Low cost hearing protection device

Abstract

An apparatus having at least one earpiece, a circuit and a power supply. The earpiece having a speaker and a microphone. The microphone receiving external sound energy and converting the external sound energy to electrical sound signals. The circuit receiving the electrical sound signals and attenuating the electrical sound signals utilizing a plurality of attenuation values. The circuit provides the attenuated sound signals to the speaker. The power supply provides power to the circuit.

1 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 at least one earpiece, the earpiece having a speaker and a microphone, the microphone receiving external sound energy and converting the external sound energy to electrical sound signals;    a circuit receiving the electrical sound signals and attenuating the electrical sound signals utilizing a plurality of attenuation values, and providing the attenuated sound signals to the speaker; and    a power supply for providing power to the circuit.    
   
   
       2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the circuit includes a microcontroller for sampling the electrical sound signals and producing signals to cause the electrical sound signals to be attenuated based on the plurality of attenuation values.  
   
   
       3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the circuit further comprises a digital potentiometer attenuating the electrical sound signals in conformance with signals provided by the microcontroller.  
   
   
       4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a keypad for controlling the volume of the attenuated sound signals provided to the speaker.  
   
   
       5 . An apparatus, comprising: 
 at least one earpiece, the earpiece having a speaker and a microphone, the microphone receiving external sound energy and converting the external sound energy to electrical sound signals;    a circuit having a digital potentiometer coupled between the microphone and the speaker, the digital potentiometer receiving the electrical sound signals and attenuating the electrical sound signals based upon input signals derived from a plurality of attenuation values, and providing the attenuated sound signals to the speaker; and    a power supply for providing power to the circuit.    
   
   
       6 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the circuit includes a microcontroller for sampling the electrical sound signals and producing signals to cause the electrical sound signals to be attenuated based on the plurality of attenuation values.  
   
   
       7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the circuit includes a speaker driver amplifier coupled between the digital potentiometer and the speaker for driving the speaker with the attenuated sound signals output by the digital potentiometer.  
   
   
       8 . The apparatus of  claim 5 , further comprising a keypad for controlling the volume of the attenuated sound signals provided to the speaker.