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

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...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0022]An object of the present application is to provide an improved customization of a hearing instrument.

[0025]This has the advantage that the functionality of the hearing aid system is adapted to the current mental state of the user.

[0035]This has the advantage that individual helping options can be taken into use or enhanced in dependence of an estimate of the cognitive load of a user, thereby increasing the comfort of the user and / or intelligibility of the processed sound.

[0071]In an embodiment, the hearing instrument comprises an input transducer (e.g. a microphone) for converting an input sound to en electric input signal, a signal processing unit for processing the input signal according to a user's needs and providing a processed output signal and an output transducer (e.g. a receiver) for converting the processed output signal to an output sound. In an embodiment, the function of providing an estimate of the present cognitive load of the user is performed by the signal processing unit. In an embodiment, the functions of the cognitive model and / or the processing related to the direct measures of the cognitive load are performed by the signal processing unit. In an embodiment, the hearing instrument comprises a directional microphone system that can be controlled in accordance with the estimate of cognitive load. In an embodiment, the hearing instrument comprises a noise reduction system that can be controlled in accordance with the estimate of cognitive load. In an embodiment, the hearing instrument comprises a compression system that can be controlled in accordance with the estimate of cognitive load. The hearing instrument is a low power, portable device comprising its own energy source, typically a battery. The hearing instrument may in a preferred embodiment comprise a wireless interface adapted for allowing a wireless link to be established to another device, e.g. to a device picking up data related to direct measures of cognitive load of a user, e.g. voltages measured on body tissue of neural elements. In an embodiment, the estimate of present cognitive load of a user is fully or partially made in a physically separate device (from the hearing instrument, preferably in another body-worn device), and the result transmitted to the hearing instrument via a wired or wireless connection. In an embodiment, the hearing aid system comprises two hearing instruments of a binaural fitting. In an embodiment, the two hearing instruments are able to exchange data, e.g. via a wireless connection, e.g. via a third intermediate device. This has the advantage that signal related data can be better extracted (due to the spatial difference of the input signals picked up by the two hearing instruments) and that inputs to direct measures of cognitive load can be better picked up (by spatially distributed sensors and / or electric terminals).

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.

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