Information processing system, information processing method, and audio reproduction device

Abstract

There is provided an information processing system comprising: circuitry configured to acquire fitting data corresponding to a hearing aid; acquiring device information of an output device for outputting at least audio; generating at least one audio processing parameter for the output device based on the adaptation data and the device information; and providing information to an output device to output audio based on the at least one audio processing parameter.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to information processing systems, information processing methods, and audio reproduction devices. Background Technology

[0002] Hearing aids are widely used as devices to compensate for a user's hearing loss. For example, a hearing aid consists of a microphone, a receiver, etc., and is placed on the user's body. The hearing aid collects sounds from the user's surroundings, performs processing such as amplification on the collected sounds according to the user's hearing characteristics, and then outputs the sound to the user.

[0003] [List of Citations]

[0004] [Patent Literature]

[0005] [PTL 1]

[0006] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2008-11527 Summary of the Invention

[0007] [Technical Issues]

[0008] For example, when a user with a hearing aid uses a sound reproduction device (auditory device) such as a television set or audio device to enjoy the content of a movie or music, the user hears the sound from the speaker of the sound reproduction device through the hearing aid. In this case, because the quality of the reproduced sound is generally worse than that of the consumer's sound reproduction device, the user may not be able to enjoy high-quality sound even if the sound reproduction device outputs high-quality sound.

[0009] Furthermore, when a user listens directly to the sound from the speaker of a sound reproduction device without using a hearing aid, the user will not be able to enjoy the sound satisfactorily because no hearing aid processing based on the user's hearing characteristics is performed on the sound.

[0010] As a partial alternative to hearing aid processing, some consumer sound reproduction devices can adjust the reproduced sound. Therefore, users can directly listen to and enjoy high-quality sound from such devices. However, finely adjusting such a sound reproduction device according to the user's hearing characteristics is very complex.

[0011] This disclosure proposes an information processing system, information processing method, and audio reproduction device that enables a user to listen to sound from a user's sound reproduction device, which is adjusted according to the user's auditory characteristics without performing complex adjustments.

[0012] [Solution to the problem]

[0013] According to this disclosure, an information processing system is provided, including circuitry configured to: acquire fitting data corresponding to a hearing aid; acquire device information for an output device for at least outputting audio; generate at least one audio processing parameter for the output device based on the fitting data and the device information; and provide information to the output device for outputting audio based on the at least one audio processing parameter.

[0014] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, an information processing method is provided, comprising: acquiring fitting data corresponding to a hearing aid using a circuit; acquiring device information for an output device for at least outputting audio using a circuit; generating at least one audio processing parameter for the output device using a circuit based on the fitting data and the device information; and providing information to the output device for outputting audio using a circuit based on the at least one audio processing parameter.

[0015] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, an audio reproduction apparatus is provided, including circuitry configured to: receive at least one audio processing parameter via a network; process audio using the at least one audio processing parameter to generate processed audio; and output the processed audio as sound, wherein the at least one audio processing parameter is determined based on hearing aid fitting information and apparatus information of the audio reproduction apparatus. Attached Figure Description

[0016] Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a hearing aid system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0017] Figure 2 This is a block diagram illustrating the functional blocks of the hearing aid 2 and the charger 3 according to embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0018] Figure 3 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of an information processing terminal 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0019] Figure 4 This is an explanatory diagram (part 1) used to describe an outline of embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0020] Figure 5 This is an explanatory diagram (part 2) used to describe an outline of embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0021] Figure 6 This is an explanatory diagram (part 3) used to describe an outline of embodiments of the present disclosure.

[0022] Figure 7 This is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a hearing aid system 5 according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

[0023] Figure 8This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of server 90 according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 9 This is a block diagram used to describe the functional blocks of the hearing aid 2 according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 10 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of the sound reproduction device 50a according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 11 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of the sound reproduction device 50b according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 12 This is a sequence diagram of a processing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 13A This is an explanatory diagram (part 1) used to describe the processing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 13B This is an explanatory diagram (part 2) for describing the processing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 14 This is an explanatory diagram (part 3) used to describe the processing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] Figure 15 This is an explanatory diagram (part 4) used to describe the processing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 16 This is an explanatory diagram (part 5) used to describe the processing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0033] Figure 17 This is an explanatory diagram (part 6) used to describe the processing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 18 This is an explanatory diagram (part 7) used to describe the processing method according to the first embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0035] Figure 19 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of a sound reproduction device 50c according to a modified example of the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0036] Figure 20 This is a schematic diagram (part 1) showing the configuration of a hearing aid system 5 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0037] Figure 21This is a schematic diagram (part 2) showing the configuration of a hearing aid system 5 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0038] Figure 22 This is a diagram (part 3) showing a schematic configuration of a hearing aid system 5 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0039] Figure 23 This is a diagram (part 4) showing a schematic configuration of a hearing aid system 5 according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

[0040] Figure 24 This is a schematic diagram (part 5) showing the configuration of a hearing aid system 5 according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0041] Figure 25 A diagram illustrating an example of data utilization;

[0042] Figure 26 This is a diagram showing an example of the data.

[0043] Figure 27 This is a diagram illustrating an example of collaboration with other devices.

[0044] Figure 28 This is a diagram illustrating an example of the applied transformation. Detailed Implementation

[0045] Advantageous embodiments of this disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. Note that in this specification and drawings, redundant descriptions of configuration elements having substantially the same functional configuration are omitted by using the same symbols. Furthermore, in this specification and drawings, multiple components having substantially the same or similar functional configurations can be distinguished from each other by attaching different alphabets to the same reference numerals. However, when it is not particularly necessary to distinguish multiple components having substantially the same or similar functional configurations, they are simply represented by the same reference numerals.

[0046] The accompanying drawings referenced in the following description are intended to facilitate the description and understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure, and for clarity, the shapes, dimensions, ratios, etc., shown in the drawings may differ from the actual figures. The devices shown in the drawings can be appropriately modified in design, taking into account the following description and known technology.

[0047] The descriptions will be given in the following order.

[0048] 1. Overview of Hearing Aid Systems

[0049] 2. Background

[0050] 3. First Implementation Method

[0051] 3.1 Hearing Aid System

[0052] 3.2 Server

[0053] 3.3 Hearing aids

[0054] 3.4 Sound reproduction equipment

[0055] 3.5 Processing Methods

[0056] 3.6 Parameter Generation

[0057] 3.7 Variation Example

[0058] 3.8 Use of Reward Predictors

[0059] 4. Second Implementation Method

[0060] 5. Conclusion

[0061] 6. Examples of data utilization

[0062] 7. Examples of collaboration with other devices

[0063] 8. Examples of applying transformations

[0064] 9. Supplement

[0065] <<1. Overview of Hearing Aid Systems>>

[0066] First, refer to Figures 1 to 3 An overview of a hearing aid system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is provided. Figure 1 This is a diagram illustrating a schematic configuration of a hearing aid system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, and Figure 2 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of the hearing aid 2 and the charger 3 according to embodiments of the present disclosure. Figure 3 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of an information processing terminal 40 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0067] like Figure 1 As shown, a hearing aid system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure includes a pair of hearing aids 2 (left and right), a charger 3 (charging housing) for housing the hearing aids 2 and charging the hearing aids 2, and an information processing terminal 40, such as a smartphone, capable of communicating with at least one of the hearing aids 2 and the charger 3. In the following description, each device included in the hearing aid system 1 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described sequentially. In the following description, it is assumed that the hearing aid 2 consists of a pair of components. However, embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to this and may be monophonic, wherein the hearing aid 2 is attached to one of the left and right ears.

[0068] First, the functional configuration of the hearing aid 2 will be described. For example, in embodiments of this disclosure, at least a portion of the hearing aid 2 may be configured to attach to a portion of the user's ear canal. The appearance of the hearing aid 2 according to embodiments of this disclosure will be described later. Figure 2 As shown, the hearing aid 2 mainly includes a sound collection unit 20 (20b and 20f), a signal processing unit 21, an output unit 22, a battery 25, a connection unit 26, communication units 27 and 30, a storage unit 28, and a control unit 29.

[0069] The sound collection unit 20 includes an external (feedforward) sound collection unit 20f that collects sound from the outer region of the ear canal and an internal (feedback) sound collection unit 20b that collects sound from the inner region of the ear canal. The hearing aid 2 according to embodiments of this disclosure may include at least an external sound collection unit 20f that collects sound from the outer region of the ear canal. Each sound collection unit 20 includes a microphone (hereinafter also referred to as a microphone) 201 and an analog-to-digital (A / D) conversion unit 202. The microphone 201 collects sound, generates an analog sound signal (acoustic signal), and outputs the analog sound signal to the A / D conversion unit 202. The A / D conversion unit 202 performs digital conversion processing on the analog sound signal input from the microphone 201 and outputs the digitized sound signal to the signal processing unit 21.

[0070] Under the control of the control unit 29, described later, the signal processing unit 21 performs predetermined signal processing on the digital audio signal input from the sound collection unit 20 and outputs the digital audio signal to the output unit 22. Examples of predetermined signal processing include filtering to separate the audio signal into predetermined frequency bands, amplification to amplify the audio signal by a predetermined amplification in each predetermined frequency band where filtering has been performed, noise reduction, fretting cancellation, etc. For example, the signal processing unit 21 may include a memory and a processor having hardware such as a digital signal processor (DSP).

[0071] Output unit 22 includes a digital-to-analog (D / A) converter 221 and a receiver 222. The D / A converter 221 performs analog-to-analog conversion processing on the digital audio signal input from the signal processing unit 21 and outputs the digital audio signal to the receiver 222. The receiver 222 outputs an output sound corresponding to the analog audio signal input from the D / A converter 221. The receiver 222 can be constructed, for example, by a speaker.

[0072] Battery 25 provides power to the various components constituting hearing aid 2. For example, battery 25 may be made of a rechargeable secondary battery (such as a lithium-ion battery). Battery 25 can be charged by power supplied from charger 3 via connection 26.

[0073] For example, when the hearing aid 2 is housed within the charger 3, the connection unit 26 connects to the connection unit of the charger 3, receiving power and various information from the charger 3 and outputting various information to the charger 3. For example, the connection unit 26 may consist of one or more pins.

[0074] Under the control of the control unit 29, the communication unit 27 can communicate with the charger 3 or the information processing terminal 40 via a communication network according to a predetermined communication standard. Here, for example, the predetermined communication standard is assumed to be Wi-Fi (registered trademark), Bluetooth (registered trademark), etc. The communication unit 27 can be composed of, for example, a communication module. Under the control of the control unit 29, the communication unit 30 can communicate with another hearing aid 2 via short-range communication such as near-field magnetic induction (NFMI).

[0075] Storage unit 28 stores various information about hearing aid 2. Storage unit 28 can be composed of, for example, random access memory (RAM), read-only memory (ROM), or a memory card. Storage unit 28 can store the program 281 executed by hearing aid 2 and various data 282 used by hearing aid 2. Examples of data 282 include the user's age, the presence or absence of the user's experience when using hearing aid 2, and the user's gender. Further examples of data include the time the user uses hearing aid 2, measured by a time measurement unit (not shown). The time measurement unit is located inside hearing aid 2 and is capable of measuring date and time, outputting the time measurement result to control unit 29, etc. The time measurement unit can be composed of, for example, a timing generator or a timer with time measurement function.

[0076] The control unit 29 controls the various components that make up the hearing aid 2. The control unit 29 may consist of, for example, a memory and a processor having hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU) or a digital signal processor (DSP). The control unit 29 reads and executes the program 281 stored in the working area of ​​the memory, and controls each component by executing the program through the processor.

[0077] Although Figure 2 Although not shown, the hearing aid 2 may have an operating unit. The operating unit is capable of receiving an input activation signal (trigger signal) for activating the hearing aid 2 and outputting the received activation signal to the control unit 29. The operating unit may be, for example, composed of a push-button switch, a button, a touch panel, etc.

[0078] Hearing aid 2 may also be equipped with a biosensor (not shown), which is a non-invasive sensor device capable of acquiring various biological information (sensing data) of the user. Examples of biosensors include a blood flow sensor that detects the user's pulse, heart rate, blood flow, blood oxygenation, etc.

