Hearing Device Dynamic Microphone Gain Control
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing devices experience noise and static issues during wireless streaming due to excessive microphone gain, which amplifies environmental noise, leading to poor sound quality.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a method in hearing devices to dynamically adjust microphone gain based on the acoustic environment by using a digital signal processor to detect and classify sound types of interest, thereby automatically attenuating or increasing gain to optimize sound quality during streaming.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If microphone gain is increased to capture ambient sounds, then sound capture capability is improved, but noise and static increase during streaming
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic microphone gain adjustment by continuously monitoring acoustic environment characteristics and automatically adapting gain levels. The system transitions from static gain settings to dynamic control, adjusting microphone sensitivity in real-time based on detected sound types and environmental conditions during streaming operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the gain parameter of the microphone based on detected acoustic conditions. By monitoring environmental characteristics and adjusting the gain parameter dynamically, the system optimizes sound capture while minimizing noise amplification, directly addressing the contradiction between capture capability and noise generation.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If microphone gain is reduced to minimize noise, then noise levels decrease, but sound quality and clarity deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the gain parameter based on environmental acoustic characteristics. By changing gain levels adaptively rather than using fixed reduction, the system maintains sound quality when conditions permit while minimizing noise when necessary, resolving the trade-off between noise reduction and quality preservation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors acoustic environment feedback and uses this information to adjust microphone gain levels. This closed-loop control ensures that gain is reduced only when environmental conditions warrant noise minimization, while maintaining optimal sound quality when the acoustic environment is favorable.
3Device complexity
If fixed gain is used for audio streaming, then system complexity is reduced, but adaptability to different acoustic environments decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from fixed gain configuration to dynamic gain adjustment by implementing real-time monitoring of acoustic environments and automatic adaptation of microphone parameters. This dynamic approach enhances adaptability to varying acoustic conditions while maintaining manageable system complexity through automated control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs self-adjustment of microphone gain based on environmental monitoring without requiring manual intervention. The automatic detection and adaptation mechanisms enable the system to serve itself by optimizing its own performance across different acoustic environments, reducing the need for complex external control systems.
Data Source
AI summary
A hearing device comprises a microphone configured to produce microphone signals and is coupled to an input of a first amplifier. A wireless transceiver is configured to receive an audio stream and is coupled to an input of a second amplifier. The second amplifier is configured to amplify the audio stream at a pre-established gain. A digital signal processor (DSP) is coupled to the microphone and the first and second amplifiers. The DSP is configured to monitor the microphone signals for a predetermined sound type of interest to the wearer during playback of the audio stream by a speaker and, while maintaining playback of the audio stream at the pre-established gain, automatically adjust gain of the first amplifier coupled to the microphone in response to detecting the predetermined sound type of interest.