SPL dose data logger system
First Claim
1. A method of mitigating hearing damage and providing sound pressure level (SPL) information comprising the steps of:
- attenuating ambient sound from reaching an ear canal of a user by way of an earpiece having at least one transducer including an ear canal receiver (ECR);
periodically measuring first SPL information in a time period having a plurality of samples from the ambient sound received proximate the earpiece external to the ear canal;
periodically measuring second SPL information in the time period, synchronous with the first SPL information, from a driving signal provided to the ECR;
combining, for each time period, the first SPL information and the second SPL information to form combined SPL information;
storing at least the combined SPL information or an SPL_Dose in a memory with corresponding time and location information over plural time periods;
using an inflatable sealing section on the earpiece configured to seal an opening to the ear canal of the user to form an acoustic seal to reduce the ambient sound from an ambient environment in a cavity of the ear canal of the user;
using an ear canal microphone (ECM) configured to measure the sound pressure level in the cavity of the ear canal, to confirm the acoustic seal and to test a hearing sensitivity of the user, wherein a recovery time constant tau used in a recovery function is updated in response to the hearing sensitivity test;
measuring a total SPL_Dose including the recovery function for indicating an accumulated user sound exposure over an extended period of time that improves an accuracy of the total SPL_Dose measurement over the extended period of time; and
generating an output by a digital signal processor that adaptively adjusts a sound pressure level of the at least one transducer that accounts for the accumulated user sound exposure over the extended period of time.
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Accused Products
Abstract
A method for using an earpiece (800) in a work environment is provided. The earpiece (800) attenuates sound from the work environment to the user'"'"'s ear. The earpiece (800) includes an ear canal microphone (820) for measuring a sound pressure level in an ear canal of the user. Sound pressure levels are measured periodically while in the work environment. Each measured sound pressure levels is stored in memory (127) of the earpiece with time and location information. The sound pressure level information is downloaded to a database (1704) when the earpiece is removed from the user ear for recharging. The sound pressure level information is analyzed and any potential noise compliance issues in the work environment are identified.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. A method of mitigating hearing damage and providing sound pressure level (SPL) information comprising the steps of:
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attenuating ambient sound from reaching an ear canal of a user by way of an earpiece having at least one transducer including an ear canal receiver (ECR); periodically measuring first SPL information in a time period having a plurality of samples from the ambient sound received proximate the earpiece external to the ear canal; periodically measuring second SPL information in the time period, synchronous with the first SPL information, from a driving signal provided to the ECR; combining, for each time period, the first SPL information and the second SPL information to form combined SPL information; storing at least the combined SPL information or an SPL_Dose in a memory with corresponding time and location information over plural time periods; using an inflatable sealing section on the earpiece configured to seal an opening to the ear canal of the user to form an acoustic seal to reduce the ambient sound from an ambient environment in a cavity of the ear canal of the user; using an ear canal microphone (ECM) configured to measure the sound pressure level in the cavity of the ear canal, to confirm the acoustic seal and to test a hearing sensitivity of the user, wherein a recovery time constant tau used in a recovery function is updated in response to the hearing sensitivity test; measuring a total SPL_Dose including the recovery function for indicating an accumulated user sound exposure over an extended period of time that improves an accuracy of the total SPL_Dose measurement over the extended period of time; and generating an output by a digital signal processor that adaptively adjusts a sound pressure level of the at least one transducer that accounts for the accumulated user sound exposure over the extended period of time. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7)
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8. A method of using an earpiece in a work environment comprising the steps of:
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attenuating sound in the work environment by way of an earpiece including an ear canal microphone (ECM); periodically measuring sound pressure level information in an ear canal in a time period having a plurality of samples in the work environment using the ECM of the earpiece, where a time and location is included with each measurement; storing at least the SPL_Dose in a memory over plural time periods; downloading at least the SPL_Dose over the plural time periods to a database; analyzing, in the database, at least the SPL_Dose over the plural time periods, to form analyzed information; identifying potential noise compliance issues in the work environment responsive to the analyzed information; using an inflatable sealing section on the earpiece to seal an opening to the ear canal of the user to form an acoustic seal; and using the ear canal microphone to measure the SPL_Dose in the earpiece from the sound pressure level information, to confirm the acoustic seal, to test a hearing sensitivity of a user'"'"'s ear and for updating a recovery time constant tau used in a recovery function in response to the hearing sensitivity test; measuring a total SPL_Dose including the recovery function for indicating an accumulated user sound exposure over an extended period of time that accounts for effective quiet levels and improves an accuracy of the total SPL_Dose measurement over the extended period of time; and generating an output by a digital signal processor that adaptively adjust a sound pressure level of at least one transducer of the earpiece that accounts for the accumulated user sound exposure over the extended period of time. - View Dependent Claims (9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A method of mapping comprising the steps of:
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attenuating sound by way of a plurality of earpieces where each earpiece includes at least one transducer; periodically measuring sound pressure levels and a sound pressure level dose (SPL_Dose) in an ambient environment using the plurality of earpieces, where each SPL_Dose is measured using an ear canal microphone of each earpiece when the corresponding sound pressure levels are greater than a permissible sound level, and is calculated using a recovery function when the sound pressure levels are less than the permissible sound level, the recovery function modeling a decrease of the SPL_Dose below the permissible sound level; storing the SPL_Dose over plural measurements in a database with corresponding time and location information of each measurement; generating a map of at least the SPL_Dose based on the plural measurements for a predetermined area of the ambient environment over a predetermined time period; using an inflatable sealing section on the earpiece to seal an opening to the ear canal of the user to form an acoustic seal to reduce the ambient sound from an ambient environment in a cavity of the ear canal of the user; and using the ear canal microphone configured to measure the sound pressure level in the cavity of the ear canal, to confirm the acoustic seal and to test a hearing sensitivity of the user, wherein a recovery time constant tau used in a recovery function is updated in response to the hearing sensitivity test; measuring a total SPL_Dose including a recovery function for indicating an accumulated user sound exposure over an extended period of time that accounts for effective quiet levels over the extended period of time; and generating an output by a digital signals processor that adaptively adjusts a sound pressure level of the at least one transducer that accounts for the accumulated user sound exposure over the extended period of time. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19)
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Specification