Personal monitoring system for a user and method for monitoring a user

• US 20060140425A1
• Filed: 12/23/2004
• Published: 06/29/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sonova AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Original Assignee: Phonak AG (Sonova Holding AG)
• Inventors: Berg, Christian, Baechler, Herbert
• Granted Patent: US 7,450,730 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/00 Measuring for diagnostic purposes radiation diagnosis A61B6/00; diagnosis by ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves A61B8/00; Identification of persons
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: B33Y 80/00 Products made by additive manufacturing
• CPC Class Codes: G08B 21/0211 Combination with medical sensor, e.g. for measuring heart rate, temperature
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

The invention relates to a personal monitoring system for a user, comprising: at least one of a sensor (26, 28) for sensing an internal body parameter of the user and a sensor (14, 26, 28) for sensing an ambient parameter of the ambient around said user, an earpiece (10) for being worn at least in part in the ear canal of the user including an acoustic output transducer (18) for providing sound to the user'"'"'s ear canal, an evaluation unit (22) communicating with the sensor, means (32, 34) for individually implementing an individually defined regulation for the sensed parameter into said evaluation unit, the evaluation unit being adapted for monitoring sensed values of the parameter over time and comparing them to the individually defined regulations for the sensed parameter and being adapted for continuously judging whether the sensed values of the parameter comply with the individual regulation or not, and a compliance control unit (24) communicating with the evaluation unit and with the output transducer for providing acoustic signals to the user'"'"'s ear via the output transducer for providing the user with acoustic information regarding the present compliance of the sensed parameter with the implemented individual regulations depending on the judgement made by the evaluation unit.

Claims

1. A personal monitoring system for a user, comprising:

at least one of a sensor for sensing an internal body parameter of said user and a sensor for sensing an ambient parameter of the ambient around said user, an earpiece for being worn at least in part in an ear canal of said user including an acoustic output transducer for providing sound to said user'"'"'s ear canal, an evaluation unit communicating with said sensor, means for individually implementing an individually defined regulation for said sensed parameter into said evaluation unit, said evaluation unit being adapted for monitoring sensed values of said parameter over time and comparing them to said individually defined regulations for said sensed parameter and being adapted for continuously judging whether said sensed values of said parameter comply with said individual regulation or not, and a compliance control unit communicating with said evaluation unit and with said output transducer for providing acoustic signals to a user'"'"'s ear via said output transducer for providing said user with acoustic information regarding a present compliance of said sensed parameter with said implemented individual regulations depending on a judgement made by said evaluation unit.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein said earpiece is a hearing protection earplug providing for a mechanical acoustic attenuation of at least 10 dB averaged over an audible frequency range when worn by said user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein said earpiece comprises a shell having an outer surface individually shaped according to a measured inner shape of said user'"'"'s outer ear and ear canal.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein said shell is a hard shell with an elasticity of from shore D85 to shore D65.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is a microphone located at an outer side of said earpiece for sensing an ambient sound exposure experienced by said user.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein said earpiece includes an audio signal processing unit for processing audio signals provided by said microphone as input to said output transducer.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said audio signal processing unit is designed to modify an amplification and a frequency shaping of audio signals processed by said audio signal processing unit according to a level and frequencies of ambient sound sensed by said sensor.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein said evaluation unit is adapted to determine separate sound levels for a plurality of frequency bands over time.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein said evaluation unit 22) is adapted to continuously classify ambient sound regarding at least one parameter, such as pleasant/unpleasant impression to said user, in addition to sound level by frequency analysis.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is adapted to sense one of the following ambient parameters:

air temperature, humidity, air pressure, thermal radiation, X-ray intensity, radioactivity, chemical air composition and air contamination.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is adapted to sense an internal body parameter selected from the group consisting of body temperature, blood pressure and heart pulse rate.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is integrated within said earpiece.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said sensor is an external sensor and wherein means are provided for establishing one of a wired and wireless communication connection between said earpiece and said external sensor.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein said sensor is adapted to be worn by said user.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein said sensor is adapted to be permanently installed at a facility.

16. The system of claim 1, wherein said earpiece includes means for producing at least one of speech signals, alarm signals and pre-defined sounds as said acoustic signals to be provided to said user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said acoustic signals include explicit speech instructions to said user depending on a judgement made by said evaluation unit.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein said means for individually implementing said individually defined regulation include a remote data input device and a data input interface provided at said earpiece.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein said data input interface is adapted for establishing a detachable wired data connection with said remote data input device.

