Hearing Aid Signal Processing with Dual Compressor Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hearing aids face challenges in accurately fitting individual hearing loss patterns due to limited adjustability of compressor gain, which results in compromised amplification and interference from adaptive processing, leading to suboptimal user experience.
Innovation Solution
Implementing two separate compressors – a standard compressor and an individualized compressor – with independent adjustment points to allow precise fitting of hearing loss and preferences, ensuring that fine-tuning effects are maintained despite adaptive processing.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a standard compressor with limited adjustment points is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the manufacturing precision of the compression characteristic fitting is insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the compression characteristic adjustment into multiple independent adjustment points (at least three: first, second, and third adjustment points at different sound pressure levels). This segmentation allows each point to be adjusted independently, enabling precise fitting of the compression characteristic to individual hearing loss patterns without requiring a completely complex compressor redesign.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic adjustment capabilities where the compression characteristic can be adapted to different sound pressure levels. The compressor gain varies dynamically across different input levels, allowing the system to respond differently to soft, medium, and loud sounds based on the user's specific hearing requirements.
2Productivity
If adaptive processing is implemented to optimize speech intelligibility, then the productivity of signal processing is improved, but the fine-tuning effects are eliminated or reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies compression processing before adaptive speech intelligibility optimization. By pre-compressing the signal with individually fitted compression characteristics, the system prepares the signal in advance so that subsequent adaptive processing enhances rather than eliminates the fine-tuning effects. The compression characteristic is established as a foundation that guides the adaptive processing.
Solution Approach 2:
The compression characteristic acts as an intermediary between the raw input signal and the adaptive speech intelligibility processing. It transforms the signal in a way that preserves individual hearing loss compensation while enabling the adaptive processor to work effectively on the compressed signal, maintaining both fine-tuning effects and speech optimization.
3Measurement precision
If the compressor gain is adjusted for one sound pressure level, then the hearing loss compensation for that level is improved, but the compressor gain for other sound pressure levels is influenced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the compression gain control into multiple independent adjustment points at different sound pressure levels. Each adjustment point can be modified without necessarily affecting the others, allowing precise control over how the compressor responds to soft, medium, and loud sounds independently according to the user's specific hearing losses at different levels.
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AI summary
The present invention relates in a first aspect to a method of processing a signal in a hearing aid, in a second aspect to a method of fitting a hearing aid to a hearing aid user, and in a third aspect to a hearing aid. The method according to the first aspect of the invention comprises deriving a control signal (3) from an input signal (1). The process of deriving the control signal comprises a standard processing (6) so as to provide a standard processed control signal component (7) 10 based on a standard compressor characteristic, and an individualized processing (10) so as to provide an individualized processed control signal component (11) based on an individualized compressor characteristic. The standard and individualized processed control signal components are multiplied together to form the control signal.