[0079] Hearing aid 2 may be further equipped with an inertial measurement unit (IMU) (not shown), which is capable of acquiring information about the user's posture and movement. Specifically, the IMU includes an accelerometer (i.e., an inertial sensor that acquires acceleration), a gyroscope sensor (angular velocity sensor) (i.e., an inertial sensor that acquires angular velocity), etc. Hearing aid 2 may have a vibration sensor (not shown) in place of the IMU or together with the IMU.

[0080] Hearing aid 2 may include a positioning sensor (not shown) capable of acquiring information about the user's location. The positioning sensor is a sensor that detects the location of the target user wearing hearing aid 2, and specifically may be a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) receiver, etc. In this case, the positioning sensor can generate sensing data indicating the latitude and longitude of the target user's current location based on signals from GNSS satellites. Hearing aid 2 may be equipped with a communication device such as the positioning sensor, because the relative positional relationship between users can be detected from, for example, radio frequency identification (RFID), information about Wi-Fi access points, information about radio base stations, etc.

[0081] Next, the functional configuration of charger 3 will be explained. For example... Figure 2 As shown, the charger 3 mainly includes a display unit 31, a battery 32, a housing unit 33, a communication unit 34, a storage unit 35, and a control unit 36.

[0082] The display unit 31 displays various states of the hearing aid 2 under the control of the control unit 36. For example, the display unit 31 can display information indicating that the hearing aid 2 is charging and information indicating that the hearing aid 2 is receiving various information from the information processing terminal 40. The display unit 31 may be composed of, for example, a light-emitting diode (LED).

[0083] The battery 32 supplies power to the components of the hearing aid 2 and the charger 3 housed in the housing unit 33 via the connection portion 331 provided in the housing unit 33. For example, the battery 32 may be a secondary battery such as a lithium-ion battery.

[0084] If the hearing aid 2 has two channels, a left channel and a right channel, the receiving unit 33 accommodates two hearing aids 2 respectively. The hearing aid 2 can be of a mono type. The receiving unit 33 is provided with a connection unit 331 that can be connected to the connection unit 26 of the hearing aid 2. When the hearing aid 2 is accommodated in the receiving unit 33, the connection unit 331 is connected to the connection unit 26 of the hearing aid 2 to transmit power from the battery 32 and various information from the control unit 36, receive various information from the hearing aid 2, and output the information to the control unit 36. For example, the connection unit 331 may consist of one or more pins.

[0085] Under the control of the control unit 36, the communication unit 34 communicates with the information processing terminal 40 via a communication network according to a predetermined communication standard. The communication unit 34 may be composed of, for example, a communication module.

[0086] The storage unit 35 stores various programs 351 executed by the charger 3. The storage unit 35 may be composed of, for example, RAM, ROM, flash memory, memory card, etc.

[0087] The control unit 36 ​​controls the various components constituting the charger 3. For example, when the hearing aid 2 is housed in the housing unit 33, the control unit 36 ​​causes the hearing aid 2 to receive power from the battery 32 via the connection unit 331. For example, the control unit 36 ​​may be composed of a memory and a processor with hardware such as a CPU or DSP. The control unit 36 ​​reads and executes the program 351 in the working area of ​​the memory, and controls the components, etc., by executing the program through the processor.

[0088] Next, the functional configuration of the information processing terminal 40 will be described. For example... Figure 3 As shown, the information processing terminal 40 mainly includes an input unit 41, a communication unit 42, an output unit 43, a display unit 44, a storage unit 45, and a control unit 46.

[0089] The input unit 41 receives various operation inputs from the user and outputs a signal corresponding to the received operation to the control unit 46. For example, the input unit 41 may be composed of a switch, a touch panel, etc.

[0090] Under the control of the control unit 46, the communication unit 42 communicates with the charger 3 or the hearing aid 2 via a communication network. The communication unit 42 may be composed of, for example, a communication module.

[0091] Under the control of the control unit 46, the output unit 43 outputs sound at a specified sound pressure level for each specified frequency band. For example, the output unit 43 may be composed of a loudspeaker or the like.

[0092] Under the control of the control unit 46, the display unit 44 displays various information from the information processing terminal 40 and information from the hearing aid 2. The display unit 44 may be composed of, for example, a liquid crystal display or an organic electroluminescent display (EL display).

[0093] Storage unit 45 stores various types of information about information processing terminal 40. Storage unit 45 stores various programs 451, etc., executed by information processing terminal 40. Storage unit 45 is composed of recording media such as RAM, ROM, flash memory, and memory cards.

[0094] The control unit 46 controls the various components constituting the information processing terminal 40. The control unit 46 is, for example, composed of a memory and processor, such as a CPU. The control unit 46 reads and executes a program stored in the storage unit 45 from the working area of ​​the memory, and controls the device by having the processor execute the program.

[0095] The information processing terminal 40 may include a positioning sensor (not shown). The positioning sensor is a sensor that detects the location of a user carrying the information processing terminal 40, and may specifically be a GNSS receiver, etc. In this case, the positioning sensor can generate sensing data indicating the latitude and longitude of the user's current location based on signals from GNSS satellites. The information processing terminal 40 may be equipped with communication devices such as the positioning sensor, because the relative positional relationship between users can be detected, for example, from RFID, information about Wi-Fi access points, information about radio base stations, etc.

[0096] The information processing terminal 40 may also be equipped with an imaging device (not shown). Specifically, the imaging device may include an imaging element (not shown), such as a complementary MOS (CMOS) image sensor, and a signal processing circuit (not shown) that performs imaging signal processing on the signal photoelectrically converted by the imaging element. The imaging device may also include an optical system mechanism (not shown) and a drive system mechanism (not shown). The optical system mechanism includes an imaging lens, an aperture mechanism, a zoom lens, a focusing lens, etc., and the drive system mechanism controls the operation of the optical system mechanism. The information processing terminal 40 may also be equipped with an IMU (not shown) capable of acquiring information about the user's posture and movement. The information processing terminal 40 may include a vibration sensor (not shown) in place of the IMU or together with the IMU.

[0097] In embodiments of this disclosure, the functional configuration of the hearing aid system 1 and each device included in the hearing aid system 1 is not limited to... Figures 1 to 3 The form shown is used. For example, hearing aid system 1 may include a server, etc., as described later.

[0098] In the embodiments of this disclosure described below, this disclosure is applied to hearing aid system 1 as an example. However, embodiments of this disclosure are not limited to hearing aid system 1, and can also be applied to systems that include another hearing device (e.g., headphones, in-ear headphones, etc.).

[0099] <<2. Background>>

[0100] Next, we will refer to Figures 4 to 6 The background describes the implementation methods that lead to the disclosure of the cost of living in this invention. Figures 4 to 6 These are explanatory diagrams used to describe an outline of embodiments of this disclosure.

[0101] For example, such as Figure 4 As shown at the top, when a user of hearing aid 2 enjoys movie or music content using a sound reproduction device 50d, such as a television set or audio device, the user listens to the sound from the speaker of the sound reproduction device 50d via hearing aid 2. Alternatively, the user can listen directly to the sound from the speaker of the sound reproduction device 50d without using hearing aid 2. In recent years, users have been able to listen to the sound of content that is streamed (distributed) to hearing aid 2 and reproduced by hearing aid 2.

[0102] However, in either case, the user may still be dissatisfied.

[0103] For example, if a user listens to the sound from the speaker of the sound reproduction device 50d without using the hearing aid 2, the user will not be able to enjoy the content satisfactorily because no hearing aid processing based on the user's hearing characteristics is performed on the sound.

[0104] Furthermore, since hearing aid 2 is a device used to provide the user with ambient sounds from their surroundings, the quality of the sound reproduced by hearing aid 2 is generally lower than the quality of the sound reproduced by consumer sound reproduction device 50d. This is because, since hearing aid 2 is a device used to continuously provide the user with ambient sounds from their surroundings, it prioritizes providing sound with low power consumption and low latency, and sound quality has a lower priority than power consumption and latency.

[0105] Therefore, when a user listens to sound from the sound reproduction device 50d via hearing aid 2, since the sound quality is determined by the performance of hearing aid 2, even if high-quality sound is output from the sound reproduction device 50d, the user will not appreciate that high-quality sound. Similarly, even when a user listens to sound streamed to hearing aid 2 via hearing aid 2, since the sound quality is determined by the performance of hearing aid 2, even if high-quality sound is streamed, the user will not be able to appreciate that high-quality sound.

[0106] In recent years, as a substitute for hearing aid processing, devices with functions to adjust the reproduced sound (equalizer, audio enhancement, etc.) have emerged. Therefore, users can directly listen to and enjoy high-quality sound from such a sound reproduction device. However, finely adjusting such a sound reproduction device according to the user's hearing characteristics is very complex. Therefore, even when using such a sound reproduction device, it is not always possible to properly adjust it. As a result, the user cannot enjoy high-quality sound.

[0107] Therefore, the inventors believed there was a need for a system that would allow users of hearing aid 2 to easily adjust the sound reproduction device 50 according to their hearing characteristics, and conducted in-depth research on such a system. Then, through this research, the inventors created the embodiments of this disclosure described below.

[0108] In the embodiments of this disclosure created by the inventors, such as Figure 4 As shown in the lower part, the user can enjoy high-quality sound in the sound reproduction device 50 through hearing aid processing and modulation processing, based on the user's hearing characteristics.

[0109] In the embodiments of this disclosure created by the inventors, such as Figure 5 As shown, fitting data for the user's use of hearing aid 2 is automatically generated based on input from the information processing terminal 40 used by the user, and is processed using a server on the cloud. Figure 5 The device information of the sound reproduction device 50 (such as the parameter generation unit) automatically generates parameters based on the user's auditory characteristics. A cloud server or similar entity transmits the generated parameters to the sound reproduction device 50, allowing the user to use the sound reproduction device 50 adjusted according to their auditory characteristics without requiring complex adjustments. As a result, according to this embodiment, the user can enjoy high-quality sound.

[0110] In embodiments of this disclosure created by the inventors, adjustments can be made based on fitting data used by the user for using the hearing aid 2, according to the user's auditory characteristics. Figure 6 The various sound reproduction devices 50 shown are illustrated. In this embodiment, since parameters corresponding to the performance of each sound reproduction device 50 can be generated, the user can use the various sound reproduction devices 50 without complex adjustments. For example, such as Figure 6The hearing aid system 5 according to an embodiment of this disclosure shown includes a hearing aid 2, an information processing terminal 40 including a smartphone capable of communicating with the hearing aid 2, servers 90d, 90e, and 90f, and various sound reproduction devices 50. Devices included in the hearing aid system 5 according to this embodiment are connected to a communication network 484, i.e., they can collaborate via the cloud. The sound reproduction devices 50 may include audio devices, television devices, headphone speakers, smartphones, PCs, gaming devices, etc. In this embodiment, server 90d stores multiple fitting data for multiple users using the hearing aid 2. Server 90f stores device information of the sound reproduction devices 50, automatically generates parameters corresponding to the user's hearing characteristics using the fitting data from server 90d and the device information of the sound reproduction devices 50, and transmits these parameters to the sound reproduction devices 50, etc. Therefore, in this embodiment, various sound reproduction devices 50 can perform hearing aid processing on content distributed from server 90e based on the generated parameters according to the user's hearing characteristics, and output the content. That is, according to this embodiment, as... Figure 6 The use of the hearing aid system 5 shown makes it easy to adjust various sound reproduction devices 50 according to the user's hearing characteristics. Server 90e can further store multiple allocated content data, receive parameters corresponding to the user's hearing characteristics generated by server 90f, and allocate these parameters along with the content data to the sound reproduction devices 50. In this embodiment, server 90e is not limited to the above structure. Server 90e can perform hearing aid processing on the content data to output sound according to the user's hearing characteristics using adaptation data from server 90d and device information of the sound reproduction devices 50 from server 90f. Server 90e can transmit the hearing aid processed content data to the sound reproduction devices 50, etc. Even in this case, various sound reproduction devices 50 can output content distributed from server 90e according to the user's hearing characteristics. Hereinafter, details of embodiments of this disclosure created by the inventors will be described in sequence.

[0111] <<3. First Implementation Method>>

[0112] <3.1 Hearing Aid Systems>

[0113] First, refer to Figure 7 5. A hearing aid system (information processing system) according to this embodiment is described. Figure 7 This is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the hearing aid system 5 according to this embodiment.

