Ear-worn electronic device incorporating an antenna substrate comprising a dielectric gel or liquid

1. An ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer, comprising:

a housing configured to be supported at, by, in or on the wearer's ear;

a processor disposed in the housing;

a speaker or a receiver operably coupled to the processor;

a radio frequency transceiver disposed in the housing and operably coupled to the processor; and

an antenna disposed on or in the housing and operably coupled to the transceiver, the antenna comprising:

a radiating element;

a ground plane; and

a substrate disposed between the radiating element and the ground plane, the substrate configured to contain and distribute a dielectric gel or a dielectric liquid.

2. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises:

a first solid substrate;

a second solid substrate; and

an interposing substrate disposed between the first and second solid substrates, the interposing substrate containing the dielectric gel or the dielectric liquid.

3. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises a plurality of channels each containing the dielectric gel or the dielectric liquid.

4. The device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of channels are fluidically isolated from one another.

5. The device of claim 3 , wherein the plurality of channels are fluidically coupled to one another.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the substrate comprises:

a plurality of edge surfaces and a plurality of channels;

each of the channels having a first end originating at one of the edge surfaces; and

each of the channels having a second end terminating at a fluidic junction positioned away from the edge surfaces.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the substrate comprises a plurality of channels;

at least a first channel of the plurality of channels contains a first dielectric gel or a first dielectric liquid having a first dielectric constant; and

at least a second channel of the plurality of channels contains a second dielectric gel or a second dielectric liquid having a second dielectric constant differing from the first dielectric constant.

8. The device of claim 1 , wherein:

the antenna is designed to resonate at a specified operating frequency or band of frequencies in response to the substrate having a predetermined dielectric constant; and

the dielectric gel or the dielectric liquid has a dielectric constant that allows the substrate to achieve the predetermined dielectric constant.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric gel or the dielectric liquid has a dielectric constant in the range from about 5 to about 200.

10. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric gel or the dielectric liquid has a dielectric constant of at least 80.

11. The device of claim 1 , wherein the dielectric gel or the dielectric liquid comprises water, graphite, ground glass, graphite, titanium dioxide, barium titanate, of barium strontium titanate, or a combination of any of these materials.

12. The device of claim 1 , wherein the transceiver and the antenna are configured to operate within a 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band.

13. The device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is configured as a patch-type antenna.

14. The device of claim 1 , wherein the antenna is configured as a planar inverted-F antenna.

15. An ear-worn electronic device configured to be worn by a wearer, comprising:

a housing configured for at least partial insertion into an ear canal of the wearer, the housing having a preformed shape that conforms to a shape of the wearer's ear canal;

a processor disposed in the housing;

a speaker or a receiver operably coupled to the processor;

a radio frequency transceiver disposed in the housing and operably coupled to the processor; and

an antenna operably coupled to the transceiver and comprising:

a radiating element;

a ground plane; and

a substrate disposed between the radiating element and the ground plane, the substrate configured to contain and distribute a dielectric gel or a dielectric liquid.

16. The device of claim 15 , wherein:

the housing comprises a faceplate; and

the antenna is supported by or integral to the faceplate.

17. The device of claim 15 , wherein the device is configured as an in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), invisible-in-canal (IIC) or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) device.

18. The device of claim 15 , wherein the dielectric gel or the dielectric liquid comprises water, graphite, ground glass, graphite, titanium dioxide, barium titanate, of barium strontium titanate, or a combination of any of these materials.

19. The device of claim 15 , wherein the transceiver and the antenna are configured to operate within a 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band.

20. An ear-worn electronic hearing device configured to be worn by a wearer and comprising a patch-type antenna, the antenna comprising:

a radiating element;

a ground plane; and

a substrate disposed between the radiating element and the ground plane, the substrate configured to contain and distribute one or both of a dielectric gel and a dielectric liquid.

21. The device of claim 20 , wherein the device is configured as an in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), invisible-in-canal (IIC) or completely-in-the-canal (CIC) device.

22. The device of claim 20 , wherein the one or both of the dielectric gel and the dielectric liquid comprises water, graphite, ground glass, graphite, titanium dioxide, barium titanate, of barium strontium titanate, or a combination of any of these materials.

23. The device of claim 20 , wherein the antenna is configured to operate within a 2.4 GHz ISM frequency band.