A system and method for conducting hearing tests within a hearing preservation program.

Abstract

A computerized method for hearing tests includes: displaying a training video to a subject to be tested on a mobile device; conducting a hearing test on a subject using the mobile device to control an audiometer that wirelessly communicates with the mobile device, the audiometer being separate from the mobile device and including a tone generator that electronically communicates with a headset worn by the subject; displaying the results of the hearing test on the mobile device; electronically comparing the results of the hearing test with a baseline test for the subject; displaying a hearing deviation notification on the mobile device if the results of the hearing test differ from the baseline test by a predetermined threshold; and receiving an electronic acknowledgment from the subject via the mobile device that the subject has viewed the training video, the results of the hearing test, and, if applicable, the hearing deviation notification.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] (Cross - Reference to Related Applications) This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 137,375, filed on April 20, 2023, and U.S. Patent Application No. 18 / 630,874, filed on April 9, 2024, both of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.

[0002] (Technical Field) The present disclosure relates to audiometric testing, and more particularly, to systems and methods for conducting audiometric testing within a hearing conservation program.

Background Art

[0003] (Background) Noise, i.e., unwanted sound, is a significant occupational health problem. Sound consists of pressure variations in a medium (usually air) caused by vibrations or turbulence. These pressure variations produce waves that radiate away from the source of the turbulence or vibration. Exposure to high levels of noise can cause hearing loss and other adverse health effects. The degree of hearing damage mainly depends on the intensity of the noise and the duration of the exposure.

[0004] Noise - induced hearing loss can be temporary or permanent. Temporary hearing loss is caused by short - term exposure to noise, and normal hearing recovers after a certain rest period. Generally, long - term exposure to high noise levels over a certain time period gradually causes permanent damage.

[0005] To reduce the risk of hearing loss, various regulatory bodies and industry associations have established standards for employees exposed to high levels of noise in the workplace. Such standards typically involve periodic hearing tests. For example, one set of regulations requires employers to monitor the hearing of all employees whose noise exposure is equivalent to or exceeds that of being exposed to noise at a constant noise level of 85 dB for eight hours.

[0006] The specific means of establishing a hearing preservation program are typically left to the employer's discretion. This places employers of all sizes in a difficult position to develop and implement internal programs that meet countless requirements, with serious consequences for non-compliance.

[0007] As just one example of the difficulties in establishing a hearing preservation program, the devices used to conduct hearing tests, namely audiometers, can be expensive and difficult to transport. For example, a typical audiometer can cost thousands of dollars, be too heavy or bulky to be easily moved between testing locations, and may force those seeking hearing tests to travel to the audiometer's fixed location. This is inconvenient and unsuitable for on-site testing, such as employee testing to comply with Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulations.

[0008] Furthermore, even expensive audiometers can produce invalid results. For example, background noise can make it difficult for the subject to hear the tone produced by the audiometer. Also, the audiometer and / or the headset used with the audiometer may be uncalibrated and produce tones that differ from standard test tones in terms of frequency and / or sound pressure levels. In addition, subjects undergoing audiometry may not be properly instructed on how the test is conducted, leading to user error and preventing accurate determination of hearing threshold levels. Invalid tests cannot be used to meet the regulations of OSHA or other organizations and can have negative consequences for employers.

[0009] What is needed, therefore, is a system and method for conducting hearing tests within a hearing preservation program that ensures effective testing and reduces the risk of non-compliance with established standards. [Overview of the Initiative] [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] (Summary of Disclosure) This summary is provided to introduce a set of concepts, which will be further described below in the detailed description. This summary is not intended to identify any important or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended to be used as an aid in limiting the scope of the claimed subject matter.

[0011] In one aspect, the system for hearing tests comprises an audiometer, including a tone generator that electronically communicates with a headset worn by the subject to be tested. The system also includes a mobile device that electronically communicates with the audiometer, and the audiometer and the mobile device are separate devices, the mobile device including a display screen, one or more processors, and a non-transient machine-readable medium including program code that causes one or more processors to perform a method for hearing tests. The method includes displaying a training video to the subject on the display screen. The method also includes performing a hearing test on the subject using the mobile device to control the audiometer. The method further includes displaying the results of the hearing test on the display screen. In addition, the method includes electronically comparing the results of the hearing test with a baseline test for the subject. Furthermore, the method includes displaying a notification of hearing deviation on the display screen if the results of the hearing test differ from the baseline test by a predetermined threshold. The method also includes receiving an electronic confirmation from the subject via a mobile device that the subject has viewed the training video, the results of the hearing test, and, where applicable, a notification of hearing deviation.

[0012] In another aspect, the computer implementation method includes displaying a training video to the subject to be tested on a mobile device. The method also includes conducting an audiometry test on the subject using the mobile device to control an audiometer that wirelessly communicates with the mobile device, the audiometer being separate from the mobile device and including a tone generator that electronically communicates with a headset worn by the subject. The method further includes displaying the results of the audiometry test on the mobile device. In addition, the method includes electronically comparing the results of the audiometry test with a baseline test for the subject. Furthermore, the method includes displaying a hearing deviation notification on the mobile device if the results of the audiometry test differ from the baseline test by a predetermined threshold. The method also includes receiving an electronic acknowledgment from the subject via the mobile device that the subject has viewed the training video, the results of the audiometry test, and, where applicable, the hearing deviation notification.

[0013] In another aspect, the system for conducting the target hearing test includes an audiometer and a mobile device that communicates electronically with the audiometer, the audiometer and the mobile device being separate devices. The mobile device includes a display screen, one or more processors and memory for storing program code, the program code causing one or more processors to verify that the room in which the hearing test is to be conducted has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, to determine that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day in which the hearing test is to be conducted, and to conduct the target hearing test using the audiometer under the control of the mobile device, and conducting the hearing test is prevented until one or more processors have confirmed that the room in which the hearing test is to be conducted has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard and that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day in which the hearing test is to be conducted.

[0014] In another respect, a computer implementation method for conducting a target hearing test using an audiometer includes confirming that the room in which the hearing test is to be conducted has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, determining that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day in which the hearing test is to be conducted, and conducting the target hearing test using a mobile device that electronically communicates with the audiometer, wherein the mobile device is separate from the audiometer, and controlling it and conducting the hearing test is prevented until the confirmation and determination steps have been performed. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0015] The accompanying figures are provided for illustrative purposes only, not as limitations. The aforementioned and other aspects of this disclosure are discussed in relation to the accompanying illustrative figures relating to one or more embodiments, as described below.

[0016] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of the system for conducting hearing tests within the hearing preservation program.

[0017] [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of the software modules in the memory of a mobile device.

[0018] [Figure 3A] Figure 3A is a flowchart of the method for conducting hearing tests within a hearing preservation program.

[0019] [Figure 3B] Figures 3B and 3C show the user interface for registering the object to be tested. [Figure 3C] Figures 3B and 3C show the user interface for registering the object to be tested.

[0020] [Figure 3D] Figure 3D shows the user interface for training the target.

[0021] [Figure 3E] Figure 3E is a user interface and data flow diagram for testing a subject.

[0022] [Figure 3F] Figure 3F is a report of the results of an audiometry test.

[0023] [Figure 3G] Figure 3G is a report of hearing shift.

[0024] [Figure 3H] Figure 3H is a report of multiple employees identified as having hearing shift.

[0025] [Figure 4A] Figure 4A is a flowchart of a method for validating an audiometry test.

