Environmental noise monitoring for audiometric testing

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to environmental noise monitoring for hearing tests. Aspects of the subject technology provide, while attenuating noise from a physical environment at a first device, for example, by active noise cancellation, outputting an audio signal by the first device for detection by a user. Aspects of the subject technology also provide, by the first device, providing to a second device an indication of an estimated noise level of the attenuated noise at the first device, for storage in association with an indication of whether the audio signal was detected by the user.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 541,769, filed on September 29, 2023, entitled “Ambient Noise Monitoring For Hearing Test,” the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This specification relates generally to electronic devices, including, for example, noise cancellation in electronic devices. Background Art

[0004] A headset is an audio device that includes a pair of speakers, each of which is placed near the user's ears. A circumaural or supra-aural headset includes a pair of speakers connected to each other by a band worn on or around the user's head. Earphones or earplugs are headsets that include a pair of speakers that are inserted into the user's ears. The pair of speakers of a headset is typically connected (e.g., wired or wirelessly) to a separate playback device such as an MP3 player, which drives each speaker of the device with an audio signal to generate sound (e.g., music). Some headsets may include an audio input device to monitor the surrounding acoustic environment. Some headsets have the ability to generate an anti-noise signal to acoustically cancel or reduce sounds from the surrounding acoustic environment. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005] Certain features of the subject technology are set forth in the appended claims. However, for purposes of explanation, several embodiments of the subject technology are set forth in the following figures.

[0006] Figure 1 Diagrams of example electronic devices are illustrated that may implement aspects of the subject technology according to one or more implementations.

[0007] Figure 2 A diagram illustrating another example electronic device that can implement aspects of the subject technology according to one or more implementations is illustrated.

[0008] Figure 3 A block diagram of an audio signal processing architecture for an electronic device according to one or more implementations is illustrated.

[0009] Figure 4 An example of a method that can be used according to one or more specific implementations is shown. Figure 3 Additional details are provided in the audio signal processing architecture.

[0010] Figure 5A flow chart illustrating an example process for administering at least a portion of a hearing test in accordance with one or more implementations is illustrated.

[0011] Fig. 6A A flow chart for determining an estimated noise level according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0012] Figure 6B A flow chart for determining an estimated noise level according to other specific implementations is illustrated.

[0013] Figure 7 Example auditory filters that can be used to evaluate estimated noise according to some implementations are illustrated.

[0014] Figure 8 A flow chart illustrating an example process for a hearing testing process according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0015] Fig. 9 A flow chart illustrating an example process for computing a noise interruption decision according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0016] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B A flow chart illustrating an example process for performing a hearing test according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0017] Fig.11 A flow chart illustrating an example process for estimating a noise level of ambient noise according to some implementations.

[0018] Fig.12 A flow chart illustrating an example process for outputting an audio signal for user detection according to some implementations is illustrated.

[0019] Fig.13 A flow chart illustrating an example process for actively attenuating noise from a physical environment at a first device and outputting an audio signal for detection by a user according to some implementations.

[0020] Fig.14 Example electronic systems are illustrated that can be used to implement various aspects of the subject technology according to one or more implementations. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0021] The specific description shown below is intended to be a description of various configurations of the subject technology and is not intended to represent the only configuration that the subject technology can be practiced. The accompanying drawings are incorporated herein and constitute a part of the detailed description. The detailed description includes specific details intended to provide a thorough understanding of the subject technology. However, the subject technology is not limited to the specific details described herein, and one or more other specific implementations can be used to practice. In one or more specific implementations, structures and components are shown in block diagram form to avoid blurring the concepts of the subject technology.

[0022] An audio device such as a headset and / or earbud may provide active noise cancellation (ANC) (e.g., in a noise cancellation mode of the audio device), wherein a microphone audio input device of the headset and / or earbud (and / or a connected electronic device) receives an audio signal including ambient noise from the environment surrounding the headset and / or earbud, and the audio device generates an anti-noise signal that, when output by a speaker, cancels some or all of the ambient noise before the ambient noise is received in the ear canal of a user. In addition, due to the physical interface between the headset or earbud and the ear, the headset and / or earbud may provide passive noise cancellation (PNC). For example, the headset and earbud may at least partially block ambient noise from the environment from entering the ear canal of the user, thereby causing a reduction in ambient noise at the eardrum of the user. The amount of PNC may vary based on the fit of the headset or earbud to the ear or ear canal.

[0023] Hearing tests can be performed on users wearing headphones, where various sounds are played in the left and / or right ears of the user at different volumes. In a clinical setting, typically, the user will enter a sound-isolating environment and wear a medical-grade laboratory-calibrated and / or laboratory-certified headset designed for such tests. Alternatively or in addition, the user may need to wear a special plug-in headset to block ambient noise. For example, these clinical hearing tests can be performed in a quiet audiologist's room (<20dBA), or may require a special plug-in headset to block ambient noise. For some people, clinical hearing tests may be too impractical, too costly, or inconvenient.

[0024] Various aspects of the subject technology may provide, for example, an enhanced ability to perform hearing tests using consumer devices in non-clinical environments. This may produce a more reliable non-clinical hearing test that may be used for diagnostic results. This may be achieved by utilizing passive noise cancellation (PNC) and / or active noise cancellation (ANC) to reduce ambient noise in the user's physical environment that reaches the user's ears. Additionally, the level, type, and / or interference of the remaining noise from the physical environment (i.e., ambient noise that is not eliminated or reduced and reaches the user's eardrum) may be estimated or determined. Based on these estimates or determinations, actions may be taken during the hearing test process.

[0025] Some aspects of the subject technology may compare the estimated noise level of the remaining noise (i.e., after PNC or ANC) to a threshold. When the hearing test tone is played and when the estimated noise level of the remaining noise is below the threshold, the test tone result is considered valid. When the hearing test tone is played and when the estimated noise level of the remaining noise is above the threshold, an indication is generated indicating that the test tone result is invalid. In this case, the test tone can be tested again. In some specific implementations, for example, when only PNC is used, if the estimated noise level fails to meet the threshold, ANC can also be used to further reduce the estimated noise level of the remaining noise (i.e., after PNC) to meet the threshold.

[0026] Some aspects of the subject technology may determine the estimated level of the residual noise based at least in part on the ear fit of the headset or earplug, for example, by using ear fit test data to determine the effectiveness of active noise cancellation and / or passive noise cancellation for the headset or earplug. Some aspects of the subject technology may determine the type of ambient noise as steady-state (e.g., continuous) noise or transient noise, and the noise level of the ambient noise may be filtered as A-weighted, octave bands, or auditory bands. Some aspects of the subject technology may estimate the interference of the residual noise with the hearing test output signal. Based on the estimated interference, different hearing test output signals may be used, thresholds may be adjusted, and / or the test may be delayed. The subject technology advantageously provides the ability to estimate the noise in the ear canal that may interfere with the hearing test and provide the hearing test, so that the results of the hearing test can be considered more reliable than the hearing test process without using noise estimation. In addition, the subject technology advantageously provides the ability to guide the hearing test based on the characterization of the estimated noise in the ear canal, for example, by pausing the test, retesting the test tone, or selecting the test tone based on the interference level at the output of the auditory filter. Furthermore, the subject technology advantageously utilizes microphones and processing on the headset and / or playback device to perform an estimate of the noise in the ear canal and determine whether the estimated noise will cause distraction during or interfere with the hearing test.

[0027] Figure 1 Example electronic devices according to one or more implementations are illustrated. However, not all of the depicted components may be used in all implementations, and one or more implementations may include additional or different components than those shown in the figures. Changes in the arrangement and types of these components may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the claims listed herein. Additional components, different components, or fewer components may be provided.

[0028] exist Figure 1In the example of , the electronic device 100 has been implemented using a housing 106 that is small enough to be portable and carried or worn by a user. Specifically, Figure 1 An example of an electronic device 100 implemented as an earbud or a pair of earbuds is illustrated. In this example, the housing 106 is shaped to be seated in the outer ear and / or ear canal aperture of the user and to interface with the ear canal of the user. An optional sealing member 120 may be engaged with the housing 106 to provide a sealing effect between the electronic device 100 and the ear canal of the user. The sealing member 120 may be made of any suitable material, such as silicone, plastic, rubber, foam, polymer, a composite thereof, or a combination thereof.

[0029] In one or more other specific implementations, Figure 1 The earbuds may be used in conjunction with another electronic device 130 (such as a smart phone or tablet computer), and microphone signals received by microphones 114, 116 and / or are sent to the other electronic device and / or audio output signals for speaker 112 are received from the other electronic device. In one or more specific implementations, Figure 1 The earbud may include processing circuitry to perform one or more of the operations described herein.

[0030] exist Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the housing 106 includes an opening 108. For example, the opening 108 may form one or more corresponding ports for one or more corresponding audio components. Figure 1 In the example of FIG. 1 , the electronic device 100 includes an opening 108 forming a speaker port for a speaker 112 disposed in the housing 106, another opening 108 forming a microphone port for a microphone 114 disposed in the housing 106, another opening 108 forming a microphone port for a microphone 116 disposed in the housing 106, and another opening 108 forming a microphone port for a microphone 118 disposed in the housing 106. The openings 108 for the microphones 114 and 116 are disposed on an outer surface of the housing 106, and the opening 108 for the microphone 118 is disposed on an inner surface of the housing 106 such that it is disposed within the opening 108 for the speaker 112.

[0031] In various implementations, the housing may also include fewer openings or additional openings. Additional openings may include openings for one or more additional audio input devices (e.g., microphones), one or more pressure sensors, one or more light sources, one or more light sensors, or other components that receive signals from or provide signals to the environment outside the housing 106. Openings such as opening 108 may be open ports or may be fully or partially covered with a permeable membrane or mesh structure that allows air and / or sound to pass through the opening.

