Audio Loudness Adjustment Using Multi-Band Hearing Thresholds
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional audio devices fail to effectively adjust audio effects to match individual hearing sensitivities, leading to varying audio quality experiences among users due to differing frequency responses in human ears, and existing solutions like volume control and equalizers are limited in addressing these differences.
Innovation Solution
An audio device system that allows users to set their minimum perceptible hearing levels across different frequency bands, using multi-band filters and a man-machine interface to derive unique gain settings for personalized audio adjustments, which can be automatically adjusted based on environmental noise levels.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional audio devices use fixed audio effects or standard equalization, then device complexity is reduced and ease of manufacture is improved, but audio quality and user satisfaction deteriorate due to individual hearing sensitivity differences
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary measurement of the user's hearing sensitivity through an automated tuning process before normal operation. The audio device plays test tones across different frequency bands and records the user's perceived loudness levels, then pre-calculates the personalized equalization parameters that will be applied during subsequent use.
Solution Approach 2:
The audio device transitions from static, fixed audio effects to dynamic, adaptive audio processing. The system continuously monitors environmental noise levels and automatically adjusts the equalization parameters in real-time to maintain optimal audio quality matched to the user's hearing characteristics.
2Ease of operation
If volume control is used to adjust overall signal level, then ease of operation is improved, but audio quality deteriorates because it cannot address frequency-specific hearing losses and may cause signal saturation
Solution Approach 1:
The audio device divides the audio spectrum into multiple frequency bands and applies independent gain control to each band based on the user's hearing sensitivity measurements. This segmented approach replaces the single-volume-control mechanism, allowing frequency-specific adjustments without causing overall signal saturation.
3Device complexity
If narrow frequency range is used to simplify audio processing, then device complexity is reduced, but audio quality deteriorates because it cannot accommodate users with poor hearing sensitivity in certain frequency ranges
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the audio processing parameters including equalization gains, noise reduction thresholds, and compression ratios based on the user's measured hearing sensitivity and environmental conditions. This allows the device to maintain full frequency range processing while adapting to individual user needs.
Data Source
AI summary
Described herein are apparatuses, systems and methods that facilitate user adjustment of an audio effect of an audio device to match the hearing sensitivity of the user. The user can tune the audio device with a minimum perceptible level unique to the user. The audio device can adjust the audio effect in accordance with the minimum perceptible level. For example, a loudness level can adjust automatically to ensure that the user maintains a perceptible loudness, adjusting according to environmental noise and according to the minimum perceptible level. Also described herein are apparatuses, systems and methods related to an audio device equipped with embedded audio sensors that can maximize a voice quality while minimizing the effects of noise.