[0026] [Figure 4B] Figure 4B is a user interface for training test administrators.

[0027] [Figure 5A] Figure 5A is a schematic diagram of a system for detecting ambient noise.

[0028] [Figure 5B] Figure 5B is a user interface for validating a room.

[0029] [Figure 6A] Figure 6A is a schematic diagram of a calibrator.

[0030] [Figure 6B] Figure 6B is a user interface for equipment validation.

[0031] [Figure 7]Figure 7 shows an exemplary user interface generated by a certified module according to one embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0032] (Detailed explanation) The following detailed description refers to the accompanying drawings, which form part of this specification. In the drawings, similar symbols typically identify similar components unless the context otherwise determines. The detailed description, drawings, and illustrative embodiments described in the claims are not intended to be limiting. Other embodiments may be used and other modifications may be made without departing from the spirit or scope of the subject matter presented herein.

[0033] Figure 1 is a schematic diagram of a system 100 for conducting hearing tests within a hearing preservation program, according to one embodiment. The system 100 may include an audiometer 102 and a mobile device 104 for controlling the audiometer 102. As shown, the audiometer 102 and the mobile device 104 may be separate devices that communicate electronically via wireless or wired connections.

[0034] The audiometer 102 may include one or more audio connectors 106, which may be embodied as physical audio ports / jacks and audio circuits, such as analog-to-digital converters (ADCs), digital-to-analog converters (DACs), filters, or equivalents, for transferring audio data to and from the CPU 108. Alternatively, or in addition, the audiometer 102 may include a wireless interface 110 for transmitting and receiving data (e.g., audio, messages) to and from a mobile device 104 and / or headset 112, which may be coupled to the audio connector 106 via a wired connection in some embodiments. The wireless interface 110 may implement one or more wireless standards, including, but not limited to, Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi (802.11), ZigBee®, and / or Z-Wave.

[0035] The headset 112 may be embodied as headphones, earphones, or equivalent, including a pair of small loudspeaker drivers that are worn over or around the user's head across their ears. The drivers are electroacoustic transducers that convert electrical signals into corresponding sounds. Suitable headsets for conducting hearing tests include, but are not limited to, the DD65v2 headset available from RadioEar.

[0036] The CPU 108 may be any suitable microprocessor, microcontroller, digital signal processor (DSP), field-programmable gate array (FPGA), or other device capable of executing instructions stored in the memory 114. In various embodiments, the memory 114 is implemented using random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), or any suitable combination thereof.

[0037] In one embodiment, the audiometer 102 includes a tone generator 116 that generates a standardized tone to be played back on, for example, a headset 112. The tone generator 116 may include, but is not limited to, a 32-bit DAC, one or more filters, and / or other circuitry required to generate an analog audio output via the audio connector 106. A preferred tone generator 116 may include, for example, the ES9218 DAC available from EES in combination with an STM32 processor available from STMicroelectronics. In some embodiments, including a fully wireless embodiment, the functionality of the tone generator 116 may be integrated into the CPU 108. However, for the sake of clarity of explanation, the tone generator 116 is illustrated as a separate component.

[0038] In some embodiments, the headset 112 and audiometer 102 may be calibrated using a calibrator 118, as described in more detail in relation to Figure 6A. The calibrator 118 may include a housing having a width approximating the distance between a person's ears. Furthermore, the calibrator 118 may include one or more microphones 120. Suitable microphones 120 may include, but are not limited to, the I437L microphone available from MicW.

[0039] In the illustrated embodiment, two microphones 120 are provided on opposite sides of the housing for placement in close proximity to the left and right loudspeaker drivers of the headset 112. The calibrator 118 may also include an audio connector 106 for electrically connecting the microphones 120 to the audio connector 106 in the mobile device 104. Wireless communication may be used in other embodiments. In other embodiments, a single microphone may be used.

[0040] The mobile device 104 may also include various components found in the audiometer 102, such as a wireless interface 110, a CPU 108, and memory 114, each of which may be identical or different to the corresponding component in the audiometer 102. The memory 114 may store various software modules, as will be described in more detail with respect to Figure 2. The mobile device 104 may further include a display screen 122, such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light-emitting diode (LED) display, an organic light-emitting diode (OLED) display, or the equivalent. In some embodiments, the mobile device 104 may be implemented using a tablet computer, such as an iPad® tablet available from Apple Corporation.

[0041] Figure 1 illustrates a single audiometer 102 and a single mobile device 104, but those skilled in the art will recognize that multiple audiometers 102 and mobile devices 104 may be used within the system 100. For example, one aspect of this disclosure may be carried out using one mobile device 104, while other aspects may be carried out by different mobile devices 104. Furthermore, the mobile devices 104 do not need to be the same.

[0042] System 100 may further include a server 124, which may be a computer system configured to provide data to a mobile device 104 via a wireless interface 110 over a computer network such as a local area network (LAN) and / or a wide area network (WAN) such as the Internet. The data may be stored in the server 124 in a database 126, which may be a relational database, for example, a structured query language (SQL) database, a hierarchical database, an object-oriented database, or an equivalent. Database 126 may be implemented using various storage devices such as hard disk drives (HDDs) and / or solid-state drives (SSDs). In some embodiments, database 126 may be implemented using cloud storage such as Amazon S3® or AWS®. As described in more detail below, database 126 may be used to store employee data, including personally identifiable information (PII), hearing test data, signed hearing test reports, and equivalents.

[0043] Referring to Figure 2, the memory 114 of the mobile device 104 may store several software modules containing instructions that cause the CPU 108 and other hardware components to perform the various methods disclosed herein. For example, the memory 114 may store, but is not limited to, a registration module 200, a training module 202, a test module 204, a reporting module 206, a signature module 208, a room verification module 210, and an equipment verification module 212. Those skilled in the art will recognize, without departing from the scope of this disclosure, that the functionality of the various modules may be combined, and / or additional modules may be included. In other words, the software architecture disclosed herein is merely one embodiment of a possible arrangement of instructions for performing the disclosed methods.

[0044] The registration module 200 identifies subjects to be tested (e.g., employees) either by searching for subjects in the database 126 based on personally identifiable information (PII) or by retrieving various registration information from subjects. The information received by the registration module 200 may be stored in the database 126 for subsequent reading and reporting.

[0045] The training module 202 displays training videos to the subject regarding different aspects of hearing protection and the procedures for hearing tests. The training videos may be displayed on the display screen 122 of a mobile device 104 (e.g., a tablet). In some embodiments, the subject must view the training videos in order to proceed with the hearing test. Therefore, the training module 202 may interact with the test module 204 and prevent the hearing test from being conducted until the playback of the training videos is complete and / or the subject acknowledges viewing the training videos.

[0046] The test module 204 performs the target hearing test. In some embodiments, the hearing test is performed according to the Hughson-Westlake procedure using an audiometer 102 under the control of a mobile device 104, as described in more detail below.

[0047] The reporting module 206 displays the results of an audiometry test on the mobile device 104, which may include an audiogram providing a graph of the subject's hearing threshold levels for each ear of the subject regarding a set of frequencies. Each hearing threshold level may include an indication of a sound pressure level that the subject heard a tone at a given frequency within a given time interval. According to the Hughson-Westlake procedure, the hearing threshold level is defined as the lowest decibel hearing level at which a response occurs in at least half of a series of ascending trials. The minimum number of responses required by this procedure to determine a hearing threshold is two responses out of three presentations at a single level.