[0114] like Figure 7As shown, the hearing aid system 5 according to this embodiment includes: a hearing aid 2; a charger 3 that houses the hearing aid 2 and charges the hearing aid 2; and an information processing terminal 40 that includes a smartphone or the like capable of communicating with at least one of the hearing aid 2 and the charger 3. The hearing aid system 5 further includes various sound reproduction devices 50a and 50b, such as a television device and headphone speakers, and a server (information processing device) 90. Specifically, the information processing terminal 40, the sound reproduction device (hearing device) 50, and the server 90 are connected to a communication network 484 via a base station (e.g., a mobile phone base station, a wireless local area network (LAN) access point, etc.) not shown. As a wireless communication method used in the communication network 484, for example, any method such as WiFi (registered trademark) or Bluetooth (registered trademark) can be applied. However, it is desirable to use a communication method that can maintain stable operation.

[0115] Hereinafter, a summary of each device included in the hearing aid system 5 of this embodiment will be described. However, since the hearing aid 2, charger 3, and information processing terminal 40 are similar to those included in the reference... Figures 1 to 3 The devices in the hearing aid system 1 described herein are omitted here, and only the sound reproduction device 50 and the server 90 will be described.

[0116] (Sound reproduction device 50)

[0117] The sound reproduction device 50 is a device capable of reproducing sound for a user, and specifically, for example, is a speaker, headphone speaker, television device, audio device, smartphone (information processing terminal), etc. The detailed structure of the sound reproduction device 50 will be described later.

[0118] (Server 90)

[0119] Server 90 may be configured as a computer or similar device. For example, server 90 generates parameters according to this embodiment and transmits these parameters to sound reproduction device 50 or information processing terminal 40. Detailed configuration of server 90 will be described later.

[0120] In this embodiment, the hearing aid system 5 is not limited to Figure 7 The configuration shown.

[0121] <3.2 Server>

[0122] Next, we will refer to Figure 8 The detailed configuration of server 90 according to this embodiment is described. Figure 8 This is a block diagram used to describe the functional blocks of the server 90 according to this embodiment. For example... Figure 8As shown, server 90 mainly includes a communication unit (transmission unit) 900, a processing unit 910, and a storage unit 920. The functional blocks of server 90 will be described in detail below.

[0123] (Communication Unit 900)

[0124] The communication unit 900 communicates with the sound reproduction device 50, the information processing terminal 40, and other devices via the communication network 484. In other words, the communication unit 900 can be described as a communication interface with the function of transmitting and receiving data. For example, the communication unit 900 is implemented by communication devices such as transmission / reception circuits or ports.

[0125] (Processing Unit 910)

[0126] The processing unit 910 uses the fitting data 922 of the user's hearing aid 2 and the device information 924 of the sound reproduction device 50 to generate parameters for acoustic processing in the sound reproduction device 50. In this embodiment, the processing unit 910 automatically or semi-automatically generates parameters for controlling the sound reproduction device 50 to suit the user's hearing characteristics using the fitting data 922 obtained through the user's fitting when purchasing and using the hearing aid 2. Specifically, the processing unit 910 is implemented in hardware such as a central processing unit (CPU), read-only memory (ROM), and random access memory (RAM).

[0127] More specifically, such as Figure 8 As shown, the processing unit 910 mainly includes an acquisition unit (information acquisition unit) 912, a parameter generation unit 914, and an output unit 916. The details of each functional unit included in the processing unit 910 will be described sequentially below.

[0128] The acquisition unit 912 acquires user identification information for identifying the user and device identification information for identifying sound output devices (hearing devices) other than the user's hearing aid, transmitted from the user's information processing terminal 40, based on the user's operation. The acquisition unit 912 further outputs the acquired information to the parameter generation unit 914, which will be described later.

[0129] Based on the user identification information from the acquisition unit 912, the parameter generation unit 914 extracts the user adaptation data 922 associated with the user identification information from the storage unit 920, which will be described later. Based on the device identification information from the acquisition unit 912, the parameter generation unit 914 extracts the device information 924 of the sound reproduction device 50 associated with the device identification information from the storage unit 920, which will be described later. Details of this information will be described later.

[0130] The parameter generation unit 914 generates parameters for acoustic processing in the sound reproduction device 50 based on the adaptation data 922 and device information 924, according to the user's auditory characteristics, and outputs the parameters to the output unit 916, which will be described later. Details of the parameters generated by the parameter generation unit 914 will be described later.

[0131] The output unit 916 transmits parameters from the parameter generation unit 914 to the sound reproduction device 50 or the information processing terminal 40 that can control the sound reproduction device 50 via the aforementioned communication unit 900.

[0132] (Storage Unit 920)

[0133] Storage unit 920 stores programs, information, and other data obtained through processing used by the processing unit 910 to perform various types of processing. Storage unit 920 (trial data storage unit) also stores trial data 922 from multiple users using the hearing aid 2. Storage unit 920 (device information storage unit) stores device information 924, etc. For example, storage unit 920 can be implemented using a magnetic recording medium such as a hard disk (HD). Storage unit 920 can be set in different devices on the hearing aid system 5 for each piece of information.

[0134] Specifically, examples of the adaptation data 922 include user identification information for identifying the user, user attribute information (gender, country of residence, etc.), functional configuration information of hearing aid 2 (noise suppression; directional processing, fretting processing, multi-band compressor, etc.), noise suppression parameters used in noise suppression, threshold ratios (inflection point and threshold) of the multi-band compressor, frequency response parameters, audio graph (the user's auditory measurement results), adaptation adjustment formulas for calculating parameters (e.g., NAL-NL, DSL, etc.), and information about the user's auditory characteristics model obtained through machine learning.

[0135] Specifically, examples of device information 924 include device identification information (manufacturer name, model, etc.) for identifying each sound reproduction device 50, as well as information such as functional configuration information (noise suppression, directional processing, fretting processing, multi-band compressor, etc.), performance information, control parameters, etc. for each sound reproduction device 50.

[0136] In this embodiment, server 90 is not limited to Figure 8 The configuration shown.

[0137] <3.3 Hearing Aids>

[0138] Next, we will refer to Figure 9 Details are described of the main parts (i.e., the functional units related to acoustic processing) of the hearing aid 2 according to this embodiment. Figure 9This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of the hearing aid 2 according to this embodiment.

[0139] like Figure 9 As shown, the hearing aid 2 mainly includes a sound collection unit 200, a directional processing unit 220, a flutter cancellation / suppression unit 230, a noise suppression unit 240, a compressor 250, and an output unit 270. The directional processing unit 220, the flutter cancellation / suppression unit 230, the noise suppression unit 240, and the compressor 250 are functional units that perform acoustic processing and can be constructed by a processor with hardware such as various memories and digital signal processors (DSPs). The functional blocks of the hearing aid 2 will be described in detail below.

[0140] (Sound collection unit 200)

[0141] The sound collection unit 200 can collect ambient sounds around the user and output the sound signal to the directional processing unit 220, which will be described later. The sound collection unit 200 is implemented, for example, by a microphone. The sound collection unit 200 may include two or more sound collection units that collect ambient sounds around the user, and may further include a sound collection unit that collects sound from the internal region of the user's ear canal.

[0142] (Directional processing unit 220)

[0143] For example, the directional processing unit 220 can identify the direction of a sound source based on the level or time difference of the sounds collected by two or more sound collection units 200, and perform acoustic processing to emphasize the sound coming from in front of the user. The hearing aid 2 may not have a directional processing unit 220.

[0144] (Flicker cancellation / suppression unit 230)

[0145] When the sound collection unit 200 of the hearing aid 2 collects a portion of the sound output from the hearing aid 2 again, the flutter cancellation / suppression unit 230 can perform acoustic processing to suppress the generated flutter and reverberation. The flutter cancellation / suppression unit 230 outputs the acoustically processed sound signal to the noise suppression unit 240, which will be described later.

[0146] (Noise suppression unit 240)

[0147] The noise suppression unit 240 performs acoustic processing to suppress or eliminate noise included in the audio signal and outputs the processed audio signal to the compressor 250, which will be described later. At this time, the noise suppression unit 240 performs acoustic processing based on parameters (adaptation parameters) set according to the user's hearing characteristics. The noise suppression unit 240 may perform filtering processing, etc., to separate the sound in each predetermined frequency band.

[0148] (Compressor 250)

[0149] Compressor 250 performs acoustic processing on the audio signal to reduce the dynamic range of the audio signal to a predetermined range within each predetermined frequency band, and outputs the audio signal to output unit 270, which will be described later. In this case, compressor 250 performs acoustic processing based on parameters (adaptation parameters) set according to the user's auditory characteristics. Compressor 250 may be constructed using an equalizer instead of a compressor.

[0150] (Output Unit 270)

[0151] The output unit 270 is a device for outputting acoustically processed sound to a user, and is implemented, for example, by a speaker.

[0152] In this embodiment, the hearing aid 2 is not limited to Figure 9 The configuration shown.

[0153] <3.4 Sound Reproduction Equipment>

[0154] Next, refer to Figure 10 and Figure 11 The main parts of the sound reproduction device 50 according to this embodiment are described in detail, namely, the functional units related to acoustic processing. Figure 10 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of the sound reproduction device 50a according to this embodiment, and Figure 11 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of the sound reproduction device 50b according to this embodiment.

[0155] like Figure 10 and Figure 11 As shown, the sound reproduction device 50 mainly includes, for example, a sound collection unit 500, sensitivity / frequency (F) characteristic correction units 510 and 560, a directionality processing unit 520, a flutter cancellation / suppression unit 530, a noise suppression unit 540, a compressor 550, and an output unit 570. The sensitivity / F characteristic correction units 510 and 560, the directionality processing unit 520, the flutter cancellation / suppression unit 530, the noise suppression unit 540, and the compressor 550 are functional units that perform acoustic processing and can be configured using a processor with hardware such as various memories and DSPs. The functional blocks of the sound reproduction device 50 will be described in detail below.

[0156] (Sound collection unit 500)

[0157] The sound collection unit 500 can collect ambient sounds around the user and output the sound signal to the sensitivity / F-characteristic correction unit 510, which will be described later. For example, the sound collection unit 500 is implemented using a microphone or the like. The sound collection unit 500 may include two or more sound collection units that collect ambient sounds around the user, and may further include a sound collection unit that collects sounds from the internal region of the user's ear canal. Because... Figure 10 The sound reproduction device 50a shown includes a sound collection unit 500, thus allowing for precise noise cancellation using the sound collected by the sound collection unit 500. Additionally, in the sound reproduction device 50, it is also possible to... Figure 11 The sound collection unit 500 is set up like the sound reproduction device 50b shown.

[0158] (Sensitivity / F-characteristic correction units 510 and 560)

[0159] The sensitivity / F-characteristic correction unit 510 can perform acoustic processing to correct the sensitivity and frequency characteristics of the sound collection unit 500. Therefore, in situations such as... Figure 11 If the sound reproduction device 50b shown does not include a sound collection unit 500, the sensitivity / F-characteristic correction unit 510 may also be omitted. On the other hand, the sensitivity / F-characteristic correction unit 560 can perform acoustic processing to correct for the user's ear, sensitivity, and frequency characteristics by taking into account the transmission characteristics of the transmission path from the output unit 570 (described later) to the user's ear.

[0160] (Directional processing unit 520)

[0161] For example, the directional processing unit 520 can identify the direction of a sound source based on the level or time difference among the sounds collected by two or more sound collection units 500, and perform acoustic processing to emphasize the sound coming from in front of the user. Additionally, in situations such as... Figure 11 If the sound collection unit 500 is not provided in the sound reproduction device 50b shown, the directional processing unit 520 may also be omitted.

[0162] (Flicker cancellation / suppression unit 530)

[0163] The flutter cancellation / suppression unit 530 can perform acoustic processing to suppress flutter and reverberation generated when a portion of the sound output from the sound reproduction device 50 is collected again by the sound collection unit 500 of the sound reproduction device 50. In such cases... Figure 11 When the sound reproduction device 50b shown does not have a sound collection unit 500, the noise cancellation / suppression unit 530 may not be provided.