[0032] Despite Figure 1 106 , but this is merely illustrative. For example, one or more of the microphones 114 , 116 , and 118 may be omitted. One opening 108 , two openings 108 , or more than two openings 108 may be provided on one or more side walls of the housing 106 , on the rear surface of the housing 106 , on the front surface of the housing 106 , and / or on the inner surface of the housing 106 . In some implementations, one or more groups of openings 108 in the housing 106 may be aligned with a single port of an audio component within the housing 106 . The housing 106 , sometimes referred to as a shell, may be formed of plastic, glass, ceramic, fiber composite material, metal (e.g., stainless steel, aluminum, etc.), other suitable materials, or a combination of any two or more of these materials. The electronic device 100 also includes additional components, such as processing circuitry (e.g., one or more processors), memory, power sources such as batteries, communication circuitry, and the like.

[0033] In one or more use cases, one or more of the speakers 112 may generate speaker outputs based on, for example, downlink communication signals or device-generated or streamed audio signals. In one or more specific implementations, the speakers 112 may be driven by an output downlink signal that includes a far-end acoustic signal component from a remote device, such as device 130. In one or more use cases, when a near-end user is using the electronic device 100 to input and / or send their own voice, ambient noise around the user may also be present in the environment around the electronic device 100. Therefore, the microphones 114 and 116 may capture the user's own voice as well as the ambient sound around the electronic device 100.

[0034] When a microphone signal is received from a wired or wireless data communication link 135 with the electronic device 100, various aspects of the subject technology described herein may be communicated to the user via the microphone. Figure 1 The method may be executed by one or more processors of the electronic device 100 and / or may be executed by a processor within the electronic device 130. Figure 1 The electronic device 100 in the example of may include communication circuitry for communicating with one or more other electronic devices 130 via a wired or wireless data communication link 135. In use, microphones 114, 116, and / or 118 in the earbuds may receive ambient sounds in the physical environment of the electronic device 100. Figure 1 The earbuds of the electronic device 100 may include a left earbud L and a right earbud R for the left ear and the right ear of the user, respectively.

[0035] exist Figure 1In the example of , the electronic device 100 includes: a speaker 112; a top microphone (e.g., microphone 116) whose sound-sensitive surface faces in a direction opposite to the user's eardrum when the earbud is worn; a bottom microphone (e.g., microphone 114) located in or near an end portion of the earbud's housing 106, where it is the microphone closest to the user's mouth; and an error microphone 118 that senses sound at or near the user's eardrum (e.g., in the user's ear canal). Figure 1 In the example of , the error microphone 118 may be in a position and orientation to receive output from the speaker 112 and / or one or more ambient sounds (e.g., ambient noise, voices of people other than the user of the electronic device 100, voices of the user of the electronic device 100, etc.), which one or more ambient sounds leak through the housing 106 and / or the sealing member 120 to reach the error microphone 118.

[0036] In one or more specific implementations, Figure 1 The top microphone and the bottom microphone can be used as a microphone array or as part of a microphone array for the purpose of pickup beamforming. More specifically, the microphone array can be used to create a microphone array beam that can be directed to a given direction by emphasizing and weakening selected top microphones and bottom microphones (for example, to enhance the pickup of the user's voice or another sound in the physical environment from the direction of the user's mouth). Similarly, the microphone array beamforming can also be configured to exhibit or provide pickup nulls in other given directions to suppress the pickup of ambient noise sources. Therefore, the beamforming process (also known as spatial filtering) can be a signal processing technique for directional sound reception using a microphone array.

[0037] In one or more specific implementations, when the electronic device 100 is implemented as Figure 1 When the earplug is in the ear, the electronic device 100 may include a battery device, one or more processors and / or a communication interface (see Figure 3 ). The processor of the earbud may be a digital signal processing chip that processes an audio signal (eg, a microphone signal) from at least one of the microphones 114, 116, and / or 118. In some implementations, the communication interface may include a Bluetooth TM The receiver and transmitter communicate acoustic signals from microphones 114, 116 and / or 118 in both directions (uplink and downlink) with an external device 130 such as a smartphone, tablet, laptop or desktop computer. In addition, the earbuds may be connected via Bluetooth. TM The signals communicate with each other and with the external device 130 , such as wired earbuds or cordless wireless earbuds.

[0038] In some aspects, the electronic device 100 may be communicatively coupled to the electronic device 100 via a wireless connection, such as described above. In other aspects, the electronic device 130 may be communicatively coupled to the electronic device 100 via other methods. For example, both devices may be coupled via a wired connection. In this case, one end of the wired connection may be (e.g., fixedly) connected to the electronic device 100, and the other end may have a connector inserted into a socket of the electronic device 130, such as a media jack or a universal serial bus (USB) connector. Once connected, the electronic device 130 may be configured to drive one or more speakers of the electronic device 100 using one or more audio signals (e.g., for hearing tests) via a wired connection. For example, the electronic device 130 may send an audio signal as digital audio (e.g., PCM digital audio). On the other hand, the audio may be sent in an analog format.

[0039] In another aspect, the electronic device 130 may instruct the electronic device 100 to generate an audio signal corresponding to the audio signal for the hearing test, for example, via an on-device processor. The audio signal may be generated by the electronic device 100 and played on one or more speakers 112 of the electronic device 100.

[0040] As discussed in further detail below, microphones 114, 116, and / or 118 and / or other microphones and / or sensors of electronic device 100 can be used in conjunction with the architecture / components described herein for automatic noise cancellation. In addition, one or more processors of electronic device 100 and / or electronic device 130 can be used to estimate and / or characterize the residual noise estimated to reach the user's eardrum after noise cancellation. Based on the estimation of the residual noise and / or the characterization of the residual noise, the hearing test can be evaluated or changed.

[0041] In some aspects, the various processes described herein may utilize a device monitoring process to guide the selection and use of the various microphones described herein. For example, a microphone selected as having the most appropriate device response among the available microphones may be utilized to perform noise estimation and / or characterization of the residual noise after noise cancellation. For example, the electronic device 100 may have a left side and a right side, wherein each side has a plurality of microphones available for use, such as described herein. In this specific implementation, a separate device monitoring process may monitor and maintain which of these microphones exhibit good characteristics for use during the noise estimation process. For example, one or more microphones may be clogged with dust or debris, have water penetration or physical problems, which would make such microphones undesirable to be used. Therefore, the noise estimation process may utilize the most appropriate microphone of the left or right side components (e.g., earplugs) of the electronic device 100 as determined by the device monitoring process to perform noise estimation according to the process described herein.

[0042] Similarly, when a microphone used for ANC is damaged or blocked, the blockage or hardware problem may adversely affect ANC. Thus, aspects may calculate the degradation or impact of such problems on ANC attenuation. For example, even if a separate process is not used to select a better microphone, the impact of a blockage or hardware defect in an ANC microphone may be used to help estimate the remaining noise level. Alternatively, in some aspects, ANC may be adjusted based on the estimated impact on ANC due to a blocked or defective microphone.

[0043] Furthermore, when a microphone used for noise estimation is damaged or blocked, the blockage or hardware problem may adversely affect the noise estimation. Therefore, aspects may take into account the degradation or impact of such problems on the noise estimation. For example, even if a separate process is not used to select a better microphone for noise estimation, the impact of the blockage or hardware defects in the noise estimation may be taken into account, for example, by providing equalization adjustments on the microphones to reduce the impact of the blockage or detected hardware problems.

[0044] In another aspect, before using the microphone input for the purpose of ANC and / or noise level estimation, a noise reduction process may be performed on the microphone signal to reduce the self-noise of the microphone. For example, reducing the self-noise of the microphone enables the associated microphone to capture a more accurate level of ambient noise, e.g., for the purpose of ANC or noise estimation.

[0045] The electronic device 130 can be any electronic device (e.g., having electronic components, such as one or more processors, memory, etc.) that is capable of streaming audio content in any format, such as a stereo audio signal, for playback (e.g., via one or more speakers integrated into the source device and / or via one or more output devices, as described herein). For example, the source device can be a desktop computer, a laptop computer, a digital media player, etc. In one aspect, the device can be a portable electronic device (e.g., handheld operable), such as a tablet computer, a smart phone, etc. In another aspect, the source device can be a wearable device (e.g., a device designed to be worn on (e.g., attached to) a user's clothing and / or body, such as a smart watch). In some aspects, the electronic device 130 can include an interface and programming contained in a memory that, when executed by one or more processors, performs a hearing test using the electronic device 100.

[0046] Reference now Figure 2 ,Although Figure 1 An example in which the electronic device 100 is implemented as an earbud is shown in FIG. 1 , but in other specific implementations, such as Figure 2In the illustrated implementation, the electronic device 100 can be implemented as a headset including a housing 106 that includes a pair of earmuffs configured to be placed over or on the user's ears. Additionally, the headset can be connected via Bluetooth. TM A wired or unwired wireless headset that communicates signals with each other and with an external device such as a smartphone or tablet computer by wired or wireless means.

[0047] Figure 2 The headset may include an opening 108 for a speaker 112 and one or more openings 108 for one or more microphones 114, 116, and 118, as described above, and the description thereof is not repeated. In addition, a sealing member 120 may cushion the ear cups of the headset and provide a seal between the housing 106 and the user's ear relative to the surrounding environment. The sealing member 120 may be made of any suitable material, such as silicone, plastic, rubber, foam, polymer, fabric, a composite thereof, or a combination thereof.

[0048] Figure 3 A block diagram of an electronic device 130 and an electronic device 100 wirelessly coupled together according to one aspect is illustrated. The electronic device 130 includes a controller 140, a memory 141, a network interface 142, a speaker 143, a display 144, a microphone 147, a camera 148, and a volume control 146. In one aspect, the source device may include more or fewer elements, as described herein. For example, the device may include several speakers and / or microphones, or may not include a camera or display.

[0049] The controller 140 may be a dedicated processor such as an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a general purpose microprocessor, a field programmable gate array (FPGA), a digital signal controller, or a set of hardware logic structures (e.g., filters, arithmetic logic units, and dedicated state machines). The controller 140 is configured to perform operations for performing hearing tests, audio signal processing operations, and / or networking operations. More information about operations that may be performed by the controller 140 is described herein.

[0050] Memory 141 may be any type of non-transitory machine-readable storage medium. Examples may include read-only memory, random access memory, CD-ROMS, DVDs, magnetic tape, optical data storage devices, flash memory devices, and phase-change memory.

