Hearing Prosthesis Sound Processor Configuration via External Control Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing prostheses face challenges in optimally processing audio input from external devices, such as smartphones and televisions, due to varying audio characteristics like dynamic range and content types, which can affect sound perception for individuals with hearing impairments.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an automated configuration method for the sound processor in hearing prostheses, where an external device transmits control signals indicating audio characteristics, allowing the hearing prosthesis to dynamically adjust its settings for optimal processing, including adjusting gain tracking, frequency filtering, and reducing latency for different types of audio content.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the sound processor uses fixed processing settings, then the device complexity is reduced, but the adaptability to different audio characteristics deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The external device performs preliminary analysis of audio characteristics (dynamic range, content type, latency requirements) and transmits control signals to the sound processor before audio processing begins. This allows the sound processor to be pre-configured with appropriate settings, eliminating the need for complex real-time analysis while maintaining high adaptability to different audio sources
Solution Approach 2:
Control signals act as an intermediary between the external device and the sound processor, carrying information about audio characteristics. This intermediary mechanism allows the sound processor to adapt to different audio sources without requiring complex built-in analysis capabilities, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and device complexity
2Reliability
If the sound processor dynamically adjusts settings for different audio characteristics, then the sound perception quality is improved, but the processing time increases
Solution Approach 1:
Audio characteristic analysis and processing parameter determination are performed in advance by the external device and communicated via control signals. This preliminary configuration eliminates the need for time-consuming real-time analysis during audio playback, ensuring both high sound perception quality and minimal processing delay
Solution Approach 2:
The system skips the time-consuming step of real-time audio analysis by relying on pre-analyzed control signals from the external device. This allows the sound processor to quickly adapt to different audio characteristics without introducing significant processing delays, thus reducing time loss while maintaining quality
3Reliability
If the sound processor applies extensive signal processing, then the sound perception quality is improved, but the latency increases
Solution Approach 1:
Based on control signals indicating audio characteristics, the sound processor applies signal processing selectively and locally. For example, if the control signal indicates music content with wide dynamic range, the processor applies aggressive compression only to relevant frequency bands and time windows, rather than uniformly processing all audio. This localized processing maintains sound quality while minimizing overall latency
Solution Approach 2:
The sound processor applies partial processing based on the specific needs indicated by control signals. Rather than always applying full signal processing, it selectively applies processing only when and where needed based on audio characteristics, thus maintaining quality where necessary while reducing latency in other areas
Data Source
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AI summary
As disclosed, a hearing prosthesis that receives audio provided by an external device will also receive from the external device a control signal that indicates one or more characteristics of the audio, such as a specification of a dynamic range of the audio content, a specification of latency-sensitivity of the audio content, or various other characteristics of the audio. The hearing prosthesis then responds to receipt of the control signal by automatically configuring its sound processor in a manner based at least in part on the indicated one or more characteristics of the audio content, to help facilitate processing of the received audio.