Binaural Hearing Aid Microphone Self-Calibration
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing aids with binaural fitting face challenges in compensating for deviations in microphone properties that occur during operation, leading to asymmetric changes affecting sound localization and speech understanding in noisy environments.
Innovation Solution
A hearing aid system with two acousto-electrical converters and a signal processing device that identifies and compensates for signal deviations using the wearer's own voice characteristics, allowing for automatic and continuous adjustment without user intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If manual pairing of microphones with matching properties is performed during manufacture, then initial signal symmetry is improved, but manufacturing complexity increases and operational changes over time are not prevented
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing aid system automatically detects and compensates for microphone deviations using the wearer's own voice as a reference signal. The system self-adjusts by identifying deviations between left and right microphone signals and applying compensatory measures, eliminating the need for complex manual pairing procedures during manufacturing.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors the signals from both microphones and uses the wearer's voice as feedback to detect deviations. Based on this feedback, the signal processing device automatically adjusts compensation parameters to maintain signal symmetry, creating a closed-loop control system that adapts to operational changes over time.
2Reliability
If binaural signal processing is implemented, then speech understanding in noisy environments is improved, but sensitivity to signal deviations increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses the wearer's own voice as an internal reference standard to detect microphone deviations. By comparing the signals from both microphones during voice production, the system automatically identifies and compensates for deviations, maintaining reliable binaural signal processing without requiring external calibration equipment or procedures.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically adjusts signal processing parameters based on detected microphone deviations. When deviations are identified through comparison of binaural signals, the system modifies compensation parameters in real-time to correct amplitude, phase, or frequency mismatches, thereby maintaining optimal speech understanding performance in noisy environments.
3Adaptability or versatility
If microphone properties are allowed to change during operation, then adaptability to environmental conditions is improved, but signal symmetry deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors microphone signal symmetry using the wearer's voice as reference and automatically applies compensation when deviations are detected. This closed-loop feedback mechanism allows the system to adapt to operational changes in microphone properties while maintaining signal symmetry, reconciling adaptability with stability.
Solution Approach 2:
The hearing aid system performs self-diagnosis and self-correction by using the wearer's own voice to detect microphone deviations and automatically applying compensatory signal processing. This self-service capability enables the system to maintain signal symmetry despite operational changes in microphone properties over time.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system ensures reliable and consistent sound processing over time by accurately determining and compensating for amplitude, phase, and frequency deviations between the two hearing aids, enhancing speech understanding and sound localization.
Implementation Method 1
The first hearing aid device has a first acousto-electrical converter and the second hearing aid device has a second acousto-electrical converter. The transducers are designed to convert incoming acoustic signals into first and second electrical signals.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
The invention relates to a hearing aid system. The hearing aid system comprises a first and a second hearing aid device, each with a first and second acousto-electric transducer. The transducers are in signal communication with a signal processing unit, which determines and compensates for the signal deviations caused by the first and second acousto-electric transducers based on signals from the wearer's own voice.