Hearing Aid Frequency Contrast Enhancement

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Solution Overview

Problem

Conventional hearing aid systems do not effectively address auditory-nerve dysfunction caused by aging, ototoxic drug exposure, or noise trauma, as this type of hearing deficit is often undiagnosed during traditional fitting processes, leaving few methods to alleviate the associated hearing impairment.

Innovation Solution

A method for operating a hearing aid system that involves splitting input signals into frequency bands, determining signal variability, setting a threshold level based on maximum and minimum variability measures, and applying gains to enhance frequency contrast, thereby improving sound processing for individuals with auditory-nerve dysfunction.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If conventional hearing aid systems are used for traditional hearing loss compensation, then elevated hearing thresholds are alleviated, but auditory-nerve dysfunction caused by aging, ototoxic drug exposure, or noise trauma is not effectively addressed

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveeffectiveness for auditory-nerve dysfunctionVSAvoidcoverage of different hearing deficiency types

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent changes the processing parameters by introducing frequency contrast enhancement through temporal masking reduction. The system calculates temporal masking thresholds and applies frequency-dependent gains to enhance contrast between adjacent frequency bands, which specifically addresses auditory-nerve dysfunction while maintaining compatibility with traditional hearing threshold compensation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

2Measurement precision

If frequency-dependent gain is applied to compensate elevated hearing thresholds, then hearing sensitivity is improved, but speech intelligibility for auditory-nerve dysfunction remains insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehearing threshold compensationVSAvoidspeech intelligibility

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments the audio signal into multiple frequency bands and processes each band separately by calculating temporal masking thresholds and applying frequency-dependent gains. This segmentation allows simultaneous optimization for both hearing threshold compensation and speech intelligibility enhancement

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent applies local quality enhancement by calculating temporal masking thresholds for each frequency band and applying frequency-dependent gains locally. This enhances speech intelligibility in specific frequency regions where auditory-nerve dysfunction affects speech perception, while maintaining overall hearing threshold compensation

Inventive Principle:

Principle #3Local quality

3Productivity

If traditional hearing aid processing is used, then basic hearing amplification is achieved, but temporal masking effects reduce speech intelligibility for auditory-nerve dysfunction

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvehearing amplification efficiencyVSAvoidspeech intelligibility

Core Design Contradiction:

ProductivityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The patent applies preliminary anti-action by calculating temporal masking thresholds before applying gain adjustments. The system pre-computes the masking effects and uses this information to guide frequency-dependent gain application, thereby counteracting temporal masking effects that would otherwise reduce speech intelligibility

Inventive Principle:

Principle #9Preliminary anti-action

Data Source

PatentUS10111012B2Hearing aid system and a method of operating a hearing aid system

Publication Date: 2018.10.23 WIDEX AS

AI summary

A method (200) of operating a hearing aid system based on an enhancement of frequency contrast by increasing the gain applied to a frequency band if a measure of the signal variability is above a threshold that depends on the signal variability in other frequency bands and a hearing aid system (100) for carrying out the method.