SPL Dose Data Logger System

• US 20100135502A1
• Filed: 01/12/2009
• Published: 06/03/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 01/11/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Staton Techiya, LLC
• Original Assignee: Personics Holdings, Inc.
• Inventors: Hoshizaki, Gary, Keady, John, Boillot, Marc, Usher, John, Goldstein, Steven
• Granted Patent: US 9,757,069 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/58
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/121 evaluating hearing capacity
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/6817 Ear canal
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/08 internal, e.g. earplugs
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 11/145 electric, e.g. for active noise reduction
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 3/14 Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/00 Monitoring arrangements; Testing arrangements for hearing aids H04R25/30; detection of loudspeaker connection H04R5/04; sound-field adaptation dependent on speaker detection H04S7/308

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.

Claims

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;

measuring SPL received by the user of the earpiece;

storing the SPL in memory with corresponding time and location information;

coupling the earpiece for recharging; and

downloading stored SPL information from the earpiece automatically to the database when the earpiece is recharging.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

measuring a SPL_Dose;

measuring a total SPL_Dose for indicating an accumulated user sound exposure over an extended period of time that is compared against a threshold value; and

storing the SPL_Dose and total SPL_Dose in memory with corresponding time and location information.

3. The method of claim 2 further including a step of including a recovery function in the measurement of the total SPL_Dose.

4. The method of claim 3 further including a step of periodically measuring SPL, SPL_Dose, and total SPL_Dose while the user is wearing the earpiece and storing the SPL, SPL_Dose, and total SPL_Dose in memory with corresponding time and location information.

5. The method of claim 4 further including adjusting the periodicity of the SPL measurement in response to changing sound pressure levels

6. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

connecting the earpiece to a recharging station where the recharging station is wired or wirelessly coupled to the database;

recharging the earpiece;

initiating a connection from the earpiece to the database when the earpiece is connected to the recharging station; and

downloading SPL information from the memory in the earpiece to the database.

7. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

organizing the SPL information by user, location, and time; and

generating at least one map illustrating sound pressure levels in a predetermined area at a predetermined time or over a predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1 further including a step of using an inflatable sealing section on the earpiece to seal an opening to the ear of the user to reduce sound from the ambient environment in the ear canal of the user.

9. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of:

measuring the SPL using an ambient sound microphone (ASM) of the earpiece;

measuring the SPL in the ear canal of the user using an ear canal microphone (ECM) of the earpiece;

comparing the SPL of the ASM to the ECM;

taking an action when the measured SPL of the ASM and the ECM are within a predetermined range.

10. A method of using an earpiece in a work environment comprising the steps of:

attenuating sound in the work environment by way of earpieces where the earpieces include an ear canal microphone (ECM) for measuring sound pressure level in an ear canal of a user;

measuring sound pressure levels periodically in the ambient environment using the earpieces where a time and location is included with each sound pressure level measurement;

storing each measured sound pressure level in memory;

coupling the earpiece to a recharging system where the recharging system is coupled to a database;

downloading the sound pressure levels stored in memory to the database when the earpiece is being recharged;

analyzing the sound pressure levels in the database; and

identifying potential noise compliance issues in the work environment.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of:

identifying areas of the work environment having sound exposure risk; and

generating a map of the sound pressure levels in the work environment at a predetermined time or over a predetermined time interval illustrating areas of sound exposure risk.

12. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of:

increasing pressure in a sealing section of the earpiece when the sound pressure level is greater than a threshold value thereby increasing attenuation provided by the earpiece; and

decreasing pressure in a sealing section of the earpiece when the sound pressure level is less than the threshold value for user comfort.

13. The method of claim 10 further including the steps of:

measuring SPL_Dose with each sound pressure measurement;

updating total SPL_Dose with each sound pressure measurement;

storing the SPL_Dose and the total SPL_Dose with each sound pressure measurement; and

taking an action to mitigate hearing damage when a maximum allowable total SPL_Dose is being approached.

14. The method of claim 10 further including a step of using the ear canal microphone to measure SPL_Dose in the earpiece.

15. The method of claim 14 further including the steps of:

measuring sound pressure levels in the ambient environment using an ambient sound microphone of an earpiece; and

providing sound to an ear canal using an ear canal receiver of the earpiece.

16. The method of claim 14 further including a step of using a microphone in proximity to the earpiece to measure sound pressure levels in the ambient environment;

and

providing sound to an ear canal using an ear canal receiver of the earpiece.

17. The method of claim 15 further including the steps of:

detecting when the sound pressure level measured by the ear canal microphone is within a predetermined range of the sound pressure level measured by the ambient sound microphone;

initiating an action to the user of the earpiece for determining if the earpiece is correctly sealing the ear canal.

18. A method of mapping comprising the steps of:

attenuating sound by way of earpieces where the earpieces have at least one transducer;

measuring sound pressure levels and SPL_Dose periodically in the ambient environment using the earpieces where a time and location of the measurement is included with the measurements and where SPL_Dose is measured using an ear canal microphone of the earpieces;

storing the measured sound pressure levels and SPL_Dose in a database; and

generating a map of SPL or SPL_Dose for a predetermined area over a predetermined time or predetermined time period.

19. The method of claim 18 further including the steps of:

coupling the earpiece to a recharging system where the recharging system is coupled to the database;

downloading the sound pressure levels stored in memory to the database when the earpiece is being recharged;

analyzing the sound pressure levels in the database; and

identifying that areas of the work environment are in compliance with noise standards.

20. The method of claim 19 further including the steps of:

increasing the frequency of sound pressure level and SPL_Dose measurements when a change in sound pressure level is above a SPL difference value; and

decreasing the frequency of sound pressure level when the change in sound pressure level is below SPL difference value.

22. The method of claim 19 further including a step of increasing the frequency of sound pressure level and SPL_Dose measurements as sound pressure level rises.