AUDIOMETER WITH INTERCHANGEABLE TRANSDUCER
First Claim
1. An audiometer for testing the hearing of a test subject, the audiometer comprising:
- an audiometer module including a test signal generator and a processor with associated memory and control logic operably coupled to the test signal generator, wherein the processor controls the test signal generator to generate an electronic test signal having a first signal magnitude, wherein the processor further controls the test signal generator to adjust the first signal magnitude to a second signal magnitude in proportion to a transducer correction value and to deliver the electronic test signal with the second signal magnitude at an output of the audiometer module;
a transducer communicatively coupled to the output of the audiometer module, wherein the transducer generates a sound signal having a desired magnitude when the electronic test signal having the second signal magnitude is delivered to the transducer, wherein the transducer further comprises a data storage structure, and wherein the transducer correction value is stored by the data storage structure; and
an interface selectively couplable with the processor for delivering the transducer correction factor to the processor.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
An audiometer including a processor controlled test signal generator is adjustable so as to produce a uniform output signal when coupled with a transducer load. Each transducer set to be used with the test signal generator includes recordable indicia in written or electronic form, upon which correction values for adjusting the electronic signal output of the audiometer module to produce a desired sound output from the each transducer in the transducer set. When the transducer set is connected to the audiometer module, the correction values are either retrieved automatically from the electronic indicia, which may be an EEPROM, or are input to the processor manually by a user through an interface such as a keyboard. These correction values are then used by the processor to dynamically adjust the output of the audiometer to correct for sound output response deviation of each transducer in the transducer set.
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Citations
20 Claims
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1. An audiometer for testing the hearing of a test subject, the audiometer comprising:
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an audiometer module including a test signal generator and a processor with associated memory and control logic operably coupled to the test signal generator, wherein the processor controls the test signal generator to generate an electronic test signal having a first signal magnitude, wherein the processor further controls the test signal generator to adjust the first signal magnitude to a second signal magnitude in proportion to a transducer correction value and to deliver the electronic test signal with the second signal magnitude at an output of the audiometer module; a transducer communicatively coupled to the output of the audiometer module, wherein the transducer generates a sound signal having a desired magnitude when the electronic test signal having the second signal magnitude is delivered to the transducer, wherein the transducer further comprises a data storage structure, and wherein the transducer correction value is stored by the data storage structure; and an interface selectively couplable with the processor for delivering the transducer correction factor to the processor. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
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9. A method for calibrating an audiometer and a transducer, the audiometer including a test signal generator and a processor, wherein the processor controls the test signal generator to generate a plurality of electronic test signals each having a first signal magnitude, wherein the processor further controls the test signal generator to adjust the first signal magnitude of each test signal to a second signal magnitude in proportion to a corresponding transducer correction value and to deliver the test signals to an input of the transducer at the second signal magnitude, the method comprising:
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applying each one of a plurality of input signals to the input of the transducer, each of the input signals having a signal frequency corresponding to a signal frequency of one of the test signals; determining a target signal magnitude for each of the plurality of input signals that results in a desired magnitude of sound output from the transducer; for each of the plurality of input signals, determining a transducer correction value for the audiometer that results in the corresponding test signal having a second signal magnitude equal to the target signal magnitude determined for the input signal; storing the transducer correction values in a data storage structure associated with the transducer; and delivering the stored transducer correction values to the audiometer.
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10. An audiometer for testing the hearing of a test subject, the audiometer comprising:
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an audiometer module including means for generating a plurality of test signals, each test signal having a discrete frequency, and means for controlling the means for generating test signals, wherein the means for controlling includes means for adjusting each of the test signals to a predetermined magnitude according to a plurality of transducer correction values, each transducer correction value corresponding to one of the test signals; a transducer for converting the test signals to sound signals communicatively coupled to the audiometer module, wherein when each test signal is delivered to the transducer at the predetermined magnitude, the transducer generates a sound signal having a desired signal magnitude, the transducer further including means for storing the transducer correction values in coded form; and means for communicating the transducer correction values stored in coded form to the means for controlling of the audiometer module. - View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16)
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17. A method of calibrating an audiometer and transducer, the audiometer comprising a test signal generator and a processor controlling the test signal generator, the method comprising;
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storing a plurality of transducer correction values in a data storage structure associated with the transducer; retrieving the transducer correction values from the transducer using a controller associated with the audiometer and delivering the retrieved transducer correction values to the processor; generating a test signal with the test signal generator; and using the processor to adjust a magnitude of the test signal according to at least one of the transducer correction values. - View Dependent Claims (18, 19, 20)
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Specification