[0048] In some embodiments, the reporting module 206 compares the results of an audiometry test to a baseline test for the subject (e.g., stored in database 126) and displays a notification of hearing deviation if the results of the audiometry test differ from the baseline test by a predetermined threshold (e.g., 10 dB). The reporting module 206 may also use text-to-speech synthesis to generate an audio explanation of the results.

[0049] The signature module 208 receives an electronic acknowledgment from the subject via the mobile device 104 that the subject has viewed, but is not limited to, training videos, hearing test results, and, where applicable, a hearing deviation notification. The electronic acknowledgment may be in the form of an electronic signature applied to the report containing the hearing test and / or hearing deviation notification. The signed report may be stored in the database 126 for later retrieval.

[0050] In some embodiments, the test module 204 may prevent the audiometry test from starting until a certain verification step is completed, typically by the test administrator. For example, the audiometry test cannot proceed until (1) the room in which the audiometry test is to be administered has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, as determined by the room verification module 210, and (2) the calibration of the audiometer 102 and associated headset 112 has been verified at least once on the day (or other time cycle) in which the audiometry test is to be administered, as determined by the equipment verification module 214. In some embodiments, the equipment verification module 214 may also facilitate the calibration of the audiometer 102 and headset 112 if necessary.

[0051] Figure 3A is a flowchart of Method 300 for conducting a hearing test according to some embodiments of the present disclosure. Method 300 may be performed by a mobile device 104 in conjunction with an audiometer 102, a server 124, a database 126, and other components of System 100, as discussed in relation to Figure 1.

[0052] Method 300, in one embodiment, begins with registering the subject to be tested (302). For example, as shown in Figure 3B, a user interface 350 (which may be generated by the registration module 200) prompts the subject to identify itself using personally identifiable information (PII), such as a name or employee number. The mobile device 104 may be configured to search the database 126 in response to the subject providing all or some of the requested PII, and prompt the subject whether they are a specific individual in the database 126 that matches the information provided. In other embodiments, the subject may be required to provide their full name or employee number and, assuming its existence, press a “Search” button (not shown).

[0053] As shown in Figure 3C, if a subject is not found in database 126, the user interface 350 may prompt the subject to provide various information such as their name, employee number, address, workplace, gender, preferred language, and equivalents. Some fields, such as workplace and gender, may be selected from a pre-defined list of options. Once the subject has finished providing the requested information, they may select the "Next" button 352 or equivalent.

[0054] Continuing with Figure 3A, Method 300 may also proceed by displaying a training video to the subject via the display screen 122 of the mobile device 104 (304). The training video may include various information relating to the hearing preservation program, and non-limiting embodiments include: 1. The effects of noise on hearing 2. Purpose of hearing protection devices 3. Advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation of various types of hearing protection devices. 4. Selection, adjustment, use, and care of hearing protection devices 5. Purpose of hearing tests 6. Hearing Test Procedure For example, in relation to the procedure for a hearing test, the instructions given to the subject may include the following: 1. You will hear a series of tones during the test. As soon as you hear the tones, tap the "I Heard" button on your device. 2. Some of the tones you can hear are very faint. If you can hear even a faint tone, please tap the "Hear" button. 3. Missing a tone will not affect your test results. Being distracted by brief noises is also acceptable. You will have multiple opportunities to respond to each tone. 4. After completing the test, a graph will be displayed, and an explanation of the test results will be shown. 5. Remove any hearing aids, glasses, earrings, or anything else worn between your head and headphones, then readjust the headphones to your ears. 6. When you're finished, click the "Finish" button. Naturally, other instructions may also be used within the scope of this disclosure. In some configurations, the instructions may be updated as needed.

[0055] Figure 3D illustrates a user interface 354 that may be generated by the training module 202 for displaying a training video. The user interface 354 may include a video window 356 on which the training video should be displayed. In some embodiments, the user interface 354 may also include a text window 358 for displaying text such as step-by-step written instructions and / or a table of contents of the training video content. In the latter case, the subject may be able to examine different parts of the training video by selecting individual items from the table of contents of content shown in the text window 358.

[0056] In some embodiments, the subject may not be able to proceed to the test until the entire video has been viewed. For example, as shown in Figure 3A, a determination 306 may be made as to whether the training video has been completed. If not, method 300 may return to step 304 to play (or replay) the training video until completion.

[0057] In one embodiment, the training video cannot be skipped and can only be paused or rewound to ensure that the subject watches the entire training video. In another embodiment, the mobile device 104 may employ visual attention and focus tracking techniques to ensure that the subject pays attention to the training video. Such techniques may include, but are not limited to, eye / focus tracking via a front camera on the mobile device 104 to determine whether the subject is watching the screen while the video is being presented. In some embodiments, the user may be given a quiz regarding aspects of the training video before being allowed to continue. After the training video is completed, the user may press a “Next” button 360 or equivalent, which may be deactivated (grayed out) until the training video is played and / or all other requirements related to the training video are completed.

[0058] Turning back to Figure 3A, Method 300 proceeds by performing an audiometry test (308). In some embodiments, the test module 204 generates a user interface 362 for display on the display screen 122, as shown in Figure 3E. For simplicity, the test interface 362 may include a single button 364 or other central or prominent control device to indicate that the user has heard the generated tone.

[0059] Figure 3E also includes a data flow and timing diagram showing the timing of messages between the mobile device 104 and the audiometer 102. First, the mobile device 104 sends a first structured message 366 instructing the audiometer 102 to play a tone of a certain frequency and decibel level in a specific ear of the subject. For example, the first structured message 366 may include a Bluetooth® command or message (packet) instructing the audiometer 102 to play a 1,000 Hz tone at 60 dB in the left ear of the subject (i.e., in the left driver of the headset 112).

[0060] If the user presses the button prematurely at point 367 (i.e., before the tone is played), an error is registered at point 368.

[0061] Otherwise, the audiometer 102 starts the tone at point 369 and ends the tone at point 370. The audiometer 102 sends a second structured message 372 (e.g., a Bluetooth® packet) to the mobile device 104 indicating that the tone is being played. The second structured message 372 may be sent when the audiometer 102 starts playing the tone at point 369 (as shown in the figure), or in another embodiment, when the audiometer 102 ends the tone at point 370 (not shown), indicating that the tone is being played.

[0062] When the second structured message 372 is received, the mobile device 104 starts a timer at point 374. The timer may run for a predetermined amount of time, for example, 400 milliseconds.

[0063] If the target presses button 364 at point 376 before the timer ends at point 378, success is registered at point 380. However, if the target presses button 364 at point 382 after the timer has ended at point 378, an error is registered at point 384.

[0064] As described above, the test may be conducted according to the Hughson-Westlake procedure, and the hearing threshold is defined as two out of three (or three out of five) correct responses (successes) during the rising portion of the tone presentation. If the patient responds when the tone rises, the test will automatically decrease the level by 10 dB increments. The patient needs to respond to the same intensity two out of three or three out of five times for the threshold to be recorded. In one embodiment, the intensity increases by 5 dB increments, while the intensity decreases by 10 dB increments.

[0065] The time between tones (and therefore messages 366 from mobile device 104) may vary within a specific range (e.g., 720 to 2,000 milliseconds) to prevent the subject from predicting the timing of the tones. Thus, messages 366 from mobile device 104 may be delayed or timed within a specific range by random or pseudo-random factors.

