Detecting user's eye movement using sensors in hearing instruments

Abstract

A set of one or more processing circuits obtains eye movement-related eardrum oscillation (EMREO)-related measurements from one or more EMREO sensors of a hearing instrument. The EMREO sensors are located in an ear canal of a user of the hearing instrument and are configured to detect environmental signals of EMREOs of an eardrum of the user of the hearing instrument. The one or more processing circuits may perform an action based on the EMREO-related measurements.

1 : A method comprising:
 obtaining, by a set of one or more processing circuits, eye movement-related eardrum oscillation (EMREO)-related measurements from one or more EMREO sensors of a hearing instrument, wherein the EMREO sensors are located in an ear canal of a user of the hearing instrument and are configured to detect environmental signals of EMREOs of an eardrum of the user of the hearing instrument and generate the EMREO-related measurements based on the detected environmental signals; and   estimating, by the one or more processing circuits, a level of fatigue of the user based on the EMREO-related measurements.   
     
     
         2 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the hearing instrument includes each of the one or more processing circuits. 
     
     
         3 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more EMREO sensors include a microphone positioned at a medial tip of the hearing instrument and configured to detect changes in air pressure within the ear canals caused by EMREOs. 
     
     
         4 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the one or more EMREO sensors include a first microphone positioned at a medial tip of the hearing instrument and configured to detect changes in air pressure within the ear canals caused by EMREOs,   the EMREO-related measurements include a signal generated by the first microphone,   the hearing instrument comprises a second microphone positioned at a lateral surface of the hearing instrument,   the method further comprises:
 generating, by the one or more processing circuits, based on a comparison of the signal generated by the first microphone and a signal generated by the second microphone, an enhanced version of the signal generated by the first microphone; and 
 performing, by the one or more processing circuits, an action based on the enhanced version of the signal generated by the first microphone. 
   
     
     
         5 . (canceled) 
     
     
         6 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein at least one of:
 the EMREO sensors include a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) positioned to shine a coherent beam onto the eardrum; and obtaining the EMREO-related measurements comprises applying, by the one or more processing circuits, optical feedback interferometry based on reflected light of the coherent beam to determine a position of the eardrum,   the EMREO sensors include a time of flight (ToF) sensor configured to emit infrared light toward the eardrum and configured to determine a distance to the eardrum based on a travel time of the infrared light to the eardrum and back to the ToF sensor, and obtaining the EMREO-related measurements comprises determining, by the one or more processing circuits, the position of the eardrum based on the travel time,   the EMREO sensors include a structured light sensor configured to emit structured light toward the eardrum, and obtaining the EMREO-related measurements comprises determining, by the one or more processing circuits, the position of the eardrum based on a pattern of light detected by the structured light sensor,   the EMREO sensors include a vibration sensor in contact with skin of the ear canal, and obtaining the EMREO-related measurements comprises obtaining, by the one or more processing circuits, measurements of surface waves in the skin of the ear canal caused by the EMREOs of the eardrum, or   the EMREO sensors include a vibration sensor attached to the eardrum or an ossicular chain of the user, and obtaining the EMREO-related measurements comprises obtaining, by the one or more processing circuits, measurements of vibrations from the vibration sensor.   
     
     
         7 . (canceled) 
     
     
         8 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the hearing instrument is a first hearing instrument,   the EMREO-related measurements are first EMREO-related measurements,   the eardrum is a first eardrum of the user,   the set of processing circuits includes a first set of processing circuits and a second set of processing circuits, the first set of processing circuits being in the first hearing instrument, and the second set of processing circuits being in a second hearing instrument of the user,   obtaining the EMREO-related measurements further comprises obtaining, by the second set of processing circuits, second EMREO-related measurements from one or more EMREO sensors of the second hearing instrument, the EMREO sensors of the second hearing instrument are located in a second ear canal of the user and are configured to detect environmental signals of EMREOs of a second eardrum of the user, and   estimating the level of fatigue of the user comprises estimating, by the one or more processing circuits, the level of fatigue of the user based on the first EMREO-related measurements and the second EMREO-related measurements.   
     
     
         9 : The method of  claim 8 , further comprising transmitting, by a communication interface of the second hearing instrument, data based on the second EMREO-related measurements to the first hearing instrument. 
     