[0164] (Noise suppression unit 540)

[0165] The noise suppression unit 540 performs acoustic processing to suppress or eliminate noise included in the audio signal and outputs the processed audio signal to the compressor 550, which will be described later. The noise suppression unit 540 may perform filtering processing, etc., to separate the sound in each predetermined frequency band.

[0166] (Compressor 550)

[0167] Compressor 550 can perform acoustic processing on the audio signal to reduce the dynamic range of the audio signal to a predetermined range in each predetermined frequency band, and output the audio signal to output unit 570, which will be described later. Compressor 550 may be constructed as an equalizer instead of a compressor.

[0168] (Output Unit 570)

[0169] The output unit 570 is a device for outputting acoustically processed sound to a user, and is implemented, for example, by a speaker.

[0170] In this embodiment, the sound reproduction device 50 is not limited to... Figure 10 or Figure 11 The configuration is shown. For example, similar to hearing aid 2, sound reproduction device 50 may be equipped with an IMU (not shown) capable of acquiring information about the user's posture and movement. Sound reproduction device 50 may have a vibration sensor (not shown) instead of the IMU or together with the IMU. Sound reproduction device 50 may include a positioning sensor (not shown) capable of acquiring information about the user's position.

[0171] <3.5 Processing Methods>

[0172] Next, we will refer to Figure 12 The processing method performed by the hearing aid system (information processing system) 5 according to this embodiment is described. Figure 12 This is a sequence diagram of the processing method according to this embodiment. For example... Figure 12 As shown, the processing method according to this embodiment includes multiple steps from step S101 to step S107. Details of each step included in the information processing method according to this embodiment will be described below.

[0173] First, based on user operation, the information processing terminal 40 transmits user identification information for identifying the user and device identification information for identifying the sound reproduction device 50 to be used by the user to the server 90 (step S101). The server 90 receives the user identification information and device identification information from the information processing terminal 40 (step S102).

[0174] Next, based on the user identification information and device identification information received in step S102, server 90 retrieves adaptation data 922 associated with the user identification information and device information 924 associated with the device identification information from storage unit 920 (step S103). Server 90 generates parameters based on the adaptation data 922 and device information 924 obtained in step S103 (step S104). Details of parameter generation will be described later. Server 90 transmits the generated parameters to sound reproduction device 50 or an information processing terminal capable of controlling sound reproduction device 50 (step S105).

[0175] The sound reproduction device 50 or the information processing terminal capable of controlling the sound reproduction device 50 receives parameters from the server 90 (step S106). The sound reproduction device 50 or the information processing terminal capable of controlling the sound reproduction device 50 adjusts (performs acoustic processing on) the sound reproduction device 50 based on the received parameters (step S107).

[0176] In the above description, parameters are generated in server 90. However, in this embodiment, the invention is not limited to server 90; other devices on the hearing aid system 5 can be used, or multiple devices can collaborate to generate parameters. Parameter-based adjustments can be performed solely by a sound reproduction device 50, such as a television device, or collaboratively by an information processing terminal 40, such as a smartphone, and a sound reproduction device 50, such as headphones.

[0177] <3.6 Parameter Generation>

[0178] Next, we will refer to Figure 13A and Figures 13B to 18 Describes the generation of parameters according to this embodiment. Figure 13A and Figures 13B to 18 This is an explanatory diagram used to describe the processing method according to this embodiment.

[0179] First, in this embodiment, based on the user's operation, user identification information for identifying the user and device identification information for identifying the sound reproduction device (hearing device) 50 other than the user's hearing aid are transmitted from the user's information processing terminal 40 to the server 90. The parameter generation unit 914 provided in the server 90 extracts the user's adaptation data 922 associated with the user identification information from the storage unit 920. The parameter generation unit 914 then extracts the device information 924 associated with the sound reproduction device 50 from the storage unit 920 based on the device identification information.

[0180] As described above, examples of the adaptation data 922 include functional configuration information of the hearing aid 2 (noise suppression, directional processing, beep processing, multi-band compressor, etc.), noise suppression parameters for noise suppression, threshold ratios (inflection points and thresholds) of the multi-band compressor, frequency characteristic parameters, audio graph (the user's hearing measurement results), and the user's auditory characteristic model obtained through machine learning.

[0181] As described above, examples of device information 924 include device identification information (manufacturer name, model, etc.) for identifying each sound reproduction device 50, as well as information such as functional configuration information (noise suppression, directional processing, fretting processing, and multi-band compressor), performance information, control parameters, etc. for each sound reproduction device 50.

[0182] Therefore, the parameter generation unit 914 extracts functional units with common functions based on the functional configuration information of the hearing aid 2 included in the adaptation data 922 and the functional configuration information of the sound reproduction device 50 included in the device information 924. Specifically, by... Figure 10 The hearing aid 2 shown contains multiple functional units and Figure 11 or Figure 12 The parameter generation unit 914 compares the multiple functional units included in the sound reproduction device 50 shown, and extracts the functional units that have common functions between the hearing aid 2 and the sound reproduction device 50.

[0183] In recent years, if the sound reproduction device 50 is a headset, in-ear headphone, etc., the sound reproduction device 50 is equipped with a sound collection unit 500 to eliminate noise. Therefore, the sound reproduction device 50 and the hearing aid 2 have very similar functional configurations. During content reproduction, the sound reproduction device 50 does not use functional units (e.g., directional processing unit 520 and flutter cancellation / suppression unit 530) that reproduce the sound collected by the sound collection unit 500 in real time. On the other hand, other functional units (e.g., noise suppression unit 540 and compressor 550) are used in the sound reproduction device 50. As from... Figure 10 As can be seen, the hearing aid 2 also includes functional units with similar functions (e.g., noise suppression unit 240 and compressor 250). Therefore, in this embodiment, the control parameters of the common functional parts of the hearing aid 2 are applied to the common functional parts of the sound reproduction device 50 (e.g., noise suppression unit 540 and compressor 550). In this embodiment, the parameter generation unit 914 refers to the extracted common functional parts and generates control parameters for the common functional parts of the sound reproduction device 50 based on the control parameters of the common functional parts of the hearing aid 2.

[0184] Specifically, the parameter generation unit 914 generates, for example, noise suppression parameters used by the noise suppression unit 540 of the sound reproduction device 50 based on the parameters of the noise suppression unit 240 of the hearing aid 2. Additionally, the parameter generation unit 914 generates, for example, the threshold ratio of the compressor 550 of the sound reproduction device 50 based on the parameters of the compressor 250 of the hearing aid 2. The parameter generation unit 914 also generates parameters related to the frequency characteristics of the noise suppression unit 540 and the compression unit 550 of the sound reproduction device 50, for example, based on the frequency characteristic parameters of the noise suppression unit 240 and the compression unit 250.

[0185] In detail, the desired operation for noise suppression is almost common between people with normal hearing and those with hearing loss. It is generally believed that less noise is better. Therefore, even if the processing bandwidth of the hearing aid 2 is narrower than the reproduction bandwidth of the sound reproduction device 50, which is the destination, fine-tuning based on the user's auditory characteristics is unlikely to be necessary for bandwidths not processed by the hearing aid 2. Therefore, in this embodiment, in the sound reproduction device 50 at the destination, when parameters for bandwidths not processed by the hearing aid 2 are required, the parameters of the sound reproduction device 50, pre-set for people with normal hearing, are used directly.

[0186] Furthermore, there is a trade-off between noise and sound quality; sound quality may deteriorate when noise suppression is enhanced, and noise increases when controls focused on sound quality are implemented. Typically, noise suppression in hearing aid 2 is adjusted using a representative parameter indicating the intensity (suppression amount) of the noise suppression. When the noise suppression function of the sound reproduction device 50, the destination of the transmission, is superior to that of hearing aid 2—that is, when sound reproduction device 50 can further suppress noise while maintaining high sound quality—a suppression amount larger than the suppression amount in the noise suppression of hearing aid 2 can be selected as a parameter for sound reproduction device 50.

[0187] Therefore, in this embodiment, the server 90 prompts the user with the default suppression level of the hearing aid 2, and also prompts the user to increase or decrease the suppression level by a predetermined value (e.g., a suppression level ±6dB from the suppression level of the hearing aid 2). In this embodiment, the user can select a preferred suppression level from the suggested suppression levels (feedback). At this time, the server 90 can display a slider on the information processing terminal 40, etc., and cause the sound reproduction device 50 to output the sound that has undergone noise suppression processing (e.g., the suppression level based on the user's operation of the slider). In this way, the user can select a preferred suppression level from discrete or continuous suppression levels.

[0188] The parameters of compressors 250 and 550 include the value of the inflection point and a threshold (threshold ratio) indicating the relationship between the input sound level and the target output sound level, and these parameters define the user's desired operation. Therefore, in this embodiment, the control parameters of compressor 250 of hearing aid 2 are used as control parameters of compressor 550 of sound reproduction device 50. The parameters of compressors 250 and 550 are determined based on the hearing characteristics of an individual user. Therefore, even when the processing bandwidth of compressor 250 of hearing aid 2 is narrower than the processing bandwidth of compressor 550 of sound reproduction device 50 at the transmission destination, the user's hearing characteristics can be measured even in bandwidths exceeding the processing bandwidth of hearing aid 2 when fitting hearing aid 2. Furthermore, the formula used for fitting hearing aid 2 can be applied to the measurement results to determine the parameters of compressor 550 of sound reproduction device 50 at the transmission destination. That is, in this embodiment, when the processing frequency band of the common function unit of the hearing aid 2 is different from the processing frequency band of the acoustic processing of the common function unit of the sound reproduction device 50, the parameter generation unit 914 generates control parameters for the processing frequency band of the acoustic processing of the common function unit of the sound reproduction device 50 based on the control parameters of the processing frequency band of the common function unit of the hearing aid 2.

[0189] In this embodiment, the parameter generation unit 914 can generate parameters based on the user's audio graph included in the adaptation data. The audio graph represents, for example... Figure 13A and Figure 13B The chart shown illustrates the user's auditory characteristics. The audiogram is measured using a self-recording audiometer (also known as a Bekesyt-type audiometer), which is a hearing test specifically for airborne sounds and can, for example, predict the presence or absence of conducted hearing loss from the measurement results. This self-recording audiometer is characterized by using two types of intermittent and continuous sounds as test sound sources. During the self-recording audiometer test, the subject continues to press the button while hearing the test sound and continues to release the button while not hearing the test sound. The self-recording audiometer gradually decreases the intensity of the test sound while the subject presses the button and gradually increases the intensity while the subject releases the button. As a result, a sawtooth waveform is observed when the intensity of the test sound is recorded during the test conducted by the self-recording audiometer. It is said that the results from the self-recording audiometer can be categorized to predict the type of hearing loss in the subject.

[0190] Therefore, in this embodiment, the parameter generation unit 914 can determine parameters in a frequency band exceeding the processing frequency band of the hearing aid 2 based on, for example, the shape of the user's audiogram. More specifically, for example, the parameter generation unit 914 can determine parameters based on values ​​obtained by extrapolating measurements from the audiogram. For example, the parameter generation unit 914 can determine parameters based on values ​​obtained from a slope obtained by further adjusting the slope obtained by extrapolating measurements from the audiogram (e.g., halving the slope). Alternatively, the parameter generation unit 914 can suggest multiple parameters to the user based on the shape of the user's audiogram, and the user can select the desired parameter from the multiple suggested parameters.

[0191] In this embodiment, even if the hearing aid 2 and the sound reproduction device 50 at the transmission destination have functional units that share the same function, there may be performance differences. Therefore, in this embodiment, the parameter generation unit 914 generates parameters by performing processing that takes into account such performance differences.

[0192] For example, the processing in the functional unit of the sound reproduction device 50, which serves as the destination for transmission, has the same qualitative function as the functional unit of the hearing aid 2, but with a higher resolution. For instance, the sound reproduction device 50 can segment the frequency bands to be processed more finely than the hearing aid 2 and perform appropriate processing for each frequency band. This is because the sound reproduction device 50 uses a processor with higher computing performance than the hearing aid 2, and its power consumption is also more relaxed. In the case of reproduced content, the permissible input / output delay in the sound reproduction device 50 is also greater than that in the case of reproducing the sound collected by the receiver unit 200 of the hearing aid 2 in real time. Therefore, in the sound reproduction device 50, there is no need to prioritize the suppression of input / output delay. For example, if the input / output delay in the compressor 250 of the hearing aid 2 is prioritized for suppression, the output sound may deviate too much or too little from the target level range, or the sound quality may degrade depending on the signal. On the other hand, in the sound reproduction device 50, which serves as the transmission destination, there is no need to prioritize the suppression of input / output delays; therefore, the output sound and sound quality naturally and reliably fall within the target level range. In the sound reproduction device 50, sound quality degradation is minimal, the amount of suppressable noise is large, and many types of noise are suppressable.

