System and method for remotely administered, interactive hearing tests

• US 20030083591A1
• Filed: 10/12/2001
• Published: 05/01/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 10/12/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: K/S HIMPP
• Original Assignee: Sound Id
• Inventors: Puria, Sunil, Menzel, Christoph, Edwards, Brent W.
• Granted Patent: US 6,840,908 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 600/559
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/7465 Arrangements for interactive communication between patient and care services, e.g. by using a telephone network telemetry of measured physiological signal A61B5/0002
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 80/00 ICT specially adapted for facilitating communication between medical practitioners or patients, e.g. for collaborative diagnosis, therapy or health monitoring
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

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 said 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.

Claims

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 manage interaction 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.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said interaction comprises an N-alternative forced choice interaction.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a packet switched network.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the communication network comprises a network executing according a standard internet protocol.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a connection according to a standard transmission control protocol over a standard internet protocol (TCP/IP).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a link through a cellular telephone network.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the channel comprises a link through a pager network.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile phone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a home computer.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the remote device comprises a hand held computing platform.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein said routine to manage interaction includes:

logic providing graphic constructs for display at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, the graphic constructs being aligned in an up and down relationship, 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 graphic construct using an input device indicating the user'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals.

12. The method of claim 1, wherein said routine to manage interaction 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 the subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating the user'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein said convergent process comprises a staircase function.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein said convergent process comprises a maximum likelihood procedure.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus in response to said base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or to cause the device to generate a stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the number X equals 1, and the number Y equals 1 during an initial part of the test, and wherein at least one of the number X and the number Y is changed to a value greater than 1 during a subsequent part of the test.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein N equals 2, and the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the N is in the range of 2 to 4.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein said convergent process comprises:

selecting a first stimulus in response to said base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a first downward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a first upward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times; and

after a number A of reversals of direction of the step direction, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a second downward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a second upward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, wherein either the second downward step amount is less than the first downward step amount, or the second upward step amount is less than the first upward step amount, or both the second downward step amount is less than the first downward step amount, and the second upward step amount is less than the first upward step amount.

21. The method of claim 1, wherein said interaction comprises an N-alternative forced choice interaction, and said convergent process comprises a staircase function.

22. An apparatus comprising:

a data processor which executes instructions;

a communication interface coupled to the 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 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.

23. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said interaction comprises an N-alternative forced choice interaction.

24. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communication channel comprises a link via a packet switched network.

25. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communication channel comprises a link via a network executing according a standard internet protocol.

26. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communication channel comprises a connection according to a standard transmission control protocol over a standard internet protocol (TCP/IP).

27. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communication channel comprises a link through a cellular telephone network.

28. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the communication channel comprises a link through a pager network.

29. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the remote device comprises a mobile phone.

30. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the remote device comprises a home computer.

31. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein the remote device comprises a hand held computing platform.

32. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said processes which manage presentation of said interaction include:

logic providing graphic constructs for display at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, the graphic constructs being aligned in an up and down relationship, 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 graphic construct using an input device indicating the user'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals.

33. The apparatus of claim 22, 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 the user'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals.

34. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said convergent process comprises a staircase function.

35. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said convergent process comprises a maximum likelihood procedure.

36. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus in response to said base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or to cause the device to generate a stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times.

37. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.

38. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein the number X equals 1, and the number Y equals 1 during an initial part of the test, and wherein at least one of the number X and the number Y is changed to a value greater than 1 during a subsequent part of the test.

39. The apparatus of claim 36, wherein N equals 2, and the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.

40. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein the N is in the range of 2 to 4.

41. The apparatus of claim 33, wherein said convergent process comprises:

selecting a first stimulus in response to said base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a first downward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a first upward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times; and

after a number A of reversals of direction of the step direction, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a second downward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a second upward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, wherein either the second downward step amount is less than the first downward step amount, or the second upward step amount is less than the first upward step amount, or both the second downward step amount is less than the first downward step amount, and the second upward step amount is less than the first upward step amount.

42. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said interaction comprises an N-alternative forced choice interaction, and said convergent process comprises a staircase function.

43. The apparatus of claim 22, wherein said processes include routines for downloading a software component to the remote device used during said interaction.

44. A method for remotely testing hearing using a consumer electronics device having a communication interface, an audio stimulus generator and an input device, comprising:

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 the subject; and

adaptively producing signals to induce selected stimuli at the device for said interaction according to a convergent process based upon said base line threshold and said interaction to determine a hearing characteristic.

45. The method of claim 44, wherein said remotely managing includes:

providing graphic constructs for display at the device corresponding to each of N alternative stimulus intervals, the graphic constructs being aligned in an up and down relationship, 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 graphic construct using an input device indicating the user'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals.

46. The method of claim 44, wherein said remotely managing 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 the subject to make a choice by selecting a visual effect indicating the user'"'"'s perception of the stimulus during said N alternative stimulus intervals.

47. The method of claim 44, wherein said convergent process comprises a staircase function.

48. The method of claim 44, wherein the convergent process comprises a maximum likelihood procedure.

49. The method of claim 44, wherein said convergent process comprises selecting a first stimulus in response to said base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or to cause the device to generate a stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times.

50. The method of claim 49, wherein the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.

51. The method of claim 49, wherein the number X equals 1, and the number Y equals 1 during an initial part of the test, and wherein at least one of the number X and the number Y is changed to a value greater than 1 during a subsequent part of the test.

52. The method of claim 49, wherein N equals 2, and the number X equals 3, and the number Y equals 1.

53. The method of claim 44, wherein the N is in the range of 2 to 4.

54. The method of claim 44, wherein said convergent process comprises:

selecting a first stimulus in response to said base line threshold, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a first downward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a first upward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times; and

after a number A of reversals of direction of the step direction, producing a subsequent stimulus that is reduced in magnitude by a second downward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies a correct interval a number X times, or producing a subsequent stimulus that is increased in magnitude by a second upward step amount if the response in the interaction identifies an incorrect interval a number Y times, wherein either the second downward step amount is less than the first downward step amount, or the second upward step amount is less than the first upward step amount, or both the second downward step amount is less than the first downward step amount, and the second upward step amount is less than the first upward step amount.

55. The method of claim 44, wherein said remotely establishing comprises communication via a communication network.

56. The method of claim 44, wherein said remotely managing comprises communication via a communication network.

57. The method of claim 44, including downloading a software component from a server to the remote device which upon execution supports said method.