20. The system of claim 18, wherein said data input interface is adapted for establishing a wireless data connection with said remote data input device.

21. The system of claim 1, wherein said evaluation unit and said compliance control unit are formed by a digital signal processing unit, with said earpiece comprising said digital signal processing unit.

22. A method for monitoring a user, comprising:

sensing at least one of an internal body parameter of said user and an ambient parameter of the ambient around said user;

individually implementing an individually defined regulation for said sensed parameter into an evaluation unit;

monitoring, by said evaluation unit, sensed values of said parameter over time and comparing them to said individually defined regulations for said sensed parameter;

continuously judging, by said evaluation unit, whether said sensed values of said parameter comply with said individual regulation or not;

providing acoustic signals to a user'"'"'s ear via an output transducer located in an earpiece worn at least in part in an ear canal of said user for providing said user with acoustic feedback regarding a present compliance of said sensed parameter with said implemented individual regulation depending on a judgement made by said evaluation unit.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein said sensed ambient parameter is an ambient sound exposure experienced by said user, with ambient sound being converted into audio signals by a microphone provided at said earpiece.

24. The method of claim 23, further comprising processing said audio signals as input to said output transducer.

25. The method of claim 23, further comprising modifying an amplification of said processed audio signals according to a level and frequencies of sensed ambient sound.

26. The method of claim 23, further comprising determining, by said evaluation unit, separate sound levels for a plurality of frequency bands over time.

27. The method of claim 23, further comprising continuously classifying, by said evaluation unit, ambient sound regarding at least one parameter, such as pleasant/unpleasant impression to said user, in addition to sound level, by frequency analysis, wherein said individually defined regulation includes a condition for said additional parameter and said additional parameter is used in a judgement made by said evaluation unit.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein said individually defined regulation includes for each of said frequency bands a sound level threshold value and an alarm limit for an accumulated time period during which a respective sound level threshold value is exceeded.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein said individually defined regulation includes for each of said sound frequency bands a recovery limit for a respective accumulated time period during which a respective sound level threshold value is not exceeded.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein said individually defined regulation includes for each of said frequency bands a plurality of sound level ranges and associated alarm limits for a respective accumulated time period during which a sensed sound level falls within a respective sound level range.

31. The method of claim 30, wherein said individually defined regulation includes for each of said sound level ranges a recovery limit for a respective accumulated time period during which a sensed sound level does not fall within a respective sound level range.

32. The method of claim 29, wherein said evaluation unit judges that said individually defined regulation is not complied with if at least one of said alarm limits is exceeded without a respective recovery limit having been reached.

33. The method of claim 22, wherein said earpiece is worn in a manner as to provide for a mechanical acoustic attenuation of at least 10 dB averaged over an audible frequency range.

34. The method of claim 33, wherein said individually defined regulation depends on an acoustic attenuation performance of said earpiece.

35. The method of claim 23, further comprising modifying an amplification of said processed audio signals according to a judgement made by said evaluation unit.

36. The method of claim 22, wherein said sensor is integrated within said earpiece.

37. The method of claim 22, further comprising establishing one of a wired and wireless communication connection between said earpiece and an external sensor for sensing said parameter.

38. The method of claim 37, wherein said external sensor is worn by said user.

39. The method of claim 37, wherein said external sensor is permanently installed at a facility.

40. The method of claim 22, wherein said acoustic signals provided to said user'"'"'s ear include speech signals.

41. The method of claim 40, wherein said acoustic signals provided to said user'"'"'s ear include explicit instructions to said user depending on a judgement made by said evaluation unit.

42. The method of claim 22, wherein said sensed ambient parameter is one of air temperature, humidity, air pressure, thermal radiation, X-ray intensity, radioactivity, chemical air composition and air contamination.

43. The method of claim 22, wherein said internal body parameter is one of body temperature, blood pressure and heart pulse rate.

44. The method of claim 22, wherein said individually defined regulation is defined depending on a medication of said user.

45. The method of claim 22, wherein said individually defined regulation is defined depending on at least one sensed ambient parameter.

46. The method of claim 22, wherein said individually defined regulation is defined depending on at least one sensed internal body parameter.

47. The method of claim 22, further comprising establishing one of a detachable wired data connection and a wireless data connection with a remote data input device for individually implementing said individually defined regulation.