Portable Terminal Sound Source Localization for Hearing Aid Users
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional portable terminals do not effectively assist hearing-impaired users in locating and isolating sound sources, limiting their ability to navigate and interact with their environment.
Innovation Solution
A portable terminal equipped with a touch screen and multiple microphones that displays sound sources on a radarscope screen, allowing users to select and amplify specific sounds using gestures, and communicates with a hearing aid to provide enhanced audio feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If conventional portable terminals are used without sound source localization capability, then the device structure remains simple, but hearing-impaired users cannot locate or isolate sound sources effectively
Solution Approach 1:
The portable terminal integrates multiple functions including sound source localization, radarscope display, gesture recognition, and hearing aid communication into a single device. The controller manages diverse operations such as detecting sound sources, displaying visual information, recognizing user gestures, and communicating with external hearing aids, making the terminal universally adaptable to various user needs including hearing-impaired individuals.
2Ease of operation
If multiple sound sources are detected and displayed, then users can locate sound sources, but users cannot selectively amplify specific sounds without complex controls
Solution Approach 1:
The system enables users to select and amplify specific sound sources through intuitive gesture inputs on the touch screen without requiring complex control interfaces. Users can perform operations such as touching, hovering, or dragging gestures to select sound sources and adjust volume levels, making the device serve the user's needs directly through natural interactions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces traditional mechanical or button-based control systems with gesture recognition technology. Instead of requiring physical buttons or complex menu navigation, users interact with the terminal through touch screen gestures, substituting mechanical control with touch-based mechanical substitution that is more intuitive and easier to operate.
3Reliability
If the terminal communicates with hearing aids, then auditory feedback is enhanced, but the system integration complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The controller acts as an intermediary between the portable terminal and external hearing aids. It manages the communication interface, processes audio signals, and coordinates data exchange between the terminal's sound detection systems and the hearing aid devices, ensuring reliable audio feedback while abstracting the integration complexity through a centralized control mechanism.
Data Source
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AI summary
A portable terminal, a hearing aid, and a method of indicating the position of a sound source in the portable terminal are provided. The method includes receiving sound signals of a plurality of sound sources, determining respective distances between the plurality of sound sources and the portable terminal, and respective directions of the plurality of sound sources from the portable terminal, based on the received sound signals of the plurality of sound sources, determining positions of the plurality of sound sources on the touch screen based on the determined distances and directions of the plurality of sound sources, and displaying the determined positions of the plurality of sound sources on the touch screen.