Personalized Sound Management and Method

• US 20100076793A1
• Filed: 09/15/2009
• Published: 03/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Hoshizaki, Gary, Keady, John P., Goldstein, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,129,291 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/4
• CPC Class Codes: B25F 5/00 Details or components of portable power-driven tools not particularly related to the operations performed and not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/042 using digital processors G05B19/05 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/10 Protecting distributed programs or content, e.g. vending or licensing of copyrighted material protection in video systems or pay television H04N7/16 ; Digital rights management [DRM]
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 2221/2137 Time limited access, e.g. to a computer or data
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/16 Sound input; Sound output speech processing G10L
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/012 Providing warranty services
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/018 Certifying business or products
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0281 Customer communication at a business location, e.g. providing product or service information, consulting
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0601 Electronic shopping [e-shopping]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0621 Item configuration or customization
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/08 Insurance
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 13/00 Speech synthesis; Text to speech systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/22 Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/84 for discriminating voice from noise
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• 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 2201/103 Combination of monophonic or stereophonic headphones with audio players, e.g. integrated in the headphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• 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 2460/15 : Determination of the acoustic seal of ear moulds or ear tips of hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/17 : Hearing device specific tools used for storing or handling hearing devices or parts thereof, e.g. placement in the ear, replacement of cerumen barriers, repair, cleaning hearing devices
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/453 : electronically
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 : using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 : Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

At least one exemplary embodiment is directed to implementing personalized sound management applications. A module comprising hardware and software is provided to manufacturers to build a device. A process is architected for remote enabling of a device with personalized sound management applications. Consumers select applications for managing their sound environment through purchased and subscription hardware and applications via a web environment. All products developed by manufacturers are tested and certified running the personalized sound management applications. Manufacturers and consumers may both be covered under for liability insurance. Users may remotely purchase may update, purchase hardware, add and download subscription based applications, and replace consumable through the web environment.

Claims

1. A method of personalized sound management comprising the steps of:

selecting at least one of a plurality of personalized sound management applications through a client system where the user selects the at least one of the plurality of personalized sound management applications from a website;

accepting a subscription contract for using the at least one of the personalized sound management applications; and

loading the selected at least one of the plurality of applications from a server system to a device where the device has at least one microphone, at least one speaker, and a processor configured to identify sonic signatures where each sonic signature is identified using a Gaussian mixture model.

2. The method according to claim 1 prior to the step of loading further including the steps of:

placing a request to order the at least one of the plurality of applications through the website;

providing information on a services based contract for the user to use the at least one of the plurality of applications from the server system;

displaying the services based contract to the user to accept or decline on the client system; and

fulfilling the services based contract if the services based contract is accepted.

3. The method according to claim 1 where the step of loading further includes the steps of:

storing the selected at least one of the plurality of personalized sound management applications in memory;

preventing tampering, modification, or downloading of the operating system and the selected at least one of the plurality of personalized sound management applications; and

disabling the device from operating if tampering, modification or downloading of the operating system and the selected at least one of the plurality of personalized sound management applications is detected.

4. The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of:

allowing the device to be used by the user for a predetermined time; and

disabling the device after the predetermined time.

5. The method according to claim 1 further including the steps of:

coupling the device through a client system to the server system;

displaying information on the terms of use of the device on the client system;

displaying a terms of use contract to accept or decline on the client system; and

enabling the device if the user accepts the terms of use contract.

6. The method according to claim 5 further including the step of:

acclimating the device to the user; and

using an interface of the device to personalize sound management to the user using the selected at least one of the plurality of applications.

7. The method according to claim 5 further including the steps of:

recording the user'"'"'s voice;

storing the users voice in memory of the device; and

storing the users voice in memory of the server system.

8. The method according to claim 1 further including a step of incorporating an application in each device to prevent damage to a users ear thereby reducing user risk of hearing loss.

9. The method according to claim 1 further including where the step of selecting at least one of a plurality of applications includes a step of providing at least one application that performs a similar function as:

Safe Space™

or;

Ear Guard™

or;

Hearable™

or;

Earbliss™

or;

Hear &

Tell™

or;

Ear Mail™

or;

Always On-Recording™

or;

Invisible Audio™

or; and

Ear Sticky™

.

