Hearing protector with positional and sound monitoring sensors for proactive sound hazard avoidance

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11925232-B2
Application number	US-201716310893-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 23, 2017
Priority date	Jun 23, 2016
Publication date	Mar 12, 2024
Grant date	Mar 12, 2024

Abstract

In some examples, a system (1900) includes a hearing protector (1920); at least one position sensor; at least one sound monitoring sensor; at least one computing device configured to: receive, from the at least one sound monitoring sensor and over a time duration, indications of sound levels to which a worker is exposed; determine, from the at least one position sensor and during the time duration, that the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels; and generate, in response to the determination that at least one of the sound levels satisfies an exposure threshold during the time duration and the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels, an indication for output.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system comprising:
a hearing protector;
at least one position sensor;
at least one sound monitoring sensor;
at least one computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one position sensor and the at least one sound monitoring sensor, the at least one computing device comprising a memory and one or more computer processors that:
receive, from the at least one sound monitoring sensor and over a time duration, indications of sound levels to which a worker is exposed;
determine, from the at least one position sensor and during the time duration, that the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels; and
generate, in response to the determination that at least one of the sound levels satisfies an exposure threshold during the time duration and the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels and that a noise level in a work environment of the worker is greater than or equal to a work environment noise threshold, an indication for output.

2. The system of claim 1 , comprising a second sound monitoring sensor, wherein the at least one sound monitoring sensor is a first sound monitoring sensor, wherein the indications of sound levels are first indications of sound levels, wherein the first sound monitoring sensor is included within a cup of an ear muff of the hearing protector and the second sound monitoring sensor is external to cup of the ear muff, and wherein the one or more computer processors:
receive, from the second sound monitoring sensor, second indications of sound levels;
determine a difference between at least one of the first indications of sound levels and at least one of the second indications of sound levels; and
in response to a determination that the difference is less than or equal to a difference threshold, generate the indication for output.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more computer processors:
determine a location of the worker; and
wherein the determination that at least one of the sound levels satisfies the exposure threshold during the time duration and the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels further comprises a determination that the location of the worker is within a distance threshold of a location that corresponds to the at least one of the sound levels that satisfies the exposure threshold.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is at least one of physically integrated with the hearing protector, physically separate from the hearing protector and attached to the worker, or physically separate from the hearing protector and not attached to worker.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is at least one of physically integrated with the hearing protector, physically separate from the hearing protector and attached to the worker, or physically separate from the hearing protector and not attached to worker.

6. A hearing protector comprising:
a head-mounted device;
at least one position sensor coupled to the head-mounted device;
one or more ear muffs coupled to the at least one position sensor; and
a computing device communicatively coupled to the at least one position sensor and the at least one sound monitoring sensor, the at least one computing device comprising a memory and one or more computer processors to:
receive, from at least one sound monitoring sensor and over a time duration, indications of sound levels to which a worker is exposed;
determine, from the at least one position sensor and during the time duration, that the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels; and
generate, in response to the determination that at least one of the sound levels satisfies an exposure threshold during the time duration and the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels and that a noise level in a work environment of the worker is greater than or equal to a work environment noise threshold, an indication for output.

7. The hearing protector of claim 6 , comprising a second sound monitoring sensor, wherein the at least one sound monitoring sensor is a first sound monitoring sensor, wherein the indications of sound levels are first indications of sound levels, wherein the first sound monitoring sensor is included within a cup of the one or more ear muffs and the second sound monitoring sensor is external to the cup of the one or more ear muffs, and wherein the one or more computer processors:
receive, from the second sound monitoring sensor, second indications of sound levels;
determine a difference between at least one of the first indications of sound levels and at least one of the second indications of sound levels; and
in response to a determination that the difference is less than or equal to a difference threshold, generate the indication for output.

8. The hearing protector of claim 6 , wherein the one or more computer processors:
determine a location of the worker; and
wherein the determination that at least one of the sound levels satisfies the exposure threshold during the time duration and the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels further comprises a determination that the location of the worker is within a distance threshold of a location that corresponds to the at least one of the sound levels that satisfies the exposure threshold.

9. The hearing protector of claim 6 , wherein the computing device is at least one of physically integrated with the hearing protector, physically separate from the hearing protector and attached to the worker, or physically separate from the hearing protector and not attached to worker.

10. A method comprising:
receiving, by a computing device, from at least one sound monitoring sensor and over a time duration, indications of sound levels to which a worker is exposed;
determining, from at least one position sensor and during the time duration, that a hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels; and
generating, in response to determining that at least one of the sound levels satisfies an exposure threshold during the time duration and the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of the worker to attenuate the sound levels and that a noise level in a work environment of the worker is greater than or equal to a work environment noise threshold, an indication for output.

11. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
receiving, from a second sound monitoring sensor, second indications of sound levels, wherein the at least one sound monitoring sensor is a first sound monitoring sensor, wherein the indications of sound levels are first indications of sound levels, wherein the first sound monitoring sensor is included within a cup of an ear muff of the hearing protector and the second sound monitoring sensor is external to cup of the ear muff;
determining a difference between at least one of the first indications of sound levels and at least one of the second indications of sound levels; and
in response to a determination that the difference is less than or equal to a difference threshold, generating the indication for output.

12. The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining a location of the worker; and
wherein determining that at least one of the sound levels satisfies the exposure threshold during the time duration and the hearing protector is not positioned at one or more ears of th

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Company

Inventors

• Awiszus Steven T
• Kanukurthy Kiran S
• Lobner Eric C
• Quintero Robert J
• Johnson Micayla A
• Filloux Madeleine E
• Ylitalo Caroline M
• Martinson Paul A

Classifications

• A42B3/225 Primary

  with full face protection, e.g. for industrial safety applications · CPC title

• A42B1/0188

  Protection for the ears, e.g. removable ear muffs · CPC title

• A42B3/0453

  Signalling devices, e.g. auxiliary brake or indicator lights · CPC title

• A42B3/046

  Means for detecting hazards or accidents · CPC title

• A42B3/0466

  Means for detecting that the user is wearing a helmet · CPC title