Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices – Electro-acoustic audio transducer – Plural or compound reproducers
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-29
2003-03-11
Isen, Forester W. (Department: 2644)
Electrical audio signal processing systems and devices
Electro-acoustic audio transducer
Plural or compound reproducers
C381S071600, C073S585000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06532296
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to the use of an audiometry headphone system utilizing an acousto-electric transducer for the purpose of implementing active noise control during and in conjunction with audiometry testing. Since the process of some embodiments of active noise control alter the audiometry test stimulus, methods for correcting that alteration are also covered. Details of the inventions include passive control measures used in conjunction with ANR audiometer headphones, calibration procedures, and ANR headphone design provisions for alternative ANR audiometer configurations. The invention also describes several new and unique methods for calibrating both standard and ANR audiometry headphones. A calibration process which occurs external to the audiometer and that is integrated into the headphone or the headphone wiring mechanism will operate with a standard headphone or a special configuration of the ANR audiometer headphone. An alternative manual or automatic calibration procedure is also presented that utilizes the ANR error microphone instead of the more traditional calibration fixture.
PRIOR ART
The field of audiometry is somewhat arcane with not many developments having occurred in the recent past. Of note are several U.S. patents dealing with the general field. A recent patent to Isenhath, U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,219 discloses a chamber in which subjects are tested with novel positioning of speakers. The 26 year old patent to Arguimbau et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,647,968 discloses the use of a masking signal in the ear of the subject opposite the one being tested and is correlated to the test signal. Shennib, U.S. Pat. No. 5,197,332 discloses the use of headphones in audiometry but the headphones disclosed are not noise cancelling type. Feezor discloses a portable audiometry enclosure with noise masking in the ear not being tested. The patent to Zwicker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,748, discloses the use of frequency band filters in headphones for audiometry purposes.
Other pertinent U.S. Patent disclosures are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,648,196; 3,793,484 and 485; 3,809,811; 4,109,106; 4,224,468; and 4,768,165. It is noteworthy that none of the prior art discloses the use of noise attenuation circuitry in audiometry or the use of the specific switching circuitry disclosed herein.
OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
Accordingly, it is an initial object of this invention to provide an audiometry headphone system that is capable of operating in conjunction with an integrated ANR audiometer or a retrofit ANR audiometer, and
It is another object of this invention to provide an ANR audiometry headphone system that utilizes an acousto-electric sensor to deliver a measure of the sound pressure level to or from the controller portion of the ANR audiometer or retrofit device, and
It is yet another object of this invention to provide an audiometry headphone system capable of reducing the ambient noise in the vicinity of the test subject's ear during and in conjunction with audiometric testing, and
It is a further object of this invention to incorporate additional passive noise control measures to be used in conjunction with the active components of the ANR audiometry headphones, and
It is a still further object of this invention to use one or multiple actuators to deliver the active noise control signal and the audiometry test stimulus or any combination thereof, to the test subject's ears, and
Another object of this invention is to provide a means by which ANR audiometry headphones can be used with a variety of audiometer types including standard audiometers, retrofit ANR audiometers, and integrated ANR audiometers each having different types of outputs ranging from combined control and calibrated test stimulus to separate control and calibrated test stimulus to separate control and non-calibrated test stimulus, and
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a means for calibrating the ANR audiometer headphones in such a manner that the current ISO and ANSI standards are still adhered to, and
A further object of this invention to provide non-standard ways and means for calibrating ANR audiometer headphone designs and configurations that may not fall within the specified regulations for audiometry, and
Furthermore, another object of this invention to use hardware or software located external to the audiometer for the purpose of calibrating any type of standard or non-standard audiometry headphones, and
An additional object of this invention to provide multiple ways of using analog hardware, digital software, or the combination of the two to perform the calibration process, and
An added object of this invention is to provide a calibration technique that does not require modification of conventional audiometer hardware as the technique has calibration hardware or software built into the audiometry headphones themselves, and
Another object of this invention is to use the ANR audiometer headphones sensing device in order to perform calibration of the ANR audiometer headphones with or without the aforementioned calibration process, and
And finally, it is an object of this invention to provide both semi-automated and fully-automated calibration processes for both the standard audiometry headphones and the ANR audiometry headphones.
REFERENCES:
patent: 4079198 (1978-03-01), Bennett
patent: 4759070 (1988-07-01), Voroba et al.
patent: 5771298 (1998-06-01), Davis et al.
patent: 5825894 (1998-10-01), Shennib
patent: 6139507 (2000-10-01), Jeng
patent: 10085202 (1998-04-01), None
Saunders William Richard
Vaudrey Michael Allen
Hiney James
Isen Forester W.
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