Hearing Prosthesis Sound Processing for Music Perception
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional sound processing strategies for hearing prostheses are inadequate for reproducing music, as they focus primarily on speech and fail to fully capture the complexity of musical elements, resulting in unsatisfactory perception for users.
Innovation Solution
A sound processing strategy that identifies and processes tonal and atonal components of music signals, generating separate stimulation signals for acoustic and electrical outputs, and applies frequency transposition to improve music perception in hearing prosthesis systems.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If conventional speech processing strategies are applied to music, then speech understanding is improved, but music perception quality deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments music signals into distinct tonal and atonal components using spectral analysis and autocorrelation techniques. This segmentation allows different processing strategies to be applied to different musical elements, preserving the complexity and harmony of music while maintaining speech intelligibility through separate processing paths.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies different processing qualities to different frequency regions and signal components. Tonal components undergo pitch extraction and frequency transposition to enhance perceptibility, while atonal components are processed differently to preserve their characteristic sound. This local differentiation optimizes both speech and music perception.
2Device complexity
If simple processing strategies are used, then device complexity is reduced, but music complexity reproduction deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting music into tonal and atonal components, the patent enables targeted processing of complex musical elements without requiring complex processing for all signals. Simple algorithms can handle each component type appropriately, reducing overall device complexity while maintaining music reproduction quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes key parameters such as pitch, frequency, and amplitude separately for tonal and atonal components. Frequency transposition of tonal components to lower ranges and differential amplification of atonal components allow complex music to be reproduced using relatively simple processing operations applied to segmented signal components.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method may include receiving a sound signal and identifying a plurality of components of the sound signal. The plurality of components may include a tonal component and an atonal component. The method may further include generating a first stimulation signal based on the tonal component of the sound signal, wherein the first stimulation signal is configured for application by a first stimulator to provide an acoustic output from a hearing prosthesis system. In addition, the method may include generating a second stimulation signal based on the atonal component of the sound signal, wherein the second stimulation signal is configured for application by a second stimulator to provide an electrical output from the hearing prosthesis system.