[0051] The camera 148 may be a complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor capable of capturing a digital image including image data representing a field of view of the camera, wherein the field of view includes a scene of the environment in which the electronic device 130 is located. In some aspects, the camera may be a charge coupled device (CCD) camera type. The camera is configured to capture still digital images and / or video represented by a series of digital images. In one aspect, the camera may be positioned anywhere near or on the electronic device 130. In some aspects, the electronic device 130 may include multiple cameras (e.g., each of which may have a different field of view).

[0052] Microphone 147 can be any type of microphone configured to convert acoustic energy caused by sound waves propagating in an acoustic environment into a microphone signal (e.g., a differential pressure gradient microelectromechanical system (MEMS) microphone). In some aspects, the microphone can be an "external" (or reference) microphone that is arranged to capture sound from the acoustic environment.

[0053] Speaker 143 can be, for example, an electrodynamic driver that can be specifically designed for sound output in a specific frequency band, such as a woofer, tweeter, or midrange driver. In one aspect, speaker 143 can be a "full-range" (or "full-frequency") electrodynamic driver that reproduces as much of the audible frequency range as possible.

[0054] The display 144 is designed to present (or display) a video of a digital image or video (or image) data. In one aspect, the display can use liquid crystal display (LCD) technology, light emitting polymer display (LPD) technology, or light emitting diode (LED) technology, but other display technologies can be used in other aspects. In some aspects, the display can be a touch-sensitive display screen that is configured to sense user input as a touch or tap on the screen and, in response, generate one or more control signals. In some aspects, the display can use any touch sensing technology, including but not limited to capacitive, resistive, infrared, and surface acoustic wave technologies.

[0055] The volume control 146 is configured to adjust the volume level of the sound output of the electronic device 130 (and / or the electronic device 100) in response to receiving a user adjustment (e.g., user input) at the control. In one aspect, the volume control can be a "master" volume control that is configured to control the overall volume level of the electronic device 130 (e.g., the sound output level of the speaker 143). In another aspect, when the electronic device 130 is communicatively coupled to the electronic device 100 so as to stream audio content to the electronic device 100 for playback, the volume control can (also) control the overall volume level of the electronic device 100. In one aspect, the volume level output on the electronic device 100 for a hearing test process or application can override (e.g.) the setting provided by the user through the volume control 146. In one aspect, the volume control can be a "physical" volume control, which can be a dedicated volume input control, such as one or more buttons, a rotatable knob, or a physical slider. For example, volume control 146 may include at least two buttons: a "volume up" button that may be configured to perform a step-by-step increase in volume each time it is pressed by a user: and a "volume down" button that may be configured to perform a step-by-step decrease in volume each time it is pressed by a user. In some aspects, the volume control may be any type of physical input device capable of adjusting the overall volume level.

[0056] According to one aspect, the electronic device 100 includes a controller 124, a network interface 125, an audio output device (such as a speaker 112), three microphones 114, 116 and 118, one or more (other) sensors 126, a volume control 119 and a memory 127. In one aspect, the device may include more or fewer elements. For example, the electronic device 100 may include one or more speakers, and / or may include one or more microphones. In one aspect, the microphone 114 may be an input microphone, such as a sound microphone, the microphone 116 may be a reference microphone, and the microphone 118 may be an error microphone, as described herein. On the other hand, the output device may not include an error microphone, or may include at least one reference microphone and at least one error microphone. For example, in the case of an earplug or headphone device, when the electronic device 100 is positioned on (or in) the user's ear, the error microphone may sense the sound inside the user's ear.

[0057] The sensor 126 may include one or more other sensors designed to generate sensor data. For example, the sensor may include an IMU or a proximity sensor. In this case, the IMU may be designed to generate motion data indicating the position and / or orientation (change) of the output device. In another example, the sensor may include an accelerometer, which may be arranged and configured to receive (detect or sense) voice vibrations generated when a user (e.g., a user who may be wearing the output device) speaks, and generate an accelerometer signal representing (or containing) the voice vibrations. Specifically, the accelerometer is configured to sense bone conduction vibrations sent from the user's vocal cords to the user's ears (ear canals) when speaking and / or humming. For example, when the electronic device is a wireless headset, the accelerometer may be located on the headset or in the headset anywhere that can contact a part of the user's body to sense vibrations.

[0058] In one aspect, the controller 124 may be configured to perform audio signal output and noise estimation operations, (other) audio signal processing operations, and / or networking operations, as described herein. For example, the controller may be configured to obtain (or receive) audio data (as an analog or digital audio signal) including audio content, such as music or test tones for playback through the speaker 112. In some aspects, the controller may obtain the audio data from the memory 127, or the controller may obtain the audio data from another device (such as a source device) via the network interface 125. For example, the output device may (e.g., via Bluetooth TM The controller may be configured to stream audio signals from a source device (e.g., a source connection) for playback through a speaker 112. The audio signal may be a signal input audio channel (e.g., a mono channel). On the other hand, the controller may obtain two or more input audio channels (e.g., stereo channels) for output through two or more speakers. In one aspect, where the output device includes two or more speakers, the controller may perform additional audio signal processing operations.

[0059] In one aspect, volume control 119 can perform operations similar to volume control 146 of a source device. For example, upon receiving user input, control 119 can adjust the (e.g., total) volume of sound output by electronic device 100 (e.g., speaker 112 of the electronic device). In some aspects, volume control 119 can be used to adjust a volume setting at electronic device 130.

[0060] Figure 4 Examples include, for example, Figure 3 Details of active noise cancellation in an electronic device 100 (such as an earbud or a headphone) of FIG. Figure 4As shown in , the filter circuit 200 may include an active noise cancellation (ANC) filter 300 operating in a noise cancellation mode of the electronic device 100. As shown, the ANC filter 300 may generate a noise cancellation signal and provide the noise cancellation signal to a gain stage 306. In one or more specific implementations, the ANC filter 300 may be utilized, for example, at the filter circuit 200 provided by another process to select a better performing microphone 116 between the left and right components of the electronic device 100. In one or more specific implementations, when a blockage or hardware defect is detected in the microphone 116, the filter circuit 200 may provide compensation for the ANC and / or equalization settings to the microphone 116. In one or more specific implementations, the ANC filter 300 may include a variation of an optimal filter that may generate an estimate of the ambient sound by filtering a microphone signal corresponding to the microphone 116 (e.g., an audio signal received directly from the microphone 116 or an audio signal received by the microphone 116 and pre-processed before providing the audio signal to the filter circuit 200) and may generate a noise cancellation signal (e.g., an anti-noise signal) corresponding to the estimate. For example, an estimate of the ambient sound and a corresponding noise cancellation signal (e.g., an anti-noise signal) may be generated, for example, by adaptive prediction and / or by using a predictive filter that exploits a low-pass characteristic of the audio signal. The noise cancellation signal generated by the ANC filter 300 may be conditioned by a gain stage 306 and combined with the audio signal by an adder 310 for output by the speaker 112. In one or more implementations, the ANC filter 300 may be implemented at least in part in hardware, firmware, or software.

[0061] like Figure 4 As shown in , the gain stage 306 can apply a gain A to the noise cancellation signal to provide a positive or negative adjustment to the noise cancellation signal. In this way, the applied gain can help control the eardrum sound pressure level at or near the eardrum of the user of the electronic device 100.

[0062] Figure 4 Other aspects of circuitry that may be provided to generate a noise cancellation signal from the ANC filter 300 are also illustrated. Figure 4As shown in , the ANC filter 300 can generate a noise cancellation (e.g., anti-noise) signal that, when output by the speaker 112, destructively interferes with ambient sound (i.e., noise remaining after the passive noise cancellation aspects of the electronic device 100) that leaks through the housing 106 (and through the sealing member 120) and enters the user's ear canal. The leaked ambient noise and the noise cancellation portion of the output of the speaker 112 (based on some or all of the noise cancellation signal generated by the ANC filter 300) can be intentionally acoustically combined in the user's ear canal in a destructive manner to produce very little residual noise or error. As shown, in addition to any source information, the error microphone 118 can also receive this residual noise or error simultaneously output by the speaker 112, and can provide an error signal to the feedback noise filter 314. As shown, in one or more specific implementations, the feedback noise filter 314 can generate an anti-residual noise signal that can be mixed into the mixed output signal by the adder 310. The feedback noise filter 314 may base the anti-residual noise signal in part on the source information from the source processing block 204, such as by subtracting the source information from the error microphone 118 data to find the residual noise or error.

[0063] An audio signal from a source 202 (e.g., an electronic device 130) may be received and processed by a source processing block 204. The source processing block 204 may analyze the audio source and determine what tone or frequency is being received for playback. In the case of a hearing test, the audio signal is one of a series of hearing test tones. For example, the audio signal may be a 1kHz tone signal. In a hearing test, the level or gain of the tone may be changed or normalized to override the volume setting of the electronic device 100 and / or the electronic device 130 so that a specified level is output on the speaker 112 of the electronic device 100. Additional aspects of the source processing block 204 are discussed in further detail below.

[0064] Other features not shown of the electronic device 130 may be implemented. For example, the electronic device 130 may include a pass-through audio filter to generate a pass-through audio signal in some operating modes to receive and amplify ambient noise. As another example, the ANC filter 300 may be adaptively controlled to adjust the adaptive filter and / or gain 306 to optimize the ANC filter 300 coefficients to seek to minimize residual noise or error.

[0065] Figure 5 A flow chart illustrating an example process for administering at least a portion of a hearing test. Figure 5 , but it should be understood that Figure 5 The process can be applied to any type of playback situation. For example, in a hearing test, the audio element played is part of the hearing test, however, the audio element can be another type of audio source. Figure 5 One or more frames (or operations) of the process flow chart of the present invention may be performed by one or more other components and other suitable devices. Further for the purpose of explanation, the frames are described in this article as occurring sequentially or linearly. However, multiple frames of the process may occur in parallel. In addition, the frames of the process do not have to be performed in the order shown, and / or one or more frames of the process do not have to be performed and / or may be replaced by other operations.

