Method and a hearing device for improved separability of target sounds
US10560790B2 · kind B2 · utility
Assignee
Inventor
Key dates
| Filing date | Jun 27, 2017 |
| Grant date | Feb 11, 2020 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Jan 13, 2038 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
- CPC primaryH04R2430/03
- WIPO fieldAudio-visual technology
- WIPO sectorElectrical engineering
Abstract
A hearing device, a hearing system and a method for improving a hearing impaired person's ability to perceptually separate a target sound from competing sounds, the target sound and the competing sounds forming a composite sound signal having a given frequency range, where the method comprises the steps of: (i) subdividing the frequency range of the composite sound signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands; (ii) grouping frequency sub-bands based on comparable characteristics of the plurality of frequency sub-bands; (iii) for each of the groups calculating a group envelope; and (iv) multiplying the signal in the frequency sub-bands of each individual group by a function or functions that enhance(s) peaks of the group envelope and/or attenuates energy in troughs in the group envelope. The comparable characteristics may be the correlation between the envelope of each of the bands in the specific group of frequency sub-bands and the corresponding group envelope.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.