[0066] Multiple tones are generated in each ear of the subject using a range of frequencies, for example, 500Hz, 1,000Hz, 2,000Hz, 3,000Hz, 4,000Hz, and 8,000Hz. In practice, when the subject is unable to indicate that a particular tone was heard within a given time interval, the sound pressure level for the missed tone will be progressively increased (though not necessarily sequentially) until the subject indicates that the particular tone was heard within the given time interval. In other words, the audiometry test determines the loudness of sounds at different frequencies that the subject needs to hear them.

[0067] Even when using the procedure described above, it is still possible that user responses may result in invalid tests. For example, the subject may provide inconsistent responses or "hear" unplayed tones excessively frequently. However, assuming that a hearing threshold level can be determined, method 300 proceeds by displaying the results of the audiometry test (310), as shown in Figure 3A.

[0068] Referring to Figure 3F, the results that may be produced by the reporting module 206 may be in the form of a hearing report 386, which may be displayed on the display screen 122 of the mobile device 104 and / or printed on paper. The hearing report 386 may include audiograms 388 for the right and left ears, respectively.

[0069] Turning back to Figure 3A, in one embodiment, Method 300 may proceed by comparing the results of an audiometry test, if applicable, with a baseline test on the subject (via the reporting module 206) (314). The baseline test on the subject may be the last test performed on the subject, and the results for that test are stored in the database 126 beforehand. The baseline test may not necessarily be the first test for an employee at the company. For example, if a significant change in hearing exists and that change is subsequently confirmed by retesting, the new test would become the baseline for subsequent comparisons, even though the database 126 may contain several years' worth of test results for the employee.

[0070] Turning back to Figure 3A, a determination 316 is made as to whether the test result differs from the baseline test by exceeding a predetermined threshold (e.g., 10 dB). If not, the method proceeds to step 320. If it does, the method proceeds by displaying a hearing deviation notice 390 (318), an example of which is shown in Figure 3F. In some embodiments, the notice 390 may be displayed together with an audiogram 388 within the same hearing report 386. In other embodiments, the notice 390 may be displayed in a separate report and may be read and acknowledged separately by the subject.

[0071] As shown in Figure 3A, Method 300 proceeds by receiving an electronic acknowledgment (320) that the subject has viewed the training video, the results of the hearing test, and, if applicable, a notification of hearing deviation. The electronic acknowledgment may be in the form of a signature, which is electronically captured via the mobile device 103 in response to the subject signing their name with their finger or stylus. For example, the hearing report 386 shown in Figure 3F may further include, in addition to the audiogram 388 and any notification of hearing deviation 390, an acknowledgment section 392 which may have the subject's signature, a space for the date of the signature, and / or a line for the subject to initialize, indicating at least that the subject has been trained and received a copy of the report. The subject's signature may be applied to the report and / or stored with it, such that subsequent readings of the report will include the signature. In some implementations, the hearing report 386 may be embodied as a Portable Document Format (PDF) document using the signature features of Adobe Acrobat®.

[0072] After receiving the electronic acknowledgment, method 300 may terminate by storing the report 386, the acknowledgment, and any associated test data in the database 126 (322). Such data may be used for auditing purposes (i.e., to demonstrate that any applicable standards are met) and / or for reporting purposes.

[0073] Another example of Report 394 is shown in Figure 3G, which may be provided to an employer in response to detecting a hearing deviation in an employee. The report may include items of action to be taken and may be reviewed and confirmed by an in-house audiologist or other healthcare professional. Report 394 may be updated whenever it is reviewed and after retesting of the subject. Thus, Report 394 may be a continuous record of the employee's specific hearing deviation and all efforts to document and mitigate it.

[0074] As shown in Figure 3H, another report 396 may include a list of employees who have experienced hearing deviations during a specific time period or at a specific location, allowing employers to track the status of each such employee, including retesting. A wide variety of reports are possible, using the stored data in database 126.

[0075] As described above, ensuring the validity of a hearing test can be difficult. For example, background noise may make it difficult for the subject to hear the tone produced by the audiometer 102. Also, the audiometer 102 and / or the headset 112 used with the audiometer may be uncalibrated and produce tones that differ from standard test tones in terms of frequency and / or sound pressure level. Invalid tests cannot be used to meet regulations by OSHA and other organizations.

[0076] In some embodiments, several steps are performed prior to Method 300 in Figure 3A to ensure the validity of the hearing test. For example, Figure 4A is a flowchart of Method 400 for conducting a valid hearing test. Method 400 may be performed using an audiometer 102 and a mobile device 104, in conjunction with the test administrator, rather than the subject of the test.

[0077] Method 400 begins by displaying a verification command to the test administrator (402). The verification command may include a command to verify the room in which the audiometry test is to be administered, as well as a command to verify and / or calibrate the equipment used in the audiometry test. The verification command may be displayed automatically (or periodically) or in response to the activation of a specific control device (not shown).

[0078] Figure 4B illustrates an exemplary user interface 450, which may be provided by the training module 202 for displaying command 452 to the test administrator. The user interface 450 may include a video demonstration area 454, which may include a video presentation depicting step-by-step instructions to the test administrator regarding how to connect various devices, such as the calibrator 118, and how to perform room and test equipment verification. In addition, the user interface 450 may include a control device 456, which allows the test administrator to respond by confirming that they have reviewed command 452 and / or the video demonstration in the video demonstration area 454. In one embodiment, activation of the control device 456 is essential for the subject to proceed with the hearing test.

[0079] Turning back to Figure 4A, Method 400 proceeds by confirming (404) that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard. Exemplary standards for the set of background pressure levels are shown in Table 1 below. As illustrated, multiple octave band center frequencies (measured in Hertz) may have corresponding maximum sound pressure levels (measured in dB). For example, for the room to be verified, the maximum sound pressure level at 500 Hz is 40 dB, while the maximum sound pressure level at 2,000 Hz is 47 dB. [Table 1]

[0080] Figure 5A illustrates a hardware configuration for ensuring that the room in which the hearing test is to be performed has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard. In one embodiment, determining the set of background sound pressure levels may be performed using a microphone 120 associated with a calibrator 118. Alternatively, the audiometer 102 itself and / or the mobile device 104 may have a microphone that can be used for this purpose.

[0081] The sound captured by the microphone 120, including ambient noise in the room, may be transmitted to the mobile device 104 via the audio connector 106 (or wirelessly), where it is decomposed, for example, using Fourier analysis and evaluated at each of the octave band center frequencies shown in Table 1. If the sound pressure level for one or more of the octave band center frequencies exceeds the corresponding maximum sound pressure level, the room cannot be verified. In such cases, the administrator may be prompted by the room verification module 210 to move the system 100 to a quieter environment, remove or deactivate noisy equipment, and / or take other corrective measures.

[0082] Figure 5B shows an exemplary user interface 502 for room verification, which may be provided by the room verification module 210. The user interface 502 may include a control device 504 for initiating room verification once the equipment (e.g., microphone) is positioned. If the room is too noisy, the test administrator will be notified and given an opportunity to correct the situation. If the room meets the specified standards, the system may automatically proceed to equipment verification, as described below. In some embodiments, the user interface 502 may include a control device 504 for terminating without verification. However, as described above, without room verification, the hearing test may be prevented from proceeding in some embodiments.

[0083] Turning back to Figure 4A, Method 400 proceeds by determining (406) that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day (or other set time period) in which the audiometry test is to be performed. Typically, the audiometry equipment is calibrated at regular intervals so that the tones generated by the tone generator 116 and reproduced by the headset 112 have frequencies and sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard. However, it is possible that during these intervals, the audiometer 102 and / or headset 112 may deviate from calibration.

