Hearing Device Speech Volume Feedback Loop
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing devices with noise suppression features often result in users speaking too softly in noisy environments, making them harder to understand, due to the reduction of ambient noise, which existing technologies have not effectively addressed.
Innovation Solution
A method for operating a hearing device that determines a target speech volume based on the current environment's noise level and adjusts the user's speech volume by comparing the actual volume to the target, using noise suppression and own voice detection to encourage the user to speak louder when necessary, through various measures such as amplification profiles, spatial filtering, and feedback mechanisms.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If noise suppression is activated to reduce ambient noise, then the user perceives quieter surroundings, but the user speaks at a lower volume making them harder to understand
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the user's speech volume and provides feedback by comparing actual volume to target volume. When the user speaks too softly, the system generates audible feedback signals (beeps or tone increases) that prompt the user to speak louder, thereby maintaining speech intelligibility while noise suppression remains active
Solution Approach 2:
The system enables the user to self-regulate their speech volume by providing real-time feedback about their speaking level. The user autonomously adjusts their volume based on the feedback signals, making the system self-correcting without requiring external intervention
2Object-affected harmful factors
If a beamformer with narrow focus is used to filter ambient noise, then noise reduction is improved, but speech intelligibility deteriorates due to the narrow focus
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses feedback to monitor and alert the user when speech volume is insufficient. The feedback mechanism compensates for the narrow focus effect by prompting users to speak louder, ensuring their speech remains intelligible even when the beamformer restricts the acoustic field
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3~4
AI summary
A method for operating a hearing aid (2) in a given environment (U) is described, wherein a noise reduction function (8) of the hearing aid (2) is activated to reduce ambient noise (6) for a user (4) of the hearing aid (2), wherein a target value (S) for the speech volume of the user (4) is determined for the given environment (U), wherein an actual value (I) for the speech volume of the user (4) is measured, and wherein, if the actual value (I) is lower than the target value (S), the hearing aid (2) takes action to cause the user (4) to speak louder. A hearing aid (2) is further described.