Band-Specific Sound Volume Control for Excessive Output
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sound volume control devices for hearing-impaired individuals require users to hear test audibility data, making the process burdensome and difficult to accurately determine acceptable maximum sound volumes, often leading to excessive sound levels and poor sound quality due to dynamic range compression across all frequency bands.
Innovation Solution
A sound volume control device that adjusts maximum output levels by dividing sound signals into bands, using user feedback to calculate and compare audible and excessive signal distribution information, allowing for dynamic range compression only in bands where sound is felt to be excessive, without requiring users to hear test data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If dynamic range compression is applied across the whole frequency band to avoid excessive sound volume, then maximum sound level is reduced, but target sound becomes buried in noise and sound quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the frequency spectrum into multiple bands using a band dividing section. Instead of applying uniform compression across all frequencies, the system segments the sound signal and applies compression selectively only to specific frequency bands where excessive sound is detected, preserving quality in other bands.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements local quality by applying different processing characteristics to different frequency bands. The sound output control section compresses dynamic range only in correction bands identified as problematic, while leaving other bands unchanged, thus maintaining overall sound quality while addressing specific excessive volume issues.
2Measurement precision
If conventional sound volume control devices ask users to hear test audibility data for adjustment, then amplification characteristics can be fitted to individual auditory property, but burden on user becomes heavy and adjustment process becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables the hearing aid to automatically identify correction bands and adjust compression parameters without requiring user participation in test procedures. The device monitors its own output and autonomously determines which frequency bands need compression based on predefined criteria, eliminating the need for users to hear test data or perform adjustment actions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the hearing aid continuously monitors the sound output and user responses (such as button presses indicating discomfort). This feedback is used by the correction band decision section to automatically identify and adjust problematic frequency bands, replacing manual test-based adjustment with automated adaptive control.
3Reliability
If amplification volume is increased to make sound audible for hearing-impaired persons, then small sounds become audible, but sound volume becomes excessive and feels annoying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamic range compression selectively to specific frequency bands identified as correction bands. This dynamic processing adjusts the gain in real-time based on the input signal level, allowing high-volume sounds in problematic bands to be compressed while preserving audibility of soft sounds in all bands, thus balancing both requirements.
Data Source
AI summary
A sound volume control device includes a sound input section, a band dividing section, an excessive output notification section, a correction band decision section and a sound output control section. The sound input section converts input sound into a sound signal. The band dividing section carries out band-division with respect to the sound signal. The excessive output notification section outputs excessive output notification information when output sound from the present device is excessive. The correction band decision section calculates audible signal distribution information when the excessive output notification information is not output and excessive signal distribution information when the excessive output notification information is output, for each band in the sound signal, and decides a correction band according to the audible signal distribution information and excessive signal distribution information. The sound output control section controls sound volume of sound signal for the correction band to provide output sound.