Modular hearing instrument comprising electro-acoustic calibration parameters
A hearing instrument includes: a first portion shaped and sized for placement at a pinna of a user's ear; and a second portion having an earpiece for placement in the user's ear canal; wherein the second portion also comprises a connector assembly configured for electrically coupling to the first portion, the connector assembly having a plurality of connector wires, the plurality of connector wires comprising a first connector wire; wherein the second portion also comprises a receiver or miniature loudspeaker for receipt of an audio drive signal through at least the first connector wire; and wherein the second portion also comprises a non-volatile memory circuit having a data interface configured for receipt and transmittal of module data, the non-volatile memory circuit configured to store the module data, wherein the stored module data at least comprises electroacoustic calibration parameter(s) of the receiver or the miniature loudspeaker.
1 . A detachable portion of a hearing instrument, comprising:
a housing, at least a part of the housing configured for placement in an ear canal of a user;
a connector configured to connect to a behind-the-ear (BTE) component of the hearing instrument;
a cable extending between the housing and the connector;
a receiver or miniature loudspeaker being accommodated in the housing; and
a non-volatile memory configured to store data;
wherein the connector has a connector housing surface configured to face towards the BTE component when the connector is connected to the BTE component, and wherein the connector comprises electrically-conductive pads arranged in rows and columns, the electrically-conductive pads lying within a common plane that corresponds with the connector housing surface.
2 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , wherein the common plane is parallel to the connector housing surface.
3 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory is coupled to ground.
4 . The detachable portion according to claim 3 , further comprising a microphone, wherein the microphone is coupled to the ground.
5 . The detachable portion according to claim 3 , wherein the ground comprises a first conductor part in the housing and a second conductor part in the cable.
6 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , further comprising a microphone, wherein the microphone is coupled to ground.
7 . The detachable portion according to claim 6 , wherein the ground comprises a first conductor part in the housing and a second conductor part in the cable.
8 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , further comprising a ground, wherein a first part of the ground is in the housing, and wherein a second part of the ground is in the cable.
9 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , further comprising a conductor coupled to an output of the non-volatile memory, and wherein the detachable portion further comprises a resistor coupled to the conductor that is coupled to the output of the non-volatile memory.
10 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , further comprising an earpiece configured to accommodate the at least a part of the housing, wherein the earpiece is wider than a cross sectional width of the housing, and wherein the earpiece is different from the receiver and the miniature loudspeaker.
11 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , wherein the non-volatile memory is located closer to the receiver or the miniature loudspeaker than the connector.
12 . An apparatus comprising the detachable portion of claim 1 and the BTE component, wherein the apparatus is the hearing instrument.
13 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , wherein the cable has an end segment connected to the connector, the end segment of the cable defining a rectilinear longitudinal axis that is parallel to a direction in which the cable extends from the connector, and wherein the rectilinear longitudinal axis of the end segment of the cable is parallel to the common plane.
14 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , wherein the connector housing surface is an exterior surface of a connector housing of the connector, and wherein the common plane is closer to the exterior surface of the connector housing of the connector than to a central axis of the connector.
15 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , wherein a longitudinal axis of the connector extending through a center of the connector is offset from a longitudinal axis of the cable.
16 . The detachable portion according to claim 1 , wherein a rectilinear longitudinal axis of the cable extending from a cable end of the cable that connects to the connector does not intersect the connector housing surface.
17 . A detachable portion of a hearing instrument, comprising:
a housing;
a receiver or miniature loudspeaker being accommodated in the housing;
a connector configured to connect to a behind-the-ear (BTE) component of the hearing instrument;
a cable extending between the housing and the connector; and
a non-volatile memory configured to store data;
wherein the connector has a connector surface configured to face towards the BTE component when the connector is connected to the BTE component, and wherein the connector comprises electrically-conductive pads arranged in rows and columns lying within a common plane that corresponds with the connector surface, wherein a rectilinear longitudinal axis of the cable extending from a cable end of the cable that connects to the connector does not intersect the connector surface.
18 . The detachable portion according to claim 17 , further comprising a conductor coupled to an output of the non-volatile memory, and wherein the detachable portion further comprises a resistor coupled to the conductor.
19 . The detachable portion according to claim 17 , further comprising an earpiece configured to accommodate the at least a part of the housing.
20 . The detachable portion according to claim 17 , and wherein the cable extends from the connector in a direction that is a non-perpendicular with respect to the common plane.
21 . The detachable portion according to claim 17 , wherein the rectilinear longitudinal axis is parallel to a direction in which the cable extends from the connector.
22 . The detachable portion according to claim 17 , wherein the connector surface is an exterior surface of a connector housing of the connector, and wherein the common plane is closer to the exterior surface of the connector housing of the connector than to a central longitudinal axis extending through a center of the connector.