Hearing enhancement and protection device

A listening device for positioning in an ear canal of a user to process an environmental sound signal, the listening device comprising:

• an earpiece, at least a portion of the earpiece shaped to fully occlude the ear canal of the user when the portion of the earpiece is positioned in the ear canal of the user;
• a microphone positioned on the earpiece for receiving the environmental sound signal when the earpiece is positioned in the user's ear canal;
• a sound processing unit electrically coupled to the microphone, the sound processing unit programmed to identify at least one target sound signature within the environmental sound signal received from the microphone and produce a processed sound signal, wherein producing the processed sound signal includes:
• amplifying the at least one identified target sound signature if the identified target sound signature has an amplitude below a predetermined amplitude threshold;
• attenuating the at least one identified target sound signature if the amplitude of the identified target sound signature is above a predetermined target sound amplitude maximum;
• passing through substantially all background sound signatures in the environmental sound signal having an amplitude less than a predetermined background sound amplitude maximum;
• a speaker electrically coupled to the sound processing unit, the speaker configured to project the processed sound signal as audible sound.

A method of processing an environmental sound signal;

• the method comprising the steps of:
• providing a listening device having an earpiece, a microphone positioned on the earpiece, a sound processing unit communicated with the microphone, and a speaker communicated with the sound processing unit;
• placing the earpiece in the ear of a user with at least a portion of the earpiece positioned within the ear canal of the user;
• receiving with the microphone the environmental sound signal;
• processing the environmental sound signal with the sound processing unit to:
• identify a target sound signature within the environmental sound signal;
• amplify the at least one identified target sound signature if the identified target sound signature has an amplitude below a predetermined amplitude threshold;
• and
• attenuate the at least one identified target sound signature if the amplitude of the identified target sound signature is above a predetermined target sound amplitude maximum;
• and
• projecting the processed sound signal as an audible sound through a speaker on the ear piece into the ear canal of the user.