Acoustic sealing analysis system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10979836-B2
Application number	US-202016838277-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 2, 2020
Priority date	Sep 19, 2008
Publication date	Apr 13, 2021
Grant date	Apr 13, 2021

Abstract

A device or a method using the device includes a balloon configured to seal a user's orifice, where the balloon is configured to produce an acoustic seal between a first side and a second side of the balloon in an ear canal. At least a second side of the balloon is fitted into the ear canal. Audio processing circuitry produces an audio signal for driving a speaker in the device and to measure sound level using output from the microphone in the device while the speaker is being driven by the audio signal. The device or method further includes control circuitry to evaluate a seal quality of the device. Other embodiments are disclosed.

First claim

We claim:

1. An earphone configured to perform an eartip fit test comprising:
a microphone;
a speaker, where the speaker is configured to emit an audio test signal in response to receiving a test fit signal;
an eartip, configured to seal the earphone between the first side and a second side of the earphone;
a memory that stores instructions; and
a processor, operatively connected to the microphone, where the processor is operatively connected to the speaker, where the processor is operatively connected to the memory, where the processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a microphone signal from the microphone;
comparing the microphone signal to the test fit signal to determine eartip seal;
sending a first message if the eartip seal is above a threshold level indicating a good seal;
sending a second message if the eartip seal is below a threshold level, indicating that a new eartip or adjustment of the current eartip is needed.

2. The earphone according to claim 1 , where the audio test signal has a frequency component that is below 1000 Hz.

3. The earphone according to claim 2 , where the frequency component is below 400 Hz.

4. The earphone according to claim 3 , where the first message, if sent, is visually displayed on a device communicatively coupled to the earphone, and where the second message, if sent, is visually displayed on the device communicatively coupled to the earphone.

5. The earphone according to claim 3 , where the eartip is a foam eartip.

6. The earphone according to claim 3 , where the microphone signal is buffered in the memory.

7. The earphone according to claim 3 , where the eartip does not encapsulate a sealed eartip volume when inserted.

8. The earphone according to claim 6 , where the received microphone signal is recording when the audio test signal is being emitted by the speaker.

9. An earphone configured to perform an eartip fit test comprising:
a first microphone, configured to output a first microphone signal based on a measurement of sound measured from a first side of the earphone;
a second microphone, configured to output a second microphone signal based on a measurement of sound measured closer to the second side the earphone than the sound measured by the first microphone;
a speaker;
an eartip, configured to seal the earphone between the first side and a second side of the earphone;
a memory that stores instructions; and
a processor, operatively connected to the first microphone, where the processor is operatively connected to the speaker, where the processor is operatively connected to the memory, where the processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising:
sending a test fit signal to the speaker, where the speaker emits an audio test signal in response to the test fit signal;
receiving the first microphone signal;
comparing the microphone signal to the test fit signal to determine eartip seal;
sending a first message to a user if the eartip seal is above a threshold level indicating a good seal, where the first message is visually displayed on a device communicatively coupled to the earphone;
sending a second message to a user if the eartip seal is below a threshold level, indicating that a new eartip or adjustment of the current eartip is needed, where the second message is visually displayed on the device communicatively coupled to the earphone.

10. The earphone according to claim 9 , where the audio test signal has a frequency component that is below 1000 Hz.

11. The earphone according to claim 10 , where the frequency component is below 400 Hz.

12. The earphone according to claim 11 , where the eartip is a foam eartip.

13. The earphone according to claim 11 , where the eartip does not encapsulate a sealed eartip volume when inserted.

14. An earphone configured to perform an eartip fit test comprising:
a microphone, configured to output a microphone signal based on a measurement of sound captured from a first side of the earphone;
a speaker;
an eartip, configured to seal the earphone between the first side and a second side of the earphone, where the eartip does not encapsulate a sealed eartip volume when inserted;
a memory that stores instructions and buffers the microphone signal; and
a processor, operatively connected to the first microphone; where the processor is operatively connected to the speaker, where the processor is operatively connected to the memory, where the processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising:
sending a test fit signal to the speaker, where the speaker emits an audio test signal in response to the test fit signal;
retrieving the microphone signal from memory where the time span of the retrieved microphone signal corresponds to the timespan of emission of the audio test signal;
comparing the retrieved microphone signal to the test fit signal to determine eartip seal;
sending a first message if the eartip seal is above a threshold level indicating a good seal;
sending a second message if the eartip seal is below a threshold level, indicating that a new eartip or adjustment of the current eartip is needed.

15. The earphone according to claim 14 , where the audio test signal has a frequency component that is below 1000 Hz.

16. The earphone according to claim 15 , where the frequency component is below 400 Hz.

17. The earphone according to claim 16 , where the first message, if sent, is visually displayed on a device communicatively coupled to the earphone, and where the second message, if sent, is visually displayed on the device communicatively coupled to the earphone.

18. The earphone according to claim 16 , where the eartip is a foam eartip.

Assignees

• Staton Techiya Llc

Inventors

• Usher John
• Keady John P

Classifications

• H04R25/70 Primary

  Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting · CPC title

• H04R2460/07

  Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection · CPC title

• H04R1/1091

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

• H04R2460/15

  Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices · CPC title

• H04R29/00

  Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements {(for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308)} · CPC title