Hearing Assistance Audio Synchronization via Auracast Correlation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hearing assistance systems face challenges in optimizing audio quality without significantly increasing resource demands, particularly in adjusting audio processing to various usage situations, such as timing and level, without user interaction.
Innovation Solution
The system provides an audio source signal as both a wireless stream and an acoustic stream, using audio processing metadata to automatically adjust audio signal processing in the audio listening device, minimizing delay and level differences between the wireless and ambient audio signals, and optimizing wireless scheduling based on correlation analysis.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If audio processing parameters are manually adjusted in the hearing device, then audio quality can be optimized for specific situations, but user interaction is required and operation becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing device automatically determines correlation between audio signals and adjusts processing parameters without user interaction. The device self-configures delay and level settings by analyzing the correlation between wireless audio signals and ambient acoustic signals, eliminating the need for manual user adjustment while maintaining optimized audio quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses feedback from correlation analysis between received audio signals and captured ambient signals to automatically adjust processing parameters. The hearing device continuously monitors the relationship between wireless and acoustic streams, using this feedback to dynamically optimize delay and level settings for different usage situations
2Manufacturing precision
If delay compensation is implemented in the hearing device, then lip-synchronization is improved, but processing complexity and resource consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
Delay compensation values are determined in advance through correlation analysis of audio signals. The system pre-calculates the optimal delay settings by analyzing the relationship between wireless and ambient audio streams before rendering, allowing lip-synchronization to be achieved without complex real-time processing in the hearing device
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary correlation analysis mechanism that mediates between the wireless audio signal and ambient acoustic signal. This intermediary process determines the optimal delay compensation value by analyzing their relationship, simplifying the overall system architecture while achieving accurate lip-synchronization
3Manufacturing precision
If multiple audio signals are processed and mixed, then audio quality is improved, but resource consumption in the hearing device increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts only the essential processing operations needed for audio quality optimization. Instead of fully processing and mixing multiple audio signals with equal detail, the system extracts and applies only the critical delay compensation and level adjustment parameters derived from correlation analysis, reducing computational load while maintaining audio quality
Solution Approach 2:
The system optimizes resource consumption by changing processing parameters dynamically based on correlation analysis results. Instead of consistently processing all audio signals at full resolution, the hearing device adjusts processing intensity and parameters according to the determined correlation and delay values, maintaining audio quality while reducing energy consumption
Data Source
Figure 1
AI summary
There is provided a hearing assistance system comprising: an audio broadcast device (14) configured to receive an audio source signal as a non-acoustic first audio signal (20) from an audio source device (12), add audio processing metadata (38) to the first audio signal; and broadcast, via a wireless interface (40) of the audio broadcast device, the first audio signal together with the audio processing metadata, as an Auracast broadcast stream; (42); a microphone arrangement (28) configured to receive the audio source signal as an acoustic stream (18) and capture a second audio signal (30) from the acoustic stream; a correlation unit (32) configured to determine a correlation of the first audio signal and the second audio signal; a metadata configuration unit (36) configured to configure the audio processing metadata based on the determined correlation; and an audio listening device (16) for rendering the first audio signal to the user, including a wireless interface (44) configured to receive the Auracast broadcast stream from the audio broadcast device, a signal processing unit (46) configured to process the received first audio signal according to the received audio processing metadata, and an output transducer (50) configured to stimulate the user's hearing according to the processed received first audio signal (64).