Hearing aid with single-channel filter beamformer

Abstract

A hearing aid with a single-channel filter beamformer is disclosed, which includes: an input unit configured to provide a primary electrical signal; a band-channel conversion unit including a plurality of band combining units, each band combining unit configured to combine signal content of more than two bands of K bands of the primary electrical signal to generate a first secondary electrical signal including a number of channels; a wireless receiver configured to receive a second secondary electrical signal including channels corresponding to the first secondary electrical signal; a first beamformer configured to determine a first beamformed signal based on the first and second secondary electrical signals; a gain unit configured to determine a first complex gain for each of the number of channels based on the first beamformed signal and the first secondary electrical signal; a distribution unit configured to determine a second complex gain for each of the K bands based on the first complex gain; and a processor configured to determine a frequency domain noise reduction electrical signal based on the second complex gain and the primary electrical signal.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This application pertains to the field of hearing aids. Background Technology

[0002] Hearing aids face numerous challenges in improving speech intelligibility, target speaker voice quality, and noise reduction. Beamforming technology can be considered a technique that combines two or more microphones to alter the directivity of a so-called reference microphone. Overall, beamforming can be used to improve the audio quality of a target sound signal. Various beamforming implementations have been proposed in the prior art, but single-microphone solutions cannot benefit from beamforming. Therefore, single-microphone solutions cannot utilize beamforming, and the noise reduction performance of single-microphone hearing aids is inferior to that of multi-microphone hearing aids. Summary of the Invention

[0003] The present invention aims to address the aforementioned challenges that may exist in hearing aid systems containing at least two single-microphone hearing aids by providing a single-channel filtered beamforming method that can utilize the two microphones of the hearing aid system without transmitting the complete microphone signal between the hearing aids (transmission of the complete signal is either impractical or consumes too much power).

[0004] This invention provides a hearing aid. In this specification, "user" refers to an individual or entity using the hearing aid of this invention. The hearing aid includes an input unit for providing a primary electrical signal characterizing the sound in the environment in which the user wearing the hearing aid is located. The primary electrical signal may include a target signal and a noise signal. The term "environment" refers to the sum of surrounding things, conditions, or influencing factors. In this specification, "environment" specifically refers to the acoustic environment. The hearing aid includes a band-to-channel conversion unit for providing a first-level electrical signal based on the primary electrical signal. The hearing aid includes a wireless receiver, enabling the establishment of a wireless link and the reception of a second-level electrical signal from another device. The other device may include a second hearing aid or assistive device. The assistive device may include at least one of a remote control, a remote microphone, an audio gateway device, an entertainment device (e.g., a music player), a wireless communication device (e.g., a mobile phone (such as a smartphone) or a tablet computer), or any other device (e.g., a device containing a graphical interface). The hearing aid includes a first signal generator for providing an output signal of the first signal generator based on the first-level electrical signal and the second-level electrical signal received from the other device. The hearing aid includes a second signal generator for receiving a first input signal and a second input signal from the second signal generator, and providing an output signal from the second signal generator based on the first and second input signals. The hearing aid includes a distribution unit for distributing the input signal of the distribution unit to the output signal of the distribution unit. The hearing aid includes a processor for applying the output signal of the distribution unit or the output signal of the second signal generator to a primary electrical signal and providing a frequency-domain noise-reduced electrical signal. "Applies to" can refer to a multiplication operation. "Applies to" can also refer to a subtraction operation. The hearing aid includes an output unit for providing a stimulus signal that can be perceived by the user as sound and characterizes the noise-reduced electrical signal.

[0005] In one aspect of the invention, a hearing aid comprising a single-channel filtered beamformer is provided. The hearing aid is adaptable for wearing on or inside the user's ear.

[0006] The input unit can be configured to acquire electrical signals characterizing the sound in the environment of a user wearing a hearing aid. The input unit may include an input transducer (e.g., microphone M1) for converting acoustic energy into a time-domain electrical signal. The input unit may include an analysis filter bank (FBA) for converting the time-domain electrical signal into a primary frequency-domain electrical signal. The analysis filter bank can decompose the primary electrical signal into multiple sub-band signals, where each sub-band signal can be used as a sinusoidal representation of the primary electrical signal. The analysis filter bank can perform a Fourier transform on the time-domain electrical signal. The primary electrical signal can be represented as a sub-band representation containing K frequency bands.

[0007] The band-to-channel conversion unit may include a band-to-channel allocation unit. The band-to-channel conversion unit can process the primary electrical signal to allocate K frequency bands to... Channels, of which Less than K, thus providing the first-stage electrical signal. For example, one way to implement a band-channel allocation unit is to experimentally determine a [specific value] in the laboratory. The real matrix is ​​then used to combine the K-dimensional vector of the primary electrical signal with... The first-stage electrical signal is obtained by multiplying the real matrices. The following will illustrate the operation of the band-to-channel conversion unit.

[0008] The frequency band-channel allocation unit may include multiple frequency band merging units. Each frequency band merging unit is configured to perform (possibly weighted) merging processing on the signal content of two or more frequency bands from K frequency bands and output the result. The corresponding channel signal in each channel. In this embodiment, at least one frequency band is not merged with other frequency bands, but is directly used as a single channel (i.e., One of the channels consists of one of the K frequency bands. One or more frequency bands located in the lowest frequency band (covering the lowest frequency portion of the hearing aid's operating frequency range) are directly configured as the corresponding channel (without merging with other frequency bands). In an embodiment, one or more frequency bands located in the highest frequency band (covering the highest frequency portion of the hearing aid's operating frequency range) are not configured as channels (i.e., not included in the processing range of the first beamformer) (i.e., ignored by the first beamformer). In an embodiment, only frequency bands corresponding to frequency ranges (or multiple independent frequency ranges) containing speech components considered important for the user's speech intelligibility are configured as corresponding channels. In an embodiment, only frequency bands corresponding to the 0 to 4 kHz (e.g., 0 to 3 kHz, 1 kHz to 3 kHz) frequency range are configured as corresponding channels. In some embodiments, the first-stage electrical signal may contain the corresponding channel.

[0009] The multiple frequency band combining unit includes a frequency band summation unit, configured to perform (possibly weighted) summation on the signal content of two or more frequency bands in multiple frequency bands, and output the corresponding channel from multiple channels. In an embodiment, the weight is set to 1, thereby realizing the algebraic summation operation of the signals in each frequency band. In an embodiment, at least two weights are not equal to 1. The operation process of the frequency band summation unit can be described above. It is described by a real matrix.

[0010] The frequency band-channel allocation unit may include multiple downsampling units, each configured to use a downsampling factor pair. The signal of a designated channel within a given channel is downsampled, and the corresponding downsampled channel signal is output. In an embodiment, the sampling frequency of the downsampled channel signal is below 1 kHz, for example, below 600 Hz, for example, between 100 Hz and 200 Hz. The downsampled channel signal can be used, for example, for exchanging signals with another device; that is, the hearing aid can be configured to send the downsampled channel signal to another device and receive the corresponding downsampled channel signal from another device. The first beamformer can use this downsampled signal, rather than... The original (unsampling) signal corresponding to each frequency band. In this way, the bandwidth occupancy and / or power consumption of the wireless link used for channel signal switching can be reduced (minimized), the channel signal being, for example, a signal representing one or more electrical input signals and / or a combination thereof (e.g., a signal obtained after beamforming processing).

