US-12627938-B2 - Calibration of wearable sound-emitting devices

US12627938B2US 12627938 B2US12627938 B2US 12627938B2US-12627938-B2

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a hearing aid hearing test and calibration system. An exemplary system includes: a hearing aid that amplifies sound and further plays the amplified sound; and a computing device that communicates with the hearing aid, and performs a fitting process responsive to a user's activation. The fitting process includes: setting a test frequency and a test amplitude; causing the hearing aid to play a sound at the test frequency and the test amplitude; prompting the user to respond as to whether the user is able to hear; and upon a positive or negative response from the user, causing the hearing aid to change the amplitude to calibrate.

Inventors

Jason Anderson

Assignees

OIDO, INC.

Dates

Publication Date: 20260512
Application Date: 20231205

Claims (17)

1 . A system comprising: a hearing aid configured to amplify sound and further configured to play the amplified sound; a sound source; a memory device configured to store one or more sound profiles of the sound source; and a computing device configured to communicate with the hearing aid, the computing device configured to: perform a first fitting process responsive to an activation, the first fitting process including: setting a test frequency and a test amplitude; causing the hearing aid to play a sound at the test frequency and the test amplitude; prompting a user of the hearing aid to respond whether the user is able to hear; and upon a positive or negative response from the user, causing the hearing aid to change the amplitude to calibrate; perform a second fitting process after the first fitting process, the second fitting process including: prompting the user to be with the sound source; setting a second test frequency and a second test amplitude; causing the sound source to play a sound at the second test frequency and the second test amplitude; prompting the user to respond whether the user is able to hear; and upon a positive or negative response from the user, causing the sound source to change the amplitude and further configured to calibrate the hearing aid, wherein the computing device is configured to obtain at least one sound profile of the one or more sound profiles of the sound source, and further configured to calibrate the hearing aid based on the obtained at least one sound profile prior to the second fitting process.
2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the memory device is incorporated in a remote server.
3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sound source is outside the hearing aid.
4 . The system of claim 3 , wherein the sound source is at least one of a speaker or an over-ear headphone.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is a mobile device comprising a screen, and wherein the computing device is configured to prompt the user to perform an action by causing one or more instructions to the user to be displayed on the screen.
6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the computing device is configured to display the frequency and the amplitude on the screen.
7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the computing device is configured to prompt the user to perform an action by announcing instructions to the user.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the computing device is further configured to store a user profile comprising one or more calibration results of the fitting process associated with the user.
9 . The system of claim 8 , further comprising a remote server, wherein the computing device is further configured to send the user profile to the remote server, and, wherein the remote server is configured to store the user profile and further configured to transmit the user profile upon a request from a hearing aid.
10 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a first fitting process comprising: setting a test frequency and a test amplitude responsive to an activation; causing a hearing aid to play a sound at the test frequency and the test amplitude; prompting the user of the hearing aid to respond as to whether the user is able to hear the sound; and upon a positive or negative response from the user, causing the hearing aid to change the test amplitude to calibrate, cause the computing device to further perform a second fitting process comprising: prompting the user to be with a sound source; obtaining one or more profiles of the sound source; calibrating the hearing aid based on the obtained one or more profiles of the sound source; after calibrating the hearing aid, setting a second test frequency and a second test amplitude; causing the sound source to play a sound at the second test frequency and the second test amplitude; prompting the user to respond whether the user is able to hear; and upon a positive or negative response from the user, causing the sound source to change the amplitude and further configured to calibrate the hearing aid.
11 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the fitting process is performed using a standard protocol.
12 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the first or second fitting process further comprises: if the response is positive, confirming a hearing threshold amplitude, including: decreasing the test amplitude relative to the hearing threshold amplitude and prompting the user to respond as to whether the user is able to hear the sound, and repeating the decreasing step until the response is negative; and thereafter increasing the test amplitude relative to the hearing threshold amplitude and prompting the user to respond as to whether the user is able to hear the sound, and repeating the increasing step until the response is positive; and determining that calibration for the test frequency is complete if the hearing threshold amplitude is confirmed.
13 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the fitting process further comprises storing a user profile comprising the hearing threshold for the test frequency.
14 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the fitting process further comprises: transmitting the user profile to a remote server; and storing the user profile at the remote server.
15 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12 , wherein the first or second fitting process further comprises: if there is another test frequency untested after the calibration for the test frequency is complete, performing the corresponding first or second fitting process at the untested test frequency until the calibration is performed for all the test frequencies.
