Hearing Aid Sub-Band Combining for Adaptive Compression Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hearing aids face challenges in managing noise reduction and compression channels, as increasing the number of channels can lead to unnecessary compression at high signal-to-noise ratios, while reducing channels creates hard lines between neighboring channels, and adapting the number of channels is undesirable due to complexity and unjustifiable grouping.
Innovation Solution
A hearing aid with a sub-band combiner that creates dependencies between sub-bands, parameterized by a contextual parameter such as signal-to-noise ratio, to determine processing parameters for improved sound quality, balancing noise management and compression, using a sub-band combiner to combine sub-band signals based on contextual parameters like signal-to-noise ratio.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the number of noise reduction or compression channels is increased, then accurate gain shaping and noise management improve, but unnecessary compression occurs at high signal-to-noise ratios
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the effective number of channels variable through adaptive dependency creation. The sub-band combiner dynamically adjusts the coupling between sub-bands based on signal-to-noise ratio conditions, allowing the system to behave as if having different numbers of channels without actually changing the channel structure. This resolves the contradiction by enabling accurate gain shaping when needed while preventing unnecessary compression in high SNR conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the parameter of channel dependency through the sub-band combiner, controlled by signal-to-noise ratio thresholds. By adjusting the dependency parameter adaptively, the system can switch between having more independent channels (for noise management) and more coupled channels (to avoid over-compression), thus resolving the contradiction between accurate gain shaping and avoiding unnecessary compression.
2Device complexity
If the number of noise reduction or compression channels is reduced, then the number of gain maps decreases, but hard lines are created between neighboring channels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses dynamics to create soft, adaptive boundaries between channel groups. Instead of fixed hard lines, the sub-band combiner creates gradual transitions in channel dependency based on local signal conditions. This allows the system to have fewer effective channels (reducing gain map complexity) while maintaining channel continuity through adaptive coupling that avoids abrupt transitions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies local quality by creating channel dependencies based on local signal-to-noise ratio conditions in different frequency regions. The sub-band combiner allows different degrees of coupling between neighboring sub-bands depending on their individual noise characteristics, thus reducing overall complexity while maintaining appropriate channel continuity where needed and creating boundaries only where justified by local conditions.
3Measurement precision
If dependencies are created between sub-bands, then compression perception improves, but noise management of narrow-band noise deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by adaptively controlling the degree of sub-band coupling based on signal-to-noise ratio conditions. When noise is present, the system creates appropriate dependencies to improve compression perception. When narrow-band noise is detected, the system reduces dependency to maintain effective noise management. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between compression perception and noise management.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the dependency parameter adaptively based on noise characteristics. By monitoring signal-to-noise ratio and noise type, the sub-band combiner adjusts the coupling strength between sub-bands, enabling the system to optimize compression perception in clean conditions while maintaining narrow-band noise management capability when needed.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a hearing aid. The hearing aid can include a signal processor including a sub-band combiner configured to combine a plurality of sub-band combiner input signals and determine a plurality of combined sub-band signals based on a contextual parameter. Further disclosed are embodiments of a method for providing an auditory output sound.