[0066] At block 500, a device (e.g., electronic device 100) is positioned on or in an ear of a user. The position of the device on or in the ear of the user may provide passive noise cancellation (PNC), for example by blocking some of the ambient noise from entering the user's ear canal, but some of the noise will leak through the device and into the user's ear. A sealing member (such as sealing member 120) may be used to further enhance the effectiveness of the device on or in the user's ear to block more ambient noise from entering the user's ear canal.

[0067] A hearing test may be initiated that will be administered on and / or by the device. The hearing test may be initiated from another user device, such as electronic device 130. For example, a user may initiate an application on a user device to administer the hearing test. The user may start the test using the application.

[0068] At block 502, a device, such as electronic device 100, may obtain a reference microphone signal, such as from reference microphone 116. The reference microphone signal picks up ambient noise in the physical environment of the device. The reference microphone signal may be used throughout the process of conducting a hearing test.

[0069] At block 504, a device (e.g., electronic device 100) may be used to apply active noise cancellation (ANC) in a noise cancellation mode of the device to output an anti-noise signal on a speaker of the device (e.g., speaker 112). The anti-noise signal is combined with noise leaked by the device and / or a sealing member of the device to attenuate or cancel at least some of the noise leaked by the device and / or the sealing member. Figure 4 The ANC process is described and will not be repeated. The ANC process can be used throughout the entire process of performing a hearing test. In some implementations, application ANC may not be performed, but only PNC may be performed.

[0070] At block 506, in some implementations, the device (e.g., electronic device 100) may obtain an error microphone signal via an error microphone (such as error microphone 118). The error microphone signal receives feedback indicating the effectiveness of the ANC and / or PNC. The error microphone signal may be used to generate another anti-noise signal (e.g., combined with the anti-noise signal from block 504) to further attenuate the remaining noise in the ear canal. In some implementations, the error microphone signal may also or instead be used as an input to the ANC block 504 to provide better attenuation or noise cancellation based on the reference microphone signal from block 502 (e.g., by changing the gain of the anti-noise signal generated from the reference microphone signal).

[0071] At box 508, source input is processed. In some specific implementations, the source input can be an audio signal provided from a user device (e.g., electronic device 130) (such as a user's phone, tablet, computer, etc.). In other aspects, the source input can be an audio signal instruction to generate and play a certain sound (such as a hearing test tone). In this aspect, a processor or controller on the device can be used to generate the sound and provide it to a speaker (such as speaker 112). In some specific implementations, such as when a hearing test is not being performed but some other media is being played, the source input can be a media element that is expected to be played back without distraction. For example, the source input can be a voicemail message, a podcast, a news story, an audiobook, etc. In some specific implementations, such as when a hearing test is being performed, the source input can correspond to a hearing test tone to be played in the right ear, left ear, or both ears of the device. Thus, the source input for the hearing test tones may be an audio signal provided from a user device (such as electronic device 130) for playback on a device (e.g., electronic device 100), or may be instructions from the user device to the device (e.g., electronic device 100) to generate and play back the test tones.

[0072] At block 510, the audio element (e.g., hearing test tone or media element) may be output on the device (e.g., electronic device 100). Thus, while ANC is still applied from block 504 (in such implementations), the device combines the output of the audio element with the anti-noise signal from the ANC and outputs them on one or more speakers of the device (such as speaker 112). In some aspects, the source from block 508 may be provided to another block 520, discussed in further detail below. In some implementations, the source from block 508 may be provided to another block 514, discussed in further detail below.

[0073] In some implementations, the audio element may not yet be output, and the remaining blocks are executed before the audio element is output.

[0074] At box 512, when the audio element is output, at box 514, the noise level can be estimated. The estimated noise level indicates an estimate of the ambient noise reaching the eardrum after leakage through the device and / or the sealing member (e.g., after PNC) and after ANC (when used). The estimated noise level can be based on a reference microphone signal, an error microphone signal, and / or a suitability test signal. According to some aspects, the estimated noise level can be determined before the audio element is output. In one or more specific implementations, the estimated noise level can utilize another process to select a better performing microphone among the available microphones of the left and right components of the electronic device 100. In one or more specific implementations, when a blockage or hardware defect is detected in a microphone used to estimate the noise level, compensation and / or equalization settings can be applied to the input signal from the microphone to reduce the error associated with the blockage or hardware defect. In one or more specific implementations, the input signal from the reference microphone signal or the error microphone signal can also be processed to reduce the self-noise of the microphone.

[0075] Turning to box 516, fit test data may be obtained by the device (e.g., electronic device 100) from the user device (e.g., electronic device 130). The fit test data may indicate the effectiveness or performance of the housing (e.g., housing 106) and / or the sealing member (e.g., sealing member 120) in providing PNC. In some specific implementations, the fit test may be performed by the user device immediately before starting the hearing test, such as at box 500. In such an aspect, the user may, for example, insert the device into the user's ear to engage the housing and / or sealing member of the device at the hole of the ear canal. Then, when starting the hearing test, before playing any hearing test tones, a system process or auxiliary application may be started to perform an ear fit test. The ear fit test may indicate the quality of the passive noise cancellation (i.e., blocking) provided by the housing or sealing member of the device.

[0076] In other aspects, previous fit test data stored in a memory of a user device, such as electronic device 130, or stored in a memory of a device, such as electronic device 100, may be obtained from the user device or device. In other aspects, if the previous fit test data is older than a threshold time period, such as 30 days, the user may be prompted to run an ear fit test.

[0077] It should be noted that ear fit testing is optional. In some implementations, ear fit testing may be estimated or may be estimated based on generalized device data. For example, statistics of ear fit test data for a wide range of users and devices may be maintained, and in this case, the statistics may be used to estimate ear fit test data for a particular user.

[0078] In some aspects, a user device (such as electronic device 130) can provide suitability test data to a device (such as electronic device 100) to perform noise level estimation. In other aspects, a user device can utilize suitability test data to perform noise level estimation.

[0079] Returning to block 514, an estimated noise level may be determined by utilizing the optional suitability test signal, the optional error microphone signal, and the reference microphone signal.For example, the reference microphone signal may be used to assess the ambient noise level of the physical environment of the device.

[0080] Fig. 6A A flow chart for determining an estimated noise level according to some implementations is illustrated. Fig. 6A The flowchart of can be performed by a device (such as electronic device 100), a user device (such as electronic device 130), or a combination of both. In box 602, the effectiveness of the ANC anti-noise signal (if ANC is used) is estimated. As described above, the estimation can utilize the appropriate microphone on the left or right component of the electronic device, such as can be determined by a separate device monitoring process to monitor and select the microphone on the electronic device for use. It is estimated that an equalization filter can also or instead be applied to the input signal or compensation measures to reduce errors associated with hardware defects and / or blockages. The process can also be used to reduce the self-noise generated by the microphone used for noise estimation. In box 604, the effectiveness or performance of the device and / or sealing member for PNC (e.g., noise blocking) can be estimated. In box 606, the ambient noise from the reference microphone is obtained. In box 610, the estimated noise level is determined by comparing the outputs of boxes 602 and box 604 with the ambient noise 608. For example, if the reference microphone signal indicates an input signal of 60 dB in the ambient environment, and the ANC anti-noise signal is estimated to reduce the input signal to 35 dB, and the noise blocking of the device and / or sealing member is estimated to reduce the input signal by 15 dB, then the estimated noise level of the noise reaching the eardrum may be estimated to be approximately 46 dB (e.g., using nomogram addition). In some aspects, at block 606, fit test data may be provided and used at block 604 to more accurately estimate the noise reduction impact of the device and / or sealing member.

[0081] Figure 6B A flow chart for determining an estimated noise level according to other specific implementations is illustrated. Figure 6BThe flowchart may be performed by a device (such as electronic device 100), a user device (such as electronic device 130), or a combination of both. In some aspects, an error microphone signal may be used to provide a characterization of the residual noise present in the vicinity of a speaker of the device. Since the error microphone signal is disposed between the speaker of the device and the eardrum of the user, the error microphone signal may be used alone to estimate the noise level of the noise remaining at the eardrum of the user. As described above, the estimation may utilize an appropriate microphone on the left or right component of the electronic device, such as may be determined by a separate device monitoring process to monitor and select a microphone on the electronic device for use. The estimation may also or instead apply an equalization filter to the input signal or a compensatory measure to reduce errors associated with hardware defects and / or blockages. A process may also be used to reduce the self-noise generated by a microphone used for noise estimation. At box 612, ambient noise from the error microphone is obtained. As Figure 5 As shown, the audio signal source may be provided to block 514. Thus, the audio signal source may be subtracted from the error microphone signal to obtain the ambient noise. At block 620, an estimated noise level may be estimated from the ambient noise obtained by the error microphone. In some aspects, the estimated noise level may be determined to be the ambient noise obtained by the error microphone.

[0082] In other aspects, in box 614, the effectiveness or performance of noise blocking of the device and / or sealing member can be estimated. In box 620, the estimated noise level can be estimated by combining the estimated effectiveness or performance of the ambient noise obtained by the error microphone and the noise blocked by the device and / or sealing member. For example, if the ambient noise is estimated to be 35dB and the effectiveness or performance of the blocking of the device and / or sealing member is estimated to increase by no more than 6dB, the estimated noise level can be determined to be no more than about 41dB. In some aspects, at box 616, suitability test data can be provided and then used at box 614 to more accurately estimate the noise reduction impact of the device and / or sealing member.

[0083] In some aspects, in box 618, the reference microphone signal may be used to obtain ambient noise in the physical environment of the device. Then, in box 620, an estimated noise level may be determined by utilizing the ambient noise obtained in box 612, the effectiveness or performance of the noise blocking of the device and / or sealing member estimated in box 614, and the ambient noise obtained in box 618. For example, the ambient noise may be combined with the estimated effectiveness or performance of the noise blocking of the device and / or sealing member to determine an estimated noise that enters the ear canal that is not eliminated by the ANC, which may then be combined with the ambient noise to provide an estimated noise level. In some aspects, at box 616, fit test data may be provided and then used at box 614 to more accurately estimate the noise reduction impact of the device and / or sealing member.

