Hearing aid, signal processing method, and program

• US 9,124,984 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2011
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Panasonic Intellectual Property Management Co., Ltd. (Panasonic Holdings Corporation)
• Inventors: Yamada, Maki, Endo, Mitsuru, Mizushima, Koichiro
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): DABNEY, PHYLESHA LARVINIA
• Application Number:
  US13/388,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20120128187A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,538 Days
• Field of Search: 381/92, 381/312, 381/313, 381/315, 381/316, 381/318
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/41 Detection or adaptation of hearing aid parameters or programs to listening situation, e.g. pub, forest
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2225/43 Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/13 Hearing devices using bone conduction transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/505 using digital signal processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/552 Binaural
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/554 using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/558 Remote control, e.g. of amplification, frequency
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems

Abstract

A hearing aid, signal processing method and program enables TV sound to be made easier for a hearing aid user to hear when wishing to watch TV, and a person'"'"'s voice to be made easier to hear when wishing to converse with that person. The hearing aid includes another-person'"'"'s speech detection section that detects speech of a speaker other than the wearer using detected sound source direction information, an own-speech detection result, and a TV sound detection result, and a per-sound-source frequency calculation section that calculates the frequency of each sound source using an own-speech detection result, TV sound detection result, other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and sound source direction information. A scene determination section determines a scene using sound source direction information and a per-sound-source frequency; and an output sound control section controls hearing of the hearing aid according to a determined scene.

Claims

1. A hearing aid worn on both ears which has two microphone arrays respectively for both of the ears, the hearing aid comprising:

a sound source direction estimation section that detects a sound source direction from sound signals input from the microphone arrays;

an own-speech detection section that detects a voice of a hearing aid wearer from the sound signal;

a TV sound detection section that detects TV sound from the sound signal;

another-speaker'"'"'s speech detection section that detects speech of a speaker other than a wearer based on the detected sound source direction information, the own-speech detection result, and the TV sound detection result;

a per-sound-source frequency calculation section that calculates, in each direction and for each sound source, a per-sound-source frequency which indicates how often the sound source is detected per predetermined time, based on the own-speech detection result, the TV sound detection result, the other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and the sound source direction information;

a scene determination section that determines a scene using the sound source direction information and the per-sound-source frequency; and

an output sound control section that controls a sound output from the hearing aid according to the determined scene,

wherein the scene determination section performs scene classification for a “

conversation scene”

in which a wearer is engaged in conversation, a “

TV viewing scene”

in which a wearer is watching TV, and a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

in which a wearer is simultaneously engaged in conversation and watching TV, and

the output sound control section orients a directivity beam in a frontal direction in the “

conversation scene”

.

2. The hearing aid according to claim 1,

wherein the TV sound detection section further comprises:

a TV sound reception section that receives TV sound information transmitted from the TV; and

a TV-only interval detection section that detects a TV-only interval based on received TV sound and the sound signal.

3. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein:

the TV sound detection section further comprises;

a TV sound reception section that receives TV sound information transmitted from the TV;

a TV sound short-time power calculation section that calculates short-time power of received TV sound;

a microphone input short-time power calculation section that calculates short-time power of the sound signal; and

a TV-only interval detection section that compares the TV sound short-time power and the microphone input short-time power, and detects an interval for which a difference therebetween is within a predetermined range as a TV-only interval.

4. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the output sound control section performs directivity control.

5. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the output sound control section outputs TV sound received by the TV sound reception section in a “

TV viewing scene”

.

6. The hearing aid according to claim 1, wherein the output sound control section sets wide directivity in a “

TV viewing while conversation’

scene”

.

7. A signal processing method that is a signal processing method of a hearing aid worn on both ears which has two microphone arrays respectively for both of the ears, the signal processing method comprising:

detecting a sound source direction from sound signals input from the microphone arrays;

detecting a voice of a hearing aid wearer from the sound signal;

detecting TV sound from the sound signal;

detecting speech of a speaker other than a wearer based on the detected sound source direction information, the own-speech detection result, and the TV sound detection result;

calculating, in each direction and for each sound source, a per-sound-source frequency which indicates how often the sound source is detected per predetermined time, based on the own-speech detection result, the TV sound detection result, the other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and the sound source direction information;

determining a scene based on the sound source direction information and the per-sound-source frequency; and

controlling a sound output from the hearing aid according to the determined scene,

wherein, in the determining of the scene, classification for each scene is performed, the each scene having a “

conversation scene”

in which a wearer is engaged in conversation, a “

TV viewing scene”

in which a wearer is watching TV, and a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

in which a wearer is simultaneously engaged in conversation and watching TV, and

in the controlling of the sound output, a directivity beam in a frontal direction in a “

conversation scene”

is oriented.

