Method of obtaining data related to hearing ability with automatic delivery of corrective instructions

Abstract

A method for obtaining data related to the hearing ability of a subject includes outputting tones or sounds, monitoring the subject's responses to the tones or sounds, detecting an error condition based on the responses, automatically delivering corrective instructions based on the error condition detected, and resuming the outputting of tones or sounds. The steps of outputting, monitoring, detecting, automatically delivering and resuming are iterated until the data related to the hearing ability of the subject has been obtained.

1 . A method of obtaining data related to hearing ability of a subject, comprising: 
 outputting tones or sounds;    monitoring the subject's responses to the tones or sounds;    detecting an error condition based on the responses;    automatically delivering corrective instructions based on the error condition detected;    resuming the outputting of tones or sounds; and    iterating selected ones of the steps of outputting, monitoring, detecting, automatically delivering and resuming until the data related to hearing ability of the subject has been obtained.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the steps of outputting tones or sounds and monitoring the subject's responses to the tones or sounds are performed according to a logical testing procedure.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the logical testing procedure is the Hughson-Westlake procedure.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the corrective instructions are audible instructions.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the corrective instructions are visual instructions.  
   
   
       6 . A method of performing an audiometric test of a subject, comprising: 
 generating audible test tones;    monitoring responses by the subject;    detecting errors in the subject's responses to the audible test tones;    automatically producing selected corrective instructions in response to the detected errors; and    compiling and storing the responses of the test subject in a memory.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the steps of generating audible test tones and monitoring the subject's responses are performed according to a logical testing procedure.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the logical testing procedure is the Hughson-Westlake procedure.  
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the selected corrective instructions are audible instructions.  
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein the selected corrective instructions are visual instructions.  
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 6 , further comprising: 
 displaying and/or printing results of the audiometric test.    
   
   
       12 . A method of obtaining audiometric test data, comprising: 
 administering an audiometric test, including iteratively performing the steps of: 
 outputting audible test tones;  
 monitoring a subject's responses to the test tones;  
 detecting errors in the subject's responses; and  
 automatically delivering corrective instructions in response to errors detected in the subject's responses; and  
   processing and storing the audiometric test data based on the subject's responses to the test tones and any corrective instructions delivered to the subject in response to errors detected in the subject's responses.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the steps of outputting audible test tones and monitoring the subject's responses to the test tones are performed according to a logical testing procedure.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the logical testing procedure is the Hughson-Westlake procedure.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the corrective instructions are audible instructions.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the corrective instructions are visual instructions.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 displaying and/or printing the audiometric test data.