Multi-directional Hearing Aid Adjustment via Image Capture
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing aids struggle to assist users in identifying and focusing on important sound sources, particularly when the source is not visually apparent or when the user is unable to see the source.
Innovation Solution
The hearing aid focusing system uses image capture devices to analyze the environment and identify significant sound sources based on visual indicators, then adjusts the microphones' focus vertically and horizontally to enhance sound from the identified source.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If hearing aids use traditional single-direction or horizontal plane microphone focusing, then the device complexity is kept simple, but the ability to focus on sound sources in three-dimensional space is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from traditional horizontal plane microphone focusing to three-dimensional sound source localization by adding vertical offset microphones. This dimensional expansion enables the system to capture sound sources at different elevation angles, providing comprehensive spatial awareness in both horizontal and vertical dimensions simultaneously.
Solution Approach 2:
The microphone array is segmented into multiple independently positioned microphones with specific horizontal and vertical offsets. Each microphone captures sound from its specific spatial position, and the system processes these segmented signals separately before combining them to achieve precise three-dimensional sound source localization and focusing.
2Measurement precision
If hearing aids rely solely on auditory information, then the ease of operation is maintained, but the ability to identify and focus on important sound sources is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges auditory information from microphones with visual information from image capture devices to create a multi-sensory system. The image data provides visual indicators that help identify and locate sound sources, while the microphone array captures the corresponding audio signals, creating a integrated audio-visual focusing capability that enhances sound source identification accuracy.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary processing mechanism that correlates visual indicators from image capture devices with auditory signals from microphones. This intermediary process matches visual sound source locations with corresponding audio signals, enabling more accurate identification and focusing on important sound sources by combining multiple sensory inputs.
3Measurement precision
If the hearing aid system integrates image capture devices and multiple microphones for multi-directional focusing, then the sound source localization accuracy is improved, but the use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements partial action by activating image capture devices and multi-directional microphone processing only when visual indicators suggest the presence of important sound sources. Rather than continuously operating all sensors at full capacity, the system selectively engages processing based on detected visual cues, reducing overall energy consumption while maintaining high localization accuracy when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
A hearing aid focusing system is provided to enables a user to hear an environmental sound. The focusing system adaptively adjusts a hearing aid in response to visual information about a user environment from one or more image capture devices. The focusing system analyzes images captured of the environment to identify one or more sources of sound that warrants user attention. Once a sound source is pinpointed and determined to be significant for the user, microphones of the hearing aid are automatically adjusted as needed in vertical and/or horizontal directions toward the sound source.