8. A program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that causes a computer to execute each step of the hearing aid signal processing method according to claim 7.

9. A hearing aid worn on both ears which has two microphone arrays respectively for both of the ears, the hearing aid comprising:

a sound source direction estimation section that detects a sound source direction from sound signals input from the microphone arrays;

an own-speech detection section that detects a voice of a hearing aid wearer from the sound signal;

a TV sound detection section that detects TV sound from the sound signal;

another-speaker'"'"'s speech detection section that detects speech of a speaker other than a wearer based on the detected sound source direction information, the own-speech detection result, and the TV sound detection result;

a per-sound-source frequency calculation section that calculates, in each direction and for each sound source, a per-sound-source frequency which indicates how often the sound source is detected per predetermined time, based on the own-speech detection result, the TV sound detection result, the other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and the sound source direction information;

a scene determination section that determines a scene using the sound source direction information and the per-sound-source frequency; and

an output sound control section that controls a sound output from the hearing aid according to the determined scene,

wherein the scene determination section performs scene classification for a “

conversation scene”

in which a wearer is engaged in conversation, a “

TV viewing scene”

in which a wearer is watching TV, and a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

in which a wearer is simultaneously engaged in conversation and watching TV, and

the output sound control section orients a directivity beam in a frontal direction in a “

TV viewing scene”

.

10. The hearing aid according to claim 9,

wherein the TV sound detection section further comprises:

a TV sound reception section that receives TV sound information transmitted from the TV; and

a TV-only interval detection section that detects a TV-only interval based on received TV sound and the sound signal.

11. The hearing aid according to claim 9, wherein:

the TV sound detection section further comprises;

a TV sound reception section that receives TV sound information transmitted from the TV;

a TV sound short-time power calculation section that calculates short-time power of received TV sound;

a microphone input short-time power calculation section that calculates short-time power of the sound signal; and

a TV-only interval detection section that compares the TV sound short-time power and the microphone input short-time power, and detects an interval for which a difference there between is within a predetermined range as a TV-only interval.

12. The hearing aid according to claim 9, wherein the output sound control section performs directivity control.

13. The hearing aid according to claim 9, wherein the output sound control section outputs TV sound received by the TV sound reception section in a “

TV viewing scene”

.

14. The hearing aid according to claim 9, wherein the output sound control section sets wide directivity in a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

.

15. A signal processing method that is a signal processing method of a hearing aid worn on both ears which has two microphone arrays respectively for both of the ears, the signal processing method comprising:

detecting a sound source direction from sound signals input from the microphone arrays;

detecting a voice of a hearing aid wearer from the sound signal;

detecting TV sound from the sound signal;

detecting speech of a speaker other than a wearer based on the detected sound source direction information, the own-speech detection result, and the TV sound detection result;

calculating, in each direction and for each sound source, a per-sound-source frequency which indicates how often the sound source is detected per predetermined time, based on the own-speech detection result, the TV sound detection result, the other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and the sound source direction information;

determining a scene based on the sound source direction information and the per-sound-source frequency; and

controlling a sound output from the hearing aid according to the determined scene,

wherein, in the determining of the scene, scene classification of each scene is performed, the each scene having a “

conversation scene”

in which a wearer is engaged in conversation, a “

TV viewing scene”

in which a wearer is watching TV, and a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

in which a wearer is simultaneously engaged in conversation and watching TV, and

in the controlling of the sound output, a directivity beam in a frontal direction in a “

TV viewing scene”

is oriented.

16. A program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that causes a computer to execute each step of the hearing aid signal processing method according to claim 15.

17. A hearing aid worn on both ears which has two microphone arrays respectively for both of the ears, the hearing aid comprising:

a sound source direction estimation section that detects a sound source direction from sound signals input from the microphone arrays;

an own-speech detection section that detects a voice of a hearing aid wearer from the sound signal;

a TV sound detection section that detects TV sound from the sound signal;

another-speaker'"'"'s speech detection section that detects speech of a speaker other than a wearer based on the detected sound source direction information, the own-speech detection result, and the TV sound detection result;

a per-sound-source frequency calculation section that calculates, in each direction and for each sound source, a per-sound-source frequency which indicates how often the sound source is detected per predetermined time, based on the own-speech detection result, the TV sound detection result, the other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and the sound source direction information;

a scene determination section that determines a scene using the sound source direction information and the per-sound-source frequency; and

an output sound control section that controls a sound output from the hearing aid according to the determined scene,

wherein the scene determination section performs scene classification for a “

conversation scene”

in which a wearer is engaged in conversation, a “

TV viewing scene”

in which a wearer is watching TV, and a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

in which a wearer is simultaneously engaged in conversation and watching TV, and

the output sound control section outputs TV sound received by the TV sound reception section to one ear and outputs sound for which wide directivity has been set for the other ear in a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

.