[0011] The wireless receiver may include an antenna and transceiver circuitry to establish a wireless link and receive at least a second-level electrical signal from another device, the second-level electrical signal representing the sound in the environment in which the user wearing the hearing aid is located.

[0012] Hearing aids may include wireless transceivers. Wireless receivers and / or transceivers may be configured, for example, to receive and / or transmit electromagnetic signals in the radio frequency range (3 kHz to 300 GHz). Wireless receivers and / or transceivers may be configured, for example, to receive and / or transmit electromagnetic signals in the optical frequency range (e.g., infrared light 300 GHz to 430 THz or visible light such as 430 THz to 770 THz).

[0013] The wireless receiver may include an antenna and transceiver circuitry, enabling the establishment of a wireless link and the reception of at least a second-stage electrical signal from another device. This second-stage electrical signal characterizes the sound environment in which the user wearing the hearing aid is located. The first beamformer may be based on… The primary electrical signal in each channel and the signal received from another device. The second-stage electrical signal in each channel generates a beamforming signal.

[0014] In one embodiment, the first signal generator is a first beamformer, used to generate a beamformed electrical signal based on a first-stage electrical signal and a second-stage electrical signal received from another device. In the same embodiment, the second signal generator may be a gain unit, used to receive the beamformed electrical signal and generate a first complex gain based on the beamformed electrical signal and at least the first-stage electrical signal. In the same embodiment, the hearing aid includes a distribution unit for distributing the first complex gain into a second complex gain. In the same embodiment, the processor may apply the second complex gain to the primary electrical signal to generate a noise-reduced electrical signal.

[0015] First-order beamformers may include minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformers. Ideally, an MVDR beamformer preserves the signal from the target direction (also known as the line of sight) while attenuating sound signals from other directions to the greatest extent possible. Many beamformer variations can be found in the literature. Linearly constrained minimum variance (LCMV) beamformers are widely used in microphone array signal processing. The generalized sidelobe canceller (GSC) structure is an equivalent representation of the MVDR beamformer, offering computational and digital representation advantages over a direct implementation of the original form.

[0016] The gain unit can receive beamforming signals and, based on the beamforming signals and the first-stage electrical signals, perform... Each of the channels provides the first complex gain.

[0017] Distribution units can The first complex gain corresponding to each of the K channels is distributed as the second complex gain corresponding to each of the K frequency bands. The distribution unit may contain a linear transformation. The working principle of the distribution unit can be described by a matrix, such as the matrix described above for the band-to-channel conversion unit. The transpose of a real matrix.

[0018] The processor can apply the second complex gain corresponding to each of the K frequency bands to the primary electrical signal in the K frequency bands, and output the noise-reduced electrical signal in the K frequency bands.

[0019] In existing technologies, beamforming technology is used to improve the intelligibility and quality of a target speaker's speech. Generally, beamforming technology can be used to improve the audio quality of a target sound, such as music or live entertainment sound effects. Beamforming technology achieves this effect by altering the directivity of a reference microphone. For example, a beamformer can combine multiple omnidirectional microphones to form a directional microphone. This approach improves the intelligibility and quality of the target speaker's speech because the directional microphone can be configured to enhance the recognizability of the target speaker's voice by attenuating sound from directions other than the target speaker. Therefore, the hearing aid provided by this invention can improve speech intelligibility. Thus, an improved hearing aid can be provided.

[0020] Hearing aids may be adapted to provide frequency-varying gain and / or level-varying compression and / or frequency shifting (with or without frequency compression) from one or more frequency ranges to one or more other frequency ranges to compensate for a user's hearing loss. Hearing aids may include a signal processor for amplifying the input signal and providing a processed output signal.

[0021] The gain unit can be understood as part of the hearing aid hardware; it is designed, under the control of the processor, to minimize the sum of the beamforming signal and the post-filter gain. The mean square error between the product of the electrical signal values ​​of each channel in each channel is used to estimate The first complex gain corresponding to each channel in the channel. For example, the above estimation can be accomplished by solving for the complex number that minimizes the expected value of the square of the absolute value of the difference between the beamforming signal and the product of the complex number and the first-order electrical signal. The estimation method can be, for example, the least mean square (LMS) algorithm or the normalized least mean square (NLMS) algorithm.

[0022] The band-to-channel conversion unit can be understood as part of the hearing aid hardware. It is designed, under the control of a processor, to include multiple band-combining units. Each band-combining unit is configured to combine the signal content of two or more frequency bands from K frequency bands and output the result. The corresponding channel signals in each of the K frequency bands. The merging process for signals from two or more frequency bands within K frequency bands can be weighted merging. For example, if... For each odd number k less than K, the merging process can be defined as averaging the signal content of the k-th frequency band and the (k+1)-th frequency band.

[0023] A frequency band to channel conversion unit may contain multiple downsampling units, each configured to use a downsampling factor for... The signal of a given channel in a given channel is downsampled, and the corresponding downsampled channel signal is output. This process can be understood as compressing the primary electrical signal into a first-stage electrical signal.

[0024] Hearing aids may include a synthesis filter bank. A synthesis filter bank can be understood as part of the hearing aid hardware, designed to convert frequency-domain noise-reduced electrical signals into time-domain signals under the control of a processor.

[0025] Hearing aids may include an output unit for providing a stimulus signal, based on a processed electrical signal, that can be perceived by the user as an acoustic signal. The output unit may include a receiver (speaker) for providing the stimulus signal to the user in the form of an acoustic signal (e.g., in an acoustic (air conduction-based) hearing aid). The output unit may also (additionally or alternatively) include (e.g., a wireless) transmitter for transmitting the sound picked up by the hearing aid to another device, such as a remote communication object (e.g., via a network in telephone operation mode).

[0026] The output unit can be understood as part of the hearing aid hardware. It is designed to provide a stimulus signal that can be perceived by the user as sound, and it represents the noise-reduced electrical signal in K frequency bands.

[0027] In an embodiment, the first hearing aid may include a wireless transceiver. The wireless transceiver can be used to establish a wireless link with a second hearing aid that includes another transceiver. The wireless link can be used to transmit a first-level electrical signal from the first hearing aid to the second hearing aid. The wireless link can be used to transmit a second-level electrical signal from the second hearing aid to the first hearing aid. A system including the first hearing aid, the second hearing aid, and the wireless link can be understood as a binaural hearing system. The wireless link can be used to transmit the first-level electrical signal from the first hearing aid to the assistive device. The wireless link can be used to transmit the second-level electrical signal from the assistive device to the first hearing aid.

