Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 6
Claim 1
Independent Claim
187 words
A method of measuring, in the presence of significant ambient noise, the acoustical attenuation effectiveness of a hearing protector worn in operative association with an ear by a subject individual, said method comprising the steps of: a. generating a variable-amplitude audio signal and a separate audio signal of a constant amplitude sufficiently great to be audible to said individual over said ambient noise; b. exposing said ear to one of said signals with said hearing protector worn in association with said ear, and without said hearing protector being so worn, respectively; c. during the exposure of said ear to said signal, exposing the other ear of said individual to the other of said audio signals; d. varying said variable signal both with and without said hearing protector being so worn until obtaining in each instance an indication from said individual that he perceives that said variable signal has a predetermined common relationship to said constant-amplitude signal; and e. measuring the difference between the respective amplitudes of said variable signal which are indicated in each instance by said individual as having said predetermined relationship to said constant-amplitude signal.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
187 words
A method of measuring, in the presence of significant ambient noise, the acoustical attenuation effectiveness of a hearing protector worn in operative association with an ear by a subject individual, said method comprising the steps of: a. generating a variable-amplitude audio signal and a separate audio signal of a constant amplitude sufficiently great to be audible to said individual over said ambient noise; b. exposing said ear to one of said signals with said hearing protector worn in association with said ear, and without said hearing protector being so worn, respectively; c. during the exposure of said ear to said signal, exposing the other ear of said individual to the other of said audio signals; d. varying said variable signal both with and without said hearing protector being so worn until obtaining in each instance an indication from said individual that he perceives that said variable signal has a predetermined common relationship to said constant-amplitude signal; and e. measuring the difference between the respective amplitudes of said variable signal which are indicated in each instance by said individual as having said predetermined relationship to said constant-amplitude signal.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
30 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of generating said constant-amplitude signal in a form which is audibly distinguishable from said variable signal other than with respect to amplitude.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of claim 2 including the step of generating said constant-amplitude signal and said variable signal respectively as pulses audibly distinguishable with respect to time.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
The method of claim 1 including the step of generating said constant-amplitude signal and said variable signal respectively each as periodic pulses having asymmetrical time sequences, a portion of a pulse of said constant-amplitude signal occurring during a portion of a pulse of said variable signal.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
56 words
The method of claim 1, further including repeating step (d) a plurality of times and averaging the amplitude differences obtained from only certain ones of said indications by said individual which occur after the first indication with and without said hearing protector respectively, the resultant averaged amplitude difference being the acoustical attenuation of said hearing protector.