[0084] In About Fig. 6A and Figure 6B In some aspects of each of the flowcharts represented, noise estimation can utilize separate noise estimates determined from each side of the user (e.g., from both the left and right components of the electronic device, using one or more microphones from each of the left and right components). That is, for example, using any of the processes described herein, a noise estimation level can be performed for the left component, and a noise estimation can be performed for the right component. In such a specific implementation, the final estimated noise level can be determined by combining the estimated noise levels from each of the left and right components to derive a single estimated noise level. Combining the noise levels can take into account which of the estimated noise levels is higher and which of the left or right components is playing the sound for the hearing test. Providing a single level as the noise estimation level can simplify further processing using the estimated noise level, such as described below.

[0085] Return to Figure 5 , after estimating the noise level at block 514, the estimated noise may be evaluated at block 518. In some aspects, the evaluation of the estimated noise may include comparing the estimated noise with a predefined threshold. In some aspects, the evaluation of the estimated noise may include performing frequency analysis or filtering on the estimated noise. In some aspects, the evaluation of the estimated noise may include characterizing the estimated noise, including, for example, characterizing the estimated noise type as corresponding to steady-state noise or transient noise and / or characterizing the estimated noise level by A-weighted filtering, octave band filtering, or auditory filtering, or a combination thereof. In some aspects, the evaluation of the estimated noise may include setting a threshold based on the characterization of the audio signal source and the estimated noise from block 508 and comparing the estimated noise with the threshold. The evaluation of the estimated noise will be discussed in more detail below.

[0086] At block 520, actions may be performed based on the evaluation and / or audio signal source. For example, if the estimated noise fails to meet the threshold, then if the estimated noise is not used, the ANC may be used to meet the threshold, or if the estimated noise is used, the ANC may be adjusted to meet the threshold. In another example, if the estimated noise meets the threshold, an indication that the estimated noise meets the threshold may be stored. In another example, if the auditory filter output of the noise is determined to mask the audio signal source, an indication that the estimated noise masks the audio signal source may be stored. In another example, if a transient sound that meets the threshold is observed, an indication that the transient sound meets the threshold may be stored. In another example, if a steady-state sound that meets the threshold is observed, an indication that the steady-state sound meets the threshold may be stored. In another example, if the estimated noise meets the threshold, the output of the audio signal source may be delayed until the estimated noise does not meet the threshold. In another example, before outputting the audio signal source, if the auditory filter output of the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise from the physical environment is determined to mask the audio signal source to be output, the audio signal source can be changed to a different audio signal test source with different frequency values ​​that will not be masked by the frequency characteristics of the estimated noise. In another example, before outputting the source, the auditory filter output of the estimated noise can be used to determine an audio signal test source that will not be masked by the frequency characteristics of the estimated noise. In another example, before outputting the audio signal source, if the intensity or energy level of the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise from the physical environment is determined to interfere with the audio signal source to be output, the audio signal source can be changed to a different audio signal test source with different frequency values ​​that will not interfere with the estimated noise level.

[0087] As described above, the estimated noise level at block 514 may be determined prior to initiating the hearing test or prior to processing the audio signal source at block 508. In such aspects, the actions of block 520 may include indicating which audio signal source should be used to conduct the hearing test to avoid negative effects of the estimated noise.

[0088] As used above, it should be understood that satisfying a threshold value may indicate a negative or positive inference. For example, satisfying a threshold value may indicate that an estimated noise level is greater than or less than a threshold value. When the estimated noise level is greater than the threshold value, a negative inference is indicated. When the estimated noise level is less than the threshold value, a positive inference is indicated. When the estimated noise level is equal to the threshold value, a positive or negative inference is indicated.

[0089] Figure 7 An example auditory filter that can be used to evaluate the estimated noise is illustrated. Although a specific center frequency is shown, it should be understood that any center frequency can be used. The estimated noise can be Figure 7The filter shape of or similar filter shapes is evaluated by auditory filtering. Therefore, the resulting estimated noise will only indicate the noise corresponding to the Figure 7 The level of the frequency component under the curve. Figure 7 Eight center frequencies f1, f2, f3, f4, f5, f6, f7, f8 are illustrated. As shown, f3 corresponds to 1000 kHz, for example. The curve centered at each of these frequencies may correspond to, for example, a test tone for a hearing test. When a test tone is provided for a hearing test, the estimated noise may mask the test tone if the estimated noise is close to the same frequency as the test tone.

[0090] Figure 8 A flowchart of an example process 800 for a hearing test process according to some implementations is illustrated. For purposes of explanation, Figure 1 The process 800 is described with reference to an electronic device 130 (such as a user device). However, the process 800 is not limited to Figure 1 or Figure 2 800, and one or more blocks (or operations) of process 800 may be performed by one or more other components or other suitable devices. Further for the purpose of explanation, the blocks of process 800 are described herein as occurring sequentially or linearly. However, multiple blocks of process 800 may occur in parallel. In addition, the blocks of process 800 do not have to be performed in the order shown, and / or one or more blocks of process 800 do not have to be performed and / or may be replaced by other operations.

[0091] exist Figure 8 In an example, a user device (e.g., electronic device 130) can be used to perform a hearing test using an audio device (e.g., electronic device 100) that can be equipped with an ANC mode (such as earplugs or headphones). At box 802, a sound is output. The user device can provide the sound to the audio device as an output signal of the user device or as an instruction to output the sound to the audio device. In some specific implementations, the sound can be selected based on ambient noise and / or an estimated noise level at the user's eardrum. The sound can be output in one or more ears of the user, for example, on the right and / or left earplug or headphone of the audio device.

[0092] At frame 804, the user can respond to the sound or audio signal. In some specific implementations, a user interface is provided to obtain a response from the user as input, and the response indicates that the user hears or does not hear the sound played. At frame 806, a decision is made about whether to find an interference indication while outputting the sound. This aspect is described in more detail below. At frame 808, if interference is not indicated, the result is indicated as effective, and at frame 810, the next sound is output or the test is completed. At frame 808, the result can be indicated as effective by storing a flag or some other indicator indicating that the result is effective. In addition, the result can indicate whether the user detects an audio signal. The indicator can be stored with other relevant information (such as the output sound being used).

[0093] If interference indication is indicated from frame 806, frame 812 determines whether to reach repetition limit.Repetition limit can be set to the target number of maximum repetitions of each tone and / or each test.For example, this process can determine whether this tone can be repeated.If repetition limit is not reached, then result is indicated as invalid at frame 814, and repeating process is started.At frame 814, result can be indicated as invalid or test failure by storing the mark or some other indicator indicating result as invalid or test failure.This indicator can be stored together with other relevant information, such as the output tone used and interference type and / or level.Repetition limit corresponds to the number of attempts allowed in response to the test sound, and can be any number of adjustable or setting times that allow repeating test.At frame 816, repeat the same tone to output this tone and obtain the response etc. from the user at frame 804 by continuing to arrive at frame 802. Returning to box 812, if the repetition limit is reached, the result is indicated as invalid at box 818 and the next tone output at box 802 is used at box 820, or the test can be ended and an indication of test failure is made, including which test tone was being output when the test failed.

[0094] Fig. 9 A flow chart illustrating an example process 900 for calculating a noise interruption decision according to some implementations. This example process 900 may be used to determine whether the estimated noise level at the user's eardrum interferes with the audio test, such as in Figure 8 Process 900 may be performed on an audio device (e.g., electronic device 100) or a user device (e.g., electronic device 130). For purposes of explanation, Figure 1 The process 900 is described with reference to an electronic device 130 (such as a user device). However, the process 900 is not limited to Figure 1 or Figure 2The electronic device 130 in the embodiment of the present invention, and one or more frames (or operations) of process 900 may be performed by one or more other components or other suitable devices. Further for the purpose of explanation, the frames of process 900 are described as occurring sequentially or linearly in this article. However, multiple frames of process 900 may occur in parallel. In addition, the frames of process 900 do not have to be performed in the order shown, and / or one or more frames of process 900 do not have to be performed and / or may be replaced by other operations.

[0095] At blocks 902, 912, 922, and 942, the estimated noise, ambient noise (e.g., received via reference microphone 116), and / or ambient noise (e.g., received via error microphone 118) are filtered for different noise types and / or levels. At block 902, a filter for ambient steady-state noise may be applied. Steady-state noise is noise that is relatively constant over time. Steady-state noise may have a wide range of frequencies associated with it. Steady-state noise may include background noise, such as noise generated from ceiling fans, motors, electronic devices, etc. At block 904, it may be determined whether the filtered noise meets a threshold. For example, the filtered noise may be compared to a model noise threshold signal or a threshold energy level. At block 906, a noise interruption decision is made, for example, if the noise meets a threshold, it may be determined that the physical environment around the user is too noisy to conduct the test or to continue the test or to record valid results for the test tone.

[0096] At box 912, an auditory filter may be applied, such as discussed above. At box 914, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) percentage may be calculated to determine the amount of contributing auditory noise from audio components utilized in the hearing test (including, for example, digital / analog converters, analog / digital converters, speaker hiss, etc.). This may be understood as the baseline noise of the system. In a quieter environment, the SNR percentage will have a greater impact on the overall noise distribution. In this way, the SNR percentage may be calculated to determine whether its contribution may affect the hearing test. In some implementations, the SNR percentage may be considered as part of the estimated noise, as discussed above. At box 916, it may be determined whether the filtered noise meets a threshold. For example, the filtered noise may be compared with a model noise threshold signal or a threshold energy level. At box 906, a noise interruption decision is made, for example, if the noise meets a threshold, it may be determined that the physical environment around the user is too noisy to conduct the test or to continue the test or to record valid results of the test tone.

[0097] At box 922, a filter for transient or ambient transient noise may be applied. Transient noise is noise that is sudden and short-lived. Transient noise may have a wide range of frequencies associated with it. Transient noise may include any sudden noise, such as sneezing, coughing, clapping, squeaks, shouting, doorbells, etc. At box 924, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) percentage may be calculated to determine the amount of contributing transient noise from the audio components utilized in the hearing test. In a quieter environment, the SNR percentage will have a greater impact on the overall noise distribution. In this way, the SNR percentage may be calculated to determine whether its contribution may affect the hearing test. In some specific implementations, the SNR percentage may be considered as part of the estimated noise, as discussed above. At box 926, it may be determined whether the filtered noise meets a threshold. For example, the filtered noise may be compared to a model noise threshold signal or a threshold energy level. At box 906, a noise interruption decision is made, for example, if the noise meets a threshold, it may be determined that the physical environment around the user is too noisy to conduct the test or to continue the test or to record valid results of the test tone.