[0193] Therefore, in this embodiment, if the resolution (granularity) of the control parameters differs between functional units with common functions, the parameter generation unit 914 generates parameters such that the control parameters for the hearing aid 2 are the same in granularity as the control parameters for the sound reproduction device 50. For example, in the sound reproduction device 50, the frequency band to be processed is finely divided compared to the hearing aid 2, and appropriate parameters are set in each frequency band. In such a case, it can be said that there are independent parameters in each frequency band. Therefore, for example, if control is performed at a frequency between two adjacent frequency bands using parameters having values ​​that are clearly the same as the parameters set for the frequency band, the operation may change abruptly, and an uncomfortable sound may be output to the user. Therefore, to avoid such abrupt changes, the parameter generation unit 914, for example, configures the control parameters of the hearing aid 2 on a logarithmic frequency axis and interpolates them, thereby generating the control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50.

[0194] For example, consider the case where, in the compressor 250 of the hearing aid 2, compared to the compressor 550 of the sound reproduction device 50, the processed frequency band is roughly divided, and appropriate parameters are set in each frequency band; that is, the resolution (granularity) of the control parameters of the hearing aid 2 is smaller than the resolution (granularity) of the control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50. In this case, the number of parameters of the hearing aid 2 is smaller than the number of parameters of the sound reproduction device 50. Therefore, as... Figure 14 As shown in the upper part, the parameter generation unit 914 generates the control parameters of the hearing aid 2 (in... Figure 14 The control parameters (represented by arrows extending vertically) are arranged on the logarithmic frequency axis, and the copied control parameters are arranged on the logarithmic frequency axis. In this way, the parameter generation unit 914 generates multiple control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50 corresponding to the frequency resolution of the control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50 (in...). Figure 14 (Used as an arrow extending in a vertical direction in the middle), such as Figure 14 The lower part is shown.

[0195] Furthermore, in the compressor 250 of the hearing aid 2, compared to the compressor 550 of the sound reproduction device 50, other examples will be described where the processed frequency band is roughly divided, and appropriate parameters are set in each frequency band. For example... Figure 15 As shown in the upper part, the parameter generation unit 914 generates control parameters for the hearing aid 2 (from the parameters provided in the original text). Figure 15 The arrows extending vertically (indicating the frequency) are arranged on the logarithmic frequency axis, replicating the control parameters and performing linear interpolation between them. Then, the parameter generation unit 914 generates, based on the frequency band of the sound reproduction device 50 and the result of linear complementation, parameters such as... Figure 15 The control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50 shown in the lower part (in) Figure 15(The arrows extending in the vertical direction are used to represent this). In this embodiment, the invention is not limited to linear interpolation, and nonlinear interpolation can also be used.

[0196] The sound reproduction device 50, as the destination of the transmission, can almost exhaust the computing resources used only for functions other than acoustic processing, and cannot reserve enough resources for acoustic processing. In this case, the resolution (granularity) of the control parameters of the hearing aid 2 is considered to be greater than the resolution (granularity) of the control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50. In this embodiment, even in this case, the parameter generation unit 914 processes the control parameters of the hearing aid 2 to generate parameters with the same interval size as the control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50.

[0197] For example, in the compressor 250 of the hearing aid 2, the frequency band to be processed is finely divided compared to the compressor 550 of the sound reproduction device 50, and appropriate parameters are set in each frequency band. In this case, the number of parameters in the hearing aid 2 is greater than the number of parameters in the sound reproduction device 50. Therefore, as Figure 16 As shown in the lower part, the parameter generation unit 914 generates the control parameters of the hearing aid 2 (in... Figure 16 (Indicated by arrows extending vertically) Arranged on the logarithmic frequency axis, the average value of adjacent control parameters is calculated and then plotted on the logarithmic frequency axis. Thus, as... Figure 16 As shown in the upper part, the parameter generation unit 914 generates multiple control parameters for the sound reproduction device 50 corresponding to the frequency resolution of the control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50 (generated by...). Figure 16 (Indicated by an arrow extending vertically). At this point, the parameter generation unit 914 can calculate the average value after weighting adjacent control parameters. Figure 16 In the example, it can be said that, assuming a level sound is input in all frequency bands, the value with the smallest error is selected in the logarithmic spectrum of the output of hearing aid 2 and the output of sound reproduction device 50, which is the transmission destination.

[0198] In this embodiment, when the resolution (granularity) of the control parameters is the same among functional units with common functions, the parameter generation unit 914 generates the control parameters of the sound reproduction device 50 based on the control parameters of the hearing aid 2.

[0199] The functionality of the sound reproduction device 50 transmitting to the destination is limited; it may not include the noise suppression unit 540, or it may replace the multi-band compressor with only an equalizer. In this case, in this embodiment, as... Figure 17In the relationship between the input sound level and the target output sound level within each processing band of the multi-band compressor shown, for example, the assumed gain in the linear region located at the center of the graph can be used as the gain (parameter) of the equalizer. Specifically, the parameter generation unit 914 generates parameters by applying an offset to a linear function representing the relationship between the input sound level and the target output sound level in each processing band, which serves as a parameter of the compressor 250 of the hearing aid 2, based on the characteristics of the equalizer of the sound reproduction device 50. That is, in this embodiment, the equalizer of the sound reproduction device 50 is controlled based on the difference in the Y-intercept of the linear function representing the offset.

[0200] In the above description, all acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) is performed in the sound reproduction device 50. However, in this embodiment, the device performing the acoustic processing is not limited to the sound reproduction device 50. In this embodiment, for example, such as Figure 18 As shown in the upper part, acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) can be performed solely by a sound reproduction device 50, such as a television set. In this embodiment, for example, as... Figure 18 As shown in the middle section, acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) can be performed collaboratively by an information processing terminal 40, such as a smartphone, and a sound reproduction device 50, such as headphones. In this embodiment, for example, as... Figure 18 As shown in the lower part, acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) can be performed collaboratively by a device such as a hard disk drive (HDD) recorder and a sound reproduction device 50. In this embodiment, although in Figure 18 Not shown, but all or part of the acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) can be performed by server 90.

[0201] In this scenario, the parameter generation unit 914 can select the device performing the acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) according to a rule-based strategy as described below. For example, typically, the same type of processing is not performed by multiple devices, but by different devices. For example, the device performing the processing is typically selected such that the execution order of different types of processing is the same as, or not different from, the processing order in the hearing aid 2 used by the user. If multiple devices are available as options, the higher-performance device is used. For example, since the device information 924 includes labels indicating the level of processing performance of each device, the parameter generation unit 914 selects the device performing the acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) based on such information.

[0202] A portion of the adaptation data 922 and device information 924, as well as some of the generated parameters, contains information about the user's privacy. For example, parameters related to compressors 250 and 550 indirectly indicate the user's hearing characteristics and are therefore information about the user's privacy. Therefore, in this embodiment, to protect privacy, it is preferable to exchange information between devices after performing predetermined encryption. Furthermore, the exchange of privacy-related information across countries can be prohibited. In this case, the parameter generation unit 914 can select a device to perform acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) so as not to exchange information across countries.

[0203] As described above, in this embodiment, by using the fitting data of the hearing aid 2 for the user and the device information of the sound reproduction device 50, the parameter generation unit 914 of the server 90 in the cloud can automatically generate parameters based on the user's hearing characteristics. In this embodiment, the server 90 transmits the generated parameters to the sound reproduction device 50, allowing the user to easily use the sound reproduction device 50 adjusted according to his / her hearing characteristics without requiring specialized knowledge or complex adjustments. As a result, according to this embodiment, the user can enjoy high-quality sound. In this embodiment, since parameters corresponding to the performance of each sound reproduction device 50 can be generated based on the fitting data of the user using the hearing aid 2, the user can use various sound reproduction devices 50 without complex adjustments.

[0204] It is also assumed that a user uses multiple sound reproduction devices 50 as transmission destinations. In this embodiment, multiple parameters can be generated instead of a single parameter. In this embodiment, parameters generated in the past for the transmission destination sound reproduction devices 50 can also be stored in the server 90 for future use.

[0205] In this embodiment, it is assumed that an individual uses the sound reproduction device 50. However, this embodiment can also be used when multiple identical sound reproduction devices 50 are used, but the hearing characteristics of the multiple users are very similar.

[0206] <3.7 Variations>

[0207] For example, the acoustic processing procedures expected to be used will differ depending on whether the human voice is the main content, such as in a news or information program, or whether content other than the human voice is the main content, such as in a music program. Even when listening to human speech, the appropriate acoustic processing will vary depending on circumstances such as whether the person is in a conference room or a gathering.

[0208] The existing sound reproduction device 50 has the function of preparing modes specifically for music (e.g., noise suppression processing that does not adversely affect music reproduction, etc., and the compressor 550 is controlled by parameters for music that are different from normal parameters) and manually or automatically switching between modes. In recent years, since there are technologies that perform analysis on ambient sounds around the user and identify the user's presence based on the user's location information, acoustic processing can also be performed using the results of such situation identification.

[0209] Therefore, as a variation of this embodiment, reference will be made to... Figure 19 The sound reproduction device 50 is described as having a scene detection unit (scene detection unit) 580 that identifies the presence of a user and a parameter control unit (adjustment unit) 590 that controls parameters according to the scene and content mode. Figure 19 This is a block diagram describing the functional blocks of the sound reproduction device 50c according to a modified example of this embodiment.

[0210] like Figure 19 As shown, the sound reproduction device 50c includes, for example, a sound collection unit 500, a directionality processing unit 520, a noise cancellation / suppression unit 530, a noise suppression unit 540, a compressor 550, and an output unit 570. The sound reproduction device 50c further includes a scene detection unit 580 and a parameter control unit 590. Hereinafter, the functional blocks of the sound reproduction device 50c will be described in detail. However, the sound collection unit 500, the directionality processing unit 520, the noise cancellation / suppression unit 530, the noise suppression unit 540, the compressor 550, and the output unit 570 are the same as those in this embodiment, and therefore their description will be omitted here. Only the scene detection unit 580 and the parameter control unit 590 will be described.

[0211] For example, the scene detection unit 580 analyzes the ambient sounds around the user collected by the sound collection unit 500 to identify the user's presence, whether the user is in a noisy place (e.g., on a subway), or whether the user is in a quiet place (e.g., at home). The scene detection unit 580 outputs the identification results to the parameter control unit 590, which will be described later. In this variation, the scene detection unit 580 is not limited to identifying the user's presence through sound analysis. For example, the scene detection unit 580 may identify the user's presence based on information from the user's operation or voice input, metadata attached to the content assigned to the sound reproduction device 50c, user location information from a positioning sensor (not shown) installed in the sound reproduction device 50c or in the information processing terminal 40 used by the user, an image of the user captured by the information processing terminal 40 or an imaging device (not shown) around the user, sensing data from an IMU (not shown) or a vibration sensor (not shown) installed in the sound reproduction device 50c or in the information processing terminal 40 used by the user to detect the user's movement and posture, and so on.

[0212] The parameter control unit 590 adjusts parameters based on the recognition results of the scene detection unit 580, controlling each functional unit of the sound reproduction device 50c. The parameter control unit 590 can adjust parameters according to the pattern input by the user via the information processing terminal 40, and control each functional unit of the sound reproduction device 50c. The parameter control unit 590 can identify the appropriate pattern of the content assigned to the sound reproduction device 50c based on the metadata attached to the content, and adjust the parameters accordingly.

[0213] During the process of adjusting parameters based on content, for example, a model is prepared in advance representing the relationship between the content expected to be reproduced in the sound reproduction device 50c and its appropriate output spectrum. The parameter control unit 590 can also adjust the parameters so that the output spectrum output from the sound reproduction device 50c is the same as the output spectrum of the model.

[0214] In this variation, the sound reproduction device 50c is not limited to Figure 19 The configuration shown.