10. A method of manufacturing a personalized sound management device comprising:

providing a device package, where the device package includes a dedicated processor, a dedicated operating system for the dedicated processor, and a plurality of personalized sound management applications stored in memory accessible to the processor, where the device package is configured to be inserted into a product to enable the device to use personalized sound management;

designing the product incorporating the design package;

testing the product to verify that the product meets a set of performance criteria; and

marking the product as being certified if the set of performance criteria is met by the product during testing.

11. The method according to claim 10 further including a step of providing liability coverage through an insurance policy to each manufacturer for covering a certified product.

12. The method according to claim 10 where the step of testing the product includes testing the product for every available personalized sound management application.

13. The method according to claim 10, where the performance criteria is that when the product is subject to a know sound, the product identifies the sound greater than 50% of the time during testing, then the product passes the sonic signature performance criteria.

14. A business method comprising the steps of:

providing a device package, where the device package includes a dedicated processor, a dedicated operating system for the dedicated processor, and a plurality of personalized sound management applications stored in memory accessible to the processor, where the device package is configured to be inserted into a product to enable the device to use personalized sound management;

designing the product incorporating the design package;

testing each product to verify the product is capable of running at least one of a personalized sound management application having similar function as at least one of;

Safe Space™

,

Ear Guard™

,

Hearable™

,

Earbliss™

,

Hear &

Tell™

,

Ear Mail™

,

Always On-Recording™

,

Invisible Audio™

,

Ear Sticky™

;

, and

certifying each product before release to consumers if the product has passed testing;

15. The method according to claim 14 further including a step providing liability coverage to manufacturers related to personalized sound management whereby testing and certification minimizes risk and having common ingredients in each device minimizes design variations among products of differing manufacturers.

16. The method according to claim 14 further including the steps of:

providing a web environment for a consumer to purchase hardware and personalized sound management applications for a device;

selecting at least one personalized sound management application for the device through a client system;

subscribing to use the selected at least one personalized sound management application for a periodic fee; and

accepting a contract for a subscription through the client system.

17. The method according to claim 16 further including the steps of:

downloading the selected at least one personalized sound management application from a server system to the device coupled through the client system;

allowing the user to test the device for a predetermined time; and

disabling the device after a predetermined time.

18. The method according to claim 17 further including the steps of:

providing customer information through the client system;

coupling the device to a server system;

verifying the device and user;

providing terms of use for using the device;

accepting the terms of use of the device through the client system; and

enabling the device from the server system.

19. The method according to claim 18 further including providing liability coverage for the user of the device whereby both the manufacturer and consumer are covered for liability issues related to personalized sound management resulting in an acceleration of adoption and protection of consumer health and safety.

20. The method according to claim 19 further including a step of acclimating the user to the device.

21. The method according to claim 20 further including the steps of:

updating an operating system or the selected at least one personalized sound management application form the client system through the web environment; and

purchasing hardware including periodic replaceable components and personalized sound management applications through the client system and web environment to upgrade the device.

23. The method according to claim 21 further including the steps of:

coupling to a server system for collecting sonic signatures when a communication path is enabled by the communication device; and

uploading stored sonic signatures to a server system having a database for use in personalized sound management applications.

25. The method according to claim 23 further including the steps of:

ordering sonic signatures through the server system for use with personalized sound management applications on the device;

retrieving the selected sonic signatures from a database coupled to the server system where some sonic signatures in the database were collected from a communication device; and

downloading the selected sonic signatures to the device of the user.

22. A method of implementing personalized sound management comprising the steps of:

recording sound with a microphone of a communication device;

analyzing the sound for acoustic information relevant for personalized sound management applications;

storing a sonic signature in memory of the communication device;

calculating sound pressure level of the sonic signature; and

attaching and storing metadata related to the sonic signature and sound pressure level including a time stamp and geocode.

24. The method according to claim 22 further including the steps of:

coupling a device for running personalized sound management applications to a system server;

checking a status of the device;

disabling the device if the user cannot verify ownership of the device;

disabling the device if the user is in arrears on payments or has not met the terms of the user accepted contracts; and

providing updates to the device if the system has not been disabled.

26. A method of customizing a purchased audio device comprising:

connecting the device to an internet access device;

accessing an internet based GUI system using the internet access device;

registering the device using the GUI system;

selecting a system to activate, where the system is at least one of software features and sonic signatures; and

accepting a contract displayed by the GUI system.

27. The method of claim 26 further including the steps of:

coupling the device to an internet access device for accessing user information and software;

verifying the device and user;

downloading selected software features and sonic signatures from the internet access device to the device;

activating the system; and

remotely testing the device for threshold performance.