# US 11,029,195 B2 · Earhealth monitoring system and method II

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- Number: US 11,029,195 B2
- Document ID: US11029195B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/880,659
- Filed: 2020-05-21
- Published: 2020-09-10
- Granted: 2021-06-08
- Earliest claimed: 2006-06-01
- Assignees: Staton Techiya LLC
- Applicants: Staton Techiya LLC
- Inventors: Steven W. Goldstein; John Usher; Brian Fligor; John P. Keady
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US11029195B2

## CPC

- G01H 3/14: Measuring mean amplitude; Measuring mean power; Measuring time integral of power
- G01H: MEASUREMENT OF MECHANICAL VIBRATIONS OR ULTRASONIC, SONIC OR INFRASONIC WAVES

## Abstract

Methods of operating an audio device are provided. A method includes measuring sound pressure levels (SPLECM) for acoustic energy received by an ear canal microphone (ECM) during a time increment Δt and calculating a SPL_DoseΔt during the time increment Δt using SPLECM.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An earphone configured to monitor sound dosage levels comprising:
a microphone;
a speaker;
an eartip;
a memory that stores instructions; and
a processor, operatively connected to the microphone, where the processor is operatively connected to the speaker, where the processor is operatively connected to the memory, where the processor is configured to execute the instructions to perform operations, the operations comprising:
receiving a microphone signal from the microphone, where the microphone signal results from the microphone measuring sound pressure levels (SPLECM) in a user's ear canal;
converting the microphone signal into field equivalent values of the sound pressure levels; and
calculating, during a time increment Δt, a SPL_DoseΔt based upon the field equivalent values, wherein the SPL_DoseΔt indicates a cumulative exposure to sound levels over the time increment Δt.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The earphone according to claim 1, where the operations further include:
measuring the SPLECM.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The earphone according to claim 1, where the operations further include:
measuring, during the time increment Δt, sound pressure levels equivalent (SPLECR) for an acoustic signal directed to the speaker.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The earphone according to claim 1, where the operations further include:
calculating a calibration relationship between an intensity of the microphone measured sound pressure levels with a pressure measurement.

### Claim 5 (depends on 4)

The earphone according to claim 4, where the operations further include:
updating SPLECM using the calibration relationship to generate SPLECM-UPDATE.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The earphone according to claim 1, where the operations further include:
determining when the device is in a charger or a communication cradle.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The earphone according to claim 1, where the operations further include:
sending a notification signal if SPL_DoseΔt exceeds a threshold value.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The earphone according to claim 7, where the notification signal is audio.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The earphone according to claim 7, where the notification signal is visual.

### Claim 10 (depends on 7)

The earphone according to claim 7, where the notification signal is a data stream.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The earphone according to claim 1, where the microphone is an ear canal microphone that is configured to monitor primarily the ear canal of a user.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The earphone according to claim 11, where the operations further include:
calculating a noise reduction signal, using the microphone signal, to send to the speaker.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The earphone according to claim 12, where the operations further include:
sending the noise reduction signal to the speaker.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The earphone according to claim 11, further comprising:
a second microphone.

### Claim 15 (depends on 14)

The earphone according to claim 14, where the second microphone is an ambient sound microphone that is configured to monitor primarily the ambient environment of a user.

### Claim 16 (depends on 15)

The earphone according to claim 15, where the operations further include:
receiving a second microphone signal from the second microphone, where the second microphone signal results from the second microphone measuring sound pressure levels (SPLASM) in a user's ambient environment.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The earphone according to claim 16, where the operations further include:
comparing the first microphone signal to the second microphone signal to detect a voice.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The earphone according to claim 17, where the operations further include:
sending a portion of the first microphone signal or a portion of the second microphone signal to a second processor.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The earphone according to claim 18, where the operations further include:
receiving from the second processor a voice command equivalent of the portion sent to the second processor.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The earphone according to claim 19, where the operations further include:
performing an action associated with the voice command equivalent.