Haptic Hearing Aid Output for Speech Perception in Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing impaired individuals struggle to distinguish speech from background noise in noisy environments, making conversations challenging, and existing hearing aids do not effectively utilize bi-modal stimulation to enhance speech perception.
Innovation Solution
A hearing aid system that integrates auditory and haptic outputs, providing speech encoded signals for tactile stimulation, enhancing speech perception by delivering haptic sensations based on speech characteristics such as pitch, loudness, and syllable rate to improve cognitive response and reduce auditory fatigue.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If traditional hearing aids are used to amplify audio signals, then auditory output is provided, but speech intelligibility in noisy environments remains poor
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a haptic dimension to the traditional auditory-only hearing aid system. By converting speech signals into tactile vibrations through a haptic actuator, the system adds a new sensory dimension for speech perception. This allows users to perceive speech through both auditory and tactile channels, improving speech intelligibility in noisy environments where auditory signals alone are insufficient.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent separates the speech signal processing into two distinct output paths: an auditory path for general audio output and a haptic path for speech-specific tactile feedback. The speech encoder extracts speech characteristics from the audio signal and directs them to the haptic actuator, while the full audio signal goes to the audio output. This segmentation allows optimized processing for each modality.
2Loss of information
If hearing aids provide continuous auditory output, then speech information is delivered, but cognitive load increases and auditory fatigue occurs
Solution Approach 1:
The haptic actuator serves as an intermediary that translates speech information into tactile form. Instead of requiring the user's brain to continuously process and filter auditory signals in noisy environments, the haptic system provides direct tactile feedback about speech characteristics. This intermediary transformation reduces the cognitive burden of speech perception in challenging acoustic conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent substitutes the purely auditory mechanical system with a bi-modal system that includes haptic feedback. By replacing some auditory processing requirements with tactile feedback, the system reduces the demand on auditory processing pathways and cognitive resources. The haptic feedback provides intuitive tactile cues that require less cognitive effort to interpret than continuous auditory signals in noise.
3Reliability
If bi-modal stimulation is implemented with haptic feedback, then speech perception is enhanced, but device complexity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing aid system is designed to perform multiple functions through integrated components. The speech encoder processes speech characteristics that can be used for both auditory enhancement and haptic feedback generation. The haptic actuator and audio output share the same processed speech signal, allowing one processing pipeline to serve dual purposes. This multi-functionality reduces overall system complexity despite the added haptic capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the speech processing functions for auditory and haptic outputs into a unified system architecture. The speech encoder, speech decoder, and signal processing components serve both the audio output path and the haptic actuator path. By combining these functions rather than implementing separate independent systems, the patent reduces overall device complexity while achieving bi-modal stimulation.
Data Source
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AI summary
In an aspect of the present disclosure, a hearing aid system comprises an input unit. The input unit comprises at least one microphone. The at least one microphone is configured to pick up audio from a sound environment. The input unit is configured to is configured to provide an audio input signal based on the audio. The hearing aid system comprises a signal processor. The signal processor is configured to receive the audio input signal and to provide, based on the audio input signal, a processed audio signal indicative of the audio. The signal processor is configured to provide, based on the audio input signal, a speech encoded signal. The speech encoded signal is indicative of speech characteristics in the audio. The hearing aid system comprises an output unit. The output unit is configured to receive the processed audio signal. The output unit is configured to provide, based on the processed audio signal, an auditory output sound. The auditory output sound is indicative of the sound environment. The hearing aid system comprises a haptic unit. The haptic unit is configured to receive the speech encoded signal. The haptic unit is configured to provide, based on the speech encoded signal, a haptic stimulation. The haptic stimulation is indicative of speech in the sound environment.