16 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 10 , wherein the second fitting process further comprises: presenting test results based on the second fitting process; and upon receiving an instruction from a user, repeat performing another second fitting process using test results of the prior second fitting process.
17 . A method of performing a fitting process of a hearing aid, the method comprising: responsive to an activation, during a first fitting process, setting a test frequency and a test amplitude; causing the hearing aid to play a sound at the test frequency and the test amplitude; prompting a user of the hearing aid to respond as to whether the user is able to hear the sound; and upon a positive or negative response from the user, causing the hearing aid to change the test amplitude to calibrate, following the first fitting process, performing a second fitting process comprising: prompting the user to be with a sound source; obtaining one or more profiles of the sound source; calibrating the hearing aid based on the obtained one or more profiles of the sound source; after calibrating the hearing aid, setting a second test frequency and a second test amplitude; causing the sound source to play a sound at the second test frequency and the second test amplitude; prompting the user to respond whether the user is able to hear; and upon a positive or negative response from the user, causing the sound source to change the amplitude and further configured to calibrate the hearing aid.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S) This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63/386,158 filed Dec. 5, 2022, which is incorporated herein by reference, in its entirety, for any purpose. TECHNICAL FIELD This disclosure relates generally to user calibration of hearing aids, in-ear or over-ear headphones, and other wearable sound modification and/or amplification devices. BACKGROUND INFORMATION Existing hearing aid fitting has two primary steps. According to audiology best practices, the first major step in fitting a hearing aid is to conduct a pure tone audiometry test. Audiometric threshold data, also known as pure-tone testing, has been used since the 1920s to categorize the degree and type of hearing loss. Audiometric testing utilizes various intensities of sound emitted over a range of frequencies to determine deficits in hearing, which is plotted on a graph, also known as an audiogram. The characteristic configurations and patterns produced on the audiogram can guide healthcare practitioners in understanding the mechanism of an individual's hearing loss. After reading the audiogram, an audiologist will then program a hearing aid based on patient hearing thresholds and move on to the second major step in fitting best practices: real ear measures. Real ear measurement is a process that audiologists use to determine the efficacy of a hearing aid once in a patient's ear. This step is essential due to everyone's unique ear canal geometry. Audiologists perform real ear measures by placing a microphone probe in an individual's ear canal to measure the output of the hearing aid at the ear drum. Once the real ear measures have been recorded, the audiologist then adjusts the hearing aid to the patient's specific needs. SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE Disclosed are techniques to remove the need to employ expensive real ear measurement equipment by enabling individuals to replicate the results of audiology best practices without the need for expensive equipment or training. Embodiments described herein address the problem of the time and expense involved in the current methods for providing hearing aids and other such devices to customers and the calibration of same for each individual customer. Additional aspects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description of embodiments, which proceeds with reference to the accompanying drawings. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIGURES To easily identify the discussion of any particular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in a reference number refer to the figure number in which that element is first introduced. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 2 is a pictorial view showing a user beginning a standard fitting in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 3 is a screenshot showing a control screen in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 4 is a screenshot showing an in-ear fitting screen for a standard fitting in accordance with one embodiment. FIGS. 5A and 5B are screenshots showing ambient noise presentation screens in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a screenshot showing a launch test screen in accordance with one embodiment. FIGS. 7A-7C are screenshots showing pure-tone hearing screens in accordance with one embodiment. FIGS. 8 and 9 are screenshots showing audiograms before and after standard fitting in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 10 is a pictorial view showing a user beginning a real-ear fitting in accordance with one embodiment. FIGS. 11A-11B are screenshots showing pure-tone hearing screens in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 12 is a screenshot showing an audiogram after real-ear fitting in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 13 shows an example process 1300 for performing a hearing test and calibration of a hearing aid, according to one embodiment. FIG. 14 shows an example process 1400 for performing a hearing test and calibration using standard protocol, according to one embodiment. FIG. 15 is a block diagram of a hearing aid hearing test and calibration system in accordance with one embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS In the following description, various embodiments will be described. For purposes of explanation, specific configurations and details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the embodiments. However, it will also be apparent to skilled persons that the embodiments may be practiced without the specific details. Furthermore, well-known features may be omitted or simplified in order not to obscure the embodiment being described. While the following preferred embodiments refer specifically to hearing aids as an example, it should be appreciated that the same methods may apply to other wearable sound modification and/or amplification devices and no limitation is intended. FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example system 100 in accordance with one embodiment. FIG. 1 shows a user 101 of the s