Hearing Device Spatial Sound Positioning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional hearing devices struggle to effectively separate and localize multiple sound sources for hearing-impaired individuals, leading to difficulty in understanding speech in noisy environments due to internalized sound reproduction, which results in listening fatigue and reduced user satisfaction.
Innovation Solution
A new hearing device system that utilizes binaural filters with directional transfer functions to simulate the perception of sound sources' spatial positions, allowing users to select and focus on specific sound sources by displaying movable symbols on a control device and applying phase shifts and gain differences to the audio signals, mimicking the human auditory system's ability to localize sound in three-dimensional space.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional hearing devices reproduce sound internally without spatial positioning, then the hearing threshold is restored through amplification, but the user experiences listening fatigue and difficulty separating multiple sound sources
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dimensional transformation by converting monaural or stereo audio signals into binaural signals with spatial positioning information. By adding the dimension of spatial localization (azimuth and elevation angles) to the audio reproduction, the system enables users to distinguish and separate multiple sound sources in noisy environments, thereby reducing listening fatigue while maintaining hearing threshold restoration
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces binaural filters as intermediary components between the audio signal source and the user's ears. These filters process the audio signals to simulate sound waves arriving from specific directions, creating a virtual acoustic environment that helps users locate and focus on desired sound sources, thus reducing cognitive load and listening fatigue
2Reliability
If multiple monaural audio signal sources are transmitted to a binaural hearing aid, then the signal to noise ratio is improved, but the user finds it difficult to separate one signal source from another
Solution Approach 1:
The patent resolves the signal separation problem by adding spatial dimension information to each monaural audio signal. By assigning different azimuth and elevation angles to different signal sources and processing them through binaural filters, the system creates distinct spatial positions for each source, enabling the user's auditory system to separate and identify individual speakers even when multiple signals are transmitted simultaneously
Solution Approach 2:
The patent segments the mixed audio signal by applying different binaural filtering operations to separate monaural signal sources. Each signal source is processed independently with its own spatial parameters, creating segmented binaural output channels that preserve the individuality of each speaker's voice while maintaining improved signal-to-noise ratios
3Device complexity
If sound is reproduced without spatial positioning, then the device complexity is reduced, but the user's ability to localize sound sources and focus on desired signals is diminished
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements sound source localization by changing key parameters of the audio signal - specifically introducing azimuth and elevation angle parameters. The binaural filters process the signals with these spatial parameters to create directionally positioned sound images, enabling users to accurately locate sound sources without requiring overly complex hardware configurations
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
Enhances the user's ability to separate and understand multiple sound sources by externalizing sound perception, reducing cognitive loading and improving listening fatigue, allowing for better focus on desired audio signals in noisy environments.
Implementation Method 1
applying phase shifts and gain differences to the audio signals, mimicking the human auditory system's ability to localize sound in three-dimensional space
Implementation Method 2
binaural filters with directional transfer functions to simulate the perception of sound sources' spatial positions
Data Source
AI summary
A new hearing device system is disclosed herein. The hearing device system has a hearing device and a control device that allows a user to select perceived directions of arrival of selected sound signals transmitted to the hearing device.