Hearing adjustment appliance for electronic audio equipment

• US 7,190,795 B2
• Filed: 10/08/2003
• Issued: 03/13/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DTS, Inc. (Adeia Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Henry Simon
• Inventors: Simon, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Mei; Xu
• Application Number:
  US10/681,718
• Publication Number:
  US 20050078838A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,252 Days
• Field of Search: 381/60, 600558-559, 735/85
• US Class Current: 381/60
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 3/32 the control being dependent upon ambient noise level or sound level
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/025 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2205/041 Adaptation of stereophonic signal reproduction for the hearing impaired
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting
• 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

An electronic device with audio output, such as a television, is adjusted to the customized listening profile of a user with a user interface module 100 and a control module 110. A user sets the level of amplification for the center or test frequency of a number of audio frequency bands. The control module generates tones at the test frequencies and the user adjusts the amplification of each tone until the user is satisfied with hearing that tone. The other frequencies in the band are adjusted by the same amount as the test tone.

Claims

1. A method for adjusting the audio output of an apparatus in accordance with a desired level of a listener comprising:

playing sample tones on the apparatus to generate a hearing adjustment profile of a listener in an uncontrolled audio environment

generating a hearing adjustment profile by playing at least one sample tone for each one of a number of bands of frequencies and adjusting the level of amplitude of the sample tones until the level of each band reaches an audibility threshold of hearing for the listener for said sample tones;

adjusting the level of amplitude of each sample tone so that it does not exceed a maximum level of amplitude set by the listener;

saving the hearing adjustment profile; and

applying the hearing adjustment profile to the audio apparatus to adjust the audio output of the audio apparatus in accordance with the hearing adjustment profile of the listener.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the hearing adjustment profile comprises an audio spectrum divided into a plurality of bands of audio frequencies with a user selected level of amplitude for each frequency band.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the step of applying the hearing adjustment profile comprises adjusting the audio output of the apparatus in accordance with a previously stored hearing adjustment profile.

4. An apparatus providing an audio output adjustable in accordance with a hearing adjustment profile of a listener comprising:

means for receiving broadcast or prerecorded analog or digital electrical signals representative of audio information;

means for converting the received or prerecorded analog or digital electrical signals into output audio signals perceptible to a plurality of listeners;

a tone generator for playing sample tones on the apparatus to generate a hearing adjustment profile of one listener in an uncontrolled audio environment;

a memory for saving the hearing adjustment profile; and

a controller for reading the memory and applying the hearing adjustment profile to the apparatus to adjust audio output of the audio apparatus in accordance with the hearing adjustment profile of the one listener and for generating at least one sample tone for each one of a number of bands of frequencies and adjusting the level of amplification of the sample tones until their level reaches an audibility threshold of hearing for the one listener.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the hearing adjustment profile comprises an audio spectrum divided into a plurality of bands of audio frequencies with a user selected level of amplitude for each frequency band.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the controller comprises a digital signal processor with a memory for saving the hearing adjustment profile and programs for processing an audio signal to produce an audio output customized in accordance with the hearing adjustment profile of the one listener.

7. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the controller comprises analog circuitry for processing an audio signal to produce an audio output customized in accordance with the hearing adjustment profile of the one listener.

8. The apparatus of claim 4 wherein the controller further limits or compresses the maximum audio output of each sample tone so that it does not exceed a maximum amplitude set by the one listener.

9. A method for adjusting the audio output of an apparatus in accordance with a desired level of one of a plurality of listeners comprising:

receiving broadcast or prerecorded analog or digital electrical signals representative of audio information;

converting the received or prerecorded analog or digital electrical signals into output audio signals perceptible to a plurality of listeners;

self-administering a hearing test to one listener; and

applying the results of the self-administered hearing test to the audio apparatus; and

adjusting the output of the audio apparatus in accordance with the results of the applied hearing test.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein the self-administered hearing test is conducted without a hearing reference.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein the hearing test measures reception of sound at different frequencies.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the amplitude of each frequency is adjusted until the amplitude is at a minimum audibility level.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the step of self-administering a hearing test comprises playing sample tones on the apparatus to generate a hearing adjustment profile of said one listener in an uncontrolled audio environment;

and

saving the hearing adjustment profile;

applying the hearing adjustment profile to the audio apparatus to adjust the audio output of the audio apparatus in accordance with the hearing adjustment profile of said one listener.

