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Method of operating a hearing instrument based on an estimation of present cognitive load of a user and a hearing aid system

a technology of cognitive load and hearing aid, applied in the field of hearing aids, can solve the problems of insufficient implicit cognitive processes to unlock the meaning of speech stream, large cognitive capacity is required for listening success, and the cognitive processing involved is largely unconscious and implici

Inactive Publication Date: 2016-03-17
OTICON
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  • Summary
  • Abstract
  • Description
  • Claims
  • Application Information

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

This approach enhances the hearing aid's ability to tailor its operation to the user's mental state, reducing cognitive load and improving speech recognition in challenging listening situations by selectively invoking features like directional microphones and noise reduction systems based on real-time cognitive assessments.

Problems solved by technology

This means that the cognitive processing involved is largely unconscious and implicit.
However, listening conditions are often suboptimum, which means that implicit cognitive processes may be insufficient to unlock the meaning in the speech stream.
However, in the complex situation with fast-acting compression and varying background noise, much more cognitive capacity is required for successful listening.
A hearing impairment will restrict the amount of information transferred to the brain as well the signal information being of poorer quality compared to normal hearing people because of the perceptual consequences of the cochlear damage, such as reduced time and frequency resolution, difficulties to utilize temporal fine-structure, worse ability for grouping of sound streams as well as worse abilities to segregate sound streams.
Thus, for the hearing impaired more situations will provoke effortful explicit processing.
For example, hearing impaired are more susceptible to reverberation, background noises, especially fluctuation noises or other talkers, as well as have worse abilities for spatial separation than normal hearing persons.
Thus, the directional system may negatively influence naturalness, orientation abilities, and object formation, localization abilities.
Similar drawbacks are present for noise reduction systems.

Method used

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  • Method of operating a hearing instrument based on an estimation of present cognitive load of a user and a hearing aid system
  • Method of operating a hearing instrument based on an estimation of present cognitive load of a user and a hearing aid system
  • Method of operating a hearing instrument based on an estimation of present cognitive load of a user and a hearing aid system

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Experimental program
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first embodiment

[0137]FIG. 1 shows a hearing aid system according to the application.

[0138]The hearing instrument in the embodiment of FIG. 1a comprises an input transducer (here a microphone) for converting an input sound (Sound-in) to en electric input signal, a signal processing unit (DSP) for processing the input signal according to a user's needs and providing a processed output signal and an output transducer (here a receiver) for converting the processed output signal to an output sound (Sound-out). In the embodiment of FIG. 1 (and FIG. 2), the input signal is converted from analogue to digital form by an analogue to digital converter unit (AD) and the processed output is converted from a digital to an analogue signal by a digital to an analogue converter (DA).

[0139]Consequently, the signal processing unit (DSP) is a digital signal processing unit. In an embodiment, the digital signal processing unit (DSP) is adapted to process the frequency range of the input signal considered by the hearin...

second embodiment

[0151]FIG. 2 shows a hearing instrument according to the application, where cognitive model is used in the estimate of cognitive load.

[0152]The embodiment of a hearing instrument shown in FIG. 2 comprises the same elements as shown in FIG. 1a and discussed in relation therewith. The hearing instrument of FIG. 2 further comprises a cognitive model of the human auditory system (CM in FIG. 2). The cognitive model (CM) is e.g. implemented as algorithms with input parameters received via input signals indicative of a users relevant mental skills (CM inputs in FIG. 2), typically customized to the user in question, and inputs indicative of relevant properties of the electric input signal (SP inputs in FIG. 2). Based on the inputs and the model algorithms one or more output signals (CL-inputs in FIG. 2) indicative of the cognitive load of the person in question is / are generated by the cognitive model (CM unit). These outputs are fed to the estimation unit (CL-estimator) for estimating the c...

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Abstract

A method of operating a hearing instrument for processing an input sound and to provide an output stimulus according to a user's particular needs, and related system, computer readable medium and data processing system. An object is to provide an improved customization of a hearing instrument. The method includes the steps a) providing an estimate of the present cognitive load of the user; b) providing processing of an input signal originating from the input sound according to a user's particular needs; and c) adapting the processing in dependence of the estimate the present cognitive load of the user. The estimate of the present cognitive load of a user is produced by in-situ direct measures of cognitive load (e.g. based on EEG-measurements, body temperature, etc.) or by an on-line cognitive model in the hearing aid system whose parameters have been preferably adjusted to fit to the individual user.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12 / 642,345, filed on Dec. 18, 2009, which claims the benefit under 35 USC 119(e) to provisional application Ser. No. 61 / 171,372, filed Apr. 21, 2009, and which is a continuation of PCT / EP2008 / 0068139, filed on Dec. 22, 2008. The disclosures of the prior applications are hereby incorporated by reference herein in their entirety.TECHNICAL FIELD[0002]The present application relates to hearing aids in particular to customization of hearing aids to a user's specific needs. The application relates specifically to a method of operating a hearing instrument for processing an input sound and to provide an output stimulus according to a user's particular needs.[0003]The application furthermore relates to a hearing aid system for processing an input sound and to provide an output stimulus according to a user's particular needs.[0004]The application furthermore relates to a tangible computer-readabl...

Claims

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Application Information

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Patent Type & Authority Applications(United States)
IPC IPC(8): H04R25/00A61B5/16
CPCH04R25/505H04R2225/55A61B5/16H04R25/558H04R25/00H04R2225/41H04R2225/61H04R25/43H04R2225/81
Inventor LUNNER, THOMAS
Owner OTICON
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