[0215] <3.8 Use of Reward Predictors>

[0216] In the above description, the parameters of the hearing aid 2 are used to generate the parameters of the sound reproduction device 50 for transmission to the destination. However, this embodiment is not limited to this; for example, intermediate products obtained during the fitting of the hearing aid 2 can be used to generate the parameters for the sound reproduction device 50.

[0217] For example, two types of processed sounds are output to the user, and feedback from the user regarding the two types of processed sounds is obtained (e.g., answers to questions such as "Which processed sound do you prefer?"). Repeated output of the processed sounds and acquisition of feedback allow for the generation of a model (auditory characteristic model) for estimating user preferences based on the feedback using a reward predictor. In hearing aid 2, fitting of hearing aid 2 can be performed semi-automatically using this model.

[0218] Therefore, in this embodiment, when fitting the hearing aid 2, if a model is obtained as an intermediate product, the parameter generation unit 914 uses the model contained in the fitting data 922 to generate parameters for the sound reproduction device 50, which is the destination for transmission. Specifically, based on the aforementioned model, the parameter generation unit 914 outputs two processed sounds to the user in the same manner as described above, obtains feedback from the user regarding the two processed sounds, and generates parameters for the sound reproduction device 50, which is the destination for transmission, based on this feedback. In this case, since a model reflecting the user's preferences has already been generated, parameters suitable for the user's hearing characteristics can be generated even with less feedback than during fitting (or alternatively, a small number of trials).

[0219] In this implementation, the model can be in a fixed state but can be updated using newly obtained feedback when generating parameters. In this way, when performing a new adaptation or generating parameters, even with less feedback (or alternatively, a small number of trials), it is possible to perform an adaptation or generate parameters suitable for the user's auditory characteristics.

[0220] In this situation, if the same weights are applied to both the user feedback obtained in the scenario of fitting the hearing aid 2 and the user feedback obtained in the scenario of generating parameters for the sound reproduction device 50 as the transmission destination, suitable parameters may not be obtained. Therefore, for example, weighting can be performed to emphasize and reflect more the feedback in the scenario used to generate parameters for the sound reproduction device 50.

[0221] If multiple users are watching the same content (e.g., a TV program), the accuracy of parameter generation can be improved given the fact that multiple users are watching the same content. In this case, under the assumption that the optimal parameters should be similar among multiple users with the same content, parameters that are more suitable for the users' auditory characteristics can be generated by using a reward predictor.

[0222] <<4. Second Implementation Method>>

[0223] In the examples described so far, the parameter generation unit, adaptation data, device information, etc., are included in the server 90. However, this embodiment is not limited to this configuration. (See also...) Figures 20 to 24Describe the changes in the location of parameter generation units, adaptation data, device information, etc. Figures 20 to 24 This is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of the hearing aid system 5 according to this embodiment.

[0224] For example, refer to Figure 20 The hearing aid system 5 includes a hearing aid 2, an information processing terminal 40, a sound reproduction device 50, and a server 90. Specifically, the information processing terminal 40, the sound reproduction device 50, and the server 90 are communicatively connected to a communication network 60. (See reference...) Figure 20 The server 90 includes a parameter generation unit 914, adaptation data 922, and device information 924. The information processing terminal 40 includes a hearing aid fitting unit 47 that performs fitting of the hearing aid 2, and the sound reproduction device 50 includes a hearing aid processing unit 51 that performs acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) and an output unit 570 that outputs sound to the user.

[0225] For example, refer to Figure 20 The information processing terminal 40 transmits the fitting data 922 of the hearing aid 2, along with user identification information for identifying the user of the hearing aid 2, to the server 90. Based on the user identification information from the information processing terminal 40 and the device identification information for identifying the sound reproduction device 50 to be used by the user, the server 90 generates parameters using the pre-stored fitting data 922 and device information 924. The server 90 also transmits the generated parameters to the sound reproduction device 50 corresponding to the device identification information. Upon receiving the generated parameters, the sound reproduction device 50 uses the parameters to perform acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) and outputs sound.

[0226] For example, refer to Figure 21 The server 90 includes a parameter generation unit 914, adaptation data 922, and device information 924. The information processing terminal 40 includes a hearing aid fitting unit 47 and a hearing aid processing unit 48 that performs acoustic processing (hearing aid processing), and the sound reproduction device 50 includes an output unit 570. For example, refer to... Figure 21 The information processing terminal 40, which has received parameters generated by the server 90, performs acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) using the parameters and controls the sound reproduction device 50 to output the processed sound.

[0227] For example, refer to Figure 22 Server 90 includes adaptation data 922. Sound reproduction device 50 includes parameter generation unit 52 and device information 924. For example, refer to... Figure 22Server 90 transmits adaptation data 922 to the sound reproduction device 50 corresponding to the device identification information, based on user identification information from information processing terminal 40 and device identification information used to identify the sound reproduction device 50 to be used by the user. The sound reproduction device 50 generates parameters using the received adaptation data 922 and device information 924, performs acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) using these parameters, and outputs the processed sound.

[0228] For example, refer to Figure 23 The adaptation data management server 90a includes adaptation data 922, and the adaptation data conversion server 90b includes parameter generation unit 914 and device information 924.

[0229] For example, refer to Figure 24 The hearing aid system 5 further includes a content delivery server 90c. The content delivery server 90c stores multiple contents. (See reference...) Figure 24 The server 90 includes a parameter generation unit 914, adaptation data 922, device information 924, and a hearing aid processing unit 918 that performs acoustic processing (hearing aid processing). The hearing aid processing unit 918 performs acoustic processing (hearing aid processing) on ​​the content-attached metadata from the content delivery server 90c along with parameters from the parameter generation unit 914, and controls the sound reproduction device 50 to output the processed sound. In this embodiment, the content delivery server 90c may include the parameter generation unit 914 and the hearing aid processing unit 918. In this case, the content delivery server 90c can use adaptation data and device information stored in itself or stored in another server (not shown) to perform hearing aid processing on the content data, thereby outputting sound according to the user's hearing characteristics, and can directly transmit the hearing-processed content data to the sound reproduction device 50, etc.

[0230] In this embodiment, the hearing aid system 5 is not limited to Figures 20 to 24 The configuration shown.

[0231] <<5. Conclusion>>

[0232] As described above, in each embodiment of this disclosure, the parameter generation unit 914 of the server 90 can automatically generate parameters based on the user's hearing characteristics using the fitting data of the user's hearing aid 2 and the device information of the sound reproduction device 50. In this embodiment, the generated parameters are transmitted to the sound reproduction device 50, allowing the user to use the sound reproduction device 50 adjusted according to his / her hearing characteristics without performing complex adjustments. As a result, according to this embodiment, the user can enjoy high-quality sound. In this embodiment, since parameters corresponding to the performance of each sound reproduction device 50 can be generated based on the fitting data of the user's hearing aid 2, the user can use various sound reproduction devices 50 without performing complex adjustments.

[0233] <<6. Examples of Data Utilization>>

[0234] Data obtained using the hearing aid 2 according to embodiments of this disclosure can be used in various ways. (See reference...) Figure 25 Describe an example of how the data is used.

[0235] Figure 25 This is a diagram illustrating an example of data utilization; in the system shown, there are an edge region 1000, a cloud region 2000, and a business operator region 3000. Examples of elements in the edge region 1000 include a sound generation device 1100, a peripheral device 1200, and a vehicle 1300. Server device 2100 is illustrated as an element in the cloud region 2000. Examples of elements in the business operator region 3000 include a business operator 3100 and a server device 3200.

[0236] The sound generating device 1100 in the edge region 1000 is worn by the user or placed near the user for use in order to emit sound toward the user. Specific examples of the sound generating device 1100 include headphones, in-ear headphones (earpieces), and hearing aids. More specifically, the sound generating device 1100 may be a hearing aid 2.

[0237] Peripheral device 1200 and vehicle 1300 in the surrounding area 1000 are devices used in conjunction with sound-generating device 1100, such as transmitting signals of audio-visual content, call sounds, and warning sounds to sound-generating device 1100. Sound generating device 1100 outputs sound corresponding to the signal from external device 1200 or vehicle 1300 to the user. Specific examples of peripheral device 1200 are smartphones, etc. For example, refer to the above... Figure 1 The described information processing terminal 40 can be used as a peripheral device 1200.

[0238] In the edge region 1000, various data regarding the use of the sound generation device 1100 can be obtained. (Refer to...) Figure 26Describe it.

[0239] Figure 26 This is a diagram illustrating examples of data. Examples of data that can be obtained in the edge region 1000 include device data, usage history data, personalization data, biometric data, sentiment data, application data, fit data, and preference data. Data can be understood as information, and they can be replaced as appropriate without contradiction. Various known methods can be used to obtain the illustrated data.

[0240] Device data is data related to the sound generating device 1100 and includes data about the type of the sound generating device 1100, specifically, for example, data indicating that the sound generating device 1100 is a headset, in-ear headphone, true wireless stereo (TWS), hearing aid (CIC, ITE, RIC, etc.).

[0241] The usage history data refers to the usage history data of the sound generation device 1100, and includes data such as music exposure, continuous use time of the hearing aid, and content listening history (listening time, etc.). The usage history data can be used for safe listening, TWS hearing aid fitting, and replacement notifications for the earwax intrusion prevention filter (not shown) installed in the hearing aid 2.

[0242] Personalized data refers to data related to the user of the sound generation device 1100, and includes, for example, the user's head-related transfer function (HRTF), ear canal characteristics, earwax type, etc. Data regarding hearing may also be included in the personalized data.

[0243] For example, biometric data is the biometric data of the user of the sound generation device 1100, and includes data on sweating, blood pressure, blood flow, heart rate, pulse, body temperature, electroencephalogram, respiration, electromyographic potential, etc.

[0244] Emotional data refers to data indicating the emotions of the user of the sound generation device 1100, and includes data such as those indicating comfort, discomfort, etc.

[0245] Application data refers to data used in various applications and includes user attribute information such as the user's location (or position of the sound generating device 1100), schedule, age, gender, etc., and further includes data such as weather, atmospheric pressure, temperature, etc. For example, location data can be used to search for a lost sound generating device 1100 or to determine the timing for predicting blockage of the aforementioned earwax intrusion prevention filter.

[0246] For example, the adaptation data may include the adjustment parameters of the hearing aid 2 used by the user, the hearing aid gain in each frequency band set based on the user's hearing measurement results (audiograph), etc.

[0247] Preference data is data related to a user's preferences, and includes, for example, data on preferences for music listening while driving.

[0248] It can also acquire data about communication status, charging status of the sound generation device 1100, etc. Based on frequency band, communication status, charging status, etc., a portion of the processing in the edge region 1000 can be performed in the cloud region 2000. By distributing the processing, the processing load of the edge region 1000 can be reduced.

[0249] return Figure 25 For example, data as described above is acquired in edge region 1000 and transmitted from sound generation device 1100, peripheral device 1200, or vehicle 1300 to server device 2100 in cloud region 2000. Server device 2100 stores (saves, accumulates, etc.) the received data.

[0250] Commercial operator 3100 in commercial operator zone 3000 uses server device 3200 to retrieve data from server device 2100 in cloud zone 2000. This data then becomes usable by commercial operator 3100.

[0251] There can be different business operators 3100. Specific examples of business operators 3100 are hearing aid stores, hearing aid manufacturers, content production companies, distribution business operators providing music streaming services, etc., and for the sake of distinction, they are referred to and shown as business operator 3100-A, business operator 3100-B, and business operator 3100-C. The corresponding server devices 3200 are referred to and shown as server device 3200-A, server device 3200-B, and server device 3200-C. Different types of data are provided to these different business operators 3100 to facilitate data utilization. For example, data provision to business operators 3100 can be through data provision via subscription, replay, etc.

[0252] Data can also be provided from cloud region 2000 to edge region 1000. For example, if machine learning is required for processing in edge region 1000, the administrator of server device 2100 or others prepare data in cloud region 2000 for feedback, revision, etc., for learning data. The prepared data is then transmitted from server device 2100 to sound generation device 1100, peripheral device 1200, or vehicle 1300 in edge region 1000.