     
         10 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein estimating the level of fatigue of the user comprises:
 establishing, by the one or more processing circuits, a normative range of values of eye-movement velocities;   determining, by the one or more processing circuits, based on the EMREO-related measurements, current eye-movement velocities of the user; and   estimating, by the one or more processing circuits, the level of fatigue of the user based on a comparison of the current eye-movement velocities of the user and the normative range of values of the eye-movement velocities.   
     
     
         11 : The method of  claim 1 , wherein method further comprises:
 generating, by the one or more processing circuits, a warning to the user and/or other person based on the estimated level of fatigue of the user.   
     
     
         12 - 13 . (canceled) 
     
     
         14 : A system comprising:
 one or more eye movement-related eardrum oscillation (EMREO) sensors located in an ear canal of a user of a hearing instrument, wherein the EMREO sensors are configured to detect environmental signals of EMREOs of an eardrum of the user and generate the EMREO-related measurements based on the detected environmental signals; and   one or more processing circuits configured to:
 obtain EMREO-related measurements from the one or more EMREO sensors; and 
 estimate a level of fatigue of the user based on the EMREO-related measurements. 
   
     
     
         15 - 26 . (canceled) 
     
     
         27 : A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause one or more processing circuits to:
 obtain eye movement-related eardrum oscillation (EMREO)-related measurements from one or more EMREO sensors of a hearing instrument, wherein the EMREO sensors are located in an ear canal of a user of the hearing instrument and are configured to detect environmental signals of EMREOs of an eardrum of the user of the hearing instrument and generate the EMREO-related measurements based on the detected environmental signals; and   estimate a level of fatigue based on the EMREO-related measurements.   
     
     
         28 : The system of  claim 14 , wherein the hearing instrument includes each of the one or more processing circuits. 
     
     
         29 : The system of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of:
 the EMREO sensors include a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) positioned to shine a coherent beam onto the eardrum, and the one or more processing circuits are configured such that, as part of obtaining the EMREO-related measurements, the one or more processing circuits apply optical feedback interferometry based on reflected light of the coherent beam to determine a position of the eardrum,   the EMREO sensors include a time of flight (ToF) sensor configured to emit infrared light toward the eardrum and configured to determine a distance to the eardrum based on a travel time of the infrared light to the eardrum and back to the ToF sensor, and the one or more processing circuits are configured such that, as part of obtaining the EMREO-related measurements, the one or more processing circuits determine the position of the eardrum based on the travel time,   the EMREO sensors include a structured light sensor configured to emit structured light toward the eardrum, and the one or more processing circuits are configured such that, as part of obtaining the EMREO-related measurements, the one or more processing circuits determine the position of the eardrum based on a pattern of light detected by the structured light sensor, the EMREO sensors include a vibration sensor in contact with skin of the ear canal, the one or more processing circuits are configured such that, as part of obtaining the EMREO-related measurements, the one or more processing circuits obtain measurements of surface waves in the skin of the ear canal caused by the EMREOs of the eardrum,   
       the EMREO sensors include a vibration sensor attached to the eardrum or an ossicular chain of the user, and the one or more processing circuits are configured such that, as part of obtaining the EMREO-related measurements, the one or more processing circuits obtain measurements of vibrations from the vibration sensor. 
     
     
         30 : The system of  claim 14 , wherein:
 the hearing instrument is a first hearing instrument,   the EMREO-related measurements are first EMREO-related measurements,   the eardrum is a first eardrum of the user,   the set of processing circuits includes a first set of processing circuits and a second set of processing circuits, the first set of processing circuits being in the first hearing instrument, and the second set of processing circuits being in a second hearing instrument of the user,   the second set of processing circuits is further configured to obtain second EMREO-related measurements from one or more EMREO sensors of the second hearing instrument, the EMREO sensors of the second hearing instrument are located in a second ear canal of the user and are configured to detect environmental signals of EMREOs of a second eardrum of the user,   the one or more processing circuits are configured to estimate the level of fatigue of the user based on the first EMREO-related measurements and the second EMREO-related measurements.   
     
     
         31 : The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are configured to, as part of estimating the level of fatigue of the user:
 establish a normative range of values of eye-movement velocities;   determine, based on the EMREO-related measurements, current eye-movement velocities of the user; and   estimate the level of fatigue of the user based on a comparison of the current eye-movement velocities of the user and the normative range of values of the eye-movement velocities.   
     
     
         32 : The system of  claim 14 , wherein the one or more processing circuits are further configured to generate a warning to the user and/or other person based on the estimated level of fatigue of the user.