Techniques for determining hearing threshold
AssigneeSenseg Ltd.
InventorVille Makinen
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Embodiments of tactile stimulation apparatuses and components of such apparatuses are generally described herein. For example, in one embodiment, a tactile stimulation apparatus is provided. This tactile stimulation apparatus has a composite section comprising an insulation region and a semiconducting region that is proximate to the insulation region. This insulation region is touchable by a body member. Additionally included is a voltage source proximate to the semiconducting region. Here, the voltage source is configured to charge the semiconducting region to an electric potential, which produces an electrosensory sensation on the body member.
Claims22
-13. (canceled)
A method comprising:
- accessing reference information that describes a wave shape of a reference brainwave response to an acoustic stimulus that transgresses an expected hearing threshold of a test subject;
- providing the acoustic stimulus to the test subject;
- using a processor, detecting an actual brainwave response of the test subject to the acoustic stimulus;
- calculating a time interval from the acoustic stimulus to the actual brainwave response based on the reference information that describes the wave shape of the reference brainwave response to the acoustic stimulus;
- and
- determining an actual hearing threshold of the test subject from the time interval calculated based on the reference information that describes the wave shape of the reference brainwave response to the acoustic stimulus.
A tangible software product comprising instructions that, when executed by a computer-controlled testing apparatus, cause the computer-controlled testing apparatus to perform operations comprising:
- accessing reference information that describes a wave shape of a reference brainwave response to an acoustic stimulus that transgresses an expected hearing threshold of a test subject;
- providing the acoustic stimulus to the test subject;
- detecting an actual brainwave response of the test subject to the acoustic stimulus;
- calculating a time interval from the acoustic stimulus to the actual brainwave response based on the reference information that describes the wave shape of the reference brainwave response to the acoustic stimulus;
- and
- determining an actual hearing threshold of the test subject from the time interval calculated based on the reference information that describes the wave shape of the reference brainwave response to the acoustic stimulus.
A system comprising:
- access means for accessing reference information that describes a wave shape of a reference brainwave response to an acoustic stimulus that transgresses an expected hearing threshold of a test subject;
- first interface means for providing the acoustic stimulus to the test subject;
- second interface means for detecting an actual brainwave response of the test subject to the acoustic stimulus;
- first logic means for calculating a time interval from the acoustic stimulus to the actual brainwave response based on the reference information that describes the wave shape of the reference brainwave response to the acoustic stimulus;
- and
- second logic means for determining an actual hearing threshold of the test subject from the time interval calculated based on the reference information that describes the wave shape of the reference brainwave response to the acoustic stimulus.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.