[0028] In this embodiment, the first signal generator is a target cancellation unit, used to attenuate the signal generated by the target speaker in the output signal of the first signal generator. The target cancellation unit outputs... The beamforming electrical signal in each channel after initial target signal cancellation. In the same embodiment, the second signal generator is a noise cancellation unit used to estimate the noise signal contained in the first-stage electrical signal. Beamforming electrical signals in each channel after preliminary target signal cancellation and The primary electrical signal in each channel is used as the input signal. The noise cancellation unit can output... Preliminary noise signal estimation in each channel. The preliminary noise signal estimation can be generated based on the beamforming electrical signal after preliminary target signal cancellation and the first-stage electrical signal. In the same embodiment, the distribution unit can... The processor takes the initial estimated noise signal in each of the K channels as input signals and outputs the secondary estimated noise signal in K frequency bands. In the same embodiment, the processor subtracts the secondary estimated noise signal in K frequency bands from the primary electrical signal in K frequency bands. In the same embodiment, the processor outputs the noise-reduced electrical signal in K frequency bands, presenting it to the hearing aid user in the form of an acoustic signal. The output unit can use the noise-reduced electrical signal to provide the user with a stimulus signal that can be perceived as sound, which characterizes the noise-reduced electrical signal. In an embodiment, the estimation method used by the noise cancellation unit includes a linear minimum mean square error estimator (LMMSEE). This method reduces the expected value of the square of the absolute value of the difference between the primary electrical signal and the output signal of the noise cancellation unit. In an embodiment, the hearing aid may include a voice activity detector for detecting whether or with what probability the primary electrical signal or the primary electrical signal contains signals generated by people in the hearing aid user's environment. In an embodiment, the hearing aid may include a voice activity detector, and the estimation method used by the noise cancellation unit may include a linear minimum mean square error estimator (LMMSEE), a minimum mean square algorithm (LMS), or a combination thereof. The least mean square algorithm can calculate the secondary noise cancellation scalar inductively based on the historical values, step size, and error estimate of the secondary noise cancellation scalar, as well as the primary electrical signal. The least mean square algorithm can calculate the primary noise cancellation scalar inductively based on the historical frame values, step size, and error estimate of the primary noise cancellation scalar, as well as the primary electrical signal. The output signal of the noise cancellation unit can be the product of the conjugate value of the primary noise cancellation scalar and the beamforming electrical signal after preliminary target signal cancellation. The output signal of the noise cancellation unit can also be the product of the conjugate value of the secondary noise cancellation scalar and the beamforming electrical signal after secondary target signal cancellation.

[0029] In this embodiment, the first signal generator is a target cancellation unit, used to attenuate the signal generated by the target speaker in the output signal of the first signal generator. The target cancellation unit outputs... Beamforming electrical signals in each channel after initial target signal cancellation. In the same embodiment, the distribution unit can... The processor takes the beamforming electrical signals of the first primary signal cancellation in each channel as input signals and outputs beamforming electrical signals of the second primary signal cancellation in K frequency bands. In the same embodiment, the second signal generator is a noise cancellation unit used to estimate the noise signal contained in the first primary electrical signal. The noise cancellation unit can take the beamforming electrical signals of the second primary signal cancellation in K frequency bands and the first primary electrical signal in K frequency bands as input signals. The noise cancellation unit can output the second estimated noise signal in K frequency bands. The second estimated noise signal can be generated based on the beamforming electrical signals of the second primary signal cancellation and the first primary electrical signal. In the same embodiment, the processor subtracts the second estimated noise signal in K frequency bands from the primary electrical signal in K frequency bands. In the same embodiment, the processor outputs the noise-reduced electrical signal in K frequency bands and presents it to the hearing aid user in the form of an acoustic signal. The output unit can use the noise-reduced electrical signal to provide the user with a stimulus signal that can be perceived as sound, which represents the noise-reduced electrical signal. In the embodiment, the estimation method used by the noise cancellation unit includes a linear minimum mean square error estimator (LMMSEE). This method reduces the expected value of the square of the absolute value of the difference between the primary electrical signal and the output signal of the noise cancellation unit. In an embodiment, the hearing aid may include a voice activity detector to detect whether or with what probability the primary electrical signal or the primary electrical signal contains signals generated by people in the user's environment. In an embodiment, the hearing aid may include a voice activity detector, and the estimation method used by the noise cancellation unit may include a linear least mean square error estimator (LMMSEE), a least mean square algorithm (LMS), or a combination thereof. The least mean square algorithm may calculate the secondary noise cancellation scalar inductively based on historical values, step sizes, error estimates, and the primary electrical signal of the secondary noise cancellation scalar. The least mean square algorithm may calculate the primary noise cancellation scalar inductively based on historical values, step sizes, error estimates, and the primary electrical signal of the primary noise cancellation scalar. The output signal of the noise cancellation unit may be the product of the conjugate value of the primary noise cancellation scalar and the beamforming electrical signal after initial target signal cancellation. The output signal of the noise cancellation unit can be the product of the conjugate value of the secondary noise cancellation scalar and the beamforming electrical signal after secondary target signal cancellation.

[0030] In one embodiment, the binaural hearing system includes a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, configured such that the beamforming weights of the beamformer in the first hearing aid are the same as those of the beamformer in the second hearing aid. In another embodiment, the binaural hearing system includes a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid, configured such that the beamforming weights of the beamformer in the first hearing aid are different from those of the beamformer in the second hearing aid.

[0031] In one embodiment, the binaural hearing system includes at least one hearing aid having at least two input units. These input units of the same hearing aid may include input transducers (e.g., microphones) for converting acoustic energy into time-domain electrical signals. These input units may include wireless receivers for receiving wireless signals containing or representing sound and outputting electrical input signals representing sound. These input units may include analytical filter banks (FBAs) for converting the time-domain electrical signals into frequency-domain primary electrical signals that represent the sound in the environment of the user wearing the hearing aid. The primary electrical signal may be a sub-band representation comprising K frequency bands.

[0032] Generally, the wireless link established by the antenna and transceiver circuitry of a hearing aid can be of any type. The wireless link can be a near-field communication-based link, such as an inductive link based on inductive coupling between the antenna coils of the transmitter and receiver sections. The wireless link can also be based on far-field electromagnetic radiation. Preferably, the frequency used to establish the communication link between the hearing aid and another device is below 70 GHz, for example, in the range from 50 MHz to 70 GHz, or above 300 MHz, for example, in the ISM range above 300 MHz, or in the 900 MHz range, or in the 2.4 GHz range, or in the 5.8 GHz range, or in the 60 GHz range (ISM = Industrial, Scientific and Medical, such standardized ranges are defined, for example, by the International Telecommunication Union ITU). The wireless link can be based on standardized or proprietary technologies. The wireless link can be based on Bluetooth technology (e.g., Bluetooth Low Energy technology, such as LE Audio) or Ultra Wideband (UWB) technology.

[0033] Hearing aids may constitute or be part of a portable (i.e., wearable) device, such as a device that includes a local power source, such as a battery, or a rechargeable battery. Hearing aids may be, for example, low-weight, easy-to-wear devices, such as having a total weight of less than 100 g, less than 20 g, or less than 5 g.

[0034] Analog electrical signals representing sound signals can be converted into digital audio signals during analog-to-digital conversion, where the analog signal is sampled at a predetermined sampling frequency or sampling rate f. s Perform sampling, f s For example, in the range from 8kHz to 48kHz (to suit specific application needs) at discrete time points t n (or n) Provide digital samples ( Each audio sample is passed through a predetermined N b Bit represents the acoustic signal at t n The value of N at time b For example, in a range from 1 to 48 bits, such as 24 bits. Each audio sample therefore uses N. bBit quantization (which results in audio samples) (Number of different possible values). The numerical sample x has 1 / f s The duration of the time, such as 50 μs, for f s = 20 kHz. Multiple audio samples can be arranged in time frames. A time frame can include 64 or 128 audio data samples. Other frame lengths can be used depending on the application.

[0035] Hearing aids may include analog-to-digital converters to digitize analog inputs (e.g., from an input transducer such as a microphone) at a predetermined sampling rate such as 20 kHz. Hearing aids may also include digital-to-analog converters to convert digital signals into analog output signals, for example, for presentation to the user via an output transducer.

