Hearing Aid Delay Unit for Audio Video Synchronization
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing aids often receive audio signals that are out of sync with video displays due to differing processing times for audio and video signals, leading to noticeable disturbances for users, especially when the desynchronization exceeds 40 ms.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a delay unit within the hearing aid, configured with a hearing loss processor, to synchronize the audio signal with the video display by applying a controlled delay, ensuring that the audio signal is presented in synchronization with the video, thereby improving user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the hearing aid receives audio signal directly from the media system, then the audio signal quality is reduced, but the device complexity is minimized
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces an intermediary device (such as a TV box or set-top box) that receives the audio signal from the media system and transmits it to the hearing aid. This intermediary processes the audio signal and synchronizes it with the video signal before transmission, thereby improving audio quality and synchronization without significantly increasing the complexity of the hearing aid itself.
2Manufacturing precision
If video processing is performed with high complexity to improve video quality, then video quality is improved, but the synchronization with audio signal deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by introducing a delay to the audio signal in advance to compensate for the time taken by complex video processing. The delay unit is configured to delay the audio signal by a predetermined time period that matches the video processing duration, ensuring that both signals arrive at the output device simultaneously despite the complex video processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the time parameter of the audio signal by introducing a controlled delay. The delay unit adjusts the timing parameter of the audio signal to match the video processing time, thereby maintaining synchronization between audio and video signals even when high-complexity video processing is applied.
3Loss of time
If audio signal is delayed to synchronize with video, then synchronization is improved, but the audio signal processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses an intermediary device to handle the delay and processing of the audio signal, rather than implementing the delay function within the hearing aid itself. This intermediary device is specifically designed to manage timing synchronization and can process multiple audio signals with different delay requirements, thereby reducing the processing burden on the hearing aid.
4Reliability
If the hearing aid includes integrated delay unit and signal processing capabilities, then synchronization and audio quality are improved, but the device complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements a universal intermediary device that can serve multiple functions: receiving audio signals from various media systems, delaying signals for different video processing durations, transmitting to multiple hearing aids, and providing user controls. This multi-functional device reduces the need for each hearing aid to have complex built-in synchronization capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts the complex delay and synchronization functions from the hearing aid and places them in a separate intermediary device. This extraction allows the hearing aid to remain simple while still achieving accurate synchronization through the external device's processing capabilities.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for improving synchronization of an acoustic signal to a video display includes a hearing aid comprising a hearing loss processor configured for signal processing in accordance with a hearing loss of a user of the hearing aid, the hearing aid being configured for receiving a first audio signal for synchronous presentation to the user viewing the video display, the hearing aid being configured for generating a first acoustic signal to be presented to the user of the hearing aid, the first acoustic signal comprising at least a first part being generated in response to the first audio signal. The system also includes a delay unit configured for applying a delay, such that synchronization of the at least first part of the first acoustic signal to the video display is improved.