# US 12,223,980 B2 · Methods and apparatus for headset diagnostics > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,223,980 B2 - Document ID: US12223980B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/065,219 - Filed: 2020-10-07 - Published: 2021-05-06 - Granted: 2025-02-11 - Earliest claimed: 2019-11-04 - Assignees: Cirrus Logic, Inc. - Applicants: Cirrus Logic International Semiconductor Ltd. - Inventors: Thomas I. Harvey; John P. Lesso - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12223980B2 ## CPC - G10L 25/51: for comparison or discrimination - A61B 5/117: Identification of persons (methods or arrangements for recognising patterns, e.g. fingerprints, G06F18/00, G06V40/00; identification of persons by analysing their voice or speech G10L17/00) - G02B 27/017: {Head mounted} - G06F 3/012: {Head tracking input arrangements} - H04R 1/023: {Screens for loudspeakers} - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - H04R 25/654: {Ear wax retarders} - H04R 29/001: {for loudspeakers (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - H04R 29/004: {for microphones (H04R29/007 takes precedence)} - H04R 2460/01: Hearing devices using active noise cancellation - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G02B: OPTICAL ELEMENTS, SYSTEMS OR APPARATUS - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract A method for diagnosing a condition of a first headset enclosed in a headset enclosure. The method comprises playing a first audio stimulus through a first speaker of the headset; detecting a first response signal derived by a first transducer; and determining a condition of the first speaker and/or first transducer based on the first response signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for diagnosing a condition of a first headset, the method comprising: playing a first audio stimulus through a first speaker of the first headset while the first headset is enclosed in a headset enclosure; detecting a first response signal derived by a first transducer while the first headset is enclosed in the headset enclosure; and determining, by the first headset and/or the headset enclosure, a condition of the first speaker and/or first transducer based on the first response signal, wherein the condition is whether or not the respective first speaker and/or first transducer is impaired. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the condition comprises comparing the first response signal to a template first response signal. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein determining the condition further comprises extracting one or more features of the first response signal, and wherein comparing the first response signal to the template first response signal comprises comparing the one or more features extracted features with a corresponding template feature, the corresponding template features representing an optimal condition of the acoustic path or a previous condition of the acoustic path. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is the first speaker and the method further comprises: responsive to determining that the first response signal corresponds substantially to a template response signal, determining the condition of the first speaker as being not impaired; and responsive to determining that the first response signal does not correspond substantially to a template first response signal, determining the condition of the first speaker as being impaired. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is the first speaker and the method further comprises: determining that the first response signal corresponds substantially to a template response signal; determining the condition of the first speaker as being not impaired; detecting a second response signal to the first audio stimulus derived by a second speaker; determining that the second response signal does not correspond substantially to the template second response signal; and determining a condition of the second speaker as being impaired. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method of claim 5, further comprising using the first speaker to compensate for the second speaker. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is the first speaker and the method further comprises: determining that the first response signal corresponds substantially to a template response signal; determining the condition of the first speaker as being impaired; playing a second audio stimulus through a second speaker of the headset; detecting a third response signal to the second audio stimulus derived by the second speaker; determining that the third response signal corresponds substantially to the template third response signal; and using the second speaker to compensate for the first speaker. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is the first speaker and the method further comprises: determining that the first response signal corresponds substantially to a template response signal; determining the condition of the first speaker as being not impaired; detecting a fourth response signal to the first audio stimulus derived by a first microphone; and determining a condition of the first microphone based on the fourth response signal; wherein determining the condition of the first microphone based on the fourth response signal comprises: responsive to determining that the fourth response signal corresponds substantially to a template fourth response signal, determining the condition of the first microphone as being not impaired; and responsive to determining that the fourth response signal does not correspond substantially to the template fourth response signal, determining the condition of the first microphone as being impaired. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising using the first speaker to compensate for the first microphone. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is a first microphone and the method further comprises: responsive to determining that the first response signal corresponds substantially to a template first response signal, determining the condition of the first microphone as being not impaired and a condition of the first speaker as being not impaired; and responsive to determining that the first response signal does not correspond substantially to a template first response signal, determining the condition of the first microphone as being potentially impaired and the condition of the first speaker as being potentially impaired. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is a first microphone and the method further comprises: determining that the first response signal does not correspond substantially to a template first response signal; determining the condition of the first microphone as being potentially impaired and the condition of the first speaker as being potentially impaired; detecting a second response signal derived by a second microphone; and determining the condition of the first speaker and/or the first microphone and/or the second microphone based on the second response signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining that the second response signal corresponds substantially to a template second response signal; and determining the condition of the first microphone as being impaired, the condition of the first speaker as being not impaired and a condition of the second microphone as being not impaired. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, further comprising using the first speaker and/or the second microphone to compensate for the first microphone. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining that the second response signal does not correspond substantially to a template second response signal; and determining the condition of the second microphone as being potentially impaired. ### Claim 15 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, further comprising: determining that the second response signal does not correspond substantially to a template second response signal; and determining the condition of the first speaker as being impaired, the condition of the first microphone as being unimpaired and a condition of the second microphone as being unimpaired. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is a first microphone and the method further comprises: determining that the first response signal does not correspond substantially to a template first response signal; determining the condition of the first microphone as being potentially impaired and the condition of the first speaker as being potentially impaired; playing a second audio stimulus through a second speaker of the headset; detecting a fifth response signal to the second audio stimulus derived by the second speaker; and determining that the fifth response signal corresponds substantially to the template fifth response signal; and using the second speaker to compensate for the first speaker and/or the first microphone. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is a second speaker and the method further comprises: responsive to determining that the first response signal corresponds substantially to a template first response signal, determining the condition of the first speaker as being not impaired and a condition of the second speaker as being not impaired; and responsive to determining that the first response signal does not correspond substantially to a template first response signal, determining the condition of the first speaker as being potentially impaired and a condition of the second speaker as being potentially impaired. ### Claim 18 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first transducer is a second speaker and the method further comprises: determining that the first response signal does not correspond substantially to a template first response signal; determining the condition of the first speaker as being potentially impaired and a condition of the second speaker as being potentially impaired; detecting a second response signal derived by a first microphone; and determining the condition of the first speaker and/or the first microphone and/or the second speaker based on the second response signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to playing the first audio stimulus through the first speaker of the first headset while the first headset is enclosed in the headset enclosure: detecting that the first headset is within the headset enclosure. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the headset enclosure is a charging case. ### Claim 21 An apparatus, comprising processing circuitry and a non-transitory machine-readable which, when executed by the processing circuitry, cause the apparatus to: play a first audio stimulus through a first speaker of a first headset enclosed in a headset enclosure; detect a first response signal derived by a first transducer enclosed in the headset enclosure; and determine, by the first headset and/or the headset enclosure, a condition of the first speaker and/or the first transducer based on the first response signal, wherein the condition is whether or not the respective first speaker and/or first transducer is impaired. ### Claim 22 A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, cause an electronic apparatus to: play a first audio stimulus through a first speaker of a first headset enclosed in a headset enclosure; detect a first response signal derived by a first transducer enclosed in the headset enclosure; and determine, by the first headset and/or the headset enclosure, a condition of the first speaker and/or the first transducer based on the first response signal, wherein the condition is whether or not the respective first speaker and/or first transducer is impaired.