System and method for remotely administered, interactive hearing tests
First Claim
1. A method for conducting a hearing test using a computer program, comprising:
- establishing a communication channel between a remote device and a server in a communication network;
executing a first component of the computer program at the server; and
executing a second component of the computer program at the remote device, wherein the computer program comprises a routine that manages interaction via an interface on the remote device, and adaptively selects stimuli based upon said interaction to be produced at the remote device far said interaction according to a convergent process to determine a hearing characteristic, wherein said convergent process comprises a maximum likelihood procedure, and wherein said routine includes causing a visual effect at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, causing generation of a selected stimulus during one of the N alternative stimulus intervals, and prompting a subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating the subject'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals, and said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus and producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, and wherein at least one of X and Y is greater than 1 during at least a part of the convergent process.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A technique allows a web site visitor, or other user of a consumer electronics device that is remote from a hearing test server, to measure their hearing loss in an efficient and consistent way which is self-administered, and to store the measurements as a hearing profile which can be used for customizing audio products. The technique includes a method for conducting a hearing test using a computer program. The method includes establishing a communication channel between a remote device and server in a communication network. A first component of the computer program is executed on the server, and a second component of the computer program is executed at the remote device. The computer program according to the invention comprises a routine to manage interaction via an interface on the remote device, and adaptively select stimuli based upon the interaction to be produced at the remote device according to a convergent process to determine a hearing characteristic. The interaction comprises an N-alternative forced choice interaction in one embodiment. The convergent process comprises a staircase function or a maximum likelihood function in alternative embodiments of the invention.
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Citations
48 Claims
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1. A method for conducting a hearing test using a computer program, comprising:
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establishing a communication channel between a remote device and a server in a communication network;
executing a first component of the computer program at the server; and
executing a second component of the computer program at the remote device, wherein the computer program comprises a routine that manages interaction via an interface on the remote device, and adaptively selects stimuli based upon said interaction to be produced at the remote device far said interaction according to a convergent process to determine a hearing characteristic, wherein said convergent process comprises a maximum likelihood procedure, and wherein said routine includes causing a visual effect at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, causing generation of a selected stimulus during one of the N alternative stimulus intervals, and prompting a subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating the subject'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals, and said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus and producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, and wherein at least one of X and Y is greater than 1 during at least a part of the convergent process. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method for conducting a hearing test using a computer program, comprising:
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establishing a communication channel between a remote device and a server in a communication network;
executing a first component of the computer program at the server, and executing a second component of the computer program at the remote device, wherein the computer program comprises a routine that manages interaction via an interface on the remote device, and adaptively selects stimuli based upon said interaction to be produced at the remote device for said interaction according to a convergent process to determine a hearing characteristic, wherein said routine includes causing a visual effect at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, causing generation of a selected stimulus during one of the N alternative stimulus intervals, and promoting a subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating the subject'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals, and said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus and producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, and wherein at least one of X and Y is greater than 1 during at least a part of the convergent process, wherein the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.
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17. A method for conducting a hearing test using a computer program, comprising:
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establishing a communication channel between a remote device and a server in a communication network;
executing a first component of the computer program at the server; and
executing a second component of the computer program at the remote device, wherein the computer program comprises a routine that manages interaction via an interface on the remote device, and adaptively selects stimuli based upon said interaction to be produced at the remote device for said interaction according to a convergent process to determine a hearing characteristic, wherein said routine includes causing a visual effect at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, causing generation of a selected stimulus during one of the N alternative stimulus intervals, and promoting a subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating the subject'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals, and said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus and producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, and wherein at least one of X and Y is greater than 1 during at least a part of the convergent process, wherein N equals 2, and the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.
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18. An apparatus comprising:
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a data processor which executes instructions;
a communication interface coupled to the data processor; and
memory coupled to the data processor which stores instructions in a form readable by the data processor, the instructions specifying processes which establish a communication channel with a remote device via the communication interface and manage presentation of an interaction with a test subject via an interface on the remote device, and adaptively select stimuli based upon said interaction to be produced at the remote device for said interaction according to a convergent process to determine a hearing characteristic, wherein said convergent process comprises a maximum likelihood procedure, and wherein said processes which manage presentation of said interaction include;
causing a visual effect at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, causing generation of a selected stimulus during one of the N alternative stimulus intervals, and prompting the test subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals; and
said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus in response to a base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, where at least one of X and Y is greater than 1 during at least a part of the convergent process. - View Dependent Claims (19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33)
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34. An apparatus comprising:
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a data processor which executes instructions;
a communication interface coupled to the data processor; and
memory coupled to the data processor which stores instructions in a form readable by the data processor, the instructions specifying processes which establish a communication channel with a remote device via the communication interface and manage presentation of an interaction with a test subject via an interface on the remote device, and adaptively select stimuli based upon said interaction to be produced at the remote device for said interaction according to a convergent process to determine a hearing characteristic, wherein said convergent process comprises a maximum likelihood procedure, and wherein said processes which manage presentation of said interaction include;
causing a visual effect at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, causing generation of a selected stimulus during one of the N alternative stimulus intervals, and prompting the subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals; and
said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus in response to a base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, where at least one of X and Y is greater than 1 during at least a part of the convergent process, wherein the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.
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35. An apparatus comprising:
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a data processor which executes instructions;
a communication interface coupled to the data processor; and
memory coupled to the data processor which stores instructions in a form readable by the data processor, the instructions specifying processes which establish a communication channel with a remote device via the communication interface and manage presentation of an interaction with a test subject via an interface on the remote device, and adaptively select stimuli based upon said interaction to be produced at the remote device for said interaction according to a convergent process to determine a hearing characteristic, wherein said convergent process comprises a maximum likelihood procedure, and wherein said processes which manage presentation of said interaction include;
causing a visual effect at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, causing generation of a selected stimulus during one of the N alternative stimulus intervals, and prompting the subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals; and
said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus in response to a base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the choice in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, where at least one of X and Y is greater than 1 during at least a part of the convergent process, wherein N equals 2, and the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.
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36. A method for remotely testing hearing using a consumer electronics device having a communication interface, an audio stimulus generator and an input, comprising:
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remotely establishing a base line threshold for a control signal supplied via the communication interface causing the device to generate a sound;
remotely managing an N-alternative forced choice stimulus and response interaction to a subject; and
adaptively producing signals to induce selected stimuli at the device for said interaction according to a convergent, maximum likelihood process based upon said base line threshold and said interaction to determine a hearing characteristic. - View Dependent Claims (37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 48)
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47. The method of clam 36, wherein said remotely managing comprises communication via a communication network.
Specification