Sound pressure level monitoring and notification system

• US 8,150,043 B2
• Filed: 01/30/2008
• Issued: 04/03/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Goldstein, Steven W., Usher, John, Keady, John P.
• Primary Examiner(s): HO, TU TU V
• Application Number:
  US12/022,826
• Publication Number:
  US 20080181442A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,525 Days
• Field of Search: 381/56, 381/57, 381/328, 381/72, 381/94.9, 381/354
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/14 Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• 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

Abstract

Methods of acoustic dose monitoring and acoustic dose systems are provided. An acoustic dose system includes a first device configured to measure sound pressure levels directed to an ear drum and a second device configured to convert the sound pressure levels into a sound pressure level dose. The second device sends a notification signal to a third device if the sound pressure level dose is larger than a threshold value.

Claims

1. An acoustic dose system comprising:

a first device configured to measure sound pressure levels directed to an ear drum; and

a second device configured to convert the sound pressure levels into a sound pressure level dose, where the second device selects an audio content from a list of audio content when the sound pressure level dose is larger than a first threshold value, the audio content being selected such that a combination of the sound pressure level dose and a dose of the audio content is less than a second threshold value, the selected audio content being sent to a third device.

2. The system according to claim 1, where the third device is a computer system.

3. The system according to claim 1, where the third device is an audio playback device.

4. The system according to claim 1, where the third device is a communication device.

5. The system according to claim 1, where the first threshold value is 80% of a daily sound pressure level dose or a daily noise dose.

6. The system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a coupling between the second and third devices such that the second device receives a monitoring signal from the third device.

7. The system according to claim 6, where the monitoring signal is used by the second device to control at least a portion of the sound pressure levels directed to the ear drum.

8. A method of acoustic dose monitoring comprising:

monitoring sound pressure levels directed to an ear drum by a first device;

calculating a sound pressure level dose from the monitored sound pressure levels by a second device;

comparing, by the second device, the sound pressure level dose with a first threshold value; and

selecting, by the second device, an audio content from a list of audio content when the sound pressure level dose is greater than the first threshold value, the audio content being selected such that a combination of the sound pressure level dose and a dose of the audio content is less than a second threshold value, the selected audio content being sent to a third device.

9. The method according to claim 8 further comprising:

receiving a monitoring signal from the third device, where the monitoring signal is used by the second device to control at least a portion of the sound pressure levels directed to the ear drum.

10. The method according to claim 9, where the portion of the sound pressure level directed to the ear drum is due to an acoustic signal emitted by a receiver.