Mobile Speech Hearing Screener Using Self-Calibrating Speakers
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hearing screening mobile tests are limited as they primarily use 'pure tone' assessments that do not effectively evaluate speech hearing ability, require external headphones for calibration and maintenance, and fail to provide meaningful insights into users' ability to hear speech, leading to inefficient and inaccessible evaluations.
Innovation Solution
A mobile application-based speech hearing screener that uses made-up words played through external speakers, allowing users to adjust volume levels to ensure they can hear and understand instructions, thereby optimizing speech hearing evaluation and reducing the need for external devices and calibration.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If pure tone assessments are used for hearing screening, then the testing process is simple, but the assessment accuracy for speech hearing ability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the assessment parameters from pure tone frequencies to speech-specific acoustic features including formant frequencies (F1, F2, F3), spectral moments, and temporal envelope characteristics. This allows the system to evaluate speech hearing ability using natural speech sounds rather than artificial tones, thereby improving measurement precision while maintaining the simplicity of mobile device implementation
2Measurement precision
If external headphones are used for hearing tests, then calibration accuracy is improved, but device complexity and maintenance requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs self-calibration by using the mobile device's own built-in microphone to capture and analyze the output from its own speakers. The speech stimuli are played through the device speakers and the same device microphone records the actual output, allowing the system to automatically calibrate and compensate for device-specific acoustic characteristics without requiring external headphones or manual calibration procedures
Solution Approach 2:
The mobile device is designed to perform multiple functions using its existing components: the built-in speakers serve as audio output devices for stimulus presentation, and the built-in microphone serves as the recording device for capturing the audio output. This multi-functional approach eliminates the need for dedicated external headphones while maintaining assessment capability across different device types
3Productivity
If volume levels are not optimized for individual users, then the testing procedure is standardized, but user performance and hearing evaluation accuracy deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary volume optimization by analyzing the user's responses to speech stimuli at different volume levels before the actual hearing assessment begins. The system identifies the optimal volume threshold for each user based on their ability to correctly identify speech sounds, then sets subsequent test stimuli at this optimized level. This preliminary calibration ensures that all subsequent measurements are conducted at the appropriate volume for that specific user, improving evaluation accuracy without significantly impacting overall testing efficiency
Data Source
AI summary
Systems and methods for speech hearing screening are described. A method of speech hearing screening comprises receiving an input from a user to indicate a screening is beginning; playing a made-up word on an external speaker at a volume for the user; displaying a series of words to the user to match to the made-up word; and receiving a selection of one word of the series of words from the user. A system of speech-hearing screening comprises a tablet device; a computing node configured to perform a method comprising receiving an input from a user to indicate a screening is beginning; playing a first made-up word on an external speaker at a first volume for the user; displaying a first series of words to the user to match to the first made-up word; and receiving a selection of one word of the series of words from the user.