[0084] Figure 6A illustrates a hardware configuration for calibrating the audiometer 102 and headset 112 using a calibrator 118 when calibration has not been verified within the day (or other time period) in which the hearing test should be performed. As shown, the calibrator 118 may, in one embodiment, include left and right microphones 120, which correspond to the left and right drivers of the headset 112, respectively. In some embodiments, the housing of the calibrator 118 has a width approximating the width of a human head. The headset 112 may be physically positioned such that the left driver of the headset 112 is close to the left microphone 120 and the right driver of the headset 112 is close to the right microphone 120. In some embodiments, the left and right microphones 120 may protrude slightly from the calibrator 118 and be covered by the left and right drivers of the headset 112 in the manner of a human ear, replicating the experience of a person wearing the headset 112.

[0085] During calibration, the mobile device 104 controls the audiometer 102 in the same manner as the hearing test (as fully described below), generating a series of test tones at various frequencies in the left and right drivers of the headset 112, respectively. In response, the left and right microphones 120 of the audiometer 102 sample the sound produced by the audiometer 102 and output by the headset 112, and determine whether the sampled tone deviates from the test tone by a threshold decibel level. In one embodiment, the threshold decibel level is 10 dB, and the test tones may be selected from 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz, corresponding to tones typically used during a hearing test.

[0086] As in the case of room testing, the sound captured by the microphone 120 may be transmitted in analog or digital format to the mobile device 104, where the waveform (frequency and amplitude) of each sampled test tone is analyzed. If the sound pressure level (amplitude) for any test tone differs from the expected level by more than 10 dB, the audiometer 102 and headset 112 may fail the testing, and the administrator conducting the test may be informed via the display screen 122 so that corrective actions can be taken, including, but not limited to, checking the connections and / or replacing the audiometer 102 and / or headset 112.

[0087] In some embodiments, the audiometer 102 and headset 112 may need to be calibrated so that the headset 112 outputs a louder (or quieter) volume at the frequency where verification fails. If a louder (or quieter) tone resolves the issue, the mobile device 104 and / or audiometer 102 may store the amount of volume increase (or decrease) in an equalization table in memory 114, which would be used during subsequent hearing tests. If calibration cannot be performed, the administrator may be prompted to take more thorough corrective measures, such as replacing the headset 112 and / or audiometer 102.

[0088] In some embodiments, the calibrator 118 may not be used. For example, the drivers of the headset 112 may be placed close to one or more microphones 120 in the audiometer 102 or mobile device 104. In other embodiments, the mobile device 104 may be wired (or wirelessly) coupled to microphones 120 that can be individually placed (e.g., inserted therein) close to the left and right drivers of the headset 112.

[0089] In an alternative embodiment, or as an additional aspect for verifying the calibration of the audiometer 102 and headset 112, a user interface 602, as shown in Figure 6B, may be generated by the instrument verification module 212. The user interface 602 may instruct an administrator to activate the control unit 604 to play a tone at a predetermined frequency and volume. If the volume is too low or uncomfortably high, the user may be allowed to move a slider 606 to select a comfortable volume.

[0090] Once the volume is set, the user may activate control unit 608 (e.g., “Volume Set”), which plays a set of tones during which the user may hear any plosives, crackles, or other unwanted noises that may indicate a poor physical connection and / or interference with the wireless connection between the headset 112 and the audiometer 102. If no unwanted noises are heard, the user may activate control unit 610 to indicate that the verification is complete. Alternatively, the user may activate a different control unit 612 to terminate without verification (this may prevent the hearing test from proceeding).

[0091] Turning back to Figure 4A, Method 400 may proceed by determining whether the room and equipment have been properly verified (410). If not, Method 400 may return to step 404 and / or step 406, depending on the type of verification required. If both types of verification occur, the Method may proceed to step 302 shown in Figure 3A, thereby enrolling the subject in an audiometry test and performing it.

[0092] Data relating to room verification, equipment verification, instructions to subjects and / or administrators, and reports (including audio or otherwise delivered commentary to subjects) may be logged in memory 114 or another suitable location for subsequent verification of the hearing test by the test administrator, employer, or third party (e.g., a regulatory or standards body).

[0093] Looking again at Figure 2, the memory 114 of the mobile device 104 (and in some embodiments, the audiometer 102) may also include a certification module 214. The certification module 214 may generate a user interface on the display screen 122, including indications of room verification status and equipment verification status. The status may be stored as a numerical value in the memory 114 of the mobile device 104 and may be represented graphically within the user interface by icons, text, color, or other means.

[0094] In one embodiment, the certification module 214 prevents the audiometry test from starting until (1) the room in which the audiometry test is to be administered has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, and (2) the calibration of the audiometer 102 and associated headset 112 has been verified at least once on the day (or other prescribed time cycle) in which the audiometry test is to be administered. In some embodiments, the certification module 214 may also prevent the audiometry test from starting until the subject is instructed to do so, for example, using the training module 204.

[0095] In some embodiments, the room verification module 210 verifies that the room in which the audiometry test is to be administered has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard. The equipment verification module 212 determines that the calibration of the audiometer 102 and headset 112 has been verified at least once on the day (or other cycle) in which the audiometry test is to be administered. The training module 202 may display instructions and / or demonstrate the process for conducting the audiometry test. In some embodiments, the reporting module 206 may report the results of the audiometry test electronically, which may include sending at least one of the following to one or more of the subject and the subject's employer an email or text message containing or referencing the results (e.g., via a link). The results may include an audiogram for each of the subject's ears, including a graph of the subject's hearing threshold level for a set of frequencies.

[0096] Figure 7 shows an exemplary user interface 702 generated by the certification module 214, which may be displayed on the display screen 122 of the mobile device 104 shown in Figure 1. The user interface 702 may display the name of the person to be subjected to the hearing test, and optionally, the company (employer) of the person. In some embodiments, the name and / or company of the person may be pre-selected or defined in a separate user interface (not shown). Furthermore, other user interfaces (not shown) may be provided for logging into the system 100 and pairing the mobile device 104 with the audiometer 102 using standard Bluetooth® pairing or other preferred pairing procedures, depending on the type of wireless interface 110 used, and in some embodiments, for pairing the audiometer 102 with the headset 112.

[0097] The user interface 702 may optionally display a control device 703 for displaying instructions for daily room and / or audiometer / headset verification prior to the execution of the test. Activating the control device 703 may cause the training module 202 in Figure 2 to display instructions for the test administrator (if any) regarding how to verify the room and / or audiometer / headset daily.

[0098] The user interface 702 may further display room verification status 704 and equipment verification status 706. As will be described in more detail below, room verification status 704 may indicate whether the room in which the audiometry test is to be administered has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard. Equipment verification status 706 may indicate whether the calibration of the audiometer 102 (including the headset 112) has been verified at least once on the day (or other cycle) in which the audiometry test is to be administered. Room verification status 704 and equipment verification status 706 may be indicated using various combinations of text, graphics, colors, icons, or equivalents. In exemplary embodiments, the individual statuses 704, 706 are indicated by text, i.e., “Not verified,” which may be the default condition until room verification and equipment calibration are performed.

[0099] In addition, the user interface 702 may include control devices 708 and 710 for initiating room verification and equipment verification, respectively. In one embodiment, activating control device 708 to initiate room verification may result in the execution of the room verification module 210 (shown in Figure 2), while activating control device 710 to initiate equipment verification may result in the execution of the equipment verification module 212.

