Signal Amplifier

Abstract

A hearing prosthesis circuit includes a power source, a first amplifier coupled to the power source, and a second amplifier coupled to the power source. The circuit also includes a stimulation component coupled to the first amplifier and the second amplifier. The stimulation component is configured to provide an output in accordance with an electrical signal that includes audio data. Further, the circuit includes a controller coupled to the first amplifier and the second amplifier. The controller is operable in accordance with a first operational setting to use the first amplifier to provide the electrical signal to the stimulation component and the controller is also operable in accordance with a second operational setting to use the second amplifier to provide the electrical signal to the stimulation component. Generally, the first amplifier provides greater signal amplification of the audio data than the second amplifier.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A hearing prosthesis circuit comprising:
 a power source;   a first amplifier coupled to the power source;   a second amplifier coupled to the power source;   a stimulation component coupled to the first amplifier and the second amplifier, wherein the stimulation component is configured to provide an output in accordance with an electrical signal that includes audio data; and   a controller coupled to the first amplifier and the second amplifier, wherein the controller is operable in accordance with a first operational setting to use the first amplifier to provide the electrical signal to the stimulation component, wherein the controller is operable in accordance with a second operational setting to use the second amplifier to provide the electrical signal to the stimulation component, and wherein the first amplifier provides greater signal amplification of the audio data than the second amplifier.   
     
     
         2 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured to dynamically switch between using the first amplifier or the second amplifier to provide the electrical signal to the stimulation component. 
     
     
         3 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 2 , wherein the controller is configured to dynamically switch, at around a zero crossing of the electrical signal, between using the first amplifier or the second amplifier to provide the electrical signal to the stimulation component. 
     
     
         4 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the first amplifier includes a step-up converter and the second amplifier includes a class-D amplifier. 
     
     
         5 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the first operational setting is a music setting and the second operational setting is a phone setting. 
     
     
         6 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the first operational setting corresponds to a noisy environmental classification and the second operational setting corresponds to a quiet environmental classification. 
     
     
         7 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the first operational setting corresponds to a first hearing impairment and the second operational setting corresponds to a second hearing impairment, wherein the first hearing impairment is more severe than the second hearing impairment. 
     
     
         8 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 1 , wherein the first operational setting corresponds to the audio data having a first amplitude and the second operational setting corresponds to the audio data having a second amplitude, and wherein the first amplitude is greater than the second amplitude. 
     
     
         9 . A method comprising:
 receiving a first electrical signal that includes audio data;   determining if a first operational setting or a second operational setting corresponds to the received electrical signal;   if the first operational setting corresponds to the received electrical signal, using a first amplifier to generate an amplified representation of the first electrical signal;   if the second operational setting corresponds to the received electrical signal, using a second amplifier to generate the amplified representation of the first electrical signal, wherein using the first amplifier provides greater amplification of the first electrical signal than using the second amplifier; and   applying the amplified representation of the first electrical signal to a stimulation component to provide an output in accordance with the amplified representation of the first electrical signal.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , further comprising dynamically switching, based on if the first operational setting or the second operational setting corresponds to the received electrical signal, between using the first amplifier to generate the amplified representation of the first electrical signal or using the second amplifier to generate the amplified representation of the first electrical signal, respectively, and wherein the first amplifier includes a step-up converter and the second amplifier includes a class-D amplifier. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the first operational setting corresponds to one or more of a music setting, a noisy environmental classification, a hearing impairment greater than a predetermined severity, or the audio data having an amplitude greater than a predetermined threshold, and wherein the second operational setting corresponds to one or more of a phone setting, a quiet environmental classification, a hearing impairment less than the predetermined severity, or the audio data having an amplitude less than the predetermined threshold. 
     
     
         12 . A hearing prosthesis circuit comprising:
 a power source;   charge storage circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the charge storage circuitry is coupled to the power source;   first switching circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first switching circuitry is coupled to the second terminal of the charge storage circuitry and the second terminal of the first switching circuitry is coupled to ground;   second switching circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second switching circuitry is coupled to the second terminal of the charge storage circuitry and to the first terminal of the first switching circuitry;   stimulation circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the stimulation circuitry is coupled to the second terminal of the second switching circuitry, and wherein the stimulation component is configured to receive a first electrical signal and to provide an output in accordance with the first electrical signal;   third switching circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the third switching circuitry is coupled to the second terminal of the stimulation circuitry and the second terminal of the third switching circuitry is coupled to ground; and   a controller coupled to the first switching circuitry, the second switching circuitry, and the third switching circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to, while actuating the third switching circuitry, actuate the first switching circuitry and the second switching circuitry in accordance with a second electrical signal to provide the first electrical signal to the stimulation circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the first switching circuitry and second switching circuitry in an inverse relation,   and wherein the second electrical signal includes audio data, and the first electrical signal is an amplified reproduction of the second electrical signal.   
     