[0036] Hearing aids, such as input units and / or antenna and transceiver circuitry, may include transformation units for converting time-domain signals into signals in a transform domain (e.g., frequency domain or Laplace domain, Z-transform, wavelet transform, etc.). The transformation unit may constitute or include a time-frequency (TF) conversion unit for providing a time-frequency representation of the input signal. The time-frequency representation may include an array or mapping of corresponding complex or real values ​​of the signal involved over a specific time and frequency range. The TF conversion unit may include a filter bank for filtering the (time-varying) input signal and providing multiple (time-varying) output signals, each output signal comprising a distinctly different frequency range of the input signal. The TF conversion unit may include a Fourier transform unit (e.g., a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT) algorithm, a Short-Time Fourier Transform (STFT) algorithm, or a similar algorithm) for converting the time-varying input signal into a (time-)frequency signal. The hearing aid considers a frequency range from the minimum frequency f. min up to the maximum frequency f max The frequency range can include a portion of the typical human hearing range from 20Hz to 20kHz, such as a portion of the range from 20Hz to 12kHz. Typically, the sampling rate f... s Greater than or equal to the maximum frequency f max twice that, i.e., f s ≥ 2f max The signal from a hearing aid can be divided into NI frequency bands (e.g., of uniform width), where NI is, for example, greater than 5, greater than 10, greater than 50, greater than 100, or greater than 500, and at least some of these bands are processed individually. The hearing aid can be adapted to process the signal in NP different channels (NP ≤ NI). Channels can have uniform or inconsistent widths (e.g., width increases with frequency), and can overlap or not overlap.

[0037] In this specification, a hearing aid, such as a hearing instrument, refers to a device suitable for improving, enhancing, and / or protecting a user's hearing ability, which achieves this by receiving sound signals from the user's environment, generating corresponding audio signals, possibly modifying the audio signals, and providing the possibly modified audio signals as audible signals to at least one ear of the user. The audible signals may be provided, for example, as sound signals radiated into the user's outer ear, and / or as sound signals transmitted as mechanical vibrations through the bone structures of the user's head and / or through portions of the middle ear to the user's inner ear.

[0038] Hearing aids can be configured to be worn in any known manner, such as as a unit worn behind the ear (having a tube that directs radiated sound signals into the ear canal or having an output transducer, such as a speaker, arranged close to or located within the ear canal), as a unit wholly or partially arranged in the auricle and / or ear canal, or as a unit connected to a fixed structure implanted in the skull, such as a vibrator. Hearing aids may include a single unit or several units that communicate with each other (e.g., acoustically, electrically, or optically). The speaker may be housed within the housing along with other components of the hearing aid, or it may be an external unit (possibly combined with a flexible guiding element, such as a dome-shaped element).

[0039] Hearing aids can be adapted to the specific needs of users, such as those with hearing loss. The configurable signal processing circuitry of a hearing aid can be adapted to apply frequency- and level-variable compression and amplification of the input signal. Customized frequency- and level-variable gain (amplification or compression) can be determined during the fitting process by the fitting system based on the user's hearing data, such as an audiogram, using basic fitting principles (e.g., speech adaptation). This frequency- and level-variable gain can be reflected, for example, in processing parameters, uploaded to the hearing aid via an interface to a programming device (fitting system), and used by a processing algorithm executed by the hearing aid's configurable signal processing circuitry. Attached Figure Description

[0040] Various aspects of the invention will be best understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. For clarity, these drawings are schematic and simplified, showing only the details necessary for understanding the invention while omitting other details. Throughout the specification, the same reference numerals are used for the same or corresponding parts. Features of each aspect may be combined with any or all features of other aspects. These and other aspects, features, and / or technical effects will be apparent from and illustrated in the following figures, wherein:

[0041] Figure 1 A block diagram schematically illustrating the basic components of the present invention is shown.

[0042] Figure 2 A first embodiment of the hearing aid of the present invention is illustrated schematically;

[0043] Figure 3A A second embodiment of the hearing aid of the present invention is illustrated schematically, which employs the Linear Minimum Mean Square Error Estimator (LMMSEE) algorithm;

[0044] Figure 3B A second embodiment of the hearing aid of the present invention is illustrated schematically, which employs the least mean square (LMS) algorithm;

[0045] Figure 4A A third embodiment of the hearing aid of the present invention is illustrated schematically, which employs the Linear Minimum Mean Square Error Estimator (LMMSEE) algorithm;

[0046] Figure 4B A third embodiment of the hearing aid of the present invention is illustrated schematically, which employs the least mean square (LMS) algorithm;

[0047] Figure 5 An embodiment of the binaural hearing system of the present invention is illustrated schematically;

[0048] Figure 6 An embodiment of a binaural hearing system according to the present invention, comprising a first hearing aid and a second hearing aid in communication with assistive devices, is shown.

[0049] The scope of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description given below. However, it should be understood that while the detailed description and specific examples illustrate preferred embodiments of the invention, they are given for illustrative purposes only. Other embodiments of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art based on the following detailed description. Detailed Implementation

[0050] The detailed description below, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, serves as a description of various different configurations. This detailed description includes specific details to provide a thorough understanding of several different concepts. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that these concepts can be implemented without these specific details. Several aspects of the apparatus and method are described by various different blocks, functional units, modules, elements, circuits, steps, processes, algorithms, etc. (collectively, “elements”). Depending on the specific application, design constraints, or other reasons, these elements may be implemented using electronic hardware, computer programs, or any combination thereof.

[0051] Electronic hardware may include microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), (e.g., application-specific integrated circuits), microprocessors, microcontrollers, digital signal processors (DSPs), field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), programmable logic devices (PLDs), gating logic, discrete hardware circuits, printed circuit boards (PCBs) (e.g., flexible PCBs), and other suitable hardware configured to perform the various functions described in this specification, such as sensors for sensing and / or recording the physical properties of the environment, devices, users, etc. Computer programs should be interpreted broadly as instructions, instruction sets, code, code segments, program code, programs, subroutines, software modules, applications, software applications, software packages, routines, subroutines, objects, executables, threads of execution, programs, functions, etc., whether referred to as software, firmware, middleware, microcode, hardware description languages, or other names.

[0052] To provide a detailed description of each embodiment, several mathematical symbols and formulas are introduced. Therefore, the relevant definitions and explanations of basic symbols are listed below.

[0053] Given natural numbers ,definition For set When the symbol When it contains a comma-separated sequence of elements, it represents a row vector. Let the superscript... The superscript indicates that the symbol is present. The Hermitian conjugate (also known as the Hermitian transpose) of a matrix or vector; let the superscript... The superscript indicates that the symbol is present. The transpose of a matrix or vector; let the superscript... The representative is marked with The complex conjugate of a complex number. Let the sign be... Represents the multiplication operation between two elements; in the attached diagram, the symbol inside the circle... This represents the multiplication operation. For any natural number... ,set up Represents those with complex coefficients The space formed by 3D matrices. The following is a list of the variables used:

[0054] Discrete-time index. Symbol The value of is a natural number, and there are no boundary restrictions. For example, It can correspond to time 0s. It can correspond to a time of 1 / 20000 s. It can correspond to a time of 2 / 20000 s.

[0055] Frequency range / band index. Symbol Related to frequency, the range of values ​​is .

[0056] Frequency range / band index. Symbol Related to frequency, the range of values ​​is .

[0057] Frame index. Symbol It is time-related, takes the value of all natural numbers, and has no boundary restrictions.

[0058] Total number of microphones. The value is a natural number.

