A method and apparatus for objectively assessing acoustical performance of an in-ear device having a passageway extending there through use a dual microphone probe that removably engages the passageway. The acoustical performance of the in-ear device is performed with the in-ear device inserted into the ear canal of the user and a reference sound source. A clip holding the probe in an acoustic near field of the sound source permits real time calibration thereof. The method and apparatus allow on-site and in-situ measurement of a predicted personal attenuation rating of the device, a subject-fit re-insertion test, an acoustic seal test, a rating test, a stability and reliability test, as well as a protection test of the device with an assessment of a filtered predicted exposure level at the ear for a specific noise exposure level. The apparatus may be simply housed along with the sound source for in-field evaluation tests.

An earpiece includes an earbud that supports at least one electrode, and an ear tip that includes a hydrogel. The ear tip is configured to be coupled to the earbud such that the hydrogel overlies the at least one electrode and such that the hydrogel is disposed between the at least one electrode and the user's skin when the earpiece is worn.

A method for generating an acoustic stimulus for use in an ear biometric process on a user, the method comprising: receiving an indication of stimulation frequencies for use in the ear biometric process; grouping the stimulation frequencies into bands of a psychoacoustic scale; generating the acoustic stimulus, the acoustic stimulus comprising a masked bandpass component within each band of the psychoacoustic scale that comprises one or more of the stimulation frequencies.

A wearable electronic device including a speaker and a microphone is configured to: generate a detection signal to detect whether a sound leakage occurs, receive, through the microphone, a feedback signal in which a signal obtained by outputting the detection signal into an ear canal of a user through the speaker is collected, calculate a difference value between the feedback signal and the detection signal, and correct a playback sound output by the wearable electronic device based on the difference value.

A portable electronic device comprising: an enclosure having an enclosure wall that forms an interior chamber and a sound output port to an ambient environment; a transducer positioned within the interior chamber and dividing the interior chamber into a front volume chamber coupling a first side of the transducer to the sound output port and a back volume chamber coupled to a second side of the transducer; and an electromechanical valve comprising a number of flaps operable to open and close a vent to the interior chamber, the front volume chamber or the back volume chamber.

A personalized sound management system for an acoustic space includes at least one transducer, a data communication system, one or more processors operatively coupled to the data communication system and the at least one transducer, and a medium coupled to the one or more processors. The processors access a database of sonic signatures and display a plurality of personalized sound management applications that perform at least one or more tasks among identifying a sonic signature, calculating a sound pressure level, storing metadata related to a sonic signature, monitoring sound pressure level dosage levels, switching to an ear canal microphone in a noisy environment, recording a user's voice, storing the user's voice in a memory of an earpiece device, or storing the user's voice in a memory of a server system, or converting received text received in texts or emails to voice using text to speech conversion. Other embodiments are disclosed.

Occlusion devices, earpiece devices and methods of forming occlusion devices are provided. An occlusion device is configured to occlude an ear canal. The occlusion device includes an insertion element and at least one expandable element disposed on the insertion element. The expandable element is configured to receive a medium via the insertion element and is configured to expand, responsive to the medium, to contact the ear canal. Physical parameters of the occlusion device are selected to produce a predetermined sound attenuation characteristic over a frequency band, such that sound is attenuated more in a first frequency range of the frequency band than in a second frequency range of the frequency band.

Embodiments relate to an audio system for various audio applications. The audio system registers the locations of one or more sound sources and selects the target sound source based on a hidden Markov model. A health monitoring system that integrates an audio system may use information collected by sensors to monitor an amount of social interaction of a user and predict a risk of dementia and/or hearing loss based on a model. The audio system uses a current/voltage sensor to detect electrical drive signals for determining a level of audio leakage of the audio system. Additionally, the audio system may update a video stream with an audio background based on an artificial visual background in the video stream so that the updated video stream sounds as if it originated from the user being located in a physical representation related to the background.

The present invention is directed to a hearing aid which includes a lateral ear canal assembly and a medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention the medial ear canal assembly may include smart circuitry adapted to control parameters and outputs of the medial ear canal assembly. In embodiments of the invention various methods and circuitry are described, wherein the methods and circuitry are adapted to improve the performance and efficiency of the hearing aid.

Devices, methods, and computer program products are provided herein for hearing safety. An example hearing safety device configured to be worn by a user includes an earmuff body that defines an interior cavity configured to receive the user's ear therein when worn by the user and an exterior surface opposite the interior cavity. The hearing safety device includes an ear lid attached to a surface of the interior cavity. The ear lid projects into the interior cavity from the surface of the interior cavity and defines a sealing surface configured to substantially seal an ear canal of the user's ear when the hearing safety device is worn by the user. The hearing safety device also includes an adjustment mechanism operably attached to the ear lid and configured to move the ear lid relative the interior cavity of the earmuff body.