Selective Spectral Channel Enhancement for Speech Signals
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current speech processing technologies, including hearing aids and cochlear implants, struggle to effectively enhance speech signals for individuals with sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL), particularly due to reduced spectral contrast and frequency selectivity, leading to difficulties in discerning speech information in noise and impaired auditory processing.
Innovation Solution
A system and method for selectively enhancing audio signals by dividing them into spectral channels and applying contrast enhancement only to those channels corresponding to pathological frequency ranges, using a contrast enhancement algorithm that mimics natural auditory processes to sharpen spectral differences and improve speech intelligibility without distorting unenhanced portions of the signal.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If uniform contrast enhancement is applied across all spectral channels, then spectral contrast is improved, but speech intelligibility deteriorates due to distortion of unenhanced portions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies contrast enhancement selectively only to spectral channels within the pathological response range of the individual's ear, while leaving channels outside this range unenhanced. This local application of enhancement preserves natural spectral information in unimpaired frequency regions while compensating for losses in impaired regions, thereby maintaining overall speech intelligibility while improving spectral contrast where needed.
2Use of energy by moving object
If simple amplification is applied to overcome sensitivity loss, then signal level is improved, but spectral detail deteriorates due to blurring from broadened auditory filters
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of uniformly amplifying the signal, the patent changes the spectral distribution parameters by applying contrast enhancement specifically to channels within the pathological response range. This selectively boosts spectral contrast in affected frequency regions without uniformly increasing overall signal level, thereby preserving spectral detail while compensating for sensitivity loss in specific frequency bands.
3Measurement precision
If enhancement processing is applied to all spectral channels, then spectral contrast is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and processes only the spectral channels that fall within the individual's pathological response range, separating these from channels outside the range. By isolating and enhancing only the necessary channels rather than processing the entire spectrum, the system reduces computational complexity while maintaining the spectral contrast improvement benefits in the critical frequency regions.
Data Source
AI summary
A system and method for selectively enhancing an audio signal to make sounds, particularly speech sounds, more distinguishable. The system and method are designed to divide an input auditory signal into a plurality of spectral channels having associated unenhanced signals and perform enhancement processing on a first subset of the spectral channels and not perform enhancement processing on a second subset of the spectral channels. The enhancement processing is performed by determining an output gain for at least the first subset of spectral channels based on a time-varying history of energy of the unenhanced signals associated with each channel in the first subset of the spectral channels and applying the output gain for each of the first subset of the spectral channels to the unenhanced signals to form enhanced signals associated with each of the first subset of the spectral channels. The system and method are then designed to combine the plurality of enhanced signals associated with each of the first subset of the spectral channels and the unenhanced signals associated with each of the second subset of the spectral channels to form a selectively enhanced output auditory signal.