[0059] Microphone index. Index The range of values ​​is For binaural hearing aids (each hearing aid is equipped with a microphone), .

[0060] Total number of hearing aids. The value is a natural number. For example, in the case of binaural hearing aids, .

[0061] Hearing Aid Index. The range of values ​​is For cases involving binaural hearing aids, .

[0062] The time-domain representation of the m-th microphone signal. For each natural number... , The value is a real number.

[0063] Primary electrical signal. yes The time-frequency domain representation of the primary electrical signal. By analyzing the filter bank (FBA) This is obtained through processing. For any... and any natural number , The value is a complex number.

[0064] Microphone index pairs The vector obtained by stacking. The value space of is For example, in the case of a binaural hearing system (each hearing aid has a microphone),

[0065]

[0066] : The target signal in the time-frequency domain, such as the target speaker's signal. For any and any natural number n, The value is a complex number, and the signal is hidden in And it needs to be extracted from it. In hearing aids or binaural hearing systems equipped with more than one microphone, this signal is defined as the target signal that the first microphone will receive in the absence of noise.

[0067] Secondary target signals in the time-frequency domain, such as the target speaker's signal. For any and any natural number n, The value is a complex number, and the signal is hidden in And it needs to be extracted from it, among which It is defined below Stacked vectors.

[0068] : Primary Relative Transfer Function (RTF) vector. Each element of this vector contains the relative transfer function from the reference microphone to the microphone involved. For example, the second element of the vector could be the transfer function from the first microphone to the second microphone. For example, in the case of binaural hearing aids (one microphone in each ear), this vector is defined as...

[0069]

[0070] in, It is a complex value that satisfies the following conditions in the absence of noise. .

[0071] Secondary relative transfer function (RTF) vector. For example, in the case of binaural hearing aids (each hearing aid has a microphone), this vector is defined as...

[0072]

[0073] in, It is a complex value that satisfies the following conditions in the absence of noise. . Defined below Stacked vectors.

[0074] : A stacked vector of noise components, such as ambient noise. This vector To hide the signal, it needs to be attenuated.

[0075] Minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer weight vector at frequency range k and frame index n. It can also be called a minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer. For any and any natural number n, The value is a complex number.

[0076] Used to convert time-frequency signals (e.g.) Transform (or inverse transform) to a "band summation" domain signal (e.g.) The distribution matrix of (). for Element.

[0077] Frequency-range index pairs The second stacked vector obtained by stacking. For any natural number n, The value space of is For any natural number n, Defined as

[0078]

[0079] : The transformed second stacked vector based on the frequency interval index. For any natural number n and any... , The value space of is .

[0080] Secondary electrical signal. Corresponding to The signal obtained after destacking takes on complex values. For any natural number n and any... , any corresponding The value is defined as

[0081]

[0082] Microphone index pairs The vector obtained by stacking. For any natural number n and any... , for Element.

[0083] The primary minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer weight vector at frequency interval k and frame index n. Stacking is based on microphone indices. For any natural number n and any... Primary MVDR weight vector for Element.

[0084] Frequency range The secondary minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer weight vector at frame index n. This secondary MVDR weight vector... Stacking is based on microphone indices. For any natural number n and any... Secondary MVDR weight vector for Element.

[0085] : Beamforming signal. This beamforming signal This is the output signal of the MVDR beamformer. For any natural number n, any... and any Beamforming signal It is a complex number.

[0086] : Noise reduction electrical signal. For any natural number n, any and any Noise reduction electrical signal It is a complex number.

[0087] For each hearing aid j, any natural number n, and frequency range The primary post-filter gain (complex value).

[0088] : Primary post-filter gain stacking vector. For each hearing aid j and any natural number n, the primary post-filter gain stacking vector... Based on frequency range index Stack and Element.

[0089] For each hearing aid j, any natural number n, and frequency range The secondary post-filter gain (complex value).

[0090] : Secondary post-filter gain stacking vector. For each hearing aid j and any natural number n, the secondary post-filter gain stacking vector... Stacked based on frequency range index k and Element.

[0091] Frequency range The secondary target cancellation beamformer weight vector at frame index n. This secondary weight vector... Stacking is performed based on hearing aid indices. For any natural number n and any... Secondary weight vector for The elements. For example, if Then the secondary weight vector Defined as

[0092]

[0093] Step length. The value is a real number.

[0094] : Primary noise cancellation scalar. Its function is to scale and phase-shift the initial noise estimate output by the target canceller, so that the scaled and phase-shifted noise signal matches the corresponding primary electrical signal. The noise signal contained therein is matched. For any natural number n and any Primary noise cancellation scalar The value is a complex number.

[0095] Secondary noise cancellation scalar. Its function is to scale and phase-shift the initial noise estimate output by the target canceller, so that the scaled and phase-shifted noise signal matches the corresponding secondary electrical signal. The noise signal contained therein is matched. For any natural number n and any Secondary noise cancellation scalar The value is a complex number.

[0096] : Primary error estimate. For any natural number n and any Primary error estimate The value is a complex number.

[0097] Secondary error estimate. For any natural number n and any... Secondary error estimate The value is a complex number.

[0098] Preliminary estimation of the noise signal. For any natural number n and any... Preliminary estimation of noise signal The value is a complex number.

[0099] Preliminary estimation of the noise signal stacking vector. For any natural number n, a preliminary estimation of the noise signal stacking vector. Based on frequency range index Stack and Element.

[0100] : Secondary estimation of noise signal. For any natural number n and any Secondary estimation of noise signal The value is a complex number.

[0101] : The quadratic estimation of the stacked vector of the noise signal. For any natural number n, the quadratic estimation of the stacked vector of the noise signal. Stacked based on frequency range index k and Element.

[0102] : Output value of the voice activity detector. For any (or The output value of the voice activity detector ranges from 0 to 1, where n is any natural number and 0 is any natural number. This indicates the frequency range of the input signal to the voice activity detector. A voice signal was detected at frame index n; This indicates the frequency range of the input signal to the voice activity detector. No speech signal was detected at frame index n.

[0103] After defining the mathematical objects necessary to explain the working principle of the present invention, one aspect of the present invention will be described below.

[0104] The general problem and the solution of the present invention will now be described with reference to an embodiment in which the hearing aid is equipped with M input transducers (e.g., microphones). Assume the hearing aid is located in a space containing a speaker emitting a target signal that the hearing aid user is interested in hearing. Also assume that within this space containing the speaker and the hearing aid user, there is noise that the hearing aid user does not want to hear. Let... Let m be the time-domain signal acquired by the m-th microphone in a (mono-ear) hearing aid, where m ∈ t is the discrete-time index. Subsequently, each time-domain signal... The primary electrical signal is obtained by analyzing the filter bank FBA and converting it to the time-frequency domain. Where k is the frequency interval index and n is the frame index. The vector representation of all microphone input signals in the time-frequency domain is denoted as the stacked vector. The unprocessed microphone signal (also known as the noisy signal) can be modeled in the time-frequency domain as the sum of two terms, one corresponding to the target signal and the other to the noise signal, i.e.:

[0105]

[0106] in, The desired signal at the reference input transducer (microphone 1 in this embodiment, such as the front microphone of a hearing aid); This is a relative transfer function (RTF) vector (used to encode the relative acoustic characteristics between each input transducer and the reference input transducer). for A stacked vector of noise components. Typically, minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformers are used to suppress... MVDR beamformers are The linear combination of elements is designed to minimize the noise power at the beamformer output while ensuring a distortion-free response to the relative transfer function (RTF) vector of the desired signal. In existing technology, the output signal of an MVDR beamformer is defined as...

