovering by extending the service life of disposable batteries through supplemental recharging. Instead of discarding batteries after a single day of use, the internal battery is recovered and recharged multiple times using the power dongle, significantly reducing the number of batteries discarded and their associated environmental harm.
4Duration of action of moving object
If a power dongle is added to provide auxiliary power, then operational time is extended, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The power dongle is designed with universality by incorporating both power delivery functionality and audio signal transmission capability. This multi-functionality allows a single accessory to address both power extension needs and audio source connectivity, reducing the need for separate devices and actually simplifying the overall system despite the extended operational time provided.
Data Source
AI summary
A power dongle for a hearing aid includes conductive wires, each wire having a computing device end and a hearing aid end. A first connector is connected to the computing device end of each of the plurality of conductive wires to releasably couple to an input/output port of the computing device and a second connector is connected to the hearing aid end of each of the plurality of conductive wires to releasably couple to an interface of the hearing aid, the second connector configured to deliver at least one of a first power supply and an audio signal from the computing device to the interface of the hearing aid.