Acoustic prescription rule based on an in situ measured dynamic range

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9301068-B2
Application number	US-201113276723-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 19, 2011
Priority date	Oct 19, 2011
Publication date	Mar 29, 2016
Grant date	Mar 29, 2016

Abstract

The present application discloses systems, methods, and articles of manufacture for determining prescription rules for a hearing prosthesis. A method in accordance with the present disclosure includes identifying a threshold hearing level and an uncomfortable loudness level for a channel of a hearing prosthesis. In one example, the threshold hearing level and the uncomfortable loudness level are determined in response to a stimulation signal generated utilizing the hearing prosthesis in situ on a recipient. In the present example, the stimulation signal corresponds to the channel of the hearing prosthesis. The method further includes developing a prescription rule based on the threshold hearing level and the uncomfortable loudness level. Generally, the prescription rule includes at least one of a linear compression scheme and a wide dynamic range compression scheme.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
identifying a threshold hearing level and an uncomfortable loudness level for a channel of a hearing prosthesis, the threshold hearing level and the uncomfortable loudness level having been identified in response to a stimulation signal generated utilizing the hearing prosthesis, wherein the stimulation signal corresponds to the channel of the hearing prosthesis;
developing, using a computing device, a prescription rule based on the threshold hearing level and the uncomfortable loudness level, wherein the prescription rule includes at least one of a linear compression scheme or a wide dynamic range compression scheme, wherein each of the linear compression scheme and the wide dynamic range compression scheme includes an expansion threshold and an expansion ratio, wherein the expansion threshold defines where an expansion region of the prescription rule ends and a linear region of the prescription rule begins, wherein the expansion ratio defines a gain in the expansion region where a ratio between an input sound level and a perceived output sound level of the hearing prosthesis is less than 1:1, and wherein a linear gain value of the linear region is determined by averaging the threshold hearing level and the uncomfortable loudness level and subtracting a normal speaking sound level from the average; and
providing the prescription rule for use by the hearing prosthesis, wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to utilize the prescription rule to convert an acoustic signal into an output signal that is delivered through the hearing prosthesis to be perceived as sound by a recipient of the hearing prosthesis.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein developing the prescription rule further includes determining a maximum output by subtracting a correction value from the uncomfortable loudness level, wherein the correction value is between 3 dB and 12 dB.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the linear gain value defines a gain in a linear region of the prescription rule, and wherein a ratio between an input sound level and a perceived output sound level of the hearing prosthesis in the linear region is substantially 1:1.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting the normal speaking sound level to a default of 60 dB.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein developing the prescription rule further includes correcting the linear gain value so that channels that correspond to lower frequencies generally have a lower linear gain value than channels that correspond to higher frequencies.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein developing the prescription rule further includes correcting the linear gain value by subtracting a microphone location effect value.

7. The method of claim 1 , further comprising setting the expansion threshold to a default value of 35 dB and the expansion ratio to a default of 0.7:1.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the prescription rule includes the wide dynamic range compression scheme, wherein developing the prescription rule including the wide dynamic range compression scheme further includes determining a compression threshold and a compression ratio, wherein the compression threshold defines where the linear region of the prescription rule ends and a compression region of the prescription rule begins, and wherein the compression ratio defines a gain in the compression region where a ratio between an input sound level and a perceived output sound level of the hearing prosthesis is greater than 1:1.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising setting the compression threshold to a default value of 50 dB and determining the compression threshold utilizing the linear gain value at the normal speaking sound level and a maximum output level at an upper input level threshold.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising determining the maximum output level by subtracting a correction value from the uncomfortable loudness level, wherein the correction value is between 3 dB and 12 dB, and setting the upper input level threshold to a default maximum value of 85 dB.

11. A system, comprising:
one or more processors configured to:
(i) cause the hearing prosthesis to generate an output signal that corresponds to an output frequency band;
(ii) identify a first level at which a recipient of the hearing prosthesis first perceives the output signal;
(iii) identify a second level at which the recipient finds the output signal to be uncomfortable;
(iv) develop a sound input/output gain scheme for the hearing prosthesis and the recipient based on the first and second levels, wherein the gain scheme includes first, second, and third regions that correspond to regions having high, medium, and low input sound levels, respectively, wherein the second region is defined by a gain value calculated by averaging the first and second levels and subtracting a normal speaking sound level from the average, further wherein the second region is defined by a ratio between an input level and an output level that is substantially 1:1; and
(v) provide the gain scheme for use by the hearing prosthesis, wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to utilize the gain scheme to convert an audio input into an output signal that is delivered through the hearing prosthesis to be perceived as sound by a recipient of the hearing prosthesis.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the first region is limited to an output defined by the second level minus a correction value between 3 dB and 12 dB.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein the third region is defined by a ratio between an input level and an output level that is less than 1:1.

14. The system of claim 11 , further comprising a fourth region of the gain scheme between the first and second regions, and wherein the fourth region is defined by a ratio between an input level and an output level that is greater than 1:1.

15. The system of claim 11 , further comprising one or more microphones for receiving the audio input and a stimulation arrangement configured to apply the output signal to a portion of the recipient's hearing system by mechanical stimulation, wherein the mechanical stimulation is perceived by the recipient as sound.

16. An article of manufacture including non-transitory, tangible computer-readable media with instructions stored thereon, the instructions comprising:
instructions for retrieving data related to a hearing prosthesis recipient's dynamic sound perception range;
instructions for determining configuration settings from the dynamic sound perception range, wherein the configuration settings define a relationship between an input signal and an output signal that is perceived as sound by the recipient, and wherein the relationship includes first, second, and third regions that each include different relationships between the input signal and the output signal, wherein the third region is defined by a ratio between the input signal and the output signal that is less than 1:1, and wherein the second region is defined by a ratio between the input signal and the output signal that is substantially 1:1 and by a gain value calculated by averaging a threshold hearing level and an uncomfortable loudness level and subtracting a normal speaking sound level from the average; and
instructions for providing the configuration settings for use by the hearing prosthesis, wherein the hearing prosthesis is configured to utilize the configuration settings to convert an audio input into an output signal that is delivered through the hearing prosthesis to be perceived as sound by a recipient of the hearing prosthesis.

Assignees

• Cas Erwin
• Flynn Mark C
• James Christopher J
• Cochlear Ltd

Inventors

• Cas Erwin
• Flynn Mark C
• James Christopher J

Classifications

• H04R25/70 Primary

  Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting · CPC title

• A61B5/123

  subjective methods · CPC title