Hearing Aid Parallel Sound Detection to Reduce Output Delay
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hearing aids experience increased delay in output sound due to the time required for detecting and suppressing predetermined sounds, which disrupts natural conversation and user comfort.
Innovation Solution
A hearing aid configuration that includes a hearing-aid processing unit for amplifying acoustic signals, a predetermined-sound detection unit for parallel detection and suppression, and a suppression unit that attenuates signals based on control signals, allowing for reduced delay by completing detection within the hearing-aid processing time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If predetermined sound detection and suppression processing is performed in sequence after hearing-aid processing, then the predetermined sound can be suppressed effectively, but the delay of the output sound increases significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by detecting the predetermined sound during the hearing-aid processing time rather than after completion. The detection unit detects the predetermined sound in parallel with the hearing-aid processing, and the suppression unit is prepared to suppress the sound immediately when detection is complete, eliminating the need for additional delay time.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent maintains continuity of useful action by ensuring that the predetermined sound suppression processing is integrated within the hearing-aid processing time frame. The detection and suppression operations continue throughout the processing period without interrupting or extending the overall processing time, thereby maintaining natural conversation flow.
2Reliability
If the acoustic signal is delayed to allow detection and suppression processing to complete, then appropriate suppression effect is achieved, but the natural conversation flow is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The detection of predetermined sound is performed preliminarily during the hearing-aid processing time, and the suppression is executed immediately upon detection completion. This preliminary action approach ensures that suppression is achieved without requiring additional delay that would disrupt conversation naturalness.
3Ease of operation
If detection processing is performed quickly to reduce delay, then conversation naturalness is maintained, but the suppression effect may be insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the predetermined sound detection processing with the hearing-aid processing operations. By combining these processing tasks to execute within the same time frame, the system achieves both adequate suppression effect and maintains conversation naturalness without requiring separate processing stages.
Data Source
AI summary
When hearing-aid processing and predetermined-sound suppression processing are performed, in order to reduce an increase in delay of an output sound in response to an input sound greater than a case where only the hearing-aid processing is performed, a hearing aid includes: a hearing-aid processing unit configured to amplify a first acoustic signal received by a microphone, according to an ability of a user to hear sound in each of frequencies, to produce a second acoustic signal; a predetermined-sound detection unit configured to detect a predetermined sound included in the first acoustic signal, and to produce a control signal indicating generation timing of the predetermined sound; and a predetermined-sound suppression unit configured to suppress the second acoustic signal produced in the hearing-aid processing unit at the generation timing of the predetermined-sound indicated by the control signal produced in the predetermined-sound detection unit.