[0107]

[0108] in, This represents the weight vector for the primary minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer. The MVDR beamformer weights need to be calculated or estimated. It is important to note that the calculation process for the beamformer output signal involves... If data bandwidth is limited, and data transmission between input transducers can only be achieved via wireless links, this calculation method may cause problems.

[0109] Figure 1 schematically illustrates the basic structural block diagram of the hearing aid HA1 of the present invention. The hearing aid HA1 includes an input unit IU equipped with an input transducer IT (e.g., a microphone M1) for converting sound energy into a time-domain electrical signal. The input unit IU also includes an analysis filter bank FBA for converting time-domain electrical signals. Converted to primary electrical signal in the frequency domain An analytical filter bank can decompose a primary electrical signal into multiple sub-band signals, each of which can be used as a sinusoidal representation of the primary electrical signal. The analytical filter bank can also perform a Fourier transform on the time-domain electrical signal. (Primary electrical signal) It can be represented as a sub-band representation containing K frequency bands.

[0110] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hearing aid HA1 includes a band-to-channel conversion unit FB2C, which comprises multiple band-combining units; each band-combining unit is configured to process the primary electrical signal. The signal content of two or more frequency bands from K frequency bands is combined and output. One corresponding channel signal from each channel, and then based on primary electrical signals across K frequency bands. ,generate The first-level electrical signal of each channel The merging of signal content from two or more frequency bands within K frequency bands can be termed weighted merging. For example, if... Then for each less than odd numbers Combining can be defined as averaging the signal content of the k-th frequency band and the (k+1)-th frequency band. For example, if... For each k greater than 0 and less than or equal to K and a multiple of 3, the merging can be defined as averaging the signal contents of the (k-2)th, (k-1)th, and (k)th frequency bands. The band-to-channel conversion unit FB2C of the hearing aid HA1 can receive primary electrical signals. ( The primary electrical signal can be expressed as a second stacked vector based on the frequency interval index k. In the form of a transformed second stacked vector, the unit output is a second stacked vector. Defined first-level electrical signal ( For any natural number n, its distribution matrix can be used to determine its distribution. And according to the expression The calculation is as follows. It should be noted that if there exists a primary electrical signal based on the m-th channel... Defined m-th path second stacked vector (m>1), then the transformed m-th path second stacked vector Through expressions Similarly, calculate the real-valued distribution matrix. The estimation method can be referred to the relevant description above in this invention. First-stage electrical signal This can be understood as a compressed signal, using a distribution matrix. This can be understood as a compression method.

[0111] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hearing aid HA1 includes a wireless receiver WR, which is capable of establishing a wireless link and receiving secondary electrical signals. The wireless receiver may include an antenna and transceiver circuitry, enabling the establishment of a wireless link and the reception from another device of at least a second-stage electrical signal representing the sound in the environment of the user wearing the hearing aid. The other device may be a second hearing aid HA2 or an assistive device AD. Assistive devices may include tablets, smartphones, any other devices (such as devices with a graphical interface), or combinations of any of the above.

[0112] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hearing aid HA1 includes a first signal generator SP1, used for at least based on The first-level electrical signal of each channel and received from another device Secondary electrical signals of each channel ,generate The first signal generator outputs the signal for each channel.

[0113] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hearing aid HA1 includes a second signal generator SP2 for receiving a first input signal and a second input signal from the second signal generator, and generating an output signal of the second signal generator based on these two input signals.

[0114] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hearing aid HA1 includes a processor PRO for controlling other basic components of the hearing aid HA1 and processing corresponding electrical signals.

[0115] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hearing aid HA1 includes a distribution unit DIS for... The input signals of the distribution unit in each channel are distributed into output signals of the distribution unit across K frequency bands. The input signal of the distribution unit DIS can be the output signal of the first signal generator SP1. The input signal of the distribution unit DIS can also be the output signal of the second signal generator SP2. The processor PRO can use either the output signals of the distribution unit across K frequency bands or the output signals of the second signal generator across K frequency bands to generate frequency domain noise-reduced electrical signals across K frequency bands. It is used to provide acoustic signals to the user of hearing aid HA1.

[0116] In the embodiment shown in Figure 1, the hearing aid HA1 includes an output unit OU equipped with a synthesis filter bank FBS for frequency-domain noise reduction of electrical signals across K frequency bands. Converted to time-domain noise-reduced electrical signal The output unit OU contains an output transducer OT (e.g., a speaker SPK1) for providing a stimulus signal that can be perceived by the user as sound.

[0117] The basic components shown in Figure 1 are present in all embodiments of the present invention.

[0118] Figure 2 is a schematic block diagram of the hearing aid HA1 according to the first embodiment of the present invention.

[0119] The hearing aid HA1 includes a microphone M1, which is configured to convert sound energy into a time-domain electrical signal. Time-domain electrical signals The signal is transmitted to the analysis filter bank FBA, which then converts the time-domain electrical signal into a digital signal. Converted to primary electrical signal in the frequency domain Analyzing filter banks allows for the performance of Fourier transforms on time-domain electrical signals. Primary electrical signal It can be represented as a sub-band representation containing K frequency bands.

[0120] Subsequently, the primary electrical signal The signal is transmitted to a band-to-channel conversion unit FB2C, which contains multiple band-combining units, each configured to process the primary electrical signal. The signal content of two or more frequency bands in K frequency bands is merged and processed based on the primary electrical signal of the K frequency bands. , generate containing The first-level electrical signal of each channel The merging of signal content from two or more frequency bands within K frequency bands can be termed weighted merging. For example, if... Then for each less than odd numbers Combining can be defined as averaging the signal content of the k-th frequency band and the (k+1)-th frequency band. For example, if... For each k greater than 0 and less than or equal to K and a multiple of 3, the merging can be defined as averaging the signal contents of the (k-2)th, (k-1)th, and (k)th frequency bands. The band-to-channel conversion unit FB2C of the hearing aid HA1 can receive primary electrical signals. ( The primary electrical signal can be expressed as a second stacked vector based on the frequency interval index k. In the form of a transformed second stacked vector, the unit output is a second stacked vector. Defined first-level electrical signal ( For any natural number n, its distribution matrix can be used to determine its distribution. And according to the expression The calculation is as follows. It should be noted that if there exists a primary electrical signal based on the m-th channel... Defined m-th path second stacked vector (m>1), then the transformed m-th path second stacked vector Through expressions Similarly, calculate the real-valued distribution matrix. The estimation method can be referred to the relevant description above in this invention. First-stage electrical signal This can be understood as a compressed signal, using a distribution matrix. This can be understood as a compression method.

[0121] In the hearing aid HA1 shown in Figure 2, the first signal generator SP1 is the first beamformer BF1, used to generate a beam based on the first-stage electrical signal. and at least a secondary electrical signal received from another device. Generate beamforming signal In the hearing aid HA1 shown in Figure 2, the second signal generator SP2 is a gain unit GU, used to receive beamforming signals. And at least the first-level electrical signal And based on beamforming signals And at least the first-level electrical signal Generate the first complex gain The hearing aid HA1 shown in Figure 2 includes a distribution unit DIS for the first complex gain. Distribute the data to generate a second complex gain. The hearing aid HA1 shown in Figure 2 includes a processor for processing the second complex gain. Applied to primary electrical signals And generate a noise-reduced electrical signal. This signal is provided to the hearing aid user as an acoustic signal. The input unit of the hearing aid HA1 shown in Figure 2 includes a transducer (e.g., microphone M1) and an analysis filter bank FBA. The processor output of the hearing aid HA1 shown in Figure 2 outputs a processed signal, which is then transmitted to a synthesis filter bank FBS, where it is converted from a time-frequency domain representation (frequency domain) to a time-domain signal. Time-domain output signal. The signal is transmitted to the output unit (e.g., speaker SPK1), where it is converted into a stimulus signal (e.g., acoustic vibrations in the air) that can be perceived by the user as sound.

