Audio accelerometric feedback through bilateral ear worn device system and method

• US 10,015,579 B2
• Filed: 04/07/2017
• Issued: 07/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Boesen, Peter Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Laekemariam, Yosef K
• Application Number:
  US15/481,623
• Publication Number:
  US 20170295443A1
• Time in Patent Office: 452 Days
• Field of Search: 381 231, 381 58, 381 59, 381 62, 381309, 381386, 381387, 381312, 381326, 381380
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2503/10 Athletes
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1114 Tracking parts of the body
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/04883 for inputting data by handwriting, e.g. gesture or text
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1041 Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements switches in general H01H
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/07 Use of position data from wide-area or local-area positioning systems in hearing devices, e.g. program or information selection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/304 For headphones

Abstract

A system includes at least one earpiece having at least one sensor, at least one speaker, and at least one processor capable of ascertaining a desired position for a user'"'"'s head in order to guide the user as to the desired position for the user'"'"'s head. A method it determining a current orientation of a user'"'"'s head, calculating a desired position for the user'"'"'s head in relation to the current orientation of the user'"'"'s head, creating an audio signal containing instructions to guide the user as to the desired position for the user'"'"'s head, and transmitting the audio signal to a user'"'"'s ears.

Claims

1. An ear piece, comprising:

an earpiece housing;

a speaker;

an inertial sensor disposed within the earpiece housing, the inertial sensor comprising a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope;

at least one processor disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the speaker and the inertial sensor;

a task profile stored on a non-transitory memory of the earpiece, wherein the task profile defines head orientation and movement associated with performing a task;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to compare measurements sensed with the inertial sensor with the task profile, and if the measurements sensed exceed preset thresholds, calculate a desired position of the head orientation and generate an audible signal at the speaker instructing a user of the earpiece to alter head position to the desired head orientation position.

2. The earpiece of claim 1 further comprising a transceiver disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the at least one processor for communicating with at least one external sensor operatively connected to the user, wherein the transceiver receives kinematic information from the at least one external sensor.

3. The earpiece of claim 2 wherein the task profile further defines orientation or movement associated with performing the task for at least one of a neck of the user, a set of shoulders of the user, a torso of a user, a set of hips of the user, and a set of feet of the user.

4. The earpiece of claim 3 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to compare measurements sensed with the at least one external sensor with the task profile and if the measurements sensed with the at least one external sensor exceed preset thresholds, generate an audible signal at the speaker instructing the user of the earpiece to alter body position.

5. The earpiece of claim 1 wherein the task is associated with performing a sport.

6. A system comprising a left ear piece and a right earpiece and wherein one of the left earpiece and the right earpiece is the earpiece of claim 1.

7. A method for improving performance of a task using an earpiece, the method comprising steps of:

sensing head orientation using an inertial sensor of the earpiece, the inertial sensor comprising a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope;

evaluating by a processor of the earpiece the head orientation to determine if the head orientation exceeds one or more thresholds for performance of the task;

if the head orientation or the movement exceeds one or more thresholds for performance of the task, then generating an audio signal instruction which guides the user to alter the head orientation to a specific position based upon the task being performed; and

transducing the audio signal instruction at a speaker of the earpiece to guide the user to alter the head orientation as the user performs the task.

8. The method of claim 7 further comprising receiving a selection of the task from the user using a gestural user interface of the earpiece.

9. The method of claim 7 wherein the step of evaluating comprises obtaining the one or more thresholds for performance of the task from a task profile stored on a non-transitory storage medium.

10. An ear piece, comprising:

an earpiece housing;

a speaker;

an inertial sensor disposed within the earpiece housing, the inertial sensor comprising a 3-axis accelerometer and a 3-axis gyroscope;

at least one processor disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the speaker and the inertial sensor; and

a task profile stored on a non-transitory memory of the earpiece, wherein the task profile defines head orientation and movement associated with performing a task requiring proper head orientation and head movement associated with performing any of at least one particular activity;

wherein the at least one processor is configured to compare measurements sensed with the inertial sensor with the task profile, and if the measurements sensed exceed preset thresholds, generate an audible signal at the speaker instructing a user of the earpiece to alter head position.

11. The earpiece of claim 10 further comprising a transceiver disposed within the earpiece housing and operatively connected to the at least one processor for communicating with at least one external sensor operatively connected to the user, wherein the transceiver receives kinematic information from the at least one external sensor.

12. The earpiece of claim 11 wherein the task profile further defines at least one of orientation and movement associated with performing the task for at least one of a neck of the user, a set of shoulders of the user, a torso of a user, a set of hips of the user, and a set of feet of the user.

13. The earpiece of claim 12 wherein the at least one processor is further configured to compare measurements sensed with the at least one external sensor with the task profile and if the measurements sensed with the at least one external sensor exceed preset thresholds, generate an audible signal at the speaker instructing the user of the earpiece to alter body position.

14. The earpiece of claim 10 wherein the task is associated with performing a sport.

15. The earpiece of claim 14 wherein the sport is skiing.

16. A system comprising a left ear piece and a right earpiece and wherein one of the left earpiece and the right earpiece is the earpiece of claim 10.