# US 2014/0194775 A1 · Method and System for Self-Managed Sound Enhancement > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0194775 A1 - Document ID: US20140194775A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/151,375 - Filed: 2014-01-09 - Published: 2014-07-10 - Earliest claimed: 2013-01-09 - Assignees: ACE Communications Limited - Applicants: ACE Communications Limited - Inventors: Charles Andrew VAN HASSELT; Chi Shan Anna KAM; Pui Tong Paul LEE; Ka Kui CHENG - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140194775A1 ## CPC - A61B 5/6898: {Portable consumer electronic devices, e.g. music players, telephones, tablet computers} - A61B 5/0022: {Monitoring a patient using a global network, e.g. telephone networks, internet} - A61B 5/121: {evaluating hearing capacity} - A61B 5/123: {subjective methods} - A61B 5/128: {evaluating tinnitus} - G16H 40/67: for remote operation - H04R 25/00: Electric hearing aids - H04R 25/30: {Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power} - H04R 25/35: {using translation techniques} - H04R 25/505: {using digital signal processing} - H04R 25/70: {Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting} - H04R 25/75: {Electric tinnitus maskers providing an auditory perception} - H04R 5/04: Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} - H04R 2205/041: Adaptation of stereophonic signal reproduction for the hearing impaired - H04R 2225/39: Aspects relating to automatic logging of sound environment parameters and the performance of the hearing aid during use, e.g. histogram logging, or of user selected programs or settings in the hearing aid, e.g. usage logging - H04R 2225/41: Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest - H04R 2225/55: Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange - A61B: DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (usefulness limited to only animals A61D) - G16H: HEALTHCARE INFORMATICS, i.e. INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR THE HANDLING OR PROCESSING OF MEDICAL OR HEALTHCARE DATA - 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 system and method are provided for capturing hearing characteristics from self-administered hearing tests, including loudness tolerance levels at different sound frequencies, as an individualized shaped auditory profile for automatically enhancing audio to complement and address as closely as possible an individual's hearing deficits experienced via a particular signal pathway, the signal pathway including the audio device used to administer the test, the sound environment, and the user's hearing capabilities. The user may self-administer a hearing test on a convenient personal apparatus, such as a smartphone. The shaped auditory profile may then be used to produce enhanced sound subsequently transmitted to the individual via the same signal pathway. In certain of its aspects, the invention is useful for any individual seeking an enhanced hearing experience, whether having hearing within normal range or hearing that is impaired. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A system for enhancing an individual's hearing experience comprising: a component for capturing the individual's audio hearing characteristics for a test signal pathway, the test signal pathway comprising elements that transform an input test electronic signal into a perceived audio signal, including electronic components of a test audio device that transforms an input test electronic signal into an output test audio signal, the sound environment in which the individual hears the output test audio signal, and the individual's hearing capabilities; a component for analyzing the individual's audio hearing characteristics for the test signal pathway to generate a shaped auditory profile; and a component for selectively applying said shaped auditory profile to enhance audio perceived by an individual in response to another input electronic signal transmitted to the individual through a listening signal pathway similar to the test signal pathway. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, said test signal pathway further comprising the positioning and/or fit of said particular audio device relative to the individual's ear. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a component applying optional user preferences to dictate, modify or adjust said audio enhancement. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the enhanced audio being generated by a computerized apparatus, to compensate for frequency dependent loudness deficits in the perceived audio signal for signal pathways similar to the test signal pathway, within customized loudness levels. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the shaped auditory profile comprising a test measurement of a minimum audible loudness level for at least one frequency transmitted via the test signal pathway. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, the shaped auditory profile further comprising test measurements of a most comfortable level and an uncomfortable level for at least one frequency transmitted via the test signal pathway. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, the minimum audible loudness level being measured at a plurality of audiometric frequencies. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, the analyzing component comprising a subsystem for producing a processed result according to gain calculations. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The system of claim 8, wherein the gain calculations that dictate the frequency gain and compression characteristics of the processed result are frequency-dependent and input-level dependent. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further including a data repository for storing individualized shaped auditory profiles, the repository being configured for collecting data from any source and for storing, updating, and responding to requests for specific individualized shaped auditory profiles for use by the analyzing component. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, the individualized shaped auditory profile further comprising optional customization settings selected by the individual to dictate, modify or adjust said audio enhancement. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The system of claim 11, the individualized shaped auditory profile further including measurements from a tinnitus test. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein said data repository is accessible through an Internet connection. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The system of claim 10, wherein the capturing component is a portable electronic component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The system according to claim 10, wherein the analyzing component is a portable electronic component. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The system according to claim 1, further comprising a component to detect at least one element of the listening signal pathway and to alter the audio enhancement based on a difference between the listening signal pathway element and a corresponding element of the test signal pathway. ### Claim 17 A method for enhancing a hearing experience of an individual, comprising: capturing audio hearing characteristics of the individual corresponding to a test signal pathway for transforming an input electronic signal into a perceived audio signal perceived by the individual, by administering a hearing test to the individual using a test audio device in a test sound environment to transmit to the individual an output test audio signal from an input test electronic signal; analyzing the individual's audio hearing characteristics for the test signal pathway to generate a shaped auditory profile; and applying said shaped auditory profile to enhance an output audio signal transmitted to the individual by a listening audio device having similar signal processing characteristics to said test audio device in a similar listening sound environment to said test sound environment. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The method according to claim 17, further comprising detecting at least one aspect of the listening audio device or the listening sound environment and altering the audio enhancement based on a difference between the aspect of the listening audio device or sound environment and a corresponding aspect of the test audio device or sound environment. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The method of claim 17, further comprising generating at least a second shaped auditory profile for said individual, corresponding to a different test signal pathway, and storing said at least two shaped auditory profiles in a data repository to permit one of said at least two shaped auditory profiles to be selected to be applied to enhance said output audio signal. ### Claim 20 An apparatus for delivering customized enhanced sound to an individual via a particular signal pathway comprising: a component for receiving unenhanced audio signals from a source; a component for receiving a stored individualized shaped auditory profile associated with the individual and the particular signal pathway; a filter means to receive the individualized shaped auditory profile to establish filter coefficients and to receive the unenhanced audio signals as input for modifying loudness of the audio signals at a plurality of frequencies to obtain modified audio signals; a time-domain-to-frequency-domain converter for converting the modified audio signals from the time domain to the frequency domain; a component for analyzing the loudness tolerance level of the modified audio signals by comparing loudness tolerance levels of the individualized shaped auditory profile with loudness levels of the modified audio signals at a plurality of audiological frequencies, and for adjusting the loudness at selected audiological frequencies where the loudness tolerance levels are exceeded to produce enhanced frequency domain audio signals; a component for converting the enhanced frequency domain audio signals to equivalent time domain enhanced audio to the individual. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) The apparatus of claim 20, the filter means being a time-domain finite impulse response filter bank. ### Claim 22 (depends on 21) The apparatus of claim 21, the time-domain-to-frequency domain converter being a Fourier transform element and the component for converting the enhanced audio signals being an inverse Fourier transform element.