14. The method of claim 12 wherein the hearing adjustment profile comprises an audio spectrum divided into a plurality of bands of audio frequencies with a user selected level of amplitude for each frequency band.

15. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of applying the hearing adjustment profile comprises adjusting the audio output of the apparatus in accordance with a previously stored hearing adjustment profile.

16. The method of claim 12 wherein the step of generating a hearing adjustment profile comprises generating at least one sample tone within each band of frequencies and adjusting the level of amplitude of the sample tones until the level of each band reaches an audibility threshold of hearing for the listener for said sample tones.

17. The method of claim 16 comprising the further step of adjusting the level of amplitude of each sample tone so that it does not exceed a maximum level of amplitude set by said one listener.

18. A method for adjusting the audio output of an apparatus in accordance with a self-administered hearing test of a listener comprising:

generating electrical signals representative of audio signals at a location remote from the listener;

converting the electrical signals into audio signals that are perceivable by more than one listener;

self-administering a hearing test to the listener by playing sample audio tones with the apparatus to generate a hearing adjustment profile of said listener in an uncontrolled audio environment;

saving the hearing adjustment profile; and

applying the hearing adjustment profile to the audio apparatus to adjust the audio output of the audio apparatus in accordance with the hearing adjustment profile of said listener.

19. The method of claim 18 wherein the conversion of the electrical signals into audio tones occurs at a location remote from said listener.

20. The method of claim 18 wherein the conversion of the electrical signals into audio signal occurs in a headset disposed on said listener.

21. The method of claim 18 further comprising the step of locating the audio apparatus at a location remote from said listener.

22. The method of claim 18 wherein the hearing adjustment profile comprises an audio spectrum divided into a plurality of bands of audio frequencies with a user selected level of amplitude for each frequency band.

23. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of applying the hearing adjustment profile comprises adjusting the audio output of the apparatus in accordance with a previously stored hearing adjustment profile.

24. The method of claim 18 wherein the step of generating a hearing adjustment profile comprises generating at least one sample tone within each band of frequencies and adjusting the level of amplitude of the sample tones until the level of each band reaches an audibility threshold of hearing for said listener.

25. The method of claim 24 comprising the further step of adjusting the level of amplitude of each sample tone so that it does not exceed a maximum level of amplitude set by said listener.

26. A device for adjusting the audio output of an apparatus in accordance with a desired level of one of a plurality of listeners comprising:

means for receiving broadcast or prerecorded analog or digital electrical signals representative of audio information;

means for converting the received or prerecorded analog or digital electrical signals into output audio signals perceptible to a plurality of listeners;

means for self-administering a hearing test to a listener; and

means for applying the results of the self-administered hearing test to the audio apparatus; and

means for adjusting the output of the audio apparatus in accordance with the results of the applied hearing test.

27. The device of claim 26 wherein the self-administered hearing test is conducted without a hearing reference.

28. The device of claim 26 wherein the self-administered hearing test measures reception of sound at different frequencies.

29. The device of claim 28 wherein the amplitude of each frequency is adjusted until the amplitude is at a minimum audibility level.

30. The device of claim 26 wherein the means for self-administering a hearing test comprises means for playing sample tones on the apparatus to generate a hearing adjustment profile of said listener in an uncontrolled audio environment;

and

means for saving the hearing adjustment profile of the listener;

means for applying the hearing adjustment profile of the listener to the audio apparatus to adjust the audio output of the audio apparatus in accordance with the hearing adjustment profile of said listener.

31. The device of claim 29 wherein the hearing adjustment profile comprises an audio spectrum divided into a plurality of bands of audio frequencies wherein the listener selects the level of amplitude for each frequency band.

32. The device of claim 29 wherein the means for applying the hearing adjustment profile comprises means for adjusting the audio output of the apparatus in accordance with a previously stored hearing adjustment profile.

33. The device of claim 29 wherein the means for generating a hearing adjustment profile comprises means for generating at least one sample tone within each band of frequencies and means for adjusting the level of amplitude of the sample tones until the level of each band reaches an audibility threshold of hearing of the listener for said sample tones.

34. The device of claim 33 further comprising means for adjusting the level of amplitude of each sample tone so that it does not exceed a maximum level of amplitude set by said one listener.