System and method for personalization of an audio equalizer

• US 9,577,596 B2
• Filed: 03/08/2013
• Issued: 02/21/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Innovative Sound Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Innovative Sound Company Limited
• Inventors: Ray, Laura E., Solbeck, Jason A., Pearson, Christopher M.
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Sellers, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US13/790,254
• Publication Number:
  US 20140254828A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,446 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A61B 5/123 subjective methods
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/005 of digital signals
• CPC Class Codes: H03G 5/165 Equalizers; Volume or gain control in limited frequency bands
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/70 Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting

Abstract

The invention is directed to synthesizing a personalized audio equalization filter based on an individual'"'"'s hearing profile when listening to audio signals using a preferred electronic means of transduction and production of the audio signals through headphones, earphones, or loudspeakers and is presented in two steps. In the first step, the deviation of the listener'"'"'s hearing profile, when the preferred listening device is donned, is measured and recorded relative to predetermined equal-loudness contours (e.g., ISO standard equal-loudness contours). The hearing profile is used to compute an equalization filter such that when the audio signal to be reproduced is played through the filter, the equal-loudness contour for a specified phon level is restored. Thus, the invention compensates for deviations of the user'"'"'s listening device, the user'"'"'s own hearing profile from a standard hearing profile that represents natural hearing, and other factors. The equalization filter can be adapted to any phon level through adaptation of filter coefficients as a function of the volume of the listening level.

Claims

1. A method for automatically generating a personalized equalization filter for listener, the method comprising:

measuring a first hearing profile of the listener as a deviation of a first recorded response profile, obtained from a first equal loudness hearing test when the listener is listening through a personal listening device in a personal listening environment, from a first reference equal-loudness contour associated with a first given phon level;

automatically generating a first personalized equalization filter based on the measured deviation of the first hearing profile such that application of the personalized equalization filter to an audio signal played through the personal listening device provides an equalized listening profile that recovers the equal-loudness contour for which the hearing profile was measured;

applying the first personalized equalization filter to an audio signal played through the personal listening device; and

automatically adapting the personalized equalization filter to a new phon level that differs from the phon level for which the listener'"'"'s hearing profile was measured so that the personalized equalization filter automatically adapts to match an equal-loudness contour of the new phon level,

wherein automatically adapting the personalized equalization filter to a new phon level that differs from the phon level for which the listener'"'"'s hearing profile was measured comprises;

automatically adapting the personalized equalization filter based on a second recorded response profile and a second reference equal-loudness contour associated with a second given phon level,

wherein automatically adapting the personalized equalization filter based on the second recorded response profile and the second reference equal-loudness contour associated with the second given phon level comprises;

measuring a second hearing profile of the listener as a deviation of the second recorded response profile from the second reference equal-loudness contour;

automatically generating a second personalized equalization filter based on the measured deviation of the first hearing profile; and

generating a third personalized equalization filter by deriving coefficients for the third personalized equalization filter based on coefficients for the first and second personalized equalization filters.

2. A method according to claim 1, wherein measuring the first hearing profile of the listener comprises:

conducting a first equal loudness hearing test including presenting a user interface to the listener, the user interface providing a first set of test tones and allowing the listener to adjust and set the relative volume level of each test tone to a level at which the listener perceives all of the tones to be at the same loudness for the first given phon level;

recording a phon level set by the listener for each test tone to produce the first recorded response profile; and

measuring the hearing profile of the listener as a deviation of the first recorded response profile from the reference equal-loudness contour at the first given phon level.

3. A method according to claim 2, wherein the first equal loudness hearing test is conducted in a manner that does not require a quiet environment with low noise floor.

4. A method according to claim 1, wherein automatically generating the first personalized equalization filter comprises:

automatically creating a first digital equalization filter using a set of parametric equalizing filters by automatically specifying the center frequency, bandwidth, and desired amplification or attenuation, based on the difference between the equal-loudness contour for which the hearing profile was measured and the reference equal-loudness contour at the given phon level and cascading filters for each band to provide a personalized equalization filter.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein the reference equal-loudness contour is an equal-loudness contour specified by ISO 226:

2003.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein automatically adapting the personalized equalization filter to a new phon level that differs from the phon level for which the listener'"'"'s hearing profile was measured comprises:

automatically adapting the personalized equalization filter based on a database containing frequency responses of various listening devices.

7. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically adjusting the personalized equalization filter based on a head-related transfer function to allow one or more audio signals to be perceived as coming from different directions in three dimensional space.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising:

automatically adjusting the personalized equalization filter to emphasize or de-emphasize audio signals within a specified band.

