Hearing Instrument Optical LED Control for Moisture-Free Charging Detection
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing instruments face challenges with electrical contacts that need protection from moisture and wet conditions, leading to structural complexity and additional component usage.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating an LED into the hearing instrument system to serve as both an optical signal transmitter and receiver, allowing for optical data transmission and control, thereby reducing wiring complexity and enabling features like battery charging detection and feedback prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If electrical contacts are used in the hearing instrument, then electrical connection and control functions are achieved, but protection from moisture and wet conditions is required, leading to structural complexity and additional components
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical contacts with an optical communication system using LEDs and photodetectors. The LED transmits optical signals to the photodetector, enabling data and control communication without physical electrical connections. This substitution eliminates the need for moisture-protected electrical contacts, reducing structural complexity while maintaining reliability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces optical signals as an intermediary medium to replace direct electrical connections. The LED emits optical signals that carry information, and the photodetector converts these optical signals back into electrical signals for processing. This intermediary approach allows communication through non-contact means, avoiding the need for protected electrical contacts.
2Reliability
If additional components are added to protect electrical contacts, then reliability against moisture is improved, but device complexity and number of components increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the entire electrical contact system with an optical communication system consisting of an LED and a photodetector. This substitution eliminates the need for additional protective components such as seals, coatings, or protected housings that would be required for electrical contacts, thereby reducing the number of components while maintaining moisture protection.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and removes the electrical contact components from the hearing instrument system entirely. By using optical signals for communication and control, the patent eliminates the need for electrical contacts and their associated protection mechanisms, reducing the number of components while maintaining system reliability.
3Reliability
If electrical contacts are protected from contamination, then short circuits and corrosion are prevented, but structural complexity and additional components are required
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces electrical contacts with an optical communication system using LEDs and photodetectors. This substitution eliminates the risk of short circuits and corrosion associated with electrical contacts, as optical signals do not require conductive paths that could be contaminated. The structural complexity required for protection is thereby eliminated.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses optical signals as an intermediary to replace direct electrical connections. The LED emits optical signals that carry information without requiring electrical contact, and the photodetector converts these signals back into electrical signals for processing. This intermediary approach prevents short circuits and corrosion while reducing structural complexity.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The LED-based system simplifies component protection, reduces structural complexity, and enables efficient battery charging and feedback prevention without additional components, enhancing user-specific signal processing and communication capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
an LED connected up to the controller both in order to output optical signals and to receive optical signals
Implementation Method 2
The controller is configured to derive information from an optical signal received by using the LED
Data Source
AI summary
A hearing instrument system includes a hearing instrument having an input transducer receiving signals characteristic of acoustic events and converting the signals into input signals, an output transducer outputting output signals derived from input signals, a controller processing input signals and generating output signals, a housing for the input transducer and controller, and an LED connected to the controller to output and receive optical signals, The controller derives information from an optical signal received by the LED and uses the information to continue hearing instrument operation. A third-party device forms a box-shaped charger having a charging interior for the hearing instrument. The third-party device transmits a charging light signal into the charging interior. The controller takes charging light signal reception to indicate the hearing instrument being in the charging interior and deactivates signal processing, sound output and/or sound capture or switches off the hearing instrument.