Smart nasometer

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10692397-B2
Application number	US-201715686207-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2017
Priority date	Aug 25, 2016
Publication date	Jun 23, 2020
Grant date	Jun 23, 2020

Abstract

A smart nasometer according to an embodiment of the present invention includes: a hardware unit worn on a head of a user for measuring nasal and oral sounds and providing feedback for the user; and a computational unit for receiving and processing speech signals of the nasal and oral sounds measured by the hardware unit, wherein the hardware unit includes: a microphone unit for separately measuring the nasal and oral sounds in a non-touched state of the user's philtrum, wherein the computational unit includes: a nasalance adjustment unit for adjusting a nasalance of the nasal and oral sounds measured by the microphone unit.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A smart nasometer comprising:
a hardware unit configured to be worn on a head of a user for measuring nasal and oral sounds of the user and providing feedback to the user; and
a computational unit for recovering and processing speech signals of the nasal and oral sounds measured by the hardware unit,
wherein the hardware unit includes:
a microphone unit for separately measuring the nasal and oral sounds in a non-touched state of the user's philtrum,
wherein the computational unit includes:
a nasalance adjustment unit for adjusting a nasalance of the nasal and oral sounds measured by the microphone unit.

2. The nasometer according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an application unit including a game for providing feedback to the user using the speech signals processed through the computational unit; and
a database unit for storing user data generated by the application unit and providing feedback to the user or a clinician.

3. The nasometer according to claim 2 , further comprising:
a wireless transmitting and receiving unit wirelessly transmitting and receiving the speech signals processed by the computational unit and interworking with the hardware unit and the database unit.

4. The nasometer according to claim 1 , wherein the microphone unit is adjustable to a distance from the user's face.

5. The nasometer according to claim 1 , wherein the microphone unit includes:
a separator extending in a horizontal direction and positioned so as not to be touched by the user's philtrum; and two microphones respectively disposed on an upper and lower sides of the separator and separately measuring the nasal and oral sound signals.

6. The nasometer according to claim 5 , wherein
the microphone unit includes a body to which the two microphones are supported, and
the separator is detachably attached to the body.

7. The nasometer according to claim 5 , wherein
the nasalance adjustment unit includes an algorithm for adjusting a nasalance of the speech signal measured by the microphone unit when the separator is not touched to the user's philtrum so that there is no difference between the nasalance of the speech signal measured by the microphone unit when the separator is not touched to the user's philtrum and a nasalance of a speech signal measured by the microphone unit when the separator is touched to the user's philtrum.

8. The nasometer according to claim 7 , wherein
a sound energy adjustment ratio is a value obtained by dividing a sound energy of a first speech signal measured by the microphone unit in a state where the separator is touched to the user's philtrum by a sound energy of a second speech signal measured by the microphone unit in a state where the separator is not touched to the user's philtrum, and
the algorithm adjusts a nasalance of the second speech signal so that there is no difference between a nasalance of the first speech signal and the nasalance of the second speech signal by multiplying the sound energy of the second speech signal by the sound energy adjustment ratio.

9. The nasometer according to claim 1 , wherein
the computational unit further includes:
a sound signal amplification unit for amplifying the speech signals;
a sound signal conversion unit for converting the speech signals into decibel (dB) values; and
a noise filtering unit for excluding a decibel value that is not in a predetermined range of decibel value.

10. The nasometer according to claim 9 , wherein
the sound signal conversion unit converts the speech signals into decibel (dB) values by using a logarithmic function.

11. The nasometer according to claim 10 , wherein
the noise filtering unit removes a value of less than 50 dB from the nasal and oral sounds in the microphone unit.

12. The nasometer according to claim 2 , wherein
the application unit controls the game implemented in an electronic device through a real-time speech signal processed in the computational unit in cooperation with the electronic device.

13. The nasometer according to claim 1 , wherein
the hardware unit includes:
a head gear unit which is adjustable in length and angle in accordance with a size of the head of the user; and
a speaker unit configured to cover an ear of the user, and provide feedback on the speech signals processed by the computational unit in real time.

Assignees

• Postech Acad Ind Found
• Industrial Cooperation Foundation Of Chonbuk National Univ
• Chonbuk National Univ Hospital

Inventors

• You Heecheon
• Ko Myoung-Hwan
• Park Jong-Kwan
• Choi Younggeun
• Kim Hyun Gi
• Lee Han Soo
• Pratama Gradiyan Budi
• Yu Min-Jung
• Kim Ki Wook
• Jo Yun Ju
• Lee Jin Kook

Classifications

• H04R1/1091

  Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083 · CPC title

• H04R2201/107

  Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication · CPC title

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• G10L25/66

  for extracting parameters related to health condition (detecting or measuring for diagnostic purposes A61B5/00) · CPC title

• G10L21/0208

  Noise filtering · CPC title