[0122] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the beamformer BF1 receives: 1) the first-stage electrical signal from the band-to-channel conversion unit FB2C. ;2) Secondary electrical signals received from another device via the wireless receiver WR and output beamforming signal This signal is the output signal of a minimum variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer, and is the beamforming signal. The fixed pattern is

[0123]

[0124] in, Frequency range The second least variance distortionless response (MVDR) beamformer weight vector at frame index n; for Based on index The stacked vector. Complex-valued secondary MVDR beamformer weight vector. It can be estimated using any one of the methods known in the prior art or a combination of several known methods.

[0125] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the gain unit GU receives the beamforming signal. and the first-level electrical signal And for any natural number n and any Output complex-valued primary filter gain This gain is defined by the following optimization equation:

[0126]

[0127] in, This is the expectation operator. The goal of this optimization is to solve for the first gain of a complex value. This enables the beamforming signal With potentially noisy electrical signals The squared error between them is minimized. In other words, we need to minimize the squared error between the electrical signals. Design an adaptive filter whose output approximates the output signal of the beamformer. The solution to this optimization problem is:

[0128]

[0129] In practical applications, it can be approximated by a first-order recursive smoothing method, ultimately yielding...

[0130]

[0131] in This represents a first-order smoothing operation. In some embodiments, the optimization equations defined above can be solved using any gradient descent-based iterative solver, such as the Least Mean Square (LMS) algorithm or the Normalized Least Mean Square (NLMS) algorithm.

[0132] The overall concept described above corresponds to the working principle of the gain unit in Figure 1. Its core is to approximate the output signal of the beamformer using a single-channel filter BF1. Unlike traditional single-channel filters, which typically have real-valued gain, the gain value of the single-channel filter BF1 can be complex. Specifically, the embodiment shown in Figure 2 includes a single-channel beamformer BF1 for approximating the output of a dual-channel beamformer.

[0133] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the distributed unit DIS receives the filter gain stacking vector. and the distribution matrix Take the Hermitian conjugate to generate the secondary filter gain stacking vector. Its operational relationship is: For any natural number n and any microphone It can be obtained from the secondary filter gain stacking vector Extract the corresponding arbitrary Secondary filter gain .

[0134] In the embodiment shown in Figure 2, the processor receives arbitrary Secondary filter gain and electrical signals This generates a noise-reducing electrical signal. Noise reduction electrical signal Through relational expressions Calculated. Noise-reduced electrical signal. It can be transmitted to the synthesis filter bank (FBS), where it is converted into a time-domain signal. Then it is transmitted to the output unit (such as a speaker). ), used to provide sound signals to the user of hearing aid HA1.

[0135] In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A, 3B, 4A, and 4B, the first signal generator SP1 is a target cancellation unit (TC) used to attenuate the signal generated by the target speaker in the output signal of the first signal generator. In Figures 3A, Figure 3B In the embodiments shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the output signal of the first signal generator is The initial target for each channel is to eliminate beamforming electrical signals. The signal is calculated according to the following formula:

[0136]

[0137] For any natural number n and any ,in Frequency range The secondary target cancellation beamformer weight vector at frame index n. In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A, 3B, and 4A, 4B, the second signal generator SP2 is a noise cancellation unit NC, used to estimate the first-stage electrical signal. The noise signal included. In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A, 3B, and 4A, 4B, the processor is configured to stack vectors based on the secondary estimated noise signal. Defined quadratic estimated noise signal , with primary electrical signal Perform subtraction operations, and for any natural number n and any... Generate noise-reduced electrical signals .

[0138] In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the first input signal of the noise cancellation unit is The initial target for each channel is to eliminate beamforming electrical signals. In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the second input signal of the noise cancellation unit is... The primary electrical signal under each channel In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the output signal of the noise cancellation unit is Preliminary estimate of noise signal under each channel In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the input signal of the distribution unit is... Preliminary estimate of noise signal under each channel In the embodiments shown in Figures 3A and 3B, the output signal of the distributed unit is a quadratic estimated noise signal across K frequency bands. This signal can be expressed by the relational formula. Calculated; where This is a stacked vector of secondary estimated noise signals obtained by stacking based on the frequency interval index k. For frequency range indexing The initial estimated stacked vector of the noise signal obtained by stacking.

[0139] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3A, the noise cancellation unit NC employs an estimation method including the least mean square (LMS) algorithm. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3A, the hearing aid HA1 includes a voice activity detector for detecting the first-level electrical signal. Whether or with what probability it contains the voices of people in the environment where the hearing aid HA1 user is located. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3A, for any natural number n and any Preliminary estimation of noise signal It can be calculated based on the following formula:

[0140]

[0141] Wherein, for any natural number n greater than 1 and any Secondary noise cancellation scalar Defined as

[0142]

[0143] in, Step size; This is the secondary error estimate, for any natural number n and any... Its definition

[0144]

[0145] This is the output of the voice activity detector. In any case, Secondary noise cancellation scalar It can be defined as 0.

[0146] In the embodiment shown in Figure 3B, the estimation method used by the noise cancellation unit NC includes the Linear Least Mean Square Error Estimator (LMMSEE) method. In the embodiment shown in Figure 3B, for any natural number n and any... Preliminary estimation of noise signal It can be calculated using the following formula:

[0147]

[0148] Where, for any natural number n and any Secondary noise cancellation scalar Defined as

[0149]

[0150] in, For expectation operators.

[0151] In the embodiments shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the input signal of the distribution unit is The initial target for each channel is to eliminate beamforming electrical signals. In the embodiments shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the output signal of the distribution unit is a secondary target cancellation beamforming electrical signal in K frequency bands. In the embodiments shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the first input signal of the noise cancellation unit is a secondary target cancellation beamforming electrical signal in K frequency bands. In the embodiments shown in Figures 4A and 4B, the second input signal of the noise cancellation unit is a primary electrical signal in K frequency bands. .

[0152] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4A, the estimation method employed by the noise cancellation unit NC includes the least mean square (LMS) algorithm. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4A, the hearing aid HA1 includes a voice activity detector for detecting the first-stage electrical signal. Whether or with what probability it contains the speech of people in the environment where the hearing aid HA1 user is located. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4A, for any natural number n and any Secondary estimation of noise signal It can be calculated using the following formula.

[0153]

[0154] Wherein, for any natural number n greater than 1 and any Primary noise cancellation scalar Defined as

[0155]

[0156] in, Step size; This is a preliminary error estimate, for any natural number n and any... Its definition

[0157]

[0158] This is the output of the voice activity detector. In any case, Primary noise cancellation scalar It can be defined as 0.

[0159] In the embodiment shown in Figure 4B, the estimation method used by the noise cancellation unit NC includes the Linear Least Mean Square Error Estimator (LMMSEE) method. In the embodiment shown in Figure 4B, for any natural number n and any... Secondary estimation of noise signal It can be calculated using the following formula

[0160]

[0161] Where, for any natural number n and any Primary noise cancellation scalar Defined as

[0162]

[0163] in For expectation operators.