[0098] At box 932, the audio interference decision can be determined using the auditory filter from box 912 (by means of box 914) together with the filtered transient noise from box 922 (by means of box 924). For example, if the noise interruption decision of box 906 is found for auditory filter noise or transient noise, they may each cause interference in different ways. In the case of auditory filter noise, the type of interference is masking interference. Auditory filter noise can simply cover up or confuse the auditory test tone. For example, the human ear needs to separate two different frequencies to distinguish them as different sounds. Otherwise, they can combine and sound chaotic or pulsating. Therefore, auditory filter interference near the test tone frequency can interfere with the user's ability to identify the test tone. In the case of transient noise, the type of interference is distraction interference. Sudden noise can simply distract the user's attention and make it unable to identify the hearing test tone. At box 932, the type of interference can be recorded together with an indication that the interference occurred, such as discussed above with respect to box 806 of process 800.

[0099] At block 934 , the test tone may be repeated, recorded, or advanced to a new tone, such as described above with respect to process 800 .

[0100] At box 942, an octave filter can be applied to noise. The octave filter decomposes noise into frequency ranges to provide the total energy level under different frequency ranges. The octave filter can be similar to the equalizer function on a stereo, and the equalizer function can set the level of sound output for different frequency ranges, but instead of setting the level, the equalizer function shows the level in the estimated noise. At box 944, the output of the filter can be smoothed so that the transition between the frequency ranges is not so violent. At box 946, the output of the filter can be interpolated or combined to estimate the level at the frequency range extracted from another frequency range. For example, the frequency range can be divided into two continuous frequency ranges and the level value is applied to these two frequency ranges, and these two frequency ranges are interpolated based on the next frequency range level in either direction. In another example, the frequency range can be combined with another frequency range to reduce the number of represented frequency ranges.

[0101] At block 948, the frequency range may be provided to the user in the hearing test application as a visualization of the estimated noise.A sample interface 950 is provided in Figure 10, and a sample visualization of the estimated noise is provided by element 948v.

[0102] Fig. 10A and Fig. 10B The flowchart of example process 950A and example process 950B for performing a hearing test and providing instructions based on a noise interruption decision according to some specific implementations is illustrated. Example process 950A can be used to determine whether the user's environment is quiet enough to perform a hearing test, for example, before the hearing test begins. Example process 950B can be used to determine whether the hearing test should be interrupted during the hearing test. Process 950A and / or 950B can be performed on an audio device (e.g., electronic device 100) or a user device (e.g., electronic device 130). Further for the purpose of explanation, the frames of process 950A and / or 950B are described herein as occurring sequentially or linearly. However, multiple frames of process 950A and / or 950B can occur in parallel. In addition, the frames of process 950A and / or 950B do not have to be performed in the order shown, and / or one or more frames of process 950A and / or 950B do not have to be performed and / or can be replaced by other operations.

[0103] Reference Fig. 10A At block 951, an indication to initiate a hearing test is received. The indication may be received, for example, on an interface of a user device (e.g., electronic device 130) by a user interacting with the interface. In some aspects, the indication may be received by an audio device (e.g., electronic device 100), for example, from electronic device 130. At block 953, a noise interruption decision is performed. For example, the noise interruption decision may be made based on Fig. 9 Block 906 and / or Figure 5The process continues to block 957 if it is too noisy (e.g., the estimated noise level is above a threshold and / or the result of the noise interruption decision of block 906 indicates a steady-state noise level or a transient noise level or an auditory filter noise type that will cause interference), otherwise it reaches block 955.

[0104] At box 956, when it is not too noisy, a message indicating that the noise level is acceptable may be displayed. A visualization of the noise may also be provided, such as an octave band visualization. The visualization may include color coding, such as green coding to indicate an acceptable result. The octave band visualization may provide vertical bars for different noise frequency ranges, which are arranged side by side for continuous frequency ranges. The length of the vertical bar may indicate the amount of noise in each frequency range. For example, an option to continue the test may be provided. At box 952, the hearing test may be performed when an indication to continue the test is received from the user.

[0105] At box 957, when it is too noisy, a message indicating that the noise level is too high may be caused to be displayed. Similar to the above, a visualization of the noise may also be provided. The visualization may be color-coded, such as red to indicate a noisy environment. Another message may be displayed that provides suggestions for obtaining a quieter environment, such as switching rooms, turning off noise-generating devices, etc. The option to continue testing may be disabled or not displayed to the user. The process may continue back to box 953 to perform the noise interruption decision again, for example until the user finds a quieter environment.

[0106] Reference Fig. 10B , at block 952, for example, from Fig. 10A The hearing test is performed at block 952. While the hearing test is being performed, a noise interruption decision is performed at block 953. For example, Fig. 9 Block 906 and / or Figure 5 The process continues to block 959 if it is too noisy (e.g., the estimated noise level is above a threshold and / or the result of the noise interruption decision of block 906 indicates a steady-state noise level or a transient noise level or an auditory filter noise type that will cause interference), otherwise it continues to block 952 to continue performing the hearing test.

[0107] At box 959, when it is too noisy, a message indicating that the noise level is too high may be caused to be displayed. Similar to the above, a visualization of the noise may also be provided. The visualization may be color-coded, such as in red, yellow, or orange to indicate a noisy environment. Another message may be displayed that provides a suggestion to wait for the noise to subside (e.g., in the case of interference caused by transient noise or the output of an auditory filter) or to find another quieter location to continue the test. When it is too noisy, the option to continue the test may be disabled. The process may continue to box 953 to loop back to perform a noise interruption decision. When the noise problem is resolved, the option to continue the test may be enabled, and the process may continue back to box 952 to continue performing the hearing test.

[0108] Fig.11 A flow chart of an example process 960 for estimating a noise level of ambient noise according to some specific implementations is illustrated. Process 960 may be performed on an audio device (e.g., electronic device 100). For the purpose of explanation, the blocks of process 960 are described herein as occurring sequentially or linearly. However, multiple blocks of process 960 may occur in parallel. In addition, the blocks of process 960 do not have to be performed in the order shown, and / or one or more blocks of process 960 do not have to be performed and / or may be replaced by other operations.

[0109] At box 962, at the first device, the noise from the physical environment is attenuated and the audio signal is output by the first device for user detection. The noise from the physical environment can be attenuated by ANC, PNC blocking by the device body and / or the device sealing member, or a combination thereof. The audio signal output can be a hearing test tone or other type of audio signal output as described above. At box 964, the first device provides an indication of the estimated noise at the first device to the second device for storage associated with the indication of whether the audio signal is detected by the user. According to the specific implementation described herein, the indication of the estimated noise level can be a noise intensity value, a noise filter or a characterization result, a result of a comparison of the estimated noise level with a threshold, etc. Storage can occur in the memory of the first device and / or the second device. The indication of whether the audio signal is detected by the user can be stored in the first device and / or the second device.

[0110] In one or more specific implementations, the specific implementation may include one or more of the following features. The audio signal may be a first audio signal, and when the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise meets a threshold, a second audio signal is output by the first device for user detection, wherein the first audio signal and the second audio signal have different frequencies. In one or more specific implementations, when the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise does not meet the threshold and when the number of attempts for outputting the audio signal is lower than the target number, the audio signal is output again by the first device for user detection. In one or more specific implementations, the first device may include an audio input device, an audio output device, and a sealing member located between the audio input device and the audio output device; and the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise is based at least in part on the estimated performance of the sealing member. In one or more specific implementations, before outputting the audio signal, a test is performed to obtain the estimated performance of the sealing member. In one or more specific implementations, the noise includes ambient steady-state noise and ambient transient noise. In one or more specific implementations, the audio signal corresponds to a hearing test tone. In one or more specific implementations, the noise is attenuated at a position between the first device and the user's ear. In one or more implementations, the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise at the first device represents an estimated attenuated noise level at an eardrum of the user.

[0111] Fig.12 A flowchart of an example process 970 for outputting an audio signal for user detection according to some implementations is illustrated. For purposes of explanation, Figure 1 Process 970 is described with reference to a user device (eg, electronic device 130). However, process 970 is not limited to Figures 1 to 3 The electronic device 130 of the present invention, and one or more blocks (or operations) of process 970 may be performed by one or more other components and / or other suitable devices. Further for the purpose of explanation, the blocks of process 970 are described herein as occurring sequentially or linearly. However, multiple blocks of process 970 may occur in parallel. In addition, the blocks of process 970 do not have to be performed in the order shown, and / or one or more blocks of process 970 do not have to be performed and / or may be replaced by other operations.

[0112] At box 972, an audio signal is provided by the first device to the second device operating in the noise cancellation mode for output for user detection. The audio signal may be a signal sent for playback to an earplug or a headset (such as an electronic device 100). The audio signal may be a hearing test tone to be detected by the user. At box 974, an indication of the noise level after noise cancellation can be obtained at the second device while the audio signal is output for user detection. According to the specific implementation described herein, the indication of the estimated noise level may be a noise intensity value, a noise filter or a characterization result, a result of a comparison of the estimated noise level with a threshold value, etc. At box 976, an indication of the noise level may be stored in conjunction with an indication of whether the audio signal is detected by the user. The indication of whether the audio signal is detected by the user may be stored in the first device and / or the second device.

[0113] Fig.13 A flowchart of an example process 980 for actively attenuating noise from the physical environment at a first device while outputting an audio signal for user detection is illustrated according to some implementations. Figure 1 The process 980 is described with reference to an audio device (eg, electronic device 100). However, the process 980 is not limited to Figures 1 to 3 The electronic device 100 of the present invention, and one or more frames (or operations) of process 980 may be performed by one or more other components and other suitable devices. Further for the purpose of explanation, the frames of process 980 are described as occurring sequentially or linearly in this article. However, multiple frames of process 980 may occur in parallel. In addition, the frames of process 980 do not have to be performed in the order shown, and / or one or more frames of process 970 do not have to be performed and / or may be replaced by other operations.