[0100] As illustrated, the control device 712 may be provided for initiating an audiometry test, which may initiate the test module 204 shown in Figure 2. However, the control device 712 may be deactivated (e.g., grayed out (not shown)) until at least (1) the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, and (2) the calibration of the audiometer 102 (including the headset 112) has been verified at least once on the day (or other cycle) in which the audiometry test is to be performed. In some embodiments, the control device 712 for initiating the test may also be deactivated until the subject is instructed on how to perform the audiometry test.

[0101] The system 100 described above offers several advantages over conventional approaches. The audiometer 102 and mobile device 104 are small and lightweight, which may allow the system 100 to be easily transported to different test locations. Furthermore, the system 100 uses relatively inexpensive components, and if either the audiometer 102 or the mobile device 104 is damaged, it can be easily repaired. The system 100 produces valid audiometry tests by requiring room verification, audiometer / headset verification, and / or appropriate commands to the subject before the audiometry test may be initiated, and by providing the ability to certify that the audiometry test and its associated results are valid and correct. Finally, the system ensures that both the subject and the test administrator are properly commanded, and that confirmations of the commands and confirmations that the subject has viewed the test results are stored for later verification.

[0102] As used herein, the articles “a” and “an” refer to one or more of the grammatical objects of the article (i.e., at least one). For illustrative purposes, “an element” means at least one element and may include more than one element.

[0103] "Approximately" is used to provide flexibility regarding the endpoints of a numerical range by indicating that a given value may be "slightly above" or "slightly below" the endpoint without affecting the desired result.

[0104] The use herein of “including,” “equipped with,” or “having,” and their variations thereof, means to include the elements and their equivalents that follow, as well as any additional elements. As used herein, “and / or” means any possible combination of one or more of the associated enumerated items, and, when interpreted in the alternative ("or"), the absence of any combination, and includes them.

[0105] This disclosure also assumes that in some embodiments, any feature or combination of features described herein may be excluded or omitted. To illustrate, where this specification describes a composite comprising components A, B, and C, it is specifically intended that any one of A, B, or C, or any combination thereof, may be omitted and discarded individually or in any combination.

[0106] The enumeration of value ranges in this specification is intended to serve simply as a simplified way of referring individually to each distinct value that falls within that range, unless otherwise indicated herein, and each distinct value is incorporated herein to the same extent as if it were individually enumerated herein. For example, if the range is stated as 1% to 50%, then values ​​such as 2% to 40%, 10% to 30%, or 1% to 3% are intended to be explicitly enumerated herein. These are merely examples of what is specifically intended, and all possible combinations of numerical values ​​between (including) the lowest and highest values ​​enumerated are considered to be explicitly described herein.

[0107] Unless otherwise defined, all technical terms used herein have the same meaning as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art in which this disclosure pertains.

[0108] The systems and methods described herein can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or a combination of hardware, software, and / or firmware. In some embodiments, the systems described herein may be implemented using non-transient machine-readable media that, when executed by one or more processors of a computer, store machine-executable instructions (e.g., program code) that cause the computer to perform an operation (e.g., a method, a process). Suitable machine-readable media for implementing the control systems described herein include non-transient machine-readable media such as disk memory devices, chip memory devices, programmable logic devices, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), optical read / write memory, cache memory, magnetic read / write memory, flash memory, and application-specific integrated circuits. In addition, the machine-readable media for implementing the control systems described herein may reside on a single device or computing platform, or may be distributed across multiple devices or computing platforms.

[0109] Those skilled in the art will readily understand that this disclosure is well-suited to achieving its purpose and obtaining the objectives and benefits mentioned, as well as those inherent therein. The disclosure described herein represents preferred embodiments at present, is illustrative, and is not intended as a limitation on the scope of the disclosure. Modifications and other uses therein will be recalled by those skilled in the art, and this is included within the spirit of the disclosure as defined by the claims.

[0110] No references, including any non-patent or patent documents, cited herein constitute prior art. In particular, unless otherwise stated, no reference to any document herein constitutes any recognition that any of these documents form part of the common general knowledge in the art in the United States or any other country. Any discussion in the references represents the claims of their authors, and the applicant reserves the right to challenge the accuracy and appropriateness of any of the documents cited herein. All references cited herein are incorporated entirely by reference unless expressly indicated otherwise. This disclosure shall prevail in the event of any inconsistency between any definitions and / or descriptions found in the cited references.

Claims

1. A system for hearing tests, A sound meter, including a tone generator, which electronically communicates with a headset worn by the subject to be tested, A mobile device that communicates electronically with the aforementioned audiometer Equipped with, The audiometer and the mobile device are separate devices. The aforementioned mobile device Display screen and One or more processors, A non-transient machine-readable medium containing program code that causes one or more processors to implement the method, Includes, The aforementioned method, Displaying a training video on the aforementioned display screen, Using the mobile device to control the audiometer, the subject conducts a hearing test. The results of the hearing test are displayed on the aforementioned display screen, The results of the aforementioned hearing test are to be electronically compared with the baseline test for the subject, On the display screen, if the result of the hearing test exceeds a predetermined threshold and differs from the baseline test, a notification of hearing deviation will be displayed. The mobile device receives an electronic confirmation from the subject that the subject has viewed the training video, the results of the hearing test, and, if applicable, the notification of the hearing deviation. A system that includes this.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the electronic acknowledgment includes an electronic signature.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein displaying the training video includes preventing the training video from being skipped.

4. The method further includes receiving confirmation from the subject that the training video has been viewed, and the audiometry test is prevented from being performed until the confirmation from the subject is received, according to claim 1.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein receiving confirmation from the subject that the training video has been viewed includes using focus tracking to determine that the subject has viewed the training video.

6. The above method further includes, prior to conducting the hearing test, Confirm that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, Determining that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day the hearing test should be administered, Once it is confirmed that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has the set of background sound pressure levels that conform to the predetermined standard, and it is determined that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day in which the audiometry test is to be performed, the audiometry test shall be performed. The system according to claim 1, including the following:

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein the predetermined standard for the room includes a plurality of octave band center frequencies and corresponding maximum sound pressure levels, and verification includes verifying that the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies does not exceed the corresponding maximum sound pressure level.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein confirming that the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies does not exceed the corresponding maximum sound pressure level includes sampling the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies using the audiometer.

9. The system according to claim 7, wherein the plurality of octave band center frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz.

10. The system according to claim 7, wherein the corresponding maximum sound pressure levels for the multiple octave band center frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 40 dB at 500 Hz, 40 dB at 1,000 Hz, 47 dB at 2,000 Hz, 57 dB at 4,000 Hz, and 62 dB at 8,000 Hz.

11. To make a determination, In response to the fact that the calibration of the audiometer has not been verified at least once on the day on which the hearing test is to be performed, The audio output of the headset is sampled for each of the multiple test tones generated by the tone generator, The determination is made that the audio output of the headset deviates from each of the multiple test tones by a threshold decibel level or less. The system according to claim 6, including the system described in claim 6.

12. The system according to claim 11, wherein determining whether the audio output of the headset deviates from each of the plurality of test tones by a threshold decibel level is performed by a calibrator including a housing and two microphones positioned on the opposite side of the housing, the two microphones being positioned in close proximity to the individual drivers of the headset when the audio output of the headset is being sampled.

