Earhealth monitoring system and method II

• US 10,012,529 B2
• Filed: 03/20/2012
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/01/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven W., Usher, John, Fligor, Brian, Keady, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): KIM, PAUL
• Application Number:
  US13/424,537
• Publication Number:
  US 20120177210A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,296 Days
• Field of Search: 381 58, 381 56, 381 72, 381 231
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/14 Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power

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.

Claims

1. A method of operating an audio device comprising:

measuring sound pressure levels (SPL_ECM1) for a first acoustic energy received by an ear canal receiver (ECR) operating in an ear canal microphone (ECM) mode during a time increment Δ

t;

measuring sound pressure levels (SPL_ECM2) for a second acoustic energy received by an ear canal microphone (ECM) during the time increment Δ

t, wherein measurements corresponding to SPL_ECM1 and SPL_ECM2 are free field equivalent values which are measured while the audio device remains in a same position; and

calculating a calibration relationship between an intensity of the second acoustic energy with pressure measurements made by the ECM during the time increment Δ

t.

2. The method according to claim 1, further comprising:

measuring sound pressure levels (SPL_ECM) for a third acoustic energy received by the ECM during a time increment Δ

t₁;

updating the SPL_ECM using the calibration relationship to generate SPL_ECM-update; and

calculating a SPL_Dose<sub>Δ

t</sub> during the time increment Δ

t using SPL_ECM-update, wherein the SPL_Dose accounts for a recovery function.

3. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

calculating an SPL_Dose_total using the SPL_Dose<sub>Δ

t</sub> and further determining a recovery time constant tau for the recovery function.

4. The method according to claim 3, further comprising:

comparing the total SPL_Dose to a threshold value, and, if the total SPL_Dose is greater than the threshold value, then an action parameter is read from a readable memory.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising:

performing an action associated with ua value of the action parameter, wherein the action comprises modifying an operation of the audio device, modifying drive signals directed to the ECR, or a combination thereof, and then further sending an acoustic voice notification signal to a user.

6. The method according to claim 5, wherein modifying the operation of the audio device comprises:

increasing the NRR of the audio device,

activating active noise cancellation of non-ECR generated acoustic energy, or a combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 5, where modifying the drive signals directed to the ECR includes at least one of the following:

reducing a signal to noise ratio of the drive signals to reduce an intensity of the acoustic signals produced by the ECR,

reducing frequencies in a spectral signature of the acoustic signals and converting a result into a modified acoustic signal, or a combination thereof.

8. The method according to claim 5, where sending a notification signal to a user includes:

sending an acoustic voice notification;

sending an acoustic non-voice notification;

activating at least one indicator light;

activating a vibratory warning system, or a combination thereof.

9. The method according to claim 2 further comprising:

calculating a remaining duration time, Time_100%, using SPL_ECM-update and accounting for audio playback and the exposure to environmental noise.

10. The method according to claim 2, further comprising:

saving a portion, SPL_ECMi, of SPL_{ECM_update} for a sub time increment Δ

t, of Δ

t₁;

measuring sound pressure levels (SPL_ECM4) for a fourth acoustic energy received by the ECM during a time increment Δ

t₂,

calculating a SPL_ECM5 for the time increment Δ

t₂ using SPL_ECMi, where _SPLECM5 is related to a measured value of an SPL generated by the ECR during the time increment Δ

t₂;

calculating estimated sound pressure levels (SPL_ECR) for drive signals directed to the ECR during the time increment Δ

t 2; and

calculating an updated ECR calibration relationship using SPL_ECMS and SPL_ECR.

11. The method according to claim 10, further comprising:

calculating, using the updated ECR calibration relationship, new estimated sound pressure levels (SPL_ECR-new) for the acoustic signals directed to the ECR operating in the ECM mode, during a time increment Δ

t₂.

12. The method according to claim 11, further comprising:

measuring sound pressure levels (SPL_ECM6) for a fifth acoustic energy received by the ECM during the time increment Δ

t₃;

calculating, using the updated ECR calibration relationship, the sound pressure levels (SPL_ECR) for the acoustic signals directed to the ECR during the time increment Δ

t₃; and

calculating an ambient SPL (SPL_ambient) during the time increment Δ

t₃ using SPL_ECM6 and SPL_ECR1.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the free field equivalent values are configured for an individual user.

14. A system, comprising:

an audio device that performs operations comprising;

measuring sound pressure levels (SPL_ECM1) for a first acoustic energy received by an ear canal receiver (ECR) operating in an ear canal microphone (ECM) mode during a time increment Δ

t;

measuring sound pressure levels (SPL_ECM2) for a second acoustic energy received by an ear canal microphone (ECM) during the time increment Δ

t, wherein measurements corresponding to SPL_ECM1 and SPL_ECM2 are free field equivalent values which are measured while the audio device remains in a same position; and

calculating a calibration relationship between an intensity of the second acoustic energy with pressure measurements made by the ECM during the time increment Δ

t.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the operations further comprise measuring sound pressure levels (SPL_ECM) for a third acoustic energy received by the ECM during a time increment Δ

t₁.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein the operations further comprise updating the SPL_ECM using the calibration relationship to generate SPL_ECM-update.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the free field equivalent values are configured for an individual user.