[0114] At box 982, noise from the physical environment at the first device is actively attenuated to meet a noise threshold. For example, ANC can be used to actively attenuate noise from the physical environment to reduce the noise at the user's eardrum so that the estimated noise level at the user's eardrum meets the noise threshold. This can include one or more thresholds, including a threshold for transient noise, a threshold for continuous noise, and a threshold for the output of an auditory filter. At box 984, when the attenuated noise meets the noise threshold, an audio signal is output by the first device for user detection. The audio signal can be a signal sent for playback to an earplug or headset (such as an electronic device 100). The audio signal can be a hearing test tone to be detected by the user. At box 986, the attenuated noise may not meet the above one or more thresholds. In response to the attenuated noise not meeting the one or more noise thresholds, the output of the audio signal by the first device is interrupted. Therefore, an increase in the noise level may cause the test to stop by interruption. The indication of the interruption can be stored together with information about the audio signal. For example, the indication can indicate which threshold of the one or more thresholds is exceeded and the type of interference associated with the interruption (e.g., distraction or masking).

[0115] In one or more implementations, the implementation may include one or more of the following features. In one or more implementations, obtaining an indication of the noise level at the second device after noise cancellation may include receiving, by the first device, an indication of the noise level after noise cancellation from the second device. In one or more implementations, obtaining an indication of the noise level at the second device after noise cancellation may include: receiving a second audio signal from the second device; and estimating the noise level on the first device based on the second audio signal from the second device. In one or more implementations, an input indicating whether the audio signal is detected by the user may be received by the first device from a user. In one or more implementations, the frequency characteristics of the noise level may be modeled by the first device after noise cancellation, and the provided audio signal may be selected based on the frequency characteristics of the noise level. In one or more implementations, when the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation does not meet a threshold, an indication that the noise level does not meet the threshold is stored in conjunction with the audio signal. In one or more implementations, when the number of attempts for providing the audio signal is less than a target number, the audio signal is provided again by the first device to the second device operating in the noise cancellation mode for user detection, and when the number of attempts for providing the audio signal meets the target number, an indication of the audio signal test failure is stored. In one or more specific implementations, when the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation does not meet the threshold based on the instantaneous noise in the physical environment of the second device, an indication that the noise level does not meet the threshold based on distraction-type noise is stored. And when the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation does not meet the threshold of the auditory filter based on the noise in the physical environment of the second device, an indication that the noise level does not meet the threshold based on masking-type noise is stored. In one or more specific implementations, the threshold is determined based on the frequency characteristics of the noise level after noise cancellation and the frequency characteristics of the audio signal. In one or more specific implementations, when the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation does not meet the threshold, before providing the audio signal, wait until the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation meets the threshold.

[0116] As described above, one aspect of the present technology is to collect and use data available from specific and legitimate sources to provide automatic adaptive noise cancellation for electronic devices. The present disclosure contemplates that, in some instances, the collected data may include personal information data that uniquely identifies or can be used to identify a specific person. Such personal information data may include voice data, demographic data, location-based data, online identifiers, phone numbers, email addresses, home addresses, data or records related to the user's health or fitness level (e.g., vital sign measurements, medication information, exercise information), date of birth, or any other personal information.

[0117] The present disclosure recognizes that the use of such personal information data in the present technology can be used to benefit users. For example, personal information data can be used to operate electronic devices to provide automatic adaptive noise cancellation for electronic devices. Therefore, the use of such personal information data can facilitate transaction processing (e.g., online transaction processing). In addition, the present disclosure also anticipates other uses of personal information data that benefit users. For example, health and fitness data can be used according to the user's preferences to provide insights into their overall health status, or can be used as positive feedback to individuals who use technology to pursue health goals.

[0118] The present disclosure envisions that entities responsible for collecting, analyzing, disclosing, transmitting, storing or otherwise using such personal information data will comply with established privacy policies and / or privacy practices. Specifically, such entities will be expected to implement and consistently apply privacy practices that are generally recognized as meeting or exceeding the requirements of the industry or government that maintain user privacy. Such information about the use of personal data should be prominently accessible to users and should be updated as the collection and / or use of data changes. The user's personal information should be collected only for legal use. In addition, such collection / sharing should only occur after receiving user consent or other legal basis specified in applicable law. In addition, such entities should consider taking any necessary steps to protect and safeguard access to such personal information data and ensure that other entities with access to personal information data comply with their privacy policies and procedures. In addition, such entities may subject themselves to third-party assessments to demonstrate that they comply with widely accepted privacy policies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should be adjusted for specific types of personal information data collected and / or accessed and made applicable to applicable laws and standards, including specific considerations that are exclusive to jurisdictions that can be used to impose higher standards. For example, in the United States, collection or access to certain health data may be governed by federal and / or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA); while health data in other countries may be subject to other regulations and policies and should be handled accordingly.

[0119] Regardless of the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplates implementation schemes in which users selectively block the use or access of personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplates hardware elements and / or software elements to prevent or block access to such personal information data. For example, in the case of operating an electronic device to provide automatic adaptive noise cancellation for the electronic device, the present technology may be configured to allow the user to choose to "opt in" or "opt out" to participate in the collection of personal information data at any time during or after registration for the service. In addition to providing "opt-in" and "opt-out" options, the present disclosure also contemplates providing notifications related to access or use of personal information. For example, a user may be notified that the user's personal information data will be accessed when downloading an application, and then the user may be reminded again just before the personal information data is accessed by the application.

[0120] In addition, it is the intention of the present disclosure that personal information data should be managed and processed in a manner that minimizes the risk of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Once the data is no longer needed, the risk can be minimized by limiting data collection and data deletion. In addition, and when applicable, including in certain health-related applications, data de-identification can be used to protect the privacy of users. De-identification can be promoted when appropriate by removing identifiers, controlling the amount or specificity of stored data (e.g., collecting location data at the city level rather than at the address level), controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data among users), and / or other methods such as differential privacy.

[0121] Therefore, while the present disclosure broadly covers the use of personal information data to implement one or more of the various disclosed embodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that various embodiments may be implemented without access to such personal information data. That is, various embodiments of the present technology will not fail to function properly due to the lack of all or part of such personal information data.

[0122] Fig.14 An electronic system 1000 is shown that can be used to implement one or more implementations of the subject technology. The electronic system 1000 can be Figures 1 to 3 One or more of the electronic devices 100 and / or 130 shown, and / or may be a part thereof. The electronic system 1000 may include various types of computer-readable media and interfaces for various other types of computer-readable media. The electronic system 1000 includes a bus 1008, one or more processing units 1012, a system memory 1004 (and / or cache), a ROM 1010, a permanent storage device 1002, an input device interface 1014, an output device interface 1006, and one or more network interfaces 1016, or a subset and variant thereof.

[0123] The bus 1008 generally represents all system buses, peripheral busses, and chipset buses that communicatively connect the many internal devices of the electronic system 1000. In one or more specific implementations, the bus 1008 communicatively connects one or more processing units 1012 with the ROM 1010, the system memory 1004, and the permanent storage device 1002. The one or more processing units 1012 retrieve instructions to be executed and data to be processed from these various memory units in order to perform the processes disclosed in the present subject matter. In different specific implementations, the one or more processing units 1012 can be a single processor or a multi-core processor.

[0124] ROM 1010 stores static data and instructions required by one or more processing units 1012 and other modules of electronic system 1000. On the other hand, permanent storage device 1002 can be a read-write memory device. Permanent storage device 1002 can be a non-volatile memory unit that stores instructions and data even when electronic system 1000 is turned off. In one or more specific implementations, a mass storage device (such as a magnetic disk or optical disk and its corresponding disk drive) can be used as permanent storage device 1002.

[0125] In one or more implementations, a removable storage device, such as a flash drive, may be used as the permanent storage device 1002. Like the permanent storage device 1002, the system memory 1004 may be a read-write memory device. However, unlike the permanent storage device 1002, the system memory 1004 may be a volatile read-write memory, such as a random access memory. The system memory 1004 may store any of the instructions and data that may be required by one or more processing units 1012 at run time. In one or more implementations, the processes disclosed in the subject matter are stored in the system memory 1004, the permanent storage device 1002, and / or the ROM 1010. The one or more processing units 1012 retrieve instructions to be executed and data to be processed from these various memory units in order to perform the processes of one or more implementations.

[0126] The bus 1008 is also connected to an input device interface 1014 and an output device interface 1006. The input device interface 1014 enables a user to transmit information and select commands to the electronic system 1000. Input devices that can be used with the input device interface 1014 may include, for example, an alphanumeric keyboard and a pointing device (also referred to as a "cursor control device"). The output device interface 1006 may, for example, enable the display of images generated by the electronic system 1000. Output devices that can be used with the output device interface 1006 may include, for example, a printer and a display device, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display, a flexible display, a flat panel display, a solid-state display, a projector, or any other device for outputting information. One or more specific implementations may include a device that acts as both an input device and an output device, such as a touch screen. In these specific implementations, the feedback provided to the user may be any form of sensory feedback, such as visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback; and input from the user may be received in any form, including acoustic, voice, or tactile input.

[0127] Finally, if Fig.14 As shown, bus 1008 also couples electronic system 1000 to one or more networks and / or to one or more network nodes via one or more network interfaces 1016. In this manner, electronic system 1000 may be part of a computer network, such as a LAN, a wide area network ("WAN"), or an intranet, or may be part of a network of networks, such as the Internet. Any or all components of electronic system 1000 may be used with the subject disclosure.

[0128] Implementations within the scope of the present disclosure may be implemented in part or in whole using a tangible computer-readable storage medium (or multiple tangible computer-readable storage media of one or more types) programmed with one or more instructions. Tangible computer-readable storage media may also be non-transitory in nature.

