LISTENING DEVICE COMPRISING AN INTERFACE TO SIGNAL COMMUNICATION QUALITY AND/OR WEARER LOAD TO WEARER AND/OR SURROUNDINGS

• US 20140146987A1
• Filed: 11/22/2013
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/23/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Original Assignee: Oticon A/S (William Demant Fonden)
• Inventors: PONTOPPIDAN, Niels Henrik, LUNNER, Thomas, RASMUSSEN, Karsten Bo, HIETKAMP, Renskje K., JENSEN, Lisbeth Dons
• Granted Patent: US 10,123,133 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/314
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/60 for measuring the quality of voice signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/02 adapted to be supported entirely by ear
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/30 Monitoring or testing of hearing aids, e.g. functioning, settings, battery power
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/50 Customised settings for obtaining desired overall acoustical characteristics

Abstract

A listening device processes an electric input sound signal and provides an output stimulus perceivable to a wearer of the listening device as sound, the listening device comprising a signal processing unit for processing an information signal originating from the electric input sound signal and to provide a processed output signal forming the basis for generating said output stimulus. A perception unit establishes a perception measure indicative of the wearer'"'"'s present ability to perceive said information signal. A signal interface communicates the perception measure to another person or device.

Claims

1. A listening device for processing an electric input sound signal and to provide an output stimulus perceivable to a wearer of the listening device as sound, the listening device comprising a signal processing unit for processing an information signal originating from the electric input sound signal and to provide a processed output signal forming the basis for generating said output stimulus, a forward path being defined by the signal processing unit, the listening device further comprising a perception unit for establishing a perception measure indicative of the wearer'"'"'s present ability to perceive said information signal, and a signal interface for communicating said perception measure to another person or an auxiliary device.

2. A listening device according to claim 1 wherein the signal processing unit is adapted to process said information signal according to a wearer'"'"'s particular needs.

3. A listening device according to claim 1 adapted to influence the processing of said information signal in dependence of the perception measure.

4. A listening device according to claim 1 comprising a load estimation unit for providing an estimate of present cognitive load of the wearer, and wherein the perception unit is adapted to use the estimate of present cognitive load of the wearer in the determination of the perception measure.

5. A listening device according to claim 1 comprising an ear part adapted for being mounted fully or partially at an ear or in an ear canal of a user, the ear part comprising

a housing,

at least one electrode located at a surface of said housing to allow said electrode(s) to contact the skin of a user when said ear part is operationally mounted on the user, the at least one electrode being adapted to pick up a low voltage electric signal from the user'"'"'s brain, and an amplifier unit operationally connected to said electrode(s) and adapted for amplifying said low voltage electric signal(s) to provide amplified brain signal(s).

6. A listening device according to claim 5 wherein the load estimation unit is configured to base said estimate of present cognitive load of the wearer on said brain signals.

7. A listening device according to claim 1 comprising a source separation unit configured to separate the input sound signal in individual sound signals each representing an individual acoustic source in the current local environment of the user wearing the listening device.

8. A listening device according to claim 7 configured to analyze said low voltage electric signals from the user'"'"'s brain or said amplified brain signal(s) to estimate which of the individual sound signals the wearer presently attends to.

9. A listening device according to claim 1 wherein the perception unit is adapted to analyze a signal of the forward path and extract a parameter related to speech intelligibility and to use such parameter in the determination of said perception measure.

10. A listening device according to claim 1 comprising an SNR estimation unit for estimating current signal to noise ratio, and wherein the perception unit is adapted to use the estimate of current signal to noise ratio in the determination of the perception measure.

11. A listening device according to claim 1 wherein the perception unit is adapted to analyze inputs from one or more sensors related to a signal of the forward path and/or to the environment of the user or a current communication partner and to use the result of such analysis in the determination of said perception measure.

12. A listening device according to claim 1 wherein the signal interface comprises a light indicator adapted to issue a different light indication depending on the current value of the perception measure.

13. A listening device according to claim 1 wherein the signal interface comprises a structural part of the listening device which changes visual appearance depending on the current value of the perception measure.

14. A listening device according to claim 1 wherein the signal interface comprises a wireless transmitter for transmitting the perception measure or a processed version thereof to an auxiliary device for being presented there.

15. A listening device according to claim 1 comprising a control unit for analysing signals of the forward path, the control unit being operatively connected to the signal processing unit and to the perception unit and configured to dynamically optimize the processing of the signal processing unit to maximize speech intelligibility.

16. A listening device according to claim 1 comprising a memory for storing data, and wherein the listening device is configured to store corresponding values of said perception measure together with one or more classifiers of the current acoustic environment at different points in time.

18. Use of a listening device as claimed in claim 1 in a hearing instrument, a headset, an ear phone, an active ear protection system or a combination thereof.

19. A listening system comprising a listening device as claimed in claim 1 AND an auxiliary device, wherein the listening device and the auxiliary device comprise a communication interface allowing to establish a communication link between the listening device and the auxiliary device to provide that information can be exchanged or forwarded from one to the other, at least so that the perception measure or a processed version thereof can be transmitted from the listening device to the auxiliary device.

20. A listening system according to claim 19 wherein the auxiliary device comprises an information unit to display or otherwise present the perception measure or a processed version thereof to a person wearing or otherwise being in the neighbourhood of the auxiliary device, and/or to control functionality of the listening system.

21. A listening system according to claim 19 comprising a pair of listening devices each according to claim 1, the pair of listening devices constituting a binaural listening system enabling an exchange of information, including audio signals, between them, configured to transfer audio data from the listening device with the best predicted speech intelligibility as indicated by the current perception measure to the other listening device.

22. A listening system according to claim 19 wherein the auxiliary device is configured to run an APP or similar software for displaying instantaneous and/or averaged data related to said perception measure and possibly other relevant data.

23. A listening system according to claim 22 wherein the auxiliary device is configured to indicate to the wearer of the listening device and/or to another person any changes in the perception measure.

17. A method of operating a listening device for processing an electric input sound signal and for providing an output stimulus perceivable to a wearer of the listening device as sound, the listening device comprising a signal processing unit for processing an information signal originating from the electric input sound signal and to provide a processed output signal forming the basis for generating said output stimulus, the method comprising a) establishing a perception measure indicative of the wearer'"'"'s present ability to perceive said information signal, and b) communicating said perception measure to another person or an auxiliary device.

24. A data processing system comprising a processor and program code means for causing the processor to perform the steps of the method of claim 17.