Hearing Aid Signal Processing for Emotion-Preserving Speech
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing aids can compromise emotion recognition during conversations due to signal processing that alters acoustic characteristics important for emotion detection, limiting the user's access to crucial emotional information.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that analyze and adjust signal processing in hearing aids to preserve and enhance emotion-related features in speech signals, ensuring the user can recognize emotions by comparing emotion-correlated features before and after processing, and adjusting algorithms to maintain or amplify these features.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If signal processing is applied to improve speech intelligibility for hearing-impaired users, then speech understanding is enhanced, but emotion recognition is compromised due to altered acoustic characteristics
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio signal processing into distinct functional components: one pathway processes speech signals for intelligibility enhancement, while another pathway extracts and preserves emotion-correlated features. This segmentation allows independent optimization of each function without mutual interference, resolving the contradiction between speech intelligibility improvement and emotion recognition preservation
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by treating different frequency ranges and signal characteristics with different processing strategies. Speech-critical frequency bands receive enhanced processing for intelligibility, while emotion-correlated frequency characteristics are selectively preserved or minimally processed. This localized differential processing allows simultaneous optimization of both speech understanding and emotion recognition
2Ease of operation
If acoustic characteristics are altered to enhance speech perception, then hearing aid effectiveness is improved, but emotional information in speech signals is distorted or lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary action by extracting and storing emotion-correlated features from the audio signal before applying speech enhancement processing. These preserved features are then reintegrated with the processed speech signal, ensuring that emotional information is restored alongside enhanced speech perception, thereby preventing information loss
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs feedback mechanisms where the processed output signal is continuously monitored for emotion-correlated features. If these features are detected to be degraded or lost during processing, the system automatically adjusts processing parameters to preserve them. This closed-loop feedback ensures that speech perception enhancement does not come at the cost of emotional information distortion
Data Source
AI summary
The invention relates to a method for operating a hearing aid (2), comprising a receiving unit (4) for receiving speech information and converting it into a speech signal (S), a signal processing unit (12) for processing the speech signal (S) and generating an output signal (A), and an output unit (18) for outputting an output signal (A) to a hearing aid user, wherein speech information is converted into a speech signal (S), wherein the speech signal (S) is processed by the signal processing unit (12) into an output signal (A) for output to the hearing aid user, wherein at least one emotion-correlated feature (F1, ..., F18, F1', ..., F18') is determined from the speech signal (S) and the output signal (A), wherein the emotion-correlated features (F1, ..., F18, F1', ...) determined from the speech signal (S) and the output signal (A), F18') are compared with each other and a comparison result is determined, and the signal processing unit (12) is adjusted depending on the comparison result.