Acoustic conditioner

DETAILED DESCRIPTION The present invention is a device which functions to condition acoustical energy brought to bear upon the ear of a user of the device.
The device includes circuitry for implementing a mode of electronically attenuating excessive noise levels in the vicinity of the wearer while still amplifying speech, music and other desired sounds.
Such attenuating circuitry includes components by which an output sound pressure level is compressed below a desired level.
In one embodiment of the invention, the device can further include components which effect implementation of a normal hearing aid amplification of ambient sound level mode so that a hearing impaired user of the device can hear in accordance with his needs.
Certain embodiments of the invention also include structure to enable selective actuation of either the attenuation or amplification modes.
A switch interposed in circuitry within a housing enclosing the various components of the device can be employed for this purpose.
The switch, in turn, can be controlled in a number of fashions.
A manual toggle can be mounted on the housing and operationally connected to the switch so that the wearer of the device can volitionally and positively select between amplification and attenuation modes.
Automatic control means are also envisioned.
Such automatic controls would function in response to the noise level which is sensed at the device.
A resistor in the circuitry is used to implement noise protection.
An automatic noise switch is utilized to short out or place the resistor into the circuit in response to the background noise level.
Since, in most cases, speech, music and other desired sounds generate a relatively short-term signal and excessive noise generates a long-term stationary signal relative to the signal representative of desired sounds, differentiation of the two signals can be made by averaging the received signal over a long period of time.
The present invention employs a rectifier to sense the long-term average signal level