     
         13 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 12 , further comprising:
 second charge storage circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second charge storage circuitry is coupled to the power source;   fourth switching circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fourth switching circuitry is coupled to the second terminal of the second charge storage circuitry and the second terminal of the fourth switching circuitry is coupled to ground;   fifth switching circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the fifth switching circuitry is coupled to the second terminal of the second charge storage circuitry and to the first terminal of the fourth switching circuitry, and wherein the second terminal of the fifth switching circuitry is coupled to the second terminal of the stimulation circuitry; and   sixth switching circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the sixth switching circuitry is coupled to the first terminal of the stimulation circuitry and the second terminal of the sixth switching circuitry is coupled to ground,   wherein the first terminal of the stimulation circuitry is a positive pole and the second terminal of the stimulation component is a negative pole, and wherein the stimulation component is configured to receive a third electrical signal and to provide the output in accordance with the third electrical signal,   wherein the controller is further coupled to the fourth switching circuitry, the fifth switching circuitry, and the sixth switching circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to, while actuating the sixth switching circuitry, actuate the fourth switching circuitry and the fifth switching circuitry in accordance with a fourth electrical signal to provide the third electrical signal to the stimulation circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the fourth switching circuitry and the fifth switching circuitry in an inverse relation,   and wherein the fourth electrical signal includes audio data, and the third electrical signal is an amplified reproduction of the fourth electrical signal.   
     
     
         14 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 13 , wherein the second electrical signal represents a positive half-period of the audio data and the fourth electrical signal represents a negative half-period of the audio data, wherein the first terminal of the first-referenced charge storage circuitry is coupled to a positive pole of the power source, and the first terminal of the second charge storage circuitry is coupled to a negative pole of the power source, and wherein the controller is configured to:
 during the positive half-period of the audio data, open and close the first switching circuitry and the second switching circuitry in accordance with the second electrical signal, close the third switching circuitry, close the fourth switching circuitry to charge the second charge storage circuitry, open the fifth switching circuitry, and open the sixth switching circuitry; and   during the negative half-period of the audio data, open and close the fourth switching circuitry and the fifth switching circuitry in accordance with the fourth electrical signal, close the first switching circuitry to charge the first-referenced charge storage circuitry, open the second switching circuitry, open the third switching circuitry, and close the sixth switching circuitry   
     
     
         15 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 seventh switching circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the seventh switching circuitry is coupled to the power source and the second terminal of the seventh switching circuitry is coupled to the first terminal of the stimulation circuitry; and   eighth switching circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the eighth switching circuitry is coupled to the power source and the second terminal of the eighth switching circuitry is coupled to the second terminal of the stimulation circuitry,   wherein the stimulation component is configured to receive a fifth electrical signal and to provide the output in accordance with the fifth electrical signal,   wherein the controller is further coupled to the seventh switching circuitry and the eighth switching circuitry, and wherein the controller is configured to actuate the third switching circuitry, the sixth switching circuitry, the seventh switching circuitry, and the eighth switching circuitry in accordance with a sixth electrical signal to provide the fifth electrical signal to the stimulation circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to actuate the seventh switching circuitry and the eighth switching circuitry in an inverse relation, to actuate the seventh switching circuitry and the third switching circuitry in a parallel relation, and to actuate the eighth switching circuitry and the sixth switching circuitry in a parallel relation,   and wherein the sixth electrical signal includes audio data, and the fifth electrical signal is an amplified reproduction of the sixth electrical signal.   
     
     
         16 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 15 , wherein the first terminal of the seventh switching circuitry is coupled to a positive pole of the power source, and the first terminal of the eighth switching circuitry is coupled to a negative pole of the power source. 
     
     
         17 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 15 , wherein the controller is configured to operate in a first mode and in a second mode, wherein the first mode has a higher output power requirement than an output power requirement of the second mode, and wherein the controller is configured to actuate the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, and sixth switching circuitry when operating in the first mode, and to actuate the third, sixth, seventh, and eighth switching circuitry when operating in the second mode. 
     
     
         18 . The hearing prosthesis of  claim 17 , wherein the controller is configured to dynamically switch between the first mode and the second mode in response to changing output power requirements. 
     
     
         19 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 13 , further comprising:
 first filtering circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the first filtering circuitry is coupled to the first terminal of the first-referenced charge storage circuitry, and the second terminal of the first filtering circuitry is coupled to ground; and   second filtering circuitry having a first terminal and a second terminal, wherein the first terminal of the second filtering circuitry is coupled to the first terminal of the second charge storage circuitry, and the second terminal of the second filtering circuitry is coupled to ground.   
     
     
         20 . The hearing prosthesis circuit of  claim 19 , wherein one or more of the first-referenced charge storage circuitry and the second charge storage circuitry includes one or more inductors, wherein one or more of the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth switching circuitry includes one or more transistors, and wherein one or more of the first filtering circuitry and the second filtering circuitry includes one or more capacitors.