Aural measurements from earphone output speakers

• US 9,973,870 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2016
• Issued: 05/15/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 05/20/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mobile Physics Limited
• Original Assignee: Bugatone Ltd
• Inventors: Ben-Ami, Edmund, Petrank, Noam
• Primary Examiner(s): Elahee, Md S
• Application Number:
  US15/356,308
• Publication Number:
  US 20170070834A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 381 56, 381 58
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 2562/0204 Acoustic sensors
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0051 by applying vibrations
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02055 Simultaneously evaluating both cardiovascular condition and temperature
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02133 by using induced vibration of the blood vessel
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/02438 with portable devices, e.g. worn by the patient
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/0295 using plethysmography, i.e. measuring the variations in the volume of a body part as modified by the circulation of blood therethrough, e.g. impedance plethysmography
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/486 Bio-feedback A61B5/375 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6803 Head-worn items, e.g. helmets, masks, headphones or goggles
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7228 Signal modulation applied to the input signal sent to patient or subject; demodulation to recover the physiological signal modulation H03C
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7278 Artificial waveform generation or derivation, e.g. synthesising signals from measured signals A61B5/327 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7405 using sound
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 7/045 Detection of Korotkoff sounds A61B5/0225 takes precedence; measuring blood pressure A61B5/021
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 18/00 Pattern recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/165 Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/15 Biometric patterns based on physiological signals, e.g. heartbeat, blood flow
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1091 Details not provided for in groups H04R1/1008 - H04R1/1083
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

According to some embodiments of the present invention there is provided a method of using an earphone output speaker as a microphone for a phone call between two and/or more participants, or for measuring biometric data of a user. The method may comprise playing a received signal to an electro-acoustic output transducer of an earphone. The method may comprise instructing an audio processing circuit of a local client terminal to record an audio signal from the same electro-acoustic output transducer. The method may comprise calculating a voice signal and/or a biometric measurement based on a function combining the recorded audio signal, the received signal, and filtration coefficients, using a processing unit of the local client terminal. The method may comprise sending the voice signal and/or a biometric measurement through an output interface of the local client terminal.

Claims

1. A method of presenting a pulse rate measurement, comprising:

playing an output audio signal to at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of at least one earphone;

instructing an audio processing integrated circuit of a client terminal to record an aural audio signal using same said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer, wherein said aural audio signal recording and said output audio signal playing are performed simultaneously from same said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer;

calculating said pulse rate measurement based on a function combining said aural audio signal, said output audio signal, and filtration coefficients, wherein said pulse rate measurement is calculated based on a change between said output audio signal and said aural audio signal; and

presenting said pulse rate measurement by the client terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer is located inside an ear canal during recording of said aural audio signal.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulse rate measurement is calculated based on measurement of a time shift between said aural audio signal and a second aural audio signal recorded from at least one second electro-acoustic output transducer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulse rate measurement is calculated based on a change in frequency response of an ear canal.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulse rate measurement is presented to a user through a user interface.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said pulse rate measurement is presented to a remote device through an output interface.

7. A computer readable device comprising computer executable instructions adapted to perform actions that comprise:

playing an output audio signal to at least one electro-acoustic output transducer of at least one earphone;

instructing an audio processing integrated circuit of a client terminal to record an aural audio signal using same said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer, wherein said aural audio signal recording and said output audio signal playing are performed simultaneously from same said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer;

calculating a pulse rate measurement based on a function combining said aural audio signal, said output audio signal, and filtration coefficients, wherein said pulse rate measurement is calculated based on a change between said output audio signal and said aural audio signal; and

presenting said pulse rate measurement by the client terminal.

8. The computer readable device of claim 7, wherein said at least one electro-acoustic output transducer is located inside an ear canal during recording of said aural audio signal.

9. The computer readable device of claim 7, wherein said pulse rate measurement is calculated based on measurement of a time shift between said aural audio signal and a second aural audio signal recorded from at least one second electro-acoustic output transducer.

10. The computer readable device of claim 7, wherein said pulse rate measurement is calculated based on a change in frequency response of an ear canal.

11. The computer readable device of claim 7, wherein said pulse rate measurement is presented to a user through a user interface.

12. The computer readable device of claim 7, wherein said pulse rate measurement is presented to a remote device through an output interface.

13. The computer readable device of claim 7, wherein said pulse rate measurement is calculated based on identifying a change in volume of an ear canal.

14. A method of presenting a pulse rate measurement, comprising:

playing, by a client terminal device, an output audio signal using an electro-acoustic output transducer;

recording, by the client terminal device, an input audio signal using same said electro-acoustic output transducer,

wherein the playing of the output audio signal and the recording of the input audio signal are performed simultaneously by the client terminal device using same said electro-acoustic output transducer;

calculating, by the client terminal device, the pulse rate measurement from the output audio signal that was played using same said electro-acoustic output transducer, the input audio signal that was simultaneously recorded using same said electro-acoustic output transducer, and filtration coefficients, wherein the pulse rate measurement is calculated based on a change between the output audio signal and the input audio signal; and

presenting, by the client terminal device, the pulse rate measurement that was calculated by the client terminal device.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein same said electro-acoustic output transducer is located in an earphone.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein presenting the pulse rate measurement includes the client terminal device displaying the pulse rate measurement that was calculated from the output audio signal, the input audio signal, and the filtration coefficients.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein:

the filtration coefficients identify a frequency response of same said electro-acoustic output transducer; and

calculating the pulse rate measurement from the output audio signal, the input audio signal, and the filtration coefficients includes using the identified frequency response of same said electro-acoustic output transducer to calculate the pulse rate measurement.

18. The method of claim 14, wherein calculating the pulse rate measurement from the output audio signal, the input audio signal, and the filtration coefficients includes using the output audio signal, the input audio signal, and the filtration coefficients to determine how a frequency response of a user ear changes over time as the client terminal device plays the output audio signal and records the input audio signal using same said electro-acoustic output transducer.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein the simultaneous playing of the output audio signal and the recording of the input audio signal using same said electroacoustic output transducer includes recording the input audio signal using same said electro-acoustic output transducer concurrently with playing the output audio signal using same said electro-acoustic output transducer, such that the input audio signal includes the output audio signal after that output audio signal has been echoed by a user ear.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein the pulse rate measurement is calculated based on identifying a change in volume of an ear canal.