Acoustic monitoring systems and methods
Systems and methods to provide acoustic monitoring are disclosed, comprising receiving a first acoustic signal and providing a first analog signal output representative of the received first acoustic signal using a first sensor, determining at least one of a continuous noise level of the first analog signal output of the first sensor or a peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output of the first sensor using analog signal processing circuitry, and sampling, using digital signal processing circuitry, at least one of the determined continuous noise level of the first analog signal output or the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output from the analog signal processing circuitry to provide data privacy of the first analog signal output.
1. An acoustic monitoring system, comprising:
a first sensor configured to receive a first acoustic signal and provide a first analog signal output representative of the received first acoustic signal,
analog signal processing circuitry configured to receive the first analog signal output of the first sensor and to determine at least one of a continuous noise level of the first analog signal output or a peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output; and
digital signal processing circuitry configured to receive and sample at least one of the determined continuous noise level of the first analog signal output or the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output from the analog signal processing circuitry to provide data privacy of the first analog signal output.
2. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the digital signal processing circuitry is configured to receive and sample the determined continuous noise level and the peak level of impulse noise from the analog signal processing circuitry, and
wherein the digital signal processing circuitry does not receive and sample the first analog signal output from the first sensor.
3. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the digital signal processing circuitry is configured to sample at least one of the determined continuous noise level or the peak level of impulse noise from the analog signal processing circuitry at a low frequency level with respect to a vocal acoustic frequency to provide data privacy of the first analog signal output.
4. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 3 , wherein the low frequency level is less than 2 kHz.
5. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 4 , wherein the low frequency level is less than 1 kHz and greater than 100 Hz.
6. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the digital signal processing circuitry comprises:
an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) configured to receive and sample at least one of the determined continuous noise level or the peak level of impulse noise from the analog signal processing circuitry;
a control circuit configured to control at least one of the ADC or the analog signal processing circuitry; and
a memory circuit configured to store information from the ADC,
wherein the digital signal processing circuitry does not have access to audible frequencies of the received first acoustic signal.
7. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 1 , wherein the analog signal processing circuitry comprises at least one of:
an analog peak and hold circuit configured to determine the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output with respect to a time period; or
an integrator circuit configured to determine the continuous noise level of the first analog signal output with respect to a time period,
wherein the analog signal processing circuitry is configured to determine at least one of the continuous noise level of the first analog signal output with respect to the time period or the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output with respect to the time period to separate the continuous noise level of the first analog signal output or the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output from audible frequency information of the received acoustic noise such that vocal audio content of the first analog signal output of the first sensor cannot be re-created by the digital signal processing circuitry.
8. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 1 , comprising:
a first hearing protection device configured to provide at least one of continuous or impulse noise dosimetry, comprising:
a proximal portion configured for placement in, on, or over an ear of a subject to at least partially reduce exposure of an inner ear of the subject to external noise, the proximal portion including the first sensor and, when in use, at least partially isolated from an external environment; and
a distal portion configured to be located distal to the ear of the subject with respect to the proximal portion and, when in use, exposed to the external environment.
9. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 8 , wherein the first hearing protection device includes a first in-ear hearing protection device configured to provide the at least one of continuous or impulse noise dosimetry,
wherein the proximal portion is configured for placement in an ear canal of the subject to at least partially reduce exposure of the inner ear of the subject to external noise, the proximal portion comprising a first opening at a first end,
wherein the distal portion is configured to be located outside of the ear canal of the subject, and
wherein the first sensor includes a sound port open to the first opening configured to receive the first acoustic signal with respect to the first opening.
10. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 9 , wherein the proximal portion comprises an air duct open to the first opening,
wherein the first sensor comprises a sound port open to the air duct,
wherein the distal portion comprises a second opening on a second end opposite the first end, a battery, a communication circuit, the analog and digital signal processing circuitry, and a second sensor having a sound port open to the second opening,
wherein the distal portion is coupled to the proximal portion using an isolating structure configured to attenuate physical shock from the distal portion to the proximal portion,
wherein the second sensor is configured to receive a second acoustic signal and provide a second analog signal output representative of the received second acoustic signal,
wherein the analog signal processing circuitry is configured to receive the second analog signal output of the second sensor and to determine at least one of a continuous noise level of the second analog signal output with respect to a time period or a peak level of impulse noise of the second analog signal output with respect to a time period, and
wherein the digital signal processing circuitry is configured to receive and sample at least one of the determined continuous noise level of the second analog signal output or the peak level of impulse noise of the second analog signal output from the analog signal processing circuitry to provide data privacy of the second analog signal output.
11. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 10 , wherein the first sensor is configured to receive the first acoustic signal internal to the air duct of the proximal portion of the first in-ear hearing protection device, and
wherein the second sensor is configured to receive the second acoustic signal external to the first in-ear hearing protection device.
12. The acoustic monitoring system of claim 11 , wherein the second sensor is configured to provide the second analog signal output representative of the received second acoustic signal including sound pressure levels (SPL) up to an upper limit of the second sensor,
wherein the distal portion comprises a third opening on the second end and a third sensor having a sound port open to the third opening, and
wherein the third sensor is configured to receive a third acoustic signal external to the first in-ear hearing protection device and to provide a third analog signal output representative of the received third acoustic signal, including impulse noise levels having sound pressure levels above the upper limit of the second sensor, including above 140 dB.
13. The system of claim 12 , wherein the proximal portion is separated from the first sensor using a vibration dampening material, and
wherein the isolating structure comprises a flexible, s-shaped structure.
14. A method comprising:
receiving, using a first sensor, a first acoustic signal and providing a first analog signal output representative of the received first acoustic signal;
determining, using analog signal processing circuitry, at least one of a continuous noise level of the first analog signal output of the first sensor or a peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output of the first sensor; and
sampling, using digital signal processing circuitry, at least one of the determined continuous noise level of the first analog signal output or the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output from the analog signal processing circuitry to provide data privacy of the first analog signal output.
15. The method of claim 14 , wherein sampling at least one of the determined continuous noise level or the peak level of impulse noise from the analog signal processing circuitry comprises sampling the determined continuous noise level and the peak level of impulse noise using the digital signal processing circuitry at a low frequency level with respect to a vocal acoustic frequency and not sampling the first analog signal output from the first sensor using the digital signal processing circuitry.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the low frequency level is less than 3 kHz.
17. The method of claim 14 , wherein sampling at least one of the determined continuous noise level of the first analog signal output or the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output from the analog signal processing circuitry using the digital signal processing circuitry comprises:
receiving and sampling at least one of the determined continuous noise level or the peak level of impulse noise from the analog signal processing circuitry using an analog-to-digital converter (ADC);
controlling at least one of the ADC or the analog signal processing circuitry using a control circuit; and
storing information from the ADC using a memory circuit,
wherein the digital signal processing circuitry does not have access to audible frequencies of the received first acoustic signal,
wherein determining at least one of the continuous noise level of the first analog signal output or the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output comprises to separate the continuous noise level of the first analog signal output or the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output from the audible frequency information of the received acoustic noise such that vocal audio content of the first analog signal output of the first sensor cannot be re-created by the digital signal processing circuitry,
wherein determining the continuous noise level of the first analog signal output of the first sensor comprises using an analog peak-and-hold circuit, and
wherein determining the peak level of impulse noise of the first analog signal output of the first sensor comprises using an integrator circuit.
18. The method of claim 14 , comprising:
providing at least one of continuous or impulse noise dosimetry using a first hearing protection device comprising:
a proximal portion configured for placement in, on, or over an ear of a subject to at least partially reduce exposure of an inner ear of the subject to external noise, the proximal portion including the first sensor and, when in use, at least partially isolated from an external environment; and
a distal portion configured to be located distal to the ear of the subject with respect to the proximal portion and, when in use, exposed to the external environment.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein providing the at least one of continuous or impulse noise dosimetry using the first hearing protection device comprises using a first in-ear hearing protection device,
wherein the proximate portion is configured for placement in an ear canal of the subject to at least partially reduce exposure of the inner ear of the subject to external noise, the proximal portion comprising a first opening at a first end,
wherein the distal portion is configured to be located outside of the ear canal of the subject,
wherein the method further comprises:
attenuating physical shock from the distal portion of the first in-ear hearing protection device to the proximal portion of the first in-ear hearing protection device using an isolating structure; and
receiving, using a second sensor, a second acoustic signal external to the first in-ear hearing protection device and providing a second analog signal output representative of the received second acoustic signal by the second sensor,
wherein receiving the first acoustic signal using the first sensor includes using receiving the first acoustic signal internal to the proximal portion of the first in-ear hearing protection device using a sound port open to the first opening.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein receiving the second acoustic signal using the second sensor includes receiving sound pressure levels (SPL) up to an upper limit of the second sensor,
wherein the isolating structure comprises a flexible, s-shaped structure, and
wherein the method further comprises:
receiving, using a third sensor, a third acoustic signal external to the first in-ear hearing protection device and providing a third analog signal output representative of the received third acoustic signal by the third sensor, including impulse noise levels having sound pressure levels above the upper limit of the second sensor, including above 140 dB.