Portable Audio Dose Control for Calibrated Earpieces
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current technologies fail to effectively manage noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) in non-professional settings due to lack of access to hearing dose data and automatic control systems, especially with the increasing use of wireless hearing devices, which have varying characteristics and no direct connection for cable-based solutions.
Innovation Solution
A portable programmable device that connects to earpieces, providing noise dose calculation and adjustment based on audio content, earpiece calibration, and user noise dose data, while also considering ambient noise, to ensure safe audio output levels and compliance with regulatory standards.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If electrical source-limiting techniques are used to restrict acoustic levels from earpieces, then hearing safety is improved, but communication intelligibility deteriorates due to blocking short-term high-levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic hearing dose management that continuously monitors cumulative exposure and adjusts output levels in real-time, allowing short-term high-levels when safe rather than applying static limiting. This resolves the contradiction by making the limiting adaptive to actual hearing dose status, preserving intelligibility while protecting hearing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates feedback loops that monitor output levels, ambient noise, and cumulative hearing dose to dynamically adjust limiting behavior. This feedback mechanism allows the system to distinguish between harmful sustained exposure and beneficial short-term high-levels, resolving the contradiction between safety and intelligibility.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If primitive level-restricting schemes are implemented in portable devices, then hearing protection is improved, but delivered acoustic levels are constrained in situations requiring higher output
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces primitive static level restriction with dynamic hearing dose management that adjusts output based on cumulative exposure, ambient conditions, and content characteristics. This allows the system to deliver high acoustic levels when safe while providing protection when exposure limits are approached, resolving the contradiction between protection and power.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the parameter being controlled from fixed output levels to dynamic hearing dose metrics, allowing flexible adjustment of acoustic power based on multiple factors including cumulative exposure, ambient noise, and content type. This resolves the contradiction by enabling high power output when conditions permit while maintaining protection.
3Adaptability or versatility
If earpiece sensitivity varies by more than 20dB across different devices, then adaptability is improved, but hearing dose control deteriorates because the same electrical signal produces vastly different acoustic levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements feedback-based hearing dose monitoring that measures actual output levels and uses this information to adjust control parameters. This feedback mechanism compensates for earpiece sensitivity variations, maintaining precise hearing dose control across different devices while preserving adaptability.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes control from fixed electrical signal levels to dynamic parameters that account for earpiece sensitivity variations. By monitoring actual output and adjusting based on measured hearing dose, the system maintains precision across diverse earpieces while preserving compatibility.
4Object-affected harmful factors
If automatic hearing dose management is implemented, then hearing protection is improved, but device complexity increases due to required monitoring and control systems
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements hearing dose management using existing multi-functional components in portable devices, such as the microphone for ambient noise monitoring and the processor for control calculations. This approach provides comprehensive hearing protection while minimizing additional complexity by leveraging existing device capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses the device's own existing sensors and processors to perform hearing dose monitoring and control, rather than requiring entirely separate dedicated systems. This self-service approach provides effective protection while keeping complexity low by reusing existing components.
Data Source
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AI summary
There is disclosed a portable programmable device including a battery, a memory and a terminal connectable to earpieces, the device including in the memory a calibration file, parameter or parameters relating to audio sensitivity of the earpieces, the device being configured to play media data including audio, and to provide audio output to the earpieces, the device being further configured to, using the calibration file, parameter or parameters, calculate a noise dose relating to a sound exposure of a user resulting from audio output provided to the earpieces, and to record the noise dose on the device, wherein the device is configured to adjust audio output level in response to: (a) audio content included in played media data; (b) the calibration file, parameter or parameters, and (c) noise dose data of the user recorded on the device. A related method and computer program product are also disclosed.