In-ear sensor calibration and detecting system and method

• US 10,104,486 B2
• Filed: 01/24/2017
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/25/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Original Assignee: Bragi GmbH
• Inventors: Dohmen, David K, Boesen, Peter Vincent
• Primary Examiner(s): Lao, Lun-See
• Application Number:
  US15/414,327
• Publication Number:
  US 20170215016A1
• Time in Patent Office: 630 Days
• Field of Search: 381 56- 58, 381314, 381312, 381315, 381 231, 381 1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0223 of calibration, e.g. protocols for calibrating sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0219 Inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers, gyroscopes, tilt switches
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0024 for multiple sensor units attached to the patient, e.g. using a body or personal area network
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/01 Measuring temperature of body parts ; Diagnostic temperature sensing, e.g. for malignant or inflamed tissue clinical contact thermometers G01K13/20
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02444 Details of sensor A61B5/02427 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0531 Measuring skin impedance
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1112 Global tracking of patients, e.g. by using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1118 Determining activity level
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/1123 Discriminating type of movement, e.g. walking or running A61B5/1116, A61B5/112 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14517 for sweat
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/14552 Details of sensors specially adapted therefor
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/318 Heart-related electrical modalities, e.g. electrocardiography [ECG]
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/4806 Sleep evaluation A61B5/4821 takes precedence; devices for inducing sleep A61M21/02
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6843 Monitoring or controlling sensor contact pressure
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7207 of noise induced by motion artifacts
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/746 Alarms related to a physiological condition, e.g. details of setting alarm thresholds or avoiding false alarms alarms per se G08B
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• 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 29/001 : for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence

Abstract

A system, method and one or more wireless earpieces for calibrating one or more wireless earpieces. An indication that the calibration of the one or more wireless earpieces is required is received. Sensors of the one or more wireless earpieces are calibrated in response to receiving the indication. Calibration information is analyzed. A determination is made whether the calibration is successful utilizing the calibration information.

Claims

1. A method for calibrating one or more wireless earpieces while worn by a user, the method comprising steps of:

receiving an indication that calibration of the one or more wireless earpieces is required while the user is wearing the one or more wireless earpieces;

directing a user of the one or more wireless earpieces to perform motions for use in calibration, wherein the directing is performed by the one or more wireless earpieces;

acquiring inertial data at the one or more wireless earpieces during the motions from one or more accelerometers and one or more gyrometers;

calibrating sensors of the one or more wireless earpieces in response to receiving the indication, wherein the sensors include the one or more accelerometers and the one or more gyrometers;

analyzing calibration data collected during the step of calibrating the sensors of the one or more wireless earpieces; and

determining whether the calibration is successful utilizing the calibration data to set a threshold.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is received from a wireless device associated with the one or more wireless earpieces.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying a user wearing the one or more wireless earpieces utilizing one or more biometric identifiers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the calibrating is performed utilizing information associated with the user.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the biometric identifiers include one or more of voice characteristics, ear topography, and skin conductivity.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more wireless earpieces are a pair of wireless earpieces.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the indication is self-determined by the one or more wireless earpieces in response to one or more of a setup process being initiated, and power up process being initiated, one or more thresholds being met, and a detected event.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the sensors are a sensor array of the one or more wireless earpieces.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the calibrating is performed utilizing baseline data associated with a user wearing the one or more wireless earpieces.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the calibrating further comprises:

detecting one or more aberrations of sensor measurements as compared against baseline measurements of a user wearing the one or more wireless earpieces.