Hearing Test System Using Adaptive Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional hearing tests require individuals to visit a soundproof booth and are often cumbersome, limiting accessibility and accuracy due to the need for calibrated devices and environmental noise interference.
Innovation Solution
A method allowing users to conduct hearing tests using personal devices such as computers, phones, or kiosks, connected to a hearing test server via the internet, which presents stimulus signals at various frequencies to determine hearing thresholds and calculate audiograms, with a high tolerance for ambient noise and the ability to adjust parameters based on user input and questionnaires.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If hearing tests are conducted in a soundproof booth with calibrated audiometer, then measurement precision is improved, but ease of operation and accessibility deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to perform hearing tests independently at home or in non-clinical settings using their own devices (smartphones, computers, tablets). The automated interface guides users through the testing process without requiring an audiologist or specialized equipment, making the service self-sufficient and highly accessible while maintaining measurement accuracy through calibrated software algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The hearing test system is designed to run on multiple common devices (smartphones, tablets, computers, kiosks) that users already possess, eliminating the need for specialized audiometric equipment. This multi-platform approach allows the same accurate measurement capabilities to be universally accessible across different devices and settings, from clinical to home environments.
2Measurement precision
If traditional audiometer and soundproof booth are used, then measurement precision is improved, but device complexity and infrastructure requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The system replaces complex mechanical audiometric equipment with software-based stimulus generation and analysis algorithms running on standard digital devices. Instead of requiring calibrated hardware audiometers and soundproof booths, the invention uses digital signal processing to generate test tones and analyze user responses, dramatically simplifying the physical infrastructure while preserving measurement accuracy through computational methods.
Solution Approach 2:
The system creates a virtual replica of the clinical hearing test environment through software, simulating the audiometric process on consumer devices. By copying the essential functions of professional audiometers into software form that runs on ubiquitous devices, the system eliminates the need for expensive specialized equipment while maintaining the core measurement capabilities.
3Ease of operation
If home hearing tests are conducted with uncalibrated devices, then ease of operation is improved, but measurement precision deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system compensates for uncalibrated devices by dynamically adjusting test parameters (stimulus intensity, frequency, duration) based on the specific device being used. Through device characterization routines and adaptive algorithms, the system recalibrates measurements in real-time to account for variations in speaker quality, headphone characteristics, and ambient conditions, ensuring accurate results regardless of the underlying hardware quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates continuous feedback mechanisms where user responses to test stimuli are immediately processed and used to adjust subsequent test parameters. This adaptive feedback loop allows the system to converge on accurate hearing threshold measurements even when starting from uncalibrated device conditions, as the algorithm learns and adjusts based on actual user performance data throughout the testing process.
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus, system, and method for hearing tests are disclosed. In one embodiment, the method determines a set of candidate audiograms for a user. In one embodiment, the method includes estimating the slope of hearing level of a user. The method also includes estimating a pure tone average for the user based on the answers of the user to a questionnaire. The gender of the user is also determined. The gender, estimated slope, estimated pure pone average of the user are used to estimate the most possible audiograms from a set of predetermined candidate audiograms. A hearing aid is programmed based on the estimated audiograms for the user. The programmed hearing aid has several settings, each based on the estimated audiograms, for the user to choose from.