13. The system according to claim 11, wherein the threshold decibel level is 10 dB, and the plurality of test tones have frequencies selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz.

14. The aforementioned hearing test is performed by, A first structured message is transmitted from the mobile device to the audiometer instructing the audiometer to generate a tone at a predetermined frequency. The mobile device receives a second structured message from the audiometer indicating that the aforementioned tone has been generated. The mobile device determines whether the target indicates that the tone was heard within a predetermined time interval, For each of the target ears, the steps of transmitting, receiving, and determining are repeated for each of the multiple predetermined frequencies. The system according to claim 1, including the following:

15. The system according to claim 14, further comprising the method progressively increasing the sound pressure level of the particular tone in response to the object being unable to indicate that the particular tone was heard within the predetermined time interval, until the object indicates that the tone was heard within the predetermined time interval.

16. The system according to claim 15, wherein the plurality of predetermined frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz, and the performance of the hearing test includes performing the hearing test using the Hughson-Westlake procedure.

17. The system according to claim 15, wherein the first structured message and the second structured message each comprise a Bluetooth packet.

18. The system according to claim 15, wherein transmission includes transmitting the first structured message after a delay within a predetermined delay range.

19. The system according to claim 1, wherein displaying the results of the hearing test includes generating an audiogram for each ear of the subject, which includes a graph of the subject's hearing threshold level with respect to a set of frequencies.

20. Displaying the aforementioned training video means The effects of noise on hearing, The purpose of hearing protection devices, The advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation of various types of hearing protection devices, The selection, adjustment, use, and care of the aforementioned hearing protection device, The purpose of hearing tests, Hearing test procedure and The system according to claim 1, comprising displaying information relating to the same.

21. A non-transient machine-readable medium comprising instructions, wherein, when executed by one or more processors, the instructions cause the one or more processors to perform a method for a hearing test, the method being Displaying training videos to the subjects to be tested on a mobile device, The process involves using the mobile device to control a hearing test of the subject, wherein the hearing test of the subject is performed using the mobile device to control a hearing tester that communicates wirelessly with the mobile device, the hearing tester being separate from the mobile device and including a tone generator that electronically communicates with a headset worn by the subject. The results of the hearing test will be displayed on the aforementioned mobile device, The results of the aforementioned hearing test are to be electronically compared with the baseline test for the subject, On the aforementioned mobile device, if the result of the hearing test exceeds a predetermined threshold and differs from the baseline test, a notification of hearing deviation will be displayed. The mobile device receives an electronic confirmation from the subject that the subject has viewed the training video, the results of the hearing test, and, if applicable, the notification of the hearing deviation. Non-transient machine-readable media, including [specific examples of non-transient machine-readable media].

22. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein the electronic acknowledgment includes an electronic signature.

23. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein displaying the training video includes preventing the training video from being skipped.

24. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising receiving confirmation from the subject that the training video has been viewed, wherein conducting the hearing test is prevented until the confirmation from the subject is received.

25. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 24, wherein receiving the confirmation from the subject that the training video has been viewed includes using focus tracking to determine that the subject has viewed the training video.

26. Prior to conducting the aforementioned hearing test, Confirm that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, Determining that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day the hearing test should be administered, Once it is confirmed that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has the set of background sound pressure levels that conform to the predetermined standard, and it is determined that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day in which the audiometry test is to be performed, the audiometry test shall be performed. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 21, further comprising:

27. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 26, wherein the predetermined standard relating to the room includes a plurality of octave band center frequencies and corresponding maximum sound pressure levels, and verification includes verifying that the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies does not exceed the corresponding maximum sound pressure level.

28. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein confirming that the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies does not exceed the corresponding maximum sound pressure level includes sampling the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies using the audiometer.

29. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the plurality of octave band center frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz.

30. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 27, wherein the corresponding maximum sound pressure levels for the multiple octave band center frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 40 dB at 500 Hz, 40 dB at 1,000 Hz, 47 dB at 2,000 Hz, 57 dB at 4,000 Hz, and 62 dB at 8,000 Hz.

31. To make a determination, In response to the fact that the calibration of the audiometer has not been verified at least once on the day on which the hearing test is to be performed, The audio output of the headset is sampled for each of the multiple test tones generated by the tone generator, The determination is made that the audio output of the headset deviates from each of the multiple test tones by a threshold decibel level or less. A non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 26, including the following:

32. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 31, wherein determining whether the audio output of the headset deviates from each of the plurality of test tones by a threshold decibel level or less is performed by a calibrator including a housing and two microphones positioned on the opposite side of the housing, the two microphones being positioned in close proximity to the individual drivers of the headset when the audio output of the headset is being sampled.

33. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 31, wherein the threshold decibel level is 10 dB, and the plurality of test tones have frequencies selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz.

34. The aforementioned hearing test is performed by, A first structured message is transmitted from the mobile device to the audiometer instructing the audiometer to generate a tone at a predetermined frequency. The mobile device receives a second structured message from the audiometer indicating that the aforementioned tone has been generated. The mobile device determines whether the target indicates that the tone was heard within a predetermined time interval, For each of the target ears, the steps of transmitting, receiving, and determining are repeated for each of the multiple predetermined frequencies. A non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 21, including the following:

35. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 34, further comprising the subject progressively increasing the sound pressure level of the particular tone until the subject indicates that the tone was heard within the predetermined time interval, in response to the subject being unable to indicate that the particular tone was heard within the predetermined time interval.

36. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the plurality of predetermined frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz, and the performance of the hearing test includes performing the hearing test using the Hughson-Westlake procedure.

37. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein the first structured message and the second structured message comprise Bluetooth packets.

38. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 35, wherein transmission includes transmitting the first structured message after a delay within a predetermined delay range.

39. The non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 21, wherein displaying the results of the audiometry test includes generating an audiogram for each ear of the subject, which includes a graph of the subject's hearing threshold level with respect to a set of frequencies.

40. Displaying the aforementioned training video means The effects of noise on hearing, The purpose of hearing protection devices, The advantages, disadvantages, and attenuation of various types of hearing protection devices, The selection, adjustment, use, and care of the aforementioned hearing protection device, The purpose of hearing tests, Hearing test procedure and A non-transient machine-readable medium according to claim 21, comprising displaying information relating to the above.

41. A system for conducting a hearing test, wherein the system is A hearing meter and A mobile device that communicates electronically with the aforementioned audiometer Equipped with, The audiometer and the mobile device are separate devices. The aforementioned mobile device Display screen and One or more processors, The memory that stores the program code and Includes, The program code is transmitted to one or more processors. Confirm that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, Determining that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day the hearing test should be administered, The audiometer under the control of the mobile device is used to perform the hearing test on the subject. Have them do it, A system in which the performance of the audiometry test is prevented until one or more processors confirm that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to the predetermined standard, and that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day in which the audiometry test is to be performed.

42. The system according to claim 41, wherein the predetermined standard for the room includes a plurality of octave band center frequencies and corresponding maximum sound pressure levels, and one or more processors should confirm that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has the set of background sound pressure levels that conform to the predetermined standard by confirming that the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies does not exceed the corresponding maximum sound pressure level.

43. The system according to claim 42, wherein one or more processors should use the audiometer to sample the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies to confirm that the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies does not exceed the corresponding maximum sound pressure level.

44. The system according to claim 43, wherein the plurality of octave band center frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz.

