METHOD AND DEVICE FOR PERSONALIZED HEARING

• US 20080137873A1
• Filed: 11/19/2007
• Published: 06/12/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 11/18/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: ST EarTech, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,774,433 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/57
• 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 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/15 Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/008 Visual indication of individual signal levels visual indication of stereophonic sound image H04S7/40
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/002 Damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits

Abstract

An earpiece is provided that can include an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) to measure ambient sound, an Ear Canal Receiver (ECR) to deliver audio to an ear canal, an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) to measure a sound pressure level within the ear canal, and a processor to produce the audio from at least in part the ambient sound, actively monitor a sound exposure level inside the ear canal, and adjust a level of the audio to within a safe and subjectively optimized listening level range based on the sound exposure level. An audio interface can deliver audio content from a media player. The processor can selectively mix the audio content with the ambient sound to produce the audio in accordance with a personalized hearing level (PHL) to permit environmental awareness of at least one distinct sound in the ambient sound. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Claims

1. An earpiece configurable for monitoring safe listening levels, comprising:

an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) configured to capture ambient sound;

an Ear Canal Receiver (ECR) configured to deliver audio to an ear canal;

an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) configured to monitor a sound pressure level (SPL) within the ear canal; and

a processor operatively coupled to the ASM, the ECR, and the ECM to produce the audio from at least in part the ambient sound, actively monitor a sound exposure level inside the ear canal, and adjust the audio to within a listening sound pressure level range based on the sound exposure level.

2. The earpiece of claim 1, further comprising an audio interface operatively coupled to the processor to receive audio content from a media player and deliver the audio content to the processor,

wherein the processor selectively mixes the audio content with the ambient sound to produce the audio in accordance with a personalized hearing level (PHL) that permits environmental awareness of the ambient sound.

3. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the processor calculates a Speech Power Level (SPL) Dose from the sound exposure level and calculates an ear recovery function when the sound exposure level is below an effective quiet level.

4. The earpiece of claim 3, wherein the processor calculates a decay of the SPL Dose from the ear recovery function, reduces the SPL Dose by the decay, and selectively adjusts the audio based on the SPL Dose.

5. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the processor generates the PHL in accordance with a frequency and loudness level dependent listening test.

6. The earpiece of claim 1, wherein the processor enhances auditory queues based on a personalized hearing level (PHL) and a spectrum of the ambient sound.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

limiting a reproduction of sounds that exceed an Uncomfortable Level (UCL) of the PHL; and

compressing a reproduction of sounds to match a Most Comfortable Level (MCL) of the PHL.

24. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

generating an Ear Canal Transfer Function (ECTF) from a test signal and a corresponding acoustic response within the ear canal;

determining an ear sealing profile of the earpiece based on the ECTF; and

updating the SPL Dose based on the ear sealing profile.

25. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

differencing a speech spectrum for speech captured at an outside of the earpiece and exterior of the ear canal with a reproduced speech spectrum captured at an interior portion of the ear;

generating an equalizer based on the differencing; and

filtering the speech captured at the outside of the earpiece with the equalizer to reproduce a timbral quality of the speech in the interior portion of the ear.

7. A Personalized Hearing Measurement and Listening (PHML) device, comprising:

an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) configured to capture ambient sound;

a processor configured to produce audio from at least in part the ambient sound and an audio content;

at least one Ear Canal Receiver (ECR) configured to deliver the audio to the ear canal, wherein the ECR is operatively coupled to the processor; and

an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) to measure a sound pressure level (SPL) of the audio within the ear canal,

wherein the processor by way of the at least one ECR and ECM adjusts the audio in accordance with a personalized hearing level (PHL) to compensate for an ear seal leakage.

8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor measures differences in a second Sound Pressure Level (SPL) between the ASM and the ECM, and determines a sealing profile of the device with the ear canal based on the differences.

9. The device of claim 8, wherein the processor

determines whether the earpiece is properly inserted based on the sealing profile;

and

generates an audible message identifying the sealing profile.

10. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor by way of the ECR and ECM performs in-situ measurement of a user'"'"'s ear anatomy to produce an Ear Canal Transfer Function (ECTF) when the device is in use.

11. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor monitors changes in the ECTF to determine a sealing level of the earpiece with the ear canal.

12. The device of claim 7, further comprising a transceiver operatively coupled to the processor to receive and transmit mobile device communication signals.

13. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor audibly mixes a received mobile device communication with the audio content depending on a user context that is at least one among receiving a phone call while audio content is playing, receiving a voice mail or voice message while audio content is playing, receiving a text-to-speech message while audio content is playing, and receiving a voice mail during a phone call.

14. A method for personalized hearing measurement suitable for use with an earpiece, the method comprising:

generating a frequency varying and loudness varying test signal;

delivering the test signal to an ear canal;

capturing a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) in the ear canal;

generating an Ear Canal Transfer Function (ECTF) based on the test signal and sound pressure level;

receiving user feedback indicating an audibility and preference for at least a portion of the test signal; and

generating a personalized hearing level (PHL) based on the user feedback and sound pressure level.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

measuring an otoaoustic emission (OAE) level in response to the test signal;

comparing the OAE level to historical OAE levels; and

adjusting a level of incoming audio based on the OAE level.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the step of determining an ear sealing level comprises:

determining an ambient sound level outside the ear canal for selected frequencies; and

comparing the ambient sound with the SPL for the selected frequencies;

wherein the SPL within the ear canal includes the test signal and an ambient residual noise incompletely sealed out and leaking into the ear canal.

17. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining an ear sealing level for predetermined portions of the ECTF below a threshold.

19. A method for personalized listening suitable for use with an earpiece, the method comprising:

measuring an ambient sound in an environment

selectively filtering noise from the ambient sound to produce filtered sound;

delivering the filtered sound to an ear canal;

determining a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Dose based on a sound pressure level (SPL) within the ear canal; and

adjusting the filtered sound to be within a listening level range based on the SPL Dose and in accordance with a Personalized Hearing Level (PHL).

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

calculating a decay of the SPL Dose when the SPL is below an effective quiet level; and

reducing the SPL dose by the decay,

wherein the SPL Dose includes contributions of the filtered sound delivered to the ear and an ambient residual sound within the ear canal.

21. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

generating a visual or audible notification of the SPL Dose; and

saving the SPL Dose to memory for reference as an SPL exposure history.

22. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving audio content; and

selectively mixing the audio content with the ambient sound to mask frequency bands in accordance with the PHL to permit audible environmental awareness of at least one distinct sound in the environment.

23. A method suitable for use with an earpiece, the method comprising:

measuring an ambient sound in an environment;

selectively filtering noise from the ambient sound to produce filtered sound;

generating a mixed audio content by mixing an audio content delivered to the ear canal with the filtered sound to permit audible environmental awareness of at least one distinct sound in the environment and delivering the mixed audio content to the ear canal, by;

spectrally enhancing the audio content above a spectrum of the filtered sound in accordance with a Personalized Hearing Level (PHL); and

adjusting the filtered sound and audio content to be within a safe and subjectively optimized listening level range based on a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Dose.