Intelligent Hearing Aid Context Analysis

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current hearing aids primarily focus on device-level innovations for adjusting hearing and frequency, but lack the ability to analyze and respond to user context and state, such as cognitive, emotional, and environmental factors, to provide personalized and adaptive hearing assistance.

Innovation Solution

An intelligent hearing aid device equipped with input/output capabilities and connected to a voice-controlled intelligent personal assistant, which analyzes audible indicators to adjust settings like volume, tone, and frequency, and performs hearing assistive actions based on user preferences, historical patterns, and context, including interactions with IoT devices and machine learning for proactive alerts and feedback.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If hearing aids use traditional device-level innovations for adjusting hearing and frequency, then basic hearing assistance is provided, but the ability to analyze and respond to user context and state is lacking

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveability to analyze and respond to user contextVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary computing device that acts as a mediator between the hearing aid and the user environment. This computing device analyzes audio data, user context, and historical patterns to generate hearing assistive actions, which are then transmitted back to the hearing aid for execution. This intermediary approach enables advanced adaptability without significantly increasing the complexity of the hearing aid itself.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The hearing aid system is enhanced with multi-functionality by integrating capabilities to detect audio data, analyze user context, recognize activity patterns, and perform various hearing assistive actions. The system can adapt to different user states (cognitive, emotional, physical) and perform multiple functions including noise filtering, volume adjustment, and contextual alerts, making it universally adaptable to diverse hearing needs.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Adaptability or versatility

If hearing aids perform basic audio processing, then hearing assistance is provided, but personalized and adaptive hearing assistance based on user preferences and historical patterns is not achieved

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvepersonalized and adaptive hearing assistanceVSAvoiduser context and historical pattern information
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSLoss of information

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary actions by collecting and analyzing user context information and historical activity patterns before providing hearing assistance. The computing device maintains a database of user preferences, historical patterns, and contextual information, which is processed in advance to prepare personalized hearing assistive actions. This preliminary analysis enables the system to provide adaptive hearing assistance based on predicted user needs and preferences.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If hearing aids focus on traditional hearing adjustment, then device simplicity is maintained, but user experience enhancement through personalized assistance is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser experienceVSAvoiddevice complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The hearing aid system implements self-service by automatically analyzing audio data, user context, and historical patterns to generate and execute hearing assistive actions without requiring manual user intervention. The computing device autonomously processes information and adjusts hearing parameters based on detected user needs, thereby enhancing user experience while maintaining ease of operation. The system serves itself by making intelligent decisions about when and how to provide hearing assistance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Data Source

PatentUS10916245B2Intelligent hearing aid
Publication Date: 2021.02.09 INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINE CORPORATION
  • US10916245B2 patent drawing
  • US10916245B2 patent drawing
  • US10916245B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Embodiments for using an intelligent hearing aid device by a processor. Audio data may be received and analyzed for a user according to a plurality of user preferences and interests, historical activity patterns of the user, or a combination thereof. One or more hearing assistive actions may be performed in relation to the audio data to facilitate hearing according to the plurality of user preferences and interests, historical activity patterns of the user, or a combination thereof.