Wireless Headset Noise Exposure Dosimeter

• US 20100046767A1
• Filed: 08/22/2008
• Published: 02/25/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 08/22/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P. (HP Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Plantronics, Inc.
• Inventors: Woo, Kwangsee A., Wong, Steven So, Bayley, Antony M.W.
• Granted Patent: US 8,391,503 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/59
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/14 Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power

Abstract

Systems and methods for measuring noise exposure associated with use of a wireless headset are presented. In one example, a transition from a wireless headset standby mode operation to a wireless headset active mode operation is identified. A stored noise dose measurement at the wireless headset is recalled, and a current noise dose measurement is calculated at the wireless headset for a duration of the active mode operation. A transition from the wireless headset active mode operation to the wireless headset standby mode operation is identified, and an updated noise dose measurement is recorded at the wireless headset.

Claims

1. A method for measuring noise dose on a wireless headset comprising:

identifying a first transition from a wireless headset standby mode operation to a wireless headset active mode operation;

recalling a stored noise dose measurement at the wireless headset;

calculating a current noise dose measurement at the wireless headset for a duration of the wireless headset active mode operation;

identifying a second transition from the wireless headset active mode operation to the wireless headset standby mode operation; and

recording an updated noise dose measurement at the wireless headset.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a wireless headset frequency response model digital filter coefficients at the wireless headset.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a plurality of configuration parameters at the wireless headset.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the plurality of configuration parameters comprise a criterion sound level, an exchange rate, and a threshold sound level.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the wireless headset utilizes a Bluetooth wireless communication protocol, and identifying a first transition from a headset standby mode operation to a headset active mode operation comprises identifying establishment of a Bluetooth audio SCO channel.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising recording a start date and time value and an end date and time value when the wireless headset is connected to a personal computer.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein recording an updated noise dose measurement at the wireless headset comprises storing the updated noise dose measurement in a permanent storage key non-volatile memory.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting the stored noise dose measurement from the wireless headset to a personal computer.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising modifying a gain of an audio signal output at the wireless headset responsive to a long-term rms SPL value exceeding a criterion sound level.

10. A computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for measuring noise dose on a wireless headset comprising:

identifying a first transition from a wireless headset standby mode operation to a wireless headset active mode operation;

recalling a stored noise dose measurement at the wireless headset;

calculating a current noise dose measurement at the wireless headset for a duration of the wireless headset active mode operation; and

identifying a second transition from the wireless headset active mode operation to the wireless headset standby mode operation; and

recording an updated noise dose measurement at the wireless headset.

11. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, the method further comprising recording a wireless headset frequency response model digital filter coefficients at the wireless headset.

12. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, the method further comprising recording a plurality of configuration parameters at the wireless headset.

13. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein the wireless headset utilizes a Bluetooth wireless communications protocol, and identifying a first transition from a headset standby mode operation to a headset active mode operation comprises identifying establishment of a Bluetooth audio SCO channel.

14. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, the method further comprising recording a start date and time value and a current date and time value.

15. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, wherein recording an updated noise dose measurement at the wireless headset comprises storing the updated noise dose measurement in a permanent storage key non-volatile memory.

16. The computer readable storage medium of claim 10, the method further comprising transmitting the stored noise dose measurement from the wireless headset to a personal computer.

17. A wireless headset for measuring noise dose comprising:

a wireless communications transceiver;

a speaker for outputting an audio signal into a user ear;

a non-volatile memory storing a filter modeling a frequency response associated with a headset receiving signal path, a criterion sound level, an exchange rate, a threshold sound level, a start time, and a recorded noise dose measurement;

a processor, wherein the processor calculates a noise dose responsive to establishment and termination of an active wireless communications link by the wireless communications transceiver.

18. The wireless headset of claim 17, wherein the recorded noise dose measurement is an accumulation of calculated noise doses responsive to establishment and termination of a plurality of active wireless communication links.

19. The wireless headset of claim 17, wherein the wireless communications transceiver is a Bluetooth wireless communications transceiver and wherein the active wireless communications link comprises a Bluetooth audio SCO channel.

20. The wireless headset of claim 17, further comprising a noise exposure limiter for modifying a gain of the audio signal responsive to a long-term rms SPL exceeding the criterion sound level.