Hearing Device Active Occlusion Control Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Users of hearing devices often experience an unpleasant 'occlusion effect' when first using them, requiring frequent adjustments by a professional to fine-tune the active occlusion control (AOC) settings, which is time-consuming and costly.
Innovation Solution
A method and device that allow users to manually or remotely adjust AOC settings, including filtering parameters like gain, centre frequency, and filtering coefficients, using control elements or voice commands, enabling personalized adjustments based on listening situations and user preferences, with safety limits to prevent unstable operation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a hearing device seals the ear canal to improve sound transmission, then hearing ability is improved, but the occlusion effect increases making the user's own voice sound loud and unnatural
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting the filter characteristics (cut-off frequency, gain) of the occlusion reduction system based on the user's speech detection and feedback signals. When the user speaks, the system detects the speech signal and modifies the filter parameters to reduce the occlusion effect specifically during speech production, while maintaining the seal benefits for hearing external sounds.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using a microphone to capture sound in the ear canal, processing this signal through a filter, and feeding the filtered signal back to actively reduce the occlusion effect. The system continuously monitors the ear canal acoustic environment and adjusts the active occlusion reduction based on detected speech signals and user feedback, creating a closed-loop control system.
2Ease of operation
If professional fitting adjustments are made to optimize AOC settings, then user comfort is improved, but time and cost increase due to multiple fitting visits
Solution Approach 1:
The patent enables self-service by allowing users to manually adjust AOC parameters using control elements in the hearing device or by providing feedback signals through the microphone. Users can independently optimize their own comfort settings without requiring repeated professional fitting visits, thereby reducing time loss while maintaining ease of operation through intuitive control mechanisms.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies dynamics by making the AOC settings adjustable and adaptable rather than fixed. The system allows dynamic modification of filter parameters during use, either through manual user control or automatic adjustment based on detected speech and acoustic environment, enabling the device to adapt to changing user needs and listening situations.
3Object-affected harmful factors
If filter parameters are adjusted to reduce occlusion effect, then perception of own voice is improved, but acoustic feedback and whistling may increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies parameter changes by dynamically adjusting filter characteristics (cut-off frequency, gain) based on speech detection and feedback monitoring. When speech is detected, the system modifies filter parameters to reduce occlusion effect while simultaneously monitoring for acoustic feedback conditions and adjusting parameters to prevent whistling and instability, thus managing both harmful effects through adaptive parameter control.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements feedback by using a microphone to capture ear canal sound and processing this signal through a filter with adjustable parameters. The system monitors the feedback path and adjusts filter settings to reduce occlusion effect during speech while preventing acoustic feedback and whistling by detecting instability conditions and modifying filter characteristics accordingly.
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
Enables users to customize AOC settings independently, reducing the need for repeated professional fittings and improving the perception of their own voice, thus enhancing user comfort and reducing costs associated with frequent adjustments.
Implementation Method 1
sound in the auditory canal is picked up by a microphone
Implementation Method 2
an electrical-to-acoustical converter which is adapted to emit the processed signal into the auditory canal
Implementation Method 3
the microphone signal is applied to a filter. The filtered microphone signal is fed back
Implementation Method 4
It is caused by bone-conducted sound vibrations reverberating off the object filling the ear canal
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
The present invention proposes a method for operating a hearing device (1) adapted for being worn at least partially within an ear canal of a user, comprising an ear canal microphone (2), a filtering unit (3) and an electrical-to-acoustical converter (4), capable of active occlusion control (AOC) and allowing the user to adjust the AOC functionality according to his or her preferences. The proposed method comprises the steps of picking up an ear canal internal sound at an input of the ear canal microphone (2) which provides an ear canal signal representative of the ear canal internal sound, filtering the ear canal signal with the filtering unit (3) configured to reduce a perceived level of body sounds produced by the user, the filtering unit (3) providing a filtered ear canal signal, providing the filtered ear canal signal to an input of the electrical-to-acoustical converter (4) which outputs sound into the ear canal, and changing at least one setting or parameter of the filtering unit (3) in dependence of a control signal, wherein the control signal is initiated by the user. Moreover, a hearing device (1) adapted to perform the proposed method is provided.