Meander Line Antenna for In-Ear Hearing Device
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing devices face design constraints due to the compaction of electronic and metallic components, requiring antennas that are small, efficient, and consume low power while maintaining wireless communication capabilities, which is challenging due to the trade-off between antenna aperture and radiated efficiency as they become electrically small compared to the frequency of operation.
Innovation Solution
The use of miniaturized meander line dipole antennas with folded conductive patterns that require less space, allowing for efficient power consumption and improved packaging, enabling a smaller form factor and better fit within the ear canal, while maintaining comparable performance to larger antennas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Volume of moving object
If conventional dipole antennas are used in hearing devices, then wireless communication capability is achieved, but the antenna occupies excessive space within the small housing
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies meander line geometry to fold the antenna conductors into a compact configuration that fits within the limited planar space of the hearing device housing. By creating multiple folds and loops in the conductor path, the antenna achieves the required electrical length for wireless communication while occupying minimal physical space within the device.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs curved and folded conductor paths instead of straight lines, creating a meander line pattern that packs the antenna into a smaller footprint. The curved geometry allows the antenna to maintain its resonant length while conforming to the compact housing dimensions of the hearing device.
2Volume of moving object
If antenna size is reduced to fit the hearing device housing, then packaging is improved, but radiated efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The meander line configuration extends the electrical length of the antenna conductors through folding and looping, allowing the antenna to maintain adequate radiating length while fitting within a compact housing volume. This dimensional transformation preserves radiated efficiency despite the reduced overall device size.
3Adaptability or versatility
If more electronic and metallic components are compacted into the housing, then device functionality is enhanced, but antenna design constraints increase
Solution Approach 1:
The meander line antenna design efficiently utilizes the available planar space within the housing by creating folded conductor paths. This allows other electronic and metallic components to be compacted into the housing without significantly increasing antenna design constraints, as the meander line configuration maximizes the use of available space.
Data Source
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AI summary
Small meander line antenna for in-the-ear hearing device, and associated systems and methods are disclosed. The hearing device includes a housing configured for insertion in an ear canal of a user; and a face plate of the housing configured to carry electronic components of the hearing device. A meander line antenna is operatively coupled to the electronic components of the hearing devices, where conductive traces of the meander line antenna are at least partially shaped as meandering folds that are configured perpendicularly with respect to a principal plane of the face plate.