Patent ID: 8774433

Claim:
An earpiece configurable for monitoring safe listening levels, comprising: an Ambient Sound Microphone (ASM) configured to capture ambient sound; an Ear Canal Receiver (ECR); an Ear Canal Microphone (ECM) configured to monitor a sound pressure level (SPL) within an ear canal; and a processor operatively coupled to the ASM, the ECR, and the ECM, the processor configured to: produce an audio signal from the ambient sound captured by the ASM, actively monitor a sound exposure level inside the ear canal based on the SPL monitored by the ECM, adjust the audio signal to within a listening sound pressure level range based on the sound exposure level and a personalized hearing level (PHL), and provide the adjusted audio signal to the ECR for delivery to the ear canal, the PHL representing a frequency and loudness level dependent profile of a user which models a dynamic range of the user's hearing, wherein the processor calculates a Sound Pressure Level (SPL) Dose from the sound exposure level and calculates an ear recovery function when the sound exposure level is below an effective quiet level, wherein the SPL Dose decreases below the effective quiet level.