Ear-Level Hearing Profile Tuning With Real-Time User Feedback
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for generating personalized hearing profiles are inefficient, unreliable, and cumbersome, particularly for mass personalization, as they often rely on complex questionnaires or testing regimes that are not suitable for widespread consumer use.
Innovation Solution
A method using an ear-level device with a processor, microphone, and speaker that communicates with a companion device to generate a personalized hearing profile through a graphical user interface, allowing users to interactively select preset hearing profiles based on dynamic range compression and frequency shaping data, providing real-time feedback and simplifying the selection process.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If traditional hearing profile testing is conducted in an audiologist's office with sophisticated equipment, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and time consumption increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the essential hearing profile measurement function from complex clinical equipment and implements it in a portable ear-level device. The system uses a simplified testing approach where the device plays test tones through the speaker and the user provides feedback by adjusting a control, eliminating the need for sophisticated audiometric equipment while maintaining sufficient measurement precision for personalization.
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables users to perform their own hearing profile measurements at home without requiring an audiologist's office or specialized equipment. The ear-level device autonomously guides users through the testing process, automatically analyzing responses to generate personalized hearing profiles, making the service accessible to mass consumers.
2Measurement precision
If detailed hearing tests are administered to generate accurate hearing profiles, then measurement precision is improved, but loss of time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing profile measurement process is segmented into multiple quick iterations rather than one lengthy test. The system performs several rapid measurement cycles, each taking only a few seconds, and combines the results to generate an accurate hearing profile. This segmentation reduces the perceived time burden on users while maintaining measurement precision through data aggregation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary measurements quickly to establish an initial hearing profile, then uses this information to guide subsequent refined measurements. The ear-level device adapts the testing process based on preliminary results, focusing subsequent measurements on critical frequency ranges and reducing overall testing time while maintaining accuracy.
3Measurement precision
If comprehensive hearing tests are conducted to capture all hearing variables, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and ease of operation worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system measures more hearing parameters than strictly necessary for basic personalization, capturing comprehensive hearing characteristics including frequency response, dynamic range, and temporal processing. This excessive measurement approach ensures complete hearing profiles without requiring complex user interactions, as the additional measurements are performed automatically through simplified user feedback mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary processing layer that translates comprehensive acoustic measurements into simplified personalization parameters. The system captures detailed hearing data through automated procedures and then processes this information to generate user-friendly hearing profiles, maintaining measurement completeness while preserving ease of operation through automatic data interpretation.
4Productivity
If automated hearing tests are implemented for mass personalization, then productivity is improved, but reliability of user input decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements continuous feedback loops where the ear-level device plays test tones and immediately captures user responses through control adjustments. This real-time feedback mechanism allows the system to verify user understanding and attention during each measurement, automatically detecting and correcting potential response errors while maintaining high productivity through automated processing of reliable data.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs periodic verification checks during the measurement process to ensure user response reliability. Between actual hearing measurements, the device periodically presents validation stimuli and monitors user responses to detect inattention or misunderstanding, allowing the system to pause and re-instruct users when reliability drops, thereby maintaining both productivity and data quality through structured periodic verification.
Data Source
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AI summary
A personalized hearing profile is generated for an ear-level device comprising a memory, microphone, speaker and processor. Communication is established between the ear-level device and a companion device, having a user interface. A frame of reference in the user interface is provided, where positions in the frame of reference are associated with sound profile data. A position on the frame of reference is determined in response to user interaction with the user interface, and certain sound profile data associated with the position. Certain data is transmitted to the ear level device. Sound can be generated through the speaker based upon the audio stream data to provide real-time feedback to the user. The determining and transmitting steps are repeated until detection of an end event.