45. The system according to claim 44, wherein the corresponding maximum sound pressure levels for the multiple octave band center frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 40 dB at 500 Hz, 40 dB at 1,000 Hz, 47 dB at 2,000 Hz, 57 dB at 4,000 Hz, and 62 dB at 8,000 Hz.

46. The system according to claim 41, wherein the audiometer includes a tone generator electronically connected to a headset, and the one or more processors, in response to the fact that the calibration of the audiometer has not been verified at least once on the day on which the hearing test is to be performed, sample the audio output of the headset for each of a plurality of test tones generated by the tone generator and determine that the audio output of the headset deviates from each of the plurality of test tones by a threshold decibel level or less.

47. Equipped with a calibrator, The aforementioned calibrator is The casing and Two microphones are positioned on the opposite side of the housing and are configured to be positioned close to the individual drivers of the headset when the audio output of the headset is being sampled. The system according to claim 46, including the system described in claim 46.

48. The system according to claim 46, wherein the threshold decibel level is 10 dB, and the plurality of test tones have frequencies selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz.

49. The system according to claim 41, wherein one or more processors shall display instructions to the subject on the display screen for performing the hearing test.

50. The system according to claim 49, wherein one or more processors should further receive confirmation from the object that the instruction has been viewed, and the one or more processors should prevent performing the hearing test until the confirmation from the object is received.

51. The one or more processors described above are: A first structured message is transmitted from the mobile device to the audiometer instructing the audiometer to generate a tone at a predetermined frequency. The mobile device receives a second structured message from the audiometer indicating that the aforementioned tone has been generated. The mobile device determines whether the target indicates that the tone was heard within a predetermined time interval, For each of the target ears, the steps of transmitting, receiving, and determining are repeated for each of the multiple predetermined frequencies. The system according to claim 50, wherein the hearing test should be performed by means of the hearing test.

52. The system according to claim 51, wherein the one or more processors further progressively increase the sound pressure level of the particular tone in response to the object being unable to indicate that the particular tone was heard within the predetermined time interval, until the object indicates that the particular tone was heard within the predetermined time interval.

53. The system according to claim 51, wherein the plurality of predetermined frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz, and one or more processors should use the Hughson-Westlake procedure to generate tones for each of the plurality of predetermined frequencies in the audiometer for each ear of the subject.

54. The system according to claim 51, wherein the first structured message and the second structured message each comprise a Bluetooth packet.

55. The system according to claim 51, wherein one or more processors should transmit the first structured message after a delay within a predetermined delay range.

56. The delay is determined randomly, according to claim 55.

57. The system according to claim 51, wherein one or more processors further electronically report the results of the hearing test.

58. The system according to claim 57, wherein one or more processors shall report the results electronically by sending at least one of the subject and the subject's employer an email or text message containing or referencing the results.

59. The system according to claim 57, wherein the one or more processors electronically report the results for each ear of the subject by generating an audiogram including a graph of the subject's hearing threshold level with respect to a set of frequencies.

60. The system according to claim 57, wherein one or more processors should use text-to-speech to generate an audio commentary of the result.

61. A computer implementation method for conducting a hearing test on a target using an audiometer, wherein the computer implementation method is Confirm that the room in which the audiometry test is to be performed has a set of background sound pressure levels that conform to a predetermined standard, Determining that the calibration of the audiometer has been verified at least once on the day the hearing test should be administered, The hearing test of the subject is performed using a mobile device that communicates electronically with the aforementioned audiometer. Includes, A computer implementation method wherein the mobile device is separate from the audiometer, and controlling it and performing the hearing test is prevented until the verification and determination steps are performed.

62. The computer implementation method according to claim 61, wherein the predetermined standard for the room includes a plurality of octave band center frequencies and corresponding maximum sound pressure levels, and verification includes verifying that the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies does not exceed the corresponding maximum sound pressure level.

63. The computer implementation method according to claim 62, wherein confirming that the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies does not exceed the corresponding maximum sound pressure level includes sampling the set of background sound pressure levels at each of the plurality of octave band center frequencies using the audiometer.

64. The computer implementation method according to claim 63, wherein the plurality of octave band center frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz.

65. The computer implementation method according to claim 64, wherein the corresponding maximum sound pressure levels for the multiple octave band center frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 40 dB at 500 Hz, 40 dB at 1,000 Hz, 47 dB at 2,000 Hz, 57 dB at 4,000 Hz, and 62 dB at 8,000 Hz.

66. The aforementioned audiometer includes a tone generator electronically connected to a headset, and determines that In response to the fact that the calibration of the audiometer has not been verified at least once on the day on which the hearing test is to be performed, The audio output of the headset is sampled for each of the multiple test tones generated by the tone generator, The determination is made that the audio output of the headset deviates from each of the multiple test tones by a threshold decibel level or less. The computer implementation method according to claim 61, including the method described in claim 61.

67. The computer implementation method according to claim 66, wherein determining whether the audio output of the headset deviates from each of the plurality of test tones by a threshold decibel level is performed by a calibrator including a housing and two microphones positioned on the opposite side of the housing, the two microphones being positioned in close proximity to the individual drivers of the headset when the audio output of the headset is being sampled.

68. The computer implementation method according to claim 66, wherein the threshold decibel level is 10 dB, and the plurality of test tones have frequencies selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz.

69. The computer implementation method according to claim 61, further comprising displaying instructions to a subject on a display screen for performing the hearing test.

70. The computer implementation method according to claim 69, further comprising receiving confirmation from the subject that the command has been viewed, wherein performing the hearing test is prevented until the confirmation from the subject is received.

71. The aforementioned hearing test is performed by, A first structured message is transmitted from the mobile device to the audiometer instructing the audiometer to generate a tone at a predetermined frequency. The mobile device receives a second structured message from the audiometer indicating that the aforementioned tone has been generated. The mobile device determines whether the target indicates that the tone was heard within a predetermined time interval, For each of the target ears, the steps of transmitting, receiving, and determining are repeated for each of the multiple predetermined frequencies. The computer implementation method according to claim 61, including the method described in claim 61.

72. The computer implementation method according to claim 71, further comprising the action of progressively increasing the sound pressure level of a particular tone until the object indicates that the tone was heard within the predetermined time interval, in response to the object being unable to indicate that the particular tone was heard within the predetermined time interval.

73. The computer implementation method according to claim 71, wherein the plurality of predetermined frequencies are selected from the group consisting of 500 Hz, 1,000 Hz, 2,000 Hz, 3,000 Hz, 4,000 Hz, 6,000 Hz, and 8,000 Hz, and the performance of the hearing test includes performing the hearing test using the Hughson-Westlake procedure.

74. The computer implementation method according to claim 71, wherein the first structured message and the second structured message each comprise a Bluetooth packet.

75. The computer implementation method according to claim 71, wherein transmission includes transmitting the first structured message after a delay within a predetermined delay range.

76. The computer implementation method according to claim 75, wherein the delay is determined randomly.

77. The computer implementation method according to claim 71, further comprising electronically reporting the results of the hearing test.

78. The computer implementation method according to claim 77, wherein electronically reporting the results includes sending at least one of the following to one or more of the subject and the subject's employers an email or text message containing or referencing the results.

79. The computer implementation method according to claim 77, wherein electronically reporting the results includes generating an audiogram for each ear of the subject, which includes a graph of the subject's hearing threshold level with respect to a set of frequencies.

80. The computer implementation method according to claim 77, wherein electronic reporting includes using text-to-speech to electronically generate an audio commentary of the results.

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