Audio signal processing for hearing impairment compensation with a hearing aid device and a speaker

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10405095-B2
Application number	US-201615087951-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 31, 2016
Priority date	Mar 31, 2016
Publication date	Sep 3, 2019
Grant date	Sep 3, 2019

Abstract

A system and processes for a proximate-speaker audio compensation system include a first speaker and a second speaker that are proximate to a user. A control unit couples to at least one of the first speaker or the second speaker. The control unit adjusts audio signal based on a hearing-aid type adjustment. The control unit sends adjusted audio signal to the at least one of the first speaker or the second speaker.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a speaker proximate to a hearing aid device; and
a control unit to:
couple to at least one of the speaker and the hearing aid device;
access a hearing impaired profile associated with the hearing aid device;
determine a first audio signal is to be output by the apparatus;
in response to the determination:
muting the hearing aid device;
adjusting the first audio signal based on the hearing impaired profile; and
sending the adjusted first audio signal to the speaker, such that the first audio signal is output only from the speaker; and
determine a second audio signal is to be output by the hearing aid device, wherein the second audio signal comprises speech; and

in response to the determination that the second audio signal is to be output:
unmuting the hearing aid device;
adjusting the second audio signal based on the hearing impaired profile; and
sending the adjusted second audio signal to the hearing aid device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit comprises at least one of: a smartphone, an armrest interface, a headrest interface, a wrist watch, a computer, a vehicle on-board system interface, a cell phone, a monitor, and any portable or vehicle-integrated computing device.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the hearing impaired profile includes at least one of: a manual adjustment and a learned audio adjustment.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein adjustment of the first or second audio signal corresponds to an application of asymmetric correction for a left and right ear of a user associated with the hearing impaired profile.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein adjustment of the first or second audio signal corresponds to an application of at least one of asymmetric correction for a left and right ear of a user associated with the hearing impaired profile, symmetric correction for the left and right ear of the user associated with the hearing impaired profile, or a combination thereof.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the speaker is a near-field speaker.

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising another speaker, wherein the speaker and the other speaker comprise left-right headrest speakers that are included in at least one of: an automotive audio system, a theater audio system, a home audio system, an airline audio system, and an airport audio system.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein adjustment of the first or second audio signal is associated with particular adjustment of a plurality of frequencies for each ear of a user.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising a memory configured to store the hearing impaired profile.

10. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the hearing impaired profile is based on user input.

11. The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein the memory is included in the control unit, and wherein the control unit is associated with a vehicle on-board system configured to provide individualized adjustment of the first or second audio signal for each occupant of a vehicle.

12. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein adjustment of the first audio signal corresponds to individualized attenuation or amplification of the first audio signal for each ear of a user.

13. The apparatus of claim 12 , wherein the adjustment of the first audio signal further corresponds to application of cross-talk cancellation associated with the speaker.

14. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the control unit is further configured to mute the hearing aid device based on at least one of a manually adjusted hearing configuration and a learned audio adjustment parameter.

15. An apparatus comprising:
a memory storing a hearing impaired profile associated with a hearing aid device;
a speaker proximate to the hearing aid device; and
a control unit to:
communicate with the memory, the speaker, and the hearing aid device;
determine a first audio signal is to be output by the apparatus;
in response to the determination:
muting the hearing aid device;
adjusting the first audio signal according to the hearing impaired profile; and
sending the adjusted first audio signal to the speaker, such that the first audio signal is output only from the speaker; and
determining a second audio signal is to be output by the hearing aid device, wherein the second audio signal comprises speech; and
in response to the determination that the second audio signal is to be output:
unmuting the hearing aid device;
adjusting the second audio signal based on the hearing impaired profile; and
sending the adjusted second audio signal to the hearing aid device.

16. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the hearing impaired profile is based on at least one of a manual audio adjustment and a learned audio adjustment parameter.

17. The apparatus of claim 15 , wherein the first audio signal is entertainment audio.

18. A method comprising:
coupling, by a control unit, a hearing aid device and a speaker proximate to the hearing aid device;
accessing a hearing impaired profile associated with the hearing aid device;
determining a first audio signal is to be output;
in response to the determination:
muting the hearing aid device;
adjusting the first audio signal according to a hearing impaired profile associated with the hearing aid device; and
sending the first audio signal to the speaker, such that the first audio signal is output only from the speaker; and
determining a second audio signal is to be output by the hearing aid device, wherein the second audio signal comprises speech; and;
in response to the determination that the second audio signal is to be output:
unmuting the hearing aid device;
adjusting the second audio signal based on the hearing impaired profile; and
sending the adjusted second audio signal to the hearing aid device.

Assignees

• Bose Corp

Inventors

• Eichfeld Jahn D
• Pan Davis

Classifications

• H04R2205/041

  Adaptation of stereophonic signal reproduction for the hearing impaired · CPC title

• H04R29/002

  Loudspeaker arrays · CPC title

• H04R25/554

  using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils · CPC title

• H04R3/12 Primary

  for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers {(specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} · CPC title

• H04R2499/13

  Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles · CPC title