18. The hearing aid according to claim 17,

wherein the TV sound detection section further comprises:

a TV sound reception section that receives TV sound information transmitted from the TV; and

a TV-only interval detection section that detects a TV-only interval based on received TV sound and the sound signal.

19. The hearing aid according to claim 17, wherein:

the TV sound detection section further comprises;

a TV sound reception section that receives TV sound information transmitted from the TV;

a TV sound short-time power calculation section that calculates short-time power of received TV sound;

a microphone input short-time power calculation section that calculates short-time power of the sound signal; and

a TV-only interval detection section that compares the TV sound short-time power and the microphone input short-time power, and detects an interval for which a difference there between is within a predetermined range as a TV-only interval.

20. The hearing aid according to claim 17, wherein the output sound control section performs directivity control.

21. The hearing aid according to claim 17, wherein the output sound control section outputs TV sound received by the TV sound reception section in a “

TV viewing scene”

.

22. The hearing aid according to claim 17, wherein the output sound control section sets wide directivity in a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

.

23. A signal processing method that is a signal processing method of a hearing aid worn on both ears which has two microphone arrays respectively for both of the ears, the signal processing method comprising:

detecting a sound source direction from sound signals input from the microphone arrays;

detecting a voice of a hearing aid wearer from the sound signal;

detecting TV sound from the sound signal;

detecting speech of a speaker other than a wearer based on the detected sound source direction information, the own-speech detection result, and the TV sound detection result;

calculating, in each direction and for each sound source, a per-sound-source frequency which indicates how often the sound source is detected per predetermined time, based on the own-speech detection result, the TV sound detection result, the other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and the sound source direction information;

determining a scene based on the sound source direction information and the per-sound-source frequency; and

controlling a sound output from the hearing aid according to the determined scene,

wherein in the determining of the scene, scene classification for each scene is performed, the each scene having a “

conversation scene”

in which a wearer is engaged in conversation, a “

TV viewing scene”

in which a wearer is watching TV, and a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

in which a wearer is simultaneously engaged in conversation and watching TV, and

in the controlling of the sound output, the received TV sound for one ear and sound for which wide directivity has been set for the other ear are output in a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

.

24. A program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that causes a computer to execute each step of the hearing aid signal processing method according to claim 23.

25. A hearing aid worn on both ears which has two microphone arrays respectively for both of the ears, the hearing aid comprising:

a sound source direction estimation section that detects a sound source direction from sound signals input from the microphone arrays;

an own-speech detection section that detects a voice of a hearing aid wearer from the sound signal;

a TV sound detection section that detects TV sound from the sound signal;

another-speaker'"'"'s speech detection section that detects speech of a speaker other than a wearer based on the detected sound source direction information, the own-speech detection result, and the TV sound detection result;

a per-sound-source frequency calculation section that calculates, in each direction and for each sound source, a per-sound-source frequency which indicates how often the sound source is detected per predetermined time, based on the own-speech detection result, the TV sound detection result, the other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and the sound source direction information;

a scene determination section that determines a scene using the sound source direction information and the per-sound-source frequency;

an output sound control section that controls a sound output from the hearing aid according to the determined scene; and

transmission/reception section that outputs a TV sound control signal that controls TV sound,

wherein the scene determination section performs scene classification for a “

conversation scene”

in which a wearer is engaged in conversation, a “

TV viewing scene”

in which a wearer is watching TV, and a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

in which a wearer is simultaneously engaged in conversation and watching TV, and

the output sound control section generates the TV sound control signal, based on a classification result from the scene determination section.

26. The hearing aid according to claim 25,

wherein the TV sound detection section further comprises:

a TV sound reception section that receives TV sound information transmitted from the TV; and

a TV-only interval detection section that detects a TV-only interval based on received TV sound and the sound signal.

27. The hearing aid according to claim 25, wherein:

the TV sound detection section further comprises;

a TV sound reception section that receives TV sound information transmitted from the TV;

a TV sound short-time power calculation section that calculates short-time power of received TV sound;

a microphone input short-time power calculation section that calculates short-time power of the sound signal; and

a TV-only interval detection section that compares the TV sound short-time power and the microