In-ear noise dosimetry system

• US 10,258,509 B2
• Filed: 04/26/2017
• Issued: 04/16/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/27/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Red Tail Hawk Corporation
• Original Assignee: Red Tail Hawk Corporation
• Inventors: Parkins, John W.
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei, Xu
• Application Number:
  US15/497,970
• Publication Number:
  US 20170312135A1
• Time in Patent Office: 720 Days
• Field of Search: 381 716, 381 72, 381 731, 381 74, 381317, 381328, 381380, 381 63
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2560/0242 adapted to measure environmental factors, e.g. temperature, pollution
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• 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 5/12 Audiometering
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• 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 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices

Abstract

An in-ear noise dosimeter in the form of an earplug which senses sound in the ear canal using an eartip which has a sound delivery channel that couples sound at the end closest to the eardrum to an earplug microphone. The earplug can communicate wirelessly with a remote data collection and processing system. A dock unit for storing the earplugs when not worn can compensate for differences in unoccluded-ear versus occluded-ear responses by an acoustic compensator. An electronic compensation filter can be modified by a proximity switch in the earplug which changes state when the earplug is worn in the ear versus stored in a dock unit. The dosimeter can also have a temperature sensor for sensing human body temperature and remotely-located wireless LEDs used to alert the user of high noise dosage. Data can also be downloaded from the earplug using a reader unit.

Claims

1. An in-ear noise dosimetry system, comprising:

an earplug comprising;

an eartip for insertion into a human ear canal, having a proximal end closest to an eardrum when the eartip is inserted in the ear canal, a distal end, and a sound delivery channel leading from the proximal end to the distal end;

a microphone, acoustically coupled to the sound delivery channel at the distal end of the eartip, having a microphone electrical output;

a processing function comprising at least averaging, having an input coupled to the microphone electrical output and an output;

a data logging circuit, a memory, and a time circuit for creating time-indicating data; and

a switch configured to change state between at least a first state and a second state, the time-indicating data being logged in the memory by the data logging circuit indicating when the switch changes state.

2. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, further comprising at least one equalization circuit having an input coupled to the microphone electrical output and an output coupled to the processing function input.

3. The noise dosimetry system of claim 2, wherein the switch is coupled to the at least one equalization circuit.

4. The noise dosimetry system of claim 3, in which the switch causes the at least one equalization circuit to exhibit a first response when the switch is activated and exhibit a second response when the switch is not activated.

5. The noise dosimetry system of claim 4, wherein the first response differs from the second response by greater than 3 dB at at least one frequency between 2 kHz and 5 kHz.

6. The noise dosimetry system of claim 3, in which the switch is a magnetic field sensitive switch.

7. The noise dosimetry system of claim 3, in which the earplug further comprises a temperature sensor coupled to the switch, such that the switch is activated based on temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

8. The noise dosimetry system of claim 2, wherein a transfer function between an ambient noise environment and the output of the at least one equalization circuits exhibits an A-weighted filter shape.

9. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, further comprising a reader unit for downloading data from the earplug.

10. The noise dosimetry system of claim 9, in which the reader unit comprises a sound transducer for calibrating the earplug.

11. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, in which the processing function comprises a root mean square circuit which processes a signal at the input of the processing function by squaring, averaging and taking the square root of the signal, and providing a result of the processing at the output of the processing function.

12. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, in which the processing function comprises:

a squaring circuit having an input coupled to the microphone electrical output and an output; and

an averaging circuit having an input coupled to the output of the squaring circuit and an output.

13. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, in which the earplug further comprises a digital to analog converter having an input coupled to the output of the averaging circuit, which samples at less than 40 samples per second.

14. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, in which the earplug transceiver comprises an RFID communications system.

15. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, in which the earplug further comprises an ambient microphone.

16. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, further comprising a level detector for determining a noise dosage, coupled to the earplug transceiver.

17. The noise dosimetry system of claim 16, in which the noise dosimetry system further comprises at least one indicator for indicating that the noise dosage has exceeded a limit, coupled to the level detector.

18. The noise dosimetry system of claim 17, in which the at least one indicator is an LED.

19. The noise dosimetry system of claim 17, in which the at least one indicator is wirelessly coupled to the level detector.

20. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, further comprising a dock unit for storing the earplug.

21. The noise dosimetry system of claim 20, wherein the dock unit comprises an acoustical network acoustically coupled to the earplug microphone when the earplug is stored in the dock unit.

22. The noise dosimetry system of claim 20, wherein the dock unit comprises at least one magnet for retaining the earplug when the earplug is stored in the dock unit.

23. The noise dosimetry system of claim 20, wherein the dock unit comprises a neckloop attached to the dock unit.

24. The noise dosimetry system of claim 20, in which the dock unit further comprises an ambient microphone.

25. The noise dosimetry system of claim 1, in which the earplug further comprises a speaker.

26. An in-ear noise dosimetry system, comprising:

an earplug comprising;

an eartip for insertion into a human ear canal, having a proximal end closest to an eardrum when the eartip is inserted in the ear canal, a distal end, and a sound delivery channel leading from the proximal end to the distal end;

a microphone, acoustically coupled to the sound delivery channel at the distal end of the eartip, having a microphone electrical output;

a processing function comprising at least averaging, having an input coupled to the microphone electrical output and an output;

at least one equalization circuit having an input coupled to the microphone electrical output and an output coupled to the processing function input; and

a switch coupled to the at least one equalization circuit, the switch configured to change a state of activation as a result of the eartip being inserted into or removed from the ear canal,

the switch causing the at least one equalization circuit to exhibit a first response when the switch is activated and exhibit a second response when the switch is not activated.

27. The noise dosimetry system of claim 26, wherein the first response differs from the second response by greater than 3 dB at at least one frequency between 2 kHz and 5 kHz.

28. The noise dosimetry system of claim 26, in which the earplug further comprises a temperature sensor coupled to the switch, such that the switch is activated based on temperature sensed by the temperature sensor.

29. An in-ear noise dosimetry system, comprising:

an earplug; and

a dock unit configured to store the earplug,

the earplug comprising;

an eartip for insertion into a human ear canal, having a proximal end closest to an eardrum when the eartip is inserted in the ear canal, a distal end, and a sound delivery channel leading from the proximal end to the distal end;

a microphone, acoustically coupled to the sound delivery channel at the distal end of the eartip, having a microphone electrical output;

a processing function comprising at least averaging, having an input coupled to the microphone electrical output and an output;

at least one equalization circuit having an input coupled to the microphone electrical output and an output coupled to the processing function input; and

a switch coupled to the at least one equalization circuit, the switch configured to change a state of activation as a result of the earplug being stored in the dock unit or removed from the dock unit, the switch causing the at least one equalization circuit to exhibit a first response when the switch is activated and to exhibit a second response when the switch is not activated.

30. The noise dosimetry system of claim 29, wherein the first response differs from the second response by greater than 3 dB at least one frequency between 2 kHz and 5 kHz.

31. The noise dosimetry system of claim 29, wherein the switch is a magnetic field sensitive switch.