Devices and methods for collecting acoustic data

1. A device, comprising:

a network interface configurable to communicate with a communication network;

a microphone configured to convert sounds captured from an environment around the device into an electrical signal;

a processor coupled to the microphone and the network interface; and

a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to:

provide an opt-in privacy setting, wherein the opt-in privacy setting enables the processor to remove identifying data specific to the device and encrypt acoustic data for transmission;

receive a selection to activate the opt-in privacy setting;

execute a trigger in response to detecting a selection of a hearing aid configuration, wherein the trigger causes the microphone to capture sounds from the environment around the device;

process the electrical signal to generate acoustic data representative of the sounds captured from the environment around the device based on the electrical signal;

remove identifying data specific to the device;

encrypt the acoustic data for transmission; and

provide the encrypted acoustic data representative of the sounds captured from the environment around the device to the network interface for transmission to a data storage device.

2. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a speaker coupled to the processor;

wherein the processor is configured to apply a hearing aid profile to the electrical signal to produce a modulated output signal compensated for hearing impairments of a user; and

wherein the speaker is configured to reproduce the modulated output signal as an audible sound.

3. The device of claim 2 , wherein the acoustic data comprises at least one of hearing aid configuration data and a hearing aid profile.

4. The device of claim 1 , further comprising a user interface for displaying information and receiving user input.

5. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a cell phone.

6. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device comprises a computing device.

7. The device of claim 1 , wherein the device further comprises a transceiver configurable to communicate with a hearing aid.

8. The device of claim 1 , further comprising:

a location indicator coupled to the processor and configured to provide location data to the processor; and

wherein the memory further comprises instructions that, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to combine the location data with data derived from the electrical signal to produce the acoustic data.

9. The device of claim 1 , wherein the instructions, when executed by the processor, cause the processor to generate a plurality of triggers, and wherein each of the plurality of triggers causes the microphone to capture sound from the environment for a predetermined period of time.

10. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations for gathering acoustic data, the operations comprising:

receiving a sound sample with a device;

storing a location indicator related to the sound sample;

storing a time stamp related to the sound sample, the sound sample representative of an acoustic environment at a location determined from the location indicator and at a time determined from the time stamp;

processing the sound sample to generate acoustic data related to the location and the time;

providing an opt-in privacy setting, wherein the opt-in privacy setting enables a processor to remove identifying data specific to the device and encrypt acoustic data for transmission;

receiving a selection to activate the opt-in privacy setting;

removing identifying data specific to the device;

encrypting the acoustic data for transmission; and

transmitting the encrypted acoustic data through a communication network.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the device is a hearing aid.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the location indicator comprises a global positioning system (GPS) position.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 , wherein the time stamp includes a date stamp.

14. A method comprising:

receiving a trigger at a device to capture sound samples of an acoustic environment, the trigger generated in response to detecting a selection of a hearing aid configuration;

sampling the acoustic environment using a microphone to produce an electrical signal associated with the acoustic environment;

processing the electrical signals to produce acoustic data representative of the acoustic environment;

providing an opt-in privacy setting, wherein the opt-in privacy setting enables a processor to remove identifying data specific to the device and encrypt acoustic data for transmission;

receiving a selection to activate the opt-in privacy setting;

removing identifying data specific to the device;

encrypting the acoustic data for transmission; and

transmitting the encrypted acoustic data representative of the acoustic environment to a data storage device through a communications network.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein processing the electrical signal comprises:

deriving frequency and amplitude data from the electrical signal; and

combining the frequency and amplitude data with other data to produce the acoustic data.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the other data comprises location data.

17. The method of claim 15 , wherein the other data comprises a date and time stamp.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the operations further comprise:

providing an acoustical map representative of the acoustic data at the time and the location, and wherein the acoustical map is overlaid on a geographic map.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the operations further comprise:

receiving inputs to provide a hearing aid profile at the device based on the acoustical map; and

providing the hearing aid profile to a hearing aid via the communication network.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the operations further comprise transmitting the programming instructions to the hearing aid.

21. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the device is a cell phone.