Hearing Device Dynamic Time Constant Adjustment
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Solution Overview
Problem
Modern hearing devices take a long time to adjust to changing listening situations, leading to delayed fine-tuning and inappropriate sound processing parameters when environments change rapidly.
Innovation Solution
A method that identifies listening situations using sound classification, selects and mixes hearing programs based on these situations, and applies adjustment commands dynamically, with parameters updated depending on the change rate of the environment, allowing for real-time tuning in fluctuating situations and permanent adjustments in stable conditions.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Stability of the object's composition
If the hearing device uses a long time constant for automatic program mixing, then the system achieves stable processing mode, but the device takes too long to adapt to changing listening situations
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic time constant adjustment where the time constant is not fixed but varies based on the stability of the listening situation. When the classifier detects rapid changes in listening situations, the system reduces the time constant to enable faster adaptation. Conversely, when situations are stable, the longer time constant maintains optimal processing. This dynamic adjustment resolves the contradiction between stability and adaptation speed.
2Ease of operation
If the hearing device allows user fine-tuning during rapid situation changes, then user control is improved, but the adjustments become inappropriate due to lagging sound processing parameters
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of listening situation stability before enabling user fine-tuning. The classifier continuously monitors the environment and determines whether the situation is stable or rapidly changing. Only when stability is confirmed does the system enable user adjustments, ensuring that fine-tuning occurs only when parameters are reliable and appropriate for the current acoustic environment.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides feedback to the user about the current listening situation stability and system state. This feedback mechanism allows the user to understand when adjustments are appropriate and when the system is still adapting, preventing inappropriate fine-tuning during rapid transitions while maintaining full control during stable periods.
Data Source
Figure 1~2
AI summary
A method for adjusting a hearing device (12) comprises: receiving an input sound signal (50); identifying a listening situation (54) based on the input sound signal (50) by means of sound classification; selecting at least one from a plurality of hearing programs (74) in dependence of the identified listening situation (54), wherein one or more processing parameters (66) are associated with the hearing programs (74); processing the input sound signal (50) using the at least one selected hearing program (74) to generate a processed sound signal (76, 80) and providing the processed sound signal (76, 80) to a user of the hearing device (12), wherein preset processing parameters (66) for the at least one selected hearing program (74) are applied to the at least one selected hearing program (74); receiving an adjustment command (62) for the one or more processing parameters (66), the adjustment command (62) being generated by the user with a user interface (40) and determining one or more adjusted processing parameters (68) from the adjustment command (62); determining a change rate (58) at which the listening situation (54) changes; applying the one or more adjusted processing parameters (68) to a possible set of hearing programs (74) from the plurality of hearing programs (74) and updating the preset processing parameters (68) for the at least one selected hearing program (74) to the adjusted processing parameters (68) in dependence of the change rate (58).