9. A method according to claim 1, wherein the personal listening device includes an internal microphone for determining a fit of the personal listening device on the listener, and, upon determining that the fit of the personal listening device on the listener has changed, the method further comprises at least one of:

automatically adjusting the personalized equalization filter based on a transfer function associated with the fit of the device;

or

automatically prompting the listener to conduct a hearing test due to the change in fit.

10. Apparatus for automatically generating a personalized equalization filter for a listener, the apparatus comprising:

a hearing test module configured to produce a first recorded response profile from a first equal loudness hearing test when the listener is listening through a personal listening device in a personal listening environment; and

an adaptive equalization filter module configured to measure a first hearing profile of the listener as a deviation of the first recorded response profile from a first reference equal-loudness contour associated with a first given phon level, automatically generate a first personalized equalization filter based on the measured deviation of the first hearing profile such that application of the personalized equalization filter to an audio signal played through the personal listening device provides an equalized listening profile that recovers the equal-loudness contour for which the hearing profile was measured, and apply the first personalized equalization filter to an audio signal played through the personal listening device,

wherein the adaptive equalization filter module is further configured to automatically adapt the personalized equalization filter to a new phon level that differs from the phon level for which the listener'"'"'s hearing profile was measured so that the personalized equalization filter automatically adapts to match an equal-loudness contour of the new phon level,

wherein the adaptive equalization filter module is configured to automatically adapt the personalized equalization filter based on a second recorded response profile and a second reference equal-loudness contour associated with a second given phon level, and

wherein the adaptive equalization filter module is configured to measure a second hearing profile of the listener as a deviation of the second recorded response profile from the second reference equal-loudness contour, automatically generate a second personalized equalization filter based on the measured deviation of the first hearing profile, and generate a third personalized equalization filter by deriving coefficients for the third personalized equalization filter based on coefficients for the first and second personalized equalization filters.

11. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the hearing test module is configured to:

conduct a first equal loudness hearing test including presenting a user interface to the listener, the user interface providing a first set of test tones and allowing the listener to adjust and set the relative volume level of each test tone to a level at which the listener perceives all of the tones to be at the same loudness for the first given phon level; and

record a phon level set by the listener for each test tone to produce the first recorded response profile.

12. The apparatus according to claim 11, wherein the hearing test module is configured to conduct the first equal loudness hearing test in a manner that does not require a quiet environment with low noise floor.

13. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the adaptive equalization filter module is configured to automatically generate the first personalized equalization filter by automatically creating a first digital equalization filter using a set of parametric equalizing filters by automatically specifying the center frequency, bandwidth, and desired amplification or attenuation, based on the difference between the equal-loudness contour for which the hearing profile was measured and the reference equal-loudness contour at the given phon level and cascading filters for each band to provide a personalized equalization filter.

14. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the reference equal-loudness contour is an equal-loudness contour specified by ISO 226:

2003.

15. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the adaptive equalization filter module is configured to automatically adapt the personalized equalization filter based on a database containing frequency responses of various listening devices.

16. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the adaptive equalization filter module is further configured to automatically adjust the personalized equalization filter based on a head-related transfer function to allow one or more audio signals to be perceived as coming from different directions in three dimensional space.

17. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the adaptive equalization filter module is further configured to automatically adjust the personalized equalization filter to emphasize or de-emphasize audio signals within a specified band.

18. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the personal listening device includes an internal microphone for determining a fit of the personal listening device on the listener, and wherein at least one of:

the adaptive equalization filter module is further configured to automatically adjust the personalized equalization filter based on a transfer function associated with the fit of the device upon determining that the fit of the personal listening device on the listener has changed;

or

the adaptive equalization filter module is further configured to automatically prompt the listener to conduct a hearing test due to the change in fit upon determining that the fit of the personal listening device on the listener has changed.

19. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the hearing test module and the adaptive equalization filter module are integral to a device including at least one of a computer, cell phone, portable music player, tablet computer, laptop computer, notebook computer, desktop computer, stereo receiver, or programmable device.

20. The apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the hearing test module and an adaptive equalization filter generator of the adaptive equalization filter module are integral to a first device and wherein an equalization filter of the adaptive equalization filter module is integral to a second device used in conjunction with the first device, the second device including at least one component providing additional signal processing of the audio signal, the second device being programmable through the first device to incorporate the personalized equalization filter and apply the personalized equalization filter to the audio signal in conjunction with at least one additional signal processing function.

21. The apparatus according to claim 20, wherein the second device includes at least one of:

an electronic component for providing additional signal processing of the audio signal;

a digital signal processor for providing additional signal processing of the audio signal;

or

a microprocessor for providing additional signal processing of the audio signal.

22. The apparatus of claim 20, wherein the additional signal processing function includes at least one of:

radio communication;

talk-through;

active noise reduction;

in-ear voice pickup;

or

impulse suppression.