[0253] If certain conditions are met in edge region 1000, incentives (such as benefits of quality service) can be offered to the user. Examples of such conditions are that at least some of the sound generation device 1100, peripheral device 1200, and vehicle 1300 are provided by the same business operator. In the case of incentives that can be supplied electronically (such as electronic coupons), the incentives can be transmitted from server device 2100 to sound generation device 1100, peripheral device 1200, or vehicle 1300.

[0254] <<7. Examples of collaboration with other devices>>

[0255] For example, in edge region 1000, sound generation device 1100 can use peripheral device 1200 (e.g., smartphone) as a central device to collaborate with other devices. (See reference...) Figure 27 Example description.

[0256] Figure 27 This is a diagram illustrating an example of collaboration with other devices. Edge region 1000, cloud region 2000, and commercial operator region 3000 are connected via network 4000 and network 5000. A smartphone is illustrated as peripheral device 1200 in edge region 1000, and other devices 1400 are illustrated as components in edge region 1000. Vehicle 1300 is omitted. Figure 25 The illustration is shown.

[0257] Peripheral device 1200 can communicate with sound generation device 1100 and other devices 1400. While there are no particular limitations on the communication method, for example, Bluetooth LDAC, Bluetooth LE audio, etc., can be used. Communication between peripheral device 1200 and other devices 1400 can be multicast communication. Examples of multicast communication include Auracast (registered trademark).

[0258] Other devices 1400 are used in conjunction with sound generation devices 1100 via peripheral devices 1200. Specific examples of other devices 1400 include televisions (hereinafter referred to as TVs), personal computers (PCs), head-mounted displays (HMDs), robots, smart speakers, gaming devices, etc.

[0259] Furthermore, if the sound generating device 1100, peripheral device 1200 and other devices 1400 meet certain conditions (e.g., conditions provided by at least some of them by the same commercial operator), then incentives can be provided to the user.

[0260] The sound generation device 1100 and other devices 1400 can collaborate with the peripheral device 1200 as a hub. Collaboration can utilize various types of data stored in the server device 2100 within the cloud region 2000. For example, information such as fitting data, listening time, and the user's hearing is shared between the sound generation device 1100 and other devices 1400, thereby collaboratively performing functions such as volume adjustment. When the hearing aid 2 (HA) or personal sound amplification product (PSAP) is worn, the settings of the hearing aid 2 or PSAP can be automatically executed on a TV, PC, etc. For example, when the user of the hearing aid 2 uses other devices such as a TV or PC, the settings of those other devices can be automatically changed to suit the user of the hearing aid, even though they are typically set for people with normal hearing. Whether a user is using the hearing aid 2 can be determined by automatically transmitting information indicating that the user is wearing the hearing aid 2 (e.g., wearing detection information) to a device such as a TV or PC, which is the pairing destination of the hearing aid 2, when the user is wearing the hearing aid 2, or by detecting it when the user of the hearing aid approaches another target device such as a TV or PC. The user's identity as a hearing aid user can be determined by imaging their face using a camera in another device such as a TV or PC, or by methods other than those described above. For example, by establishing cooperation between the hearing aid 800, which functions as a sound generation device 1100, and other devices 1400, the hearing aid 2 can be used as headphones. If the other device 1400 includes a microphone for collecting ambient sound, the headphones, which function as the sound generation device 1100, can function like the hearing aid 2. In this case, the hearing aid function can be used in a style similar to listening to music (appearance, etc.). Headphones / earpieces and hearing aids have many technically overlapping aspects, and it is assumed that the distinction between headphones / earpieces and hearing aids will disappear in the future, and a single device will have the functions of both headphones and hearing aids. When the user's hearing is normal, the user with normal hearing can use the device as headphones / earpieces to enjoy listening to content, and when the user's hearing declines due to aging, the device can be used as a hearing aid by activating its hearing aid function. Since the device, which functions as headphones, can also be used as a hearing aid, continuous and long-term use of the device by the user can be expected from an appearance and design perspective.

[0261] Users' listening history data can be shared. Prolonged listening may pose a risk of future hearing loss. Notifications can be provided to users to prevent listening time from becoming excessive. For example, a notification could be provided when the listening time exceeds a predetermined threshold (safe listening). Notifications can be provided by any device within the edge area 1000.

[0262] At least some of the devices used in edge region 1000 may be provided by different commercial operators. Information such as the device settings of each commercial operator can be transferred from server device 3200 in commercial operator region 3000 to server device 2100 in cloud region 2000 and stored in server device 2100. Using such information enables collaboration between devices provided by different commercial operators.

[0263] <<8. Examples of Application Transformation>>

[0264] The application of the sound generation device 1100 can be adapted to various circumstances, including user adaptation data, listening time, hearing ability, etc., as described above. (See reference...) Figure 28 Example description.

[0265] Figure 28 This is a diagram illustrating an example of application switching. When the user has normal hearing, for example, when the user is a child and has been an adult for some time, the sound generation device 1100 is used as headphones or earphones (earphones / TWS). In addition to the aforementioned safe listening, it performs equalizer adjustments, processes based on the user's behavioral characteristics, current location, and external environment (e.g., switching between the optimal noise cancellation mode in a restaurant scenario and the optimal noise cancellation mode in a vehicle scenario), and collects listening music logs, etc. Communication between devices using Auracast is also utilized.

[0266] As a user's hearing declines, the hearing aid function of the sound generation device 1100 is utilized. For example, when a user has mild to moderate hearing impairment, the sound generation device 1100 is used as an over-the-counter (OTC) hearing aid. When a user has high hearing impairment, the sound generation device 1100 is used as a hearing aid. OTC hearing aids are hearing aids sold in stores without expert intervention and are easily purchased without hearing tests or experts (such as audiologists). Specific operations, such as fitting the hearing aid, can be performed by the user themselves. While the sound generation device 1100 is used as an OCT hearing aid or a hearing aid, hearing measurements or hearing aid function activation are performed. For example, the speech marker transmission function in the above embodiments can also be used. Various types of information about hearing (hearing big data) are collected, fitting, sound environment fitting, remote support, etc., are performed, and transcription is performed.

[0267] <<9. Supplement>>

[0268] As described above, preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings; however, the technical scope of the present disclosure is not limited to these examples. Obviously, those skilled in the art can make various improvements and modifications without departing from the technical concept of the present disclosure, and these improvements and modifications should also be considered within the scope of protection of the present disclosure.

[0269] Furthermore, the effects described in this specification are merely illustrative or exemplary and are not limited to those described herein. That is, in addition to or instead of the effects described above, the technology according to this disclosure may exhibit other effects that are obvious to those skilled in the art from the description herein.

[0270] This technology may also have the following configurations.

[0271] (1) An information processing system, comprising:

[0272] The adapter data storage unit is configured to store adapter data for users of hearing aids.

[0273] The device information storage unit is configured to store multiple pieces of device information related to multiple auditory devices;

[0274] The parameter generation unit is configured to generate parameters for acoustic processing in the hearing device based on the user's auditory characteristics, using adaptation data and device information corresponding to the user's hearing device; and

[0275] The transmission unit is configured to transmit the generated parameters to the auditory device or an information processing terminal capable of controlling the auditory device.

[0276] (2) The information processing system according to (1), wherein the plurality of auditory devices include at least one of the following: a television device, an audio device, a loudspeaker, an information processing terminal, a headphone loudspeaker and an in-ear headphone loudspeaker.

[0277] (3) The information processing system according to (1) or (2), wherein the device information includes device identification information for identifying the hearing device, functional configuration information of the hearing device, performance information of the hearing device, and information on the control parameters of the hearing device.

[0278] (4) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (3), wherein the adaptation data includes at least one of the following: noise suppression parameters, compressor threshold ratio, frequency characteristic parameters, audio graph, adaptation adjustment formula and auditory characteristic model.

[0279] (5) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (4), wherein the adaptation data storage unit stores multiple adaptation data for multiple users of hearing aids.

[0280] (6) The information processing system according to (5) further includes: an information acquisition unit configured to acquire user identification information for identifying the user and device identification information for identifying the hearing device possessed by the user, wherein,

[0281] The parameter generation unit generates parameters based on adaptation data associated with the acquired user identification information and device information associated with the acquired device identification information.

[0282] (7) According to the information processing system of (6), wherein,

[0283] Parameter generation unit:

[0284] Multiple functional units of a hearing aid used by a user are compared with multiple functional units of a hearing device used by the user, and functional units with common functions are extracted based on device information associated with the acquired device identification information.

[0285] Based on the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid included in the fitting data, control parameters for acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device are generated.

[0286] (8) The information processing system according to (7), wherein the parameter generation unit generates at least one of the following parameters: a noise suppression parameter used by the noise suppression unit of the hearing device, a frequency characteristic parameter, and a threshold ratio used by the compressor of the hearing device.

[0287] (9) According to the information processing system of (7) or (8), if the granularity of the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid is different from the granularity of the control parameters of the acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device, the parameter generation unit generates control parameters of the acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device such that the granularity of the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid is the same as the granularity of the control parameters of the acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device.

[0288] (10) The information processing system according to (9), wherein if the granularity of the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid is smaller than the granularity of the control parameters for acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device, the parameter generation unit generates control parameters for acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device by copying the values ​​included in the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid.

[0289] (11) According to the information processing system of (9), if the granularity of the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid is smaller than the granularity of the control parameters for acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device, the parameter generation unit generates control parameters for acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device by interpolating the values ​​included in the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid.

[0290] (12) According to the information processing system of (9), if the granularity of the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid is greater than the granularity of the control parameters for acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device, the parameter generation unit generates the control parameters for acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device by calculating the average of multiple adjacent values ​​included in the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid.

[0291] (13) According to the information processing system of (7) or (8), if the granularity of the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid is the same as the granularity of the control parameters of the acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device, the parameter generation unit generates control parameters of the acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing aid based on the control parameters of the common functional unit of the hearing aid.

[0292] (14) According to the information processing system of (7) or (8), if the processing frequency band of the common functional unit of the hearing aid is different from the processing frequency band of the acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device, the parameter generation unit generates control parameters for the acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device based on the control parameters of the processing frequency band of the common functional unit of the hearing aid, relative to the processing frequency band of the acoustic processing in the common functional unit of the hearing device.

[0293] (15) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the parameter generation unit generates parameters based on feedback from the user about the processed sound acoustically processed by the previously generated parameters.

[0294] (16) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the parameter generation unit generates parameters based on the audio graph of the user included in the adaptation data.

[0295] (17) An information processing system according to any one of (1) to (8), wherein the parameter generation unit generates parameters based on a user’s auditory characteristics model obtained by machine learning included in the adaptation data.

[0296] (18) An auditory device that reproduces the sound of content and outputs the sound to a user, wherein the acoustic processing is controlled by parameters corresponding to the user’s auditory characteristics, the parameters being generated based on fitting data for the user’s use of a hearing aid and device information about the auditory device.

[0297] (19) The auditory device according to (18) includes:

[0298] The situation detection unit is configured to detect the user's situation based on at least one of the following: information from the user's operation or voice input, sensing data from an inertial measurement unit that detects the user's motion, sensing data from a vibration sensor, and user position information from a positioning sensor; and

[0299] The adjustment unit is configured to adjust parameters based on the detected conditions.

[0300] (20) An information processing device, comprising:

[0301] The adapter data storage unit is configured to store adapter data for users of hearing aids.

[0302] The device information storage unit is configured to store multiple pieces of device information related to multiple auditory devices;

[0303] The parameter generation unit is configured to generate parameters for acoustic processing in the hearing device based on the user's auditory characteristics, using adaptation data and device information corresponding to the user's hearing device; and

[0304] The transmission unit is configured to transmit the parameters to the hearing device or an information processing terminal capable of controlling the hearing device.

[0305] (21) An information processing system, comprising:

[0306] The circuit is configured as

[0307] Obtain fitting data corresponding to the hearing aid;

[0308] Obtain device information for the output device used to output at least audio;

[0309] At least one audio processing parameter for the output device is generated based on the adaptation data and device information; and

[0310] Information is provided to the output device that outputs audio based on at least one audio processing parameter.

[0311] (22) The information processing system according to (21), wherein the circuit is further configured to transmit at least one audio processing parameter as information to the output device.

[0312] (23) In the information processing system according to (21), the circuit is further configured as follows:

[0313] Audio is processed based on at least one audio processing parameter; and

[0314] After processing with at least one audio processing parameter, the audio is transmitted as information to an output device for output.

