Hearing Aid Signal Processing for Natural Self-Speaking Voice
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hearing aid technologies struggle to enhance the naturalness of a user's self-speaking voice while preserving ambient sounds, often leading to cancellation of both self-speaking and ambient sounds.
Innovation Solution
A signal processing method for hearing aid apparatuses that collects a first signal containing both the user's self-speaking voice and ambient sounds, and a second signal containing only the self-speaking voice. The method processes the sound signal of the user in the first signal based on both signals to obtain a target signal, avoiding cancellation of ambient sounds.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If phase and amplitude adjustment is applied to cancel the original in-ear signal, then the self-speaking voice becomes more natural, but the ambient sound is also canceled out
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the original in-ear signal into two distinct components: self-speaking voice and ambient sound. By separating these components, the system can apply different processing strategies to each - canceling the self-speaking voice through phase and amplitude adjustment while preserving the ambient sound, thereby resolving the contradiction between naturalness and information loss
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by treating different parts of the signal differently. Specifically, it applies phase and amplitude adjustment selectively to the self-speaking voice portion of the signal while leaving the ambient sound portion unchanged, allowing each component to be optimized for its specific function without negatively affecting the other
2Reliability
If the original in-ear signal is collected and processed for noise reduction, then the self-speaking voice quality improves, but the ambient sound perception is lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the harmful component (self-speaking voice) from the original in-ear signal for processing, while preserving the useful component (ambient sound). By taking out only the self-speaking voice portion for phase and amplitude adjustment, the system achieves noise reduction and improved voice quality without affecting ambient sound perception
Solution Approach 2:
The patent converts the harmful effect of the self-speaking voice (which causes dull and loud perception) into a benefit by applying phase and amplitude adjustment. This processing transforms the problematic self-speaking voice into a natural-sounding component while simultaneously preserving the ambient sound, turning the original problem into a solution
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments of this application provide example signal processing methods, example apparatuses, and example device control methods and apparatuses. One example signal processing method is applied to a hearing aid apparatus. The method includes collecting a first signal and a second signal if it is detected that a user wears the hearing aid apparatus and the user makes a sound, where the first signal includes a self-speaking voice of the user and an ambient sound, and the second signal includes a sound signal of the user.