Microphone Device Spatial Audio Processing for Hearing Aids
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Solution Overview
Problem
Hearing-impaired individuals face challenges in understanding speech in environments with multiple speakers due to inadequate signal-to-noise ratio and lack of spatial information in audio signals, with existing solutions either requiring excessive effort or failing to provide effective spatial context.
Innovation Solution
A microphone device that forms multiple sound receiving beams with different spatial orientations, processes sound using a Head Related Transfer Function (HRTF) to generate a multichannel output audio signal, and transmits this signal to hearing devices, incorporating a reference point to prioritize sound from specific directions, thereby enhancing speech intelligibility by providing spatial context.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single wireless microphone is used to provide audio to a hearing-impaired person, then the device complexity is low, but the speech intelligibility deteriorates in environments with multiple speakers due to decreased signal-to-noise ratio
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the audio capture function into multiple independent microphones (first, second, and third microphones) positioned at different locations. Each microphone captures sound from different spatial directions, and the processor segments the audio signals to identify and prioritize the target speaker's voice while suppressing background noise and other speakers, thereby improving speech intelligibility without requiring every speaker to have a dedicated microphone
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a processor as an intermediary between the multiple microphones and the hearing device. The processor applies beamforming algorithms and spatial filtering to combine signals from multiple microphones, enhancing the target speaker's voice while suppressing noise and competing speakers. This intermediary processing enables a single microphone system to effectively handle multiple speaker environments
2Reliability
If every speaker holds or wears a wireless microphone to improve speech intelligibility, then the speech intelligibility improves, but the ease of operation deteriorates due to excessive effort required from the hearing-impaired person
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a universal microphone system that can serve multiple speakers simultaneously using a single fixed microphone device. The system performs multiple functions: capturing audio from multiple speakers, identifying the target speaker through voice characteristics or user selection, applying spatial filtering, and transmitting processed audio to the hearing device. This eliminates the need for the hearing-impaired person to distribute microphones to each speaker while maintaining speech intelligibility
3Device complexity
If a table microphone is used to receive sound from the environment, then the device complexity remains low, but the spatial information is lost because monaural signals do not include spatial context
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from monaural (single-channel) audio capture to multichannel audio output by using multiple microphones arranged in a spatial configuration. The processor applies beamforming to create directional sound receiving beams with different spatial orientations, and outputs multichannel audio signals that preserve spatial information. This dimensional transformation from single-channel to multi-channel enables the hearing device to reproduce spatial context while maintaining simple table microphone form factor
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosed technology generally relates to a microphone device configured to receive sound from different beams, where each beam has a different spatial orientation and is configured to receive sound from different directions. The microphone device is also configured to process the received sound using a generic or specific head related transfer function (HRTF) to generate processed audio and transmit the processed audio to hearing devices worn by a hearing-impaired user. Additionally, the microphone device can use a reference line and/or reference point when processing the received audio.