Hearing Device Sidetone Gain Adjustment Using an Auditory Model
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing hearing devices lack an effective and user-friendly method to adjust sidetone gain, leading to users speaking too loudly or softly, which can disrupt conversations and affect communication effectiveness.
Innovation Solution
A hearing device with a processing unit that adjusts sidetone gain by processing input signals using a peripheral auditory model to determine a sidetone parameter, allowing for automatic adjustment of sidetone gain based on user voice, background noise, and far-end voice levels, without requiring manual user interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If manual adjustment of sidetone gain is used, then users can control their speaking volume, but the device complexity increases and user convenience decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The hearing device automatically adjusts sidetone gain without user intervention by using a peripheral auditory model to analyze the user's voice characteristics and dynamically modify the sidetone signal. This self-adjusting mechanism eliminates manual controls while maintaining optimal sidetone levels adapted to each user's speaking patterns.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically changes the sidetone gain parameter based on real-time analysis of the user's voice signal characteristics. The processing unit continuously monitors voice level and spectral properties, automatically adjusting the sidetone parameter to match the user's auditory perception needs without requiring manual intervention.
2Reliability
If sidetone gain is increased to help users hear their own voice, then users can speak more naturally, but users may speak too softly and disrupt conversations
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements a feedback loop where the user's voice signal is continuously monitored, analyzed through the peripheral auditory model, and used to dynamically adjust the sidetone gain. This closed-loop control ensures that sidetone levels are optimized to help users hear themselves clearly while preventing excessive volume that would disturb others in the conversation.
Solution Approach 2:
The sidetone gain is made dynamic rather than fixed, automatically adapting to the user's speaking level and environmental conditions. The processing unit continuously adjusts the sidetone parameter in real-time, increasing gain when the user speaks softly and decreasing it when the user speaks loudly, thereby maintaining natural conversation flow without disturbing others.
3Object-generated harmful factors
If sidetone gain is decreased to prevent disturbance to others, then conversation comfort is improved, but users may speak too loudly and affect communication effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The feedback mechanism continuously monitors the user's speaking level and automatically adjusts sidetone gain to compensate when the user speaks too loudly. This ensures that users maintain comfortable speaking volumes without disturbing others, while the system preserves communication effectiveness by providing appropriate auditory feedback proportional to the user's actual voice level.
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed is a hearing device (100) configured to adjust a sidetone gain. The hearing device comprises an input transducer (20), a transceiver (25), a processing unit (30) and an output transducer (40). The processing unit (30) comprises a first component (32, 2, 3, 6, 8, 9) arranged in connection with the input transducer (20) and the transceiver (25) and configured to process the input signals (S1, S2, S3) to obtain processed input signals (S6, S7, S8), a second component (34, 4, 7, 10, 11) configured to receive the processed input signals (S6, S7, S8) and to apply a model to the processed input signals (S6, S7, S8) to determine a sidetone parameter (S12), and a third component (36) configured to adjust a sidetone gain of the first part of the input signal (S1), based on the sidetone parameter (S12), to obtain the output signal (S13) having the adjusted sidetone gain.