[0315] (24) The information processing system according to any one of (21) to (23) further includes: a storage circuit configured to store adaptation data for multiple users, wherein the circuit is further configured to retrieve adaptation data for users of hearing aids from the storage circuit.

[0316] (25) In the information processing system according to (24), the circuit is further configured as follows:

[0317] Receives input of user identification information corresponding to the user of the hearing aid, and

[0318] Based on user identification information, the fitting data for the hearing aid is obtained from the storage circuit.

[0319] (26) An information processing system according to any one of (21) to (25), wherein the circuit is further configured as follows:

[0320] Based on the adaptation data and device information, the functions of the hearing aid are compared with the corresponding functions of the output device, and

[0321] At least one audio processing parameter is generated for the output device based on the comparison.

[0322] (27) In the information processing system according to (26), the circuit is further configured as follows:

[0323] Based on the functional configuration information of the hearing aid included in the fitting data and the functional configuration information of the output device included in the device information, at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is compared with at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device, and

[0324] When the resolution of the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is different from the control parameters of at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device, at least one audio processing parameter of the output device is generated based on the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid, with the same resolution as the control parameters of at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device.

[0325] (28) The information processing system according to (27), wherein the circuit is further configured to copy the value included in the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid to generate at least one audio processing parameter for the output device when the resolution of the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is smaller than that of the control parameters of at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device.

[0326] (29) The information processing system according to (27), wherein the circuit is further configured to interpolate at least some values ​​of the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid to generate at least one audio processing parameter of the output device when the resolution of the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is smaller than that of the control parameters of at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device.

[0327] (30) The information processing system according to (27), wherein the circuit is further configured to generate an average of at least some values ​​included in the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid when the resolution of the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is greater than that of the control parameters of at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device, so as to generate at least one audio processing parameter of the output device with the same resolution as the control parameters of at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device.

[0328] (31) The information processing system according to (26), wherein the circuit is further configured to generate at least one audio processing parameter for the output device based on the performance of the hearing aid for a specific input range.

[0329] (32) An information processing system according to any one of (21) to (31), wherein the adaptation data includes at least the audiogram of the hearing aid user, and

[0330] The circuit is also configured to generate at least one audio processing parameter based on the audio graph and device information.

[0331] (33) An information processing system according to any one of (21) to (32), wherein the adaptation data includes at least one of the following: noise suppression information of the hearing aid, directional processing information of the hearing aid, compression information of the hearing aid, vibration suppression information of the hearing aid, frequency characteristic information of the hearing aid, adaptation adjustment information and user auditory characteristic information.

[0332] (34) An information processing system according to any one of (21) to (33), wherein the adaptation data includes a user's auditory characteristic model obtained through machine learning, and

[0333] The circuit is also configured to generate at least one audio processing parameter based on a user’s auditory characteristics model.

[0334] (35) An information processing system according to any one of (21) to (34), wherein the device information includes at least one of the following: device identification information of the output device, noise suppression information of the output device, directional processing information of the output device, noise suppression information of the output device, compression information of the output device, and control information of the output device.

[0335] (36) An information processing system according to any one of (21) to (35), wherein the circuit is further configured to output a plurality of audio processing parameters for a user to select at least a subset thereof.

[0336] (37) The information processing system according to any one of (21) to (36) further includes: a server, which will be connected to the hearing aid and the output device via a network.

[0337] The server includes circuitry.

[0338] (38) The information processing system according to (37) further includes: a storage circuit configured to store adaptation data for multiple users,

[0339] The storage circuitry and server are connected via a network, and

[0340] The circuit is also configured to retrieve fitting data for the hearing aid user from the storage circuit.

[0341] (39) The information processing system according to (22), wherein the circuit is further configured to encrypt at least one audio processing parameter before transmitting at least one audio processing parameter to the output device.

[0342] (40) An information processing system according to any one of (21) to (39), wherein the circuit is further configured to generate multiple audio processing parameters for multiple different modes, the multiple different modes including at least a mode for music reproduction and a mode for spoken speech.

[0343] (41) The information processing system according to (40), wherein, in the mode for spoken speech, the circuit is further configured to generate at least one audio processing parameter based on the user's position of the hearing aid.

[0344] (42) An information processing method, comprising:

[0345] The circuitry is used to obtain fitting data corresponding to the hearing aid.

[0346] Use circuitry to obtain device information for an output device that outputs at least audio.

[0347] The circuit generates at least one audio processing parameter for the output device based on adaptation data and device information; and

[0348] The circuit provides information to the output device that outputs audio based on at least one audio processing parameter.

[0349] (43) An audio reproduction device, comprising:

[0350] The circuit is configured as follows:

[0351] Receive at least one audio processing parameter via the network;

[0352] The audio is processed using at least one audio processing parameter to generate processed audio; and

[0353] Output the processed audio as sound.

[0354] Among them, at least one audio processing parameter is determined based on hearing aid fitting information and device information of the audio reproduction device.

[0355] (44) The audio reproduction device according to (43), wherein the circuit is further configured as follows:

[0356] Receive information about the presence of a user in the audio playback device from at least one sensor; and

[0357] Adjust at least one audio processing parameter based on the situation information.

[0358] [List of Reference Numbers]

[0359] 1,5 hearing aid system

[0360] 2 Hearing aids

[0361] 3 Chargers

[0362] 20, 20b, 20f, 200, 500 sound collection units

[0363] 21 Signal Processing Unit

[0364] Output units 22, 43, 270, 570

[0365] 25, 32 batteries

[0366] 26, 331 Connection Unit

[0367] 27, 30, 34, 42, 900 communication units

[0368] 28, 35, 45, 920 storage units

[0369] Control units 29, 36, and 46

[0370] 31, 44 display units

[0371] 40 Information Processing Terminals

[0372] 41 Input Unit

[0373] 47 Hearing Aid Fitting Units

[0374] 48, 51, 918 hearing aid processing units

[0375] 50, 50a, 50b, 50c, 50d sound reproduction equipment

[0376] 52,914 parameter generation units

[0377] 60,484 communication network

[0378] Servers 90, 90a, 90b, 90c, 90d, 90e, 90f

[0379] 201 microphones

[0380] 202 A / D Conversion Unit

[0381] 220, 520 directional processing units

[0382] 221 D / A Conversion Unit

[0383] 222 receiver

[0384] 230, 530 Flicker Cancellation / Suppression Units

[0385] 240, 540 noise suppression units

[0386] 250 compressor

[0387] Programs 281, 351, and 451

[0388] 282 data

[0389] 510, 560 Sensitivity / F Characteristic Correction Unit

[0390] 580 Scene Detection Units

[0391] 590 Parameter Control Unit

[0392] 910 processing unit

[0393] 912 Acquisition Unit

[0394] 916 Output Unit

[0395] 922 Adaptation Data

[0396] 924 Device Information

[0397] 1000 edge area

[0398] 1100 Sound Generating Device

[0399] 1200 peripheral devices

[0400] 1300 vehicles

[0401] 1400 Other devices

[0402] 2000 Cloud Area

[0403] 2100, 3200 server devices

[0404] 3000 operators area

[0405] 3100 Commercial Operators

[0406] 4000, 5000 network.

Claims

1. An information processing system, comprising: The circuit is configured as Obtain fitting data corresponding to the hearing aid; Obtain device information for the output device used to output at least audio; At least one audio processing parameter for the output device is generated based on the adaptation data and the device information; and Information is provided to the output device for outputting audio based on the at least one audio processing parameter.

2. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The circuit is also configured to transmit the at least one audio processing parameter as information to the output device.

3. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The circuit is also configured to: Audio is processed based on the at least one audio processing parameter; and After processing using the at least one audio processing parameter, the audio is transmitted as the information to the output device for output.

4. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: A storage circuit is configured to store adaptation data for multiple users, wherein the circuit is further configured to retrieve adaptation data for a user of the hearing aid from the storage circuit.

5. The information processing system according to claim 4, wherein, The circuit is also configured to: Receives input of user identification information corresponding to the user of the hearing aid, and The fitting data for the user of the hearing aid is obtained from the storage circuit based on the user identification information.

6. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The circuit is also configured to: Based on the adaptation data and the device information, the function of the hearing aid is compared with the corresponding function of the output device, and The at least one audio processing parameter for the output device is generated based on the comparison.

7. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein, The circuit is also configured to: Based on the functional configuration information of the hearing aid included in the adaptation data and the functional configuration information of the output device included in the device information, at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is compared with at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device, and When the resolution of the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is different from the control parameters of at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device, at least one audio processing parameter of the output device is generated based on the control parameters of at least one functional unit of the hearing aid, with the same resolution as the control parameters of at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device.

8. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein, The circuit is also configured to, when the resolution of the control parameters of the at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is smaller than that of the control parameters of the at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device, copy the values ​​included in the control parameters of the at least one functional unit of the hearing aid to generate the at least one audio processing parameter for the output device.

9. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein, The circuit is also configured to interpolate at least some values ​​of the control parameters of the at least one functional unit of the hearing aid, when the resolution of the control parameters of the at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is smaller than that of the control parameters of the at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device, to generate the at least one audio processing parameter for the output device.

10. The information processing system according to claim 7, wherein, The circuit is further configured to generate an average of at least some values ​​included in the control parameters of the at least one functional unit of the hearing aid when the resolution of the control parameters of the at least one functional unit of the hearing aid is greater than the control parameters of the at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device, so as to generate at least one audio processing parameter of the output device with the same resolution as the control parameters of the at least one corresponding functional unit of the output device.

11. The information processing system according to claim 6, wherein, The circuit is also configured to generate the at least one audio processing parameter for the output device based on the performance of the hearing aid for a specific input range.

12. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The adaptation data includes at least the audio graph of the user of the hearing aid, and The circuit is also configured to generate the at least one audio processing parameter based on the audio graph and the device information.

13. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The adaptation data includes at least one of the following: noise suppression information of the hearing aid, directional processing information of the hearing aid, compression information of the hearing aid, vibration suppression information of the hearing aid, frequency characteristic information of the hearing aid, adaptation adjustment information, and user auditory characteristic information.

14. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The adaptation data includes a user's auditory characteristic model obtained through machine learning, and The circuit is also configured to generate the at least one audio processing parameter based on the user's auditory characteristic model.

15. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The device information includes at least one of the following: device identification information of the output device, noise suppression information of the output device, directional processing information of the output device, jitter suppression information of the output device, compression information of the output device, and control information of the output device.

16. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The circuit is also configured to output a plurality of audio processing parameters for a user to select at least a subset of the plurality of audio processing parameters.

17. The information processing system according to claim 1, further comprising: The server will connect to the hearing aid and the output device via a network. The server includes the circuit.

18. The information processing system according to claim 17, further comprising: The storage circuitry is configured to store adaptation data for multiple users. The storage circuit and the server are connected via the network, and The circuit is also configured to retrieve the fitting data for the user of the hearing aid from the storage circuit.

19. The information processing system according to claim 2, wherein, The circuit is also configured to encrypt the at least one audio processing parameter before transmitting it to the output device.

20. The information processing system according to claim 1, wherein, The circuit is also configured to generate multiple audio processing parameters for multiple different modes, the multiple different modes including at least a mode for music reproduction and a mode for spoken speech.

21. The information processing system according to claim 20, wherein, In the mode for spoken speech, the circuitry is also configured to generate the at least one audio processing parameter based on the user's position with the hearing aid.

22. An information processing method, comprising: The circuitry is used to obtain fitting data corresponding to the hearing aid. The circuit is used to obtain device information for an output device that outputs at least audio. The circuit generates at least one audio processing parameter for the output device based on the adaptation data and the device information. and The circuit provides information to the output device for outputting audio based on the at least one audio processing parameter.

23. An audio reproduction device, comprising: The circuit is configured as follows: Receive at least one audio processing parameter via the network; The audio is processed using the at least one audio processing parameter to generate processed audio; and The processed audio is output as sound. The at least one audio processing parameter is determined based on hearing aid fitting information and device information of the audio reproduction device.

24. The audio reproduction apparatus according to claim 23, wherein, The circuit is also configured to: Receive information about the presence of a user in the audio playback device from at least one sensor; and Adjust the at least one audio processing parameter based on the aforementioned situation information.

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