HEARING LOSS COMPENSATION APPARATUS AND METHOD USING 3D EQUAL LOUDNESS CONTOUR

• US 20140211971A1
• Filed: 01/16/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: SOHN, Jun Il, KIM, Dong Wook, KU, Yun Seo, KIM, Jong Jin, UHM, Jun Whon, CHOI, Jong Min
• Granted Patent: US 10,219,089 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/312
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/123 subjective methods
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

A hearing loss compensation apparatus and method compensate for distortion caused by a change in a sound transmission path using hearing characteristics of a user. The hearing loss compensation apparatus may include a sound direction detection device configured to detect a sound generation direction, in which a sound generates, using one or more microphones, and a sound compensation device configured to compensate the sound using hearing characteristics of a user corresponding to the sound generation direction. Additionally, a hearing characteristics measurement apparatus and method provide a way to obtain such hearing characteristics information.

Claims

1. A hearing loss compensation apparatus, comprising:

a sound direction detection device configured to detect a sound generation direction, from which a sound is generated, using one or more microphones; and

a sound compensation device configured to compensate the sound using hearing characteristics of a user corresponding to the sound generation direction.

2. The hearing loss compensation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the hearing characteristics of the user comprise a 3-dimensional (3D) equal loudness contour of the user, determined by mapping hearing thresholds corresponding to azimuths and frequencies on a 2D plane defined by an azimuth and a frequency.

3. The hearing loss compensation apparatus of claim 2, wherein a hearing threshold is a minimum magnitude of sound audible by the user, for an azimuth and frequency, which is measured by moving a position of a sound stimulation for measurement of hearing capability to change an azimuth of the user and by controlling a frequency and a magnitude of the sound stimulation.

4. The hearing loss compensation apparatus of claim 1, wherein the sound compensation device is configured to determine hearing loss characteristics according to azimuths of the user by comparing hearing characteristics of the user and average hearing characteristics of other users, and to compensate the sound depending on the hearing loss characteristics according to the azimuths of the user, the hearing loss characteristics being the hearing loss characteristics that correspond to the sound generation direction.

5. A hearing characteristics measurement apparatus, comprising:

a hearing threshold determination device configured to determine hearing thresholds corresponding to magnitudes, frequencies, and output positions of sound stimulations; and

a hearing characteristic determination device configured to determine a 3-dimensional (3D) equal loudness contour of a user, by mapping the hearing thresholds on a 2D plane defined by a frequency and an azimuth.

6. The hearing characteristics measurement apparatus of claim 5, wherein the hearing threshold determination device comprises:

a sound stimulation change device configured to change a magnitude, a frequency, and an output position of a sound stimulation; and

a hearing threshold measurement device configured to measure a hearing threshold corresponding to the changed sound stimulation, based on a user input.

7. A hearing loss compensation method, comprising:

detecting a sound generation direction, from which a sound is generated, using oen or more microphones; and

compensating the sound using hearing characteristics of a user corresponding to the sound generation direction.

8. The hearing loss compensation method of claim 7, wherein the hearing characteristics of the user comprise a 3-dimensional (3D) equal loudness contour of the user, determined by mapping hearing thresholds corresponding to azimuths and frequencies on a 2D plane defined by an azimuth and a frequency.

9. The hearing loss compensation method of claim 8, wherein the hearing threshold is a minimum magnitude of sound audible by the user, for an azimuth and frequency, which is measured by moving a position of a sound stimulation for measurement of hearing capability to change an azimuth of the user and controlling a frequency and a magnitude of the sound stimulation.

10. The hearing loss compensation method of claim 7, wherein the compensating comprises:

determining hearing loss characteristics according to azimuths of the user by comparing hearing characteristics of the user and average hearing characteristics of other users; and

compensating the sound depending on the hearing loss characteristics according to the azimuths of the user, the hearing loss characteristics being the hearing loss characteristics that correspond to the sound generation direction.

11. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for hearing loss compensation, the program comprising instructions for causing a computer to implement the method of claim 7.

12. A hearing characteristics measurement method, comprising:

determining hearing thresholds corresponding to magnitudes, frequencies, and output positions of sound stimulations; and

determining a 3-dimensional (3D) equal loudness contour of a user, by mapping the hearing thresholds on a 2D plane defined by a frequency and an azimuth.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the determining the threshold comprises:

changing a magnitude, a frequency, and an output position of a sound stimulation; and

measuring a hearing threshold corresponding to the changed sound stimulation, based on a user input.

14. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing a program for hearing characteristics measurement, the program comprising instructions for causing a computer to implement the method of claim 12.

15. A hearing characteristics measurement apparatus, comprising:

a sound stimulation output device, configured to produce sound stimulations with different magnitudes, frequencies and output positions; and

a hearing threshold determination device configured to determine hearing thresholds corresponding to magnitudes, frequencies, and output positions of the sound stimulations.

16. The hearing characteristics measurement apparatus of claim 15, further comprising:

a hearing characteristic determination device configured to determine a 3-dimensional (3D) equal loudness contour of a user, by mapping the hearing thresholds on a 2D plane defined by a frequency and an azimuth.

17. The hearing characteristics measurement apparatus of claim 15, wherein the sound stimulation output device adjusts magnitudes of a sound stimulation at a fixed frequency and output position until the hearing threshold determination determines a hearing threshold.

18. The hearing characteristics measurement apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sound stimulation output device, after finding a hearing threshold at a fixed frequency and output position, finds hearing thresholds at other frequencies for that output position.

19. The hearing characteristics measurement apparatus of claim 17, wherein the sound stimulation output device, after finding a hearing threshold at a fixed frequency and output position, finds hearing thresholds at other output positions for that frequency.