[0129] Computer-readable storage media can be any storage media that can be read, written, or otherwise accessed by a general or special computing device, including any processing electronics and / or processing circuitry capable of executing instructions. For example, without limitation, computer-readable media can include any volatile semiconductor memory, such as RAM, DRAM, SRAM, T-RAM, Z-RAM, and TTRAM. Computer-readable media can also include any non-volatile semiconductor memory, such as ROM, PROM, EPROM, EEPROM, NVRAM, flash memory, nvSRAM, FeRAM, FeTRAM, MRAM, PRAM, CBRAM, SONOS, RRAM, NRAM, racetrack memory, FJG, and Millipede memory.

[0130] Furthermore, the computer-readable storage medium may include any non-semiconductor memory, such as optical disk storage, magnetic disk storage, magnetic tape, other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium capable of storing one or more instructions. In one or more implementations, the tangible computer-readable storage medium may be directly coupled to the computing device, while in other implementations, the tangible computer-readable storage medium may be indirectly coupled to the computing device, for example, via one or more wired connections, one or more wireless connections, or any combination thereof.

[0131] Instructions can be directly executable, or can be used to develop executable instructions. For example, instructions can be implemented as executable or non-executable machine code, or can be implemented as high-level language instructions that can be compiled to produce executable or non-executable machine code. In addition, instructions can also be implemented as data, or can include data. Computer executable instructions can also be organized in any format, including routines, subroutines, programs, data structures, objects, modules, applications, applets, functions, etc. As recognized by those skilled in the art, the details including but not limited to the number, structure, sequence and organization of instructions can be significantly different without changing the underlying logic, function, processing and output.

[0132] Although the above discussion mainly relates to a microprocessor or multi-core processor that executes software, one or more specific implementations are performed by one or more integrated circuits such as ASICs or FPGAs. In one or more specific implementations, such integrated circuits execute instructions stored on the circuit itself.

[0133] Those skilled in the art will recognize that the various illustrative frames, modules, elements, parts, methods and algorithms described herein can be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software or a combination of the two. In order to illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative frames, modules, elements, parts, methods and algorithms have been generally described above according to functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. The technician can implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application. Various parts and frames can be arranged differently (e.g., arranged in different orders, or divided in different ways) without departing from the scope of the subject technology.

[0134] It should be understood that the specific order or the hierarchical structure of the frame in the process disclosed by the present invention are the illustration of the example method. Based on the design preferred requirements, it should be understood that the specific order or the hierarchical structure of the frame in the process can be rearranged or all the illustrated frames are executed. Any frame in these frames can be executed simultaneously. In one or more specific implementations, multitasking and parallel processing may be advantageous. In addition, the division of each system component in the above-mentioned specific implementation should not be understood as requiring such division in all specific implementations, and it should be understood that program components and systems can be generally integrated together in a single software product or encapsulated in multiple software products.

[0135] As used in this specification and any claims of this patent application, the terms "base station", "receiver", "computer", "server", "processor" and "memory" all refer to electronic devices or other technical devices. These terms exclude people or groups of people. For the purpose of this specification, the term "display" or "displaying" means displaying on an electronic device.

[0136] As used herein, the phrase "at least one of" following a list of items, any of which is separated by the terms "and" or "or", modifies the list as a whole, rather than each member of the list (i.e., each item). The phrase "at least one of" does not require selection of at least one of each item listed; rather, the phrase allows for a meaning that includes at least one of any one item and / or at least one of any combination of items and / or at least one of each item. For example, the phrase "at least one of A, B, and C" or "at least one of A, B, or C" each refers to only A, only B, or only C; any combination of A, B, and C; and / or at least one of each of A, B, and C.

[0137] The predicate words "configured to", "operable to", and "programmed to" do not imply any specific tangible or intangible modification of a subject matter but are intended to be used interchangeably. In one or more specific implementations, a processor configured to monitor and control an operation or component may also mean that the processor is programmed to monitor and control the operation or the processor is operable to monitor and control the operation. Similarly, a processor configured to execute code may be interpreted as a processor programmed to execute code or operable to execute code.

[0138] Phrases such as aspect, this aspect, on the other hand, some aspects, one or more aspects, a specific implementation, this specific implementation, another specific implementation, some specific implementations, one or more specific implementations, an embodiment, this embodiment, another embodiment, some embodiments, one or more embodiments, configuration, this configuration, other configurations, some configurations, one or more configurations, subject technology, disclosure, the present disclosure, other variations thereof, etc. are for convenience and do not mean that the disclosure involving such one or more phrases is essential to the subject technology, nor does it mean that such disclosure applies to all configurations of the subject technology. Disclosures involving such one or more phrases may apply to all configurations or one or more configurations. Disclosures involving such one or more phrases may provide one or more examples. Phrases such as aspect or some aspects may refer to one or more aspects and vice versa, and this applies similarly to the other aforementioned phrases.

[0139] The word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any implementation described herein as "exemplary" or as an "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other implementations. Furthermore, to the extent that the terms "including," "having," and the like are used in the specification or claims, such terms are intended to be inclusive, in a manner similar to how the term "comprising" is interpreted when used as a transitional word in a claim.

[0140] All structural and functional equivalents to the elements of the various aspects described throughout this disclosure that are known or later become known to those of ordinary skill in the art are expressly incorporated herein by reference and are intended to be covered by the claims. In addition, nothing disclosed herein is intended to be made available to the public regardless of whether the disclosure is explicitly stated in the claims. No claim element shall be interpreted under the provisions of 35 U.S.C. §112(f) unless the element is explicitly stated using the phrase “means for…” or, in the case of a method claim, the element is stated using the phrase “step for…”

[0141] The previous description is provided to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the various aspects described herein. Various modifications to these aspects are apparent to those skilled in the art, and the general principles defined herein may be applied to other aspects. Therefore, the claims are not intended to be limited to the aspects shown herein, but are intended to make the full scope consistent with the language claims, wherein the reference to the singular element is not intended to mean "only one", but to refer to "one or more", unless specifically noted. Unless otherwise specifically stated, the term "some" refers to one or more. Male pronouns (e.g., his) include female and neutral (e.g., her and its), and vice versa. Titles and subtitles (if any) are used only for convenience and do not limit the subject disclosure.

Claims

1. A method comprising: attenuating noise from a physical environment at a first device and outputting an audio signal by the first device for detection by a user; as well as An indication of an estimated noise level of the attenuated noise at the first device is provided by the first device to a second device for storage in association with an indication of whether the audio signal is detected by the user.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the audio signal is a first audio signal, the method further comprising: When the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise satisfies a threshold, a second audio signal is output by the first device for detection by the user, wherein the first audio signal and the second audio signal have different frequencies.

3. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: When the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise does not satisfy a threshold and when the number of attempts for outputting the audio signal is below a target number, the audio signal is output again by the first device for detection by the user.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises an audio input device, an audio output device, and a sealing member located between the audio input device and the audio output device, and wherein the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise is based at least in part on an estimated performance of the sealing member.

5. The method according to claim 4, further comprising: Prior to outputting the audio signal, a test is performed to obtain the estimated performance of the sealing member. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the noise comprises environmental steady-state noise and environmental transient noise. The method of claim 1 , wherein the audio signal corresponds to an audiometric test tone.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the noise is attenuated at a location between the first device and the user's ear.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise at the first device represents an estimated attenuated noise level at an eardrum of the user.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise is determined using a first microphone of the first device selected from a plurality of microphones of the first device, wherein the first microphone is determined to provide a most appropriate device response of the plurality of microphones of the first device. The method of claim 10 , wherein a second microphone of the plurality of microphones has a degraded device response. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second microphone is blocked or has a hardware failure.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise is determined using a first microphone of the first device, wherein the method further comprises: A compensation signal is applied to the signal of the first microphone to compensate for the detected blockage.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise is determined using a first microphone of the first device, the method further comprising: A noise reduction process is performed on the signal of the first microphone to reduce the self-noise of the first microphone.

15. The method of claim 1, wherein the estimated noise level of the attenuated noise is determined by combining an estimated noise level from a left component of the first device with an estimated noise level from a right component of the first device.

16. A method comprising: providing, by the first device, an audio signal to be output for detection by a user to a second device operating in a noise cancellation mode; obtaining an indication of a noise level at the second device after noise cancellation when outputting the audio signal for detection by the user; as well as The indication of the noise level is stored in conjunction with an indication of whether the user detects the audio signal.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein obtaining the indication of the noise level at the second device after noise cancellation comprises receiving, by the first device, the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation from the second device.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein obtaining the indication of the noise level at the second device after noise cancellation comprises: receiving a second audio signal from the second device; as well as A noise level on the first device is estimated based on the second audio signal from the second device.

19. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: An input is received by the first device from the user indicating whether the audio signal is detected by the user.

20. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: modeling, by the first device, the frequency characteristics of the noise level after noise cancellation; as well as The provided audio signal is selected based on the frequency characteristic of the noise level.

21. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: When the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation does not satisfy a threshold, the indication that the noise level does not satisfy the threshold is stored in conjunction with the audio signal.

22. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: When the number of attempts for providing the audio signal is less than a target number, providing, by the first device, the audio signal again to the second device operating in the noise cancellation mode for detection by the user; as well as When the number of attempts to provide the audio signal meets the target number, an indication that the audio signal test failed is stored.

23. The method according to claim 21, further comprising: when the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation does not meet the threshold based on instantaneous noise in a physical environment of the second device, storing an indication that the noise level does not meet the threshold based on distracting noise; as well as When the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation does not meet a threshold of an auditory filter based on noise in the physical environment of the second device, an indication that the noise level does not meet a threshold based on masking noise is stored.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the threshold is determined based on a frequency characteristic of a noise level after noise cancellation and a frequency characteristic of the audio signal.

25. The method according to claim 16, further comprising: When the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation does not satisfy a threshold, waiting until the indication of the noise level after noise cancellation satisfies the threshold before providing the audio signal.

26. A system comprising: processor; and a memory device comprising instructions which, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to: Actively attenuating noise from the physical environment at the first device to meet a noise threshold; When the attenuated noise meets the noise threshold, the first device outputs an audio signal for user detection; and In response to the attenuated noise not satisfying the noise threshold, outputting the audio signal by the first device is interrupted.

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