[0164] The hearing aid HA1 can be in a specific style (sometimes called an in-ear receiver or RITE type), comprising a behind-the-ear portion (BTE) suitable for wearing on or behind the user's ear and an in-the-ear portion (ITE) suitable for wearing within or in the user's ear canal and including a receiver (speaker). The behind-the-ear portion and the in-the-ear portion are connected (e.g., electrically) by connecting elements and internal wiring in both portions (see wiring Wx in the behind-the-ear portion). Alternatively, the connecting elements may consist entirely or partially of a wireless link between the behind-the-ear portion and the in-the-ear portion (or a sound tube if the speaker is located within the behind-the-ear portion). Types of hearing aid HA1 may include behind-the-ear (BTE), in-the-ear (ITE), in-the-canal (ITC), completely-in-the-canal (CIC), in-the-canal receiver (RIC), in-the-ear receiver (RITE), open-fit, or any combination of these types.

[0165] Figure 5 is a schematic block diagram of an embodiment of a binaural hearing device including a first hearing aid HA1 and a second hearing aid HA2. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, both hearing aids HA1 and HA2 include all the components and technical features of the embodiment shown in Figure 1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, both hearing aids HA1 and HA2 include a wireless transceiver WT, thereby enabling the establishment of a wireless link between the two hearing aids, allowing the first hearing aid HA1 to receive electrical signals from the second hearing aid HA2. At the same time, it enables the second hearing aid HA2 to receive electrical signals from the first hearing aid HA1. In the embodiment shown in Figure 5, the working principle of the second hearing aid HA2 can be understood as the same as that of the embodiment described in conjunction with Figure 2, simply by replacing the subscript "1" with "2" and the subscript "2" with "1". It should be noted that the embodiment shown in Figure 5 uses a wireless transceiver WT because the wireless receiver WR in the embodiment shown in Figure 1 cannot meet the requirement of establishing a wireless link WL between the two hearing aids HA1 and HA2. Furthermore, this invention also teaches other embodiments similar to Figure 5, in which the two wirelessly interconnected hearing aids HA1 and HA2 can be replaced with the technical solutions of any of the embodiments in Figures 2 to 4B, and are not limited to the embodiment shown in Figure 2.

[0166] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a binaural hearing device including a first hearing aid HA1 and a second hearing aid HA2, wherein the wireless transceiver enables the establishment of: a wireless link WL between the first hearing aid HA1 and the second hearing aid HA2, a first wireless connection WC1 between the first hearing aid HA1 and the assistive device AD, and a second wireless connection WC2 between the second hearing aid HA2 and the assistive device AD. The assistive device AD ​​can be any type of device, such as a smartphone, smartwatch, tablet computer, computer, smart TV, or any combination of the above devices.

[0167] When appropriately replaced by a corresponding process, the structural features of the apparatus described above, in detail in the "Detailed Description" section, and as defined in the claims can be combined with the steps of the method of the present invention.

[0168] Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the singular forms “a” and “the” used herein include the plural forms (i.e., meaning “at least one”). It should be understood that the terms “having,” “comprising,” and / or “including” as used in the specification indicate the presence of the stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or combinations thereof. It should be understood that, unless explicitly stated otherwise, when an element is referred to as “connected” or “coupled” to another element, it may be a direct connection or coupling to the other element, or there may be intermediate inserting elements. The term “and / or” as used herein includes any and all combinations of one or more of the listed related items. Unless explicitly stated otherwise, the steps of any method disclosed herein do not necessarily have to be performed in the exact order disclosed.

[0169] It should be understood that references to "an embodiment," "an embodiment," "an aspect," or "may" in this specification mean that a particular feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with that embodiment is included in at least one embodiment of the invention. Furthermore, particular features, structures, or characteristics may be suitably combined in one or more embodiments of the invention. The foregoing description is provided to enable those skilled in the art to implement the various aspects described herein. Various modifications will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

[0170] The claims are not limited to the aspects shown herein, but encompass the full scope consistent with the language of the claims, wherein, unless expressly stated otherwise, an element referred to in the singular does not mean "one and only one," but rather "one or more." The term "some" means one or more.

Claims

1. A hearing aid (HA1), comprising: The input unit (IU) is configured to provide a frequency-domain primary electrical signal containing K frequency bands. ), wherein the primary electrical signal ( This characterizes the sound in the environment in which the hearing aid is located; A frequency band-to-channel conversion unit (FB2C) is configured to provide a primary electrical signal, wherein the frequency band-to-channel conversion unit (FB2C) includes a plurality of frequency band combining units, each frequency band combining unit being configured to combine the primary electrical signal (FB2C). The signal content of two or more frequency bands from K frequency bands is merged to generate a signal containing... The primary electrical signal of each channel, among which Less than K; The wireless receiver (WR) is configured to establish a wireless link and receive secondary electrical signals from another device. ), wherein the second-stage electrical signal ( ) includes the first-stage electrical signal ( The corresponding channel represents the sound of the environment in which the hearing aid is located; The first beamformer is configured to be based on the first-stage electrical signal ( ) and the second-stage electrical signal ( Determine the first beamforming signal ( ); Gain unit (GU), configured to be based on the first beamforming signal ( ) and the first-stage electrical signal ( ),for Each of the channels determines the first complex gain ( ); Distributed unit (DIS), configured to be based on the first complex gain ( ), determine the second complex gain for each of the K frequency bands ( ); The processor (PRO) is configured to base its signal on the second complex gain and the primary electrical signal. Determine the frequency domain noise reduction electrical signal ( ).

2. The hearing aid (HA1) according to claim 1, wherein, The gain unit (GU) is configured to reduce Beamforming electrical signals in each channel ( )and The first complex gain and the first primary electrical signal in each channel ( The mean square error between the product results of ) is Each of the channels determines the first complex gain ( ).

3. A binaural hearing system, comprising a first hearing aid (HA1) and a second hearing aid (HA2), wherein the first hearing aid (HA1) comprises: The input unit (IU) is configured to provide a frequency-domain primary electrical signal containing K frequency bands. ), wherein the primary electrical signal ( This characterizes the sound in the environment in which the hearing aid is located; A frequency band-to-channel conversion unit (FB2C) is configured to provide a primary electrical signal, wherein the frequency band-to-channel conversion unit (FB2C) includes a plurality of frequency band combining units, each frequency band combining unit being configured to combine the primary electrical signal (FB2C). The signal content of two or more frequency bands from K frequency bands is merged to generate a signal containing... The primary electrical signal of each channel, among which Less than K; The wireless receiver (WR) is configured to establish a wireless link and receive a second-stage electrical signal from the second hearing aid (HA2). ), wherein the second-stage electrical signal ( ) includes the first-stage electrical signal ( The corresponding channel represents the sound of the environment in which the hearing aid is located; The first beamformer is configured to be based on the first-stage electrical signal ( ) and the second-stage electrical signal ( Determine the first beamforming signal ( ); Gain unit (GU), configured to be based on the first beamforming signal ( ) and the first-stage electrical signal ( ),for Each of the channels determines the first complex gain ( ); The distributed element (DIS) is configured to determine a second complex gain for each of the K frequency bands. ); The processor (PRO) is configured to determine the frequency-domain noise-reduced electrical signal based on the second complex gain. ).

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