Earhealth monitoring system and method II

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10190904-B2
Application number	US-201816025478-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 2, 2018
Priority date	Jun 1, 2006
Publication date	Jan 29, 2019
Grant date	Jan 29, 2019

Abstract

Methods of operating an audio device are provided. A method includes measuring sound pressure levels (SPL ECM ) for acoustic energy received by an ear canal microphone (ECM) during a time increment Δt and calculating a SPL_Dose Δt during the time increment Δt using SPL ECM .

First claim

We claim:

1. A method, comprising:
measuring sound pressure levels (SPL ECM1 ) for a first acoustic energy received by an ear canal microphone (ECM) of an audio device during a time increment Δt, wherein measurements corresponding to SPL ECM1 are free field equivalent values which are measured while the audio device remains in a position; and
calculating a SPL_Dose Δt based on the SPL ECM1 , wherein SPL_Dose Δt indicates a cumulative exposure to the SPL ECM1 .

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring sound pressure levels (SPL ECM2 ) for a second acoustic energy received by the ECM of the audio device during the time increment Δt.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising calculating a SPL_Dose total based on the SPL_Dose Δt .

4. The method of claim 3 , further comprising comparing the SPL_Dose total to a threshold value.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising performing an action associated with a value of an action parameter if the SPL_Dose total is greater than or equal to the threshold value.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein performing the action comprises modifying an operation of the audio device, transmitting a notification signal, activating noise cancellation, causing the audio device to vibrate, inflating a bladder of the audio device, deflating a bladder of the audio device, outputting a light, outputting a warning, adjusting a noise reduction rating of the audio device, or a combination thereof.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising modifying the SPL ECM1 so that a threshold value is not exceeded.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising measuring sound pressure levels (SPL ECM2 ) for a second acoustic energy received by the ECM of the audio device during the time increment Δt.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising determining a calibration relationship between an intensity of the second acoustic energy with a pressure measurement made during the time increment Δt.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising outputting, based on the SPL ECM1 , a sound pressure level signal as an input to a minimum-level threshold detector, and further comprising determining, by utilizing the minimum-level threshold detector, whether the SPL ECM1 exceeds a minimum level threshold.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising generating, if the SPL ECM1 exceeds the minimum level threshold, a signal to trigger activation of a clock of a digital timer system.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising generating, if the SPL ECM1 is less than the minimum level threshold, a signal to trigger activation of a clock associated with a restorative period.

13. The method of claim 10 , further comprising not activating a clock of a digital timer system if the SPL ECM1 is at the minimum level threshold or within a margin of error of the minimum level threshold.

14. A system, comprising:
an audio device that performs operations comprising:
determining sound pressure levels (SPL ECM1 ) for a first acoustic energy received by an ear canal microphone (ECM) of the audio device during a time increment Δt, wherein measurements corresponding to SPL ECM1 are free field equivalent values which are measured while the audio device remains in a position; and
determining a SPL_Dose Δt based on the SPL ECM1 , wherein SPL_Dose Δt indicates a cumulative exposure to the SPL ECM1 .

15. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise determining a sound pressure level exposure history based on a clock value received from a digital timer system.

16. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise determining whether hearing damage will occur based on the SPL ECM1 .

17. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise producing a signal to cancel sound pressure levels of the sound pressure levels that have a selected frequency.

18. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise outputting a prompt to discontinue exposure to a sound source based on the SPL ECM1 exceeding a threshold.

19. The system of claim 14 , wherein the operations further comprise attenuating a sound signal if the SPL ECM1 exceeds a threshold.

20. An audio device that performs operations comprising:
measuring sound pressure levels (SPL ECM1 ) for acoustic energy received by an ear canal microphone (ECM) of the audio device during a time increment Δt, wherein measurements corresponding to SPL ECM1 are free field equivalent values which are measured while the audio device remains in a position; and
calculating a SPL_Dose Δt based on the SPL ECM1 , wherein SPL_Dose Δt indicates a cumulative exposure to the SPL ECM1 .

Assignees

• Staton Techiya Llc

Inventors

• Goldstein Steven W
• Usher John
• Fligor Brian
• Keady John P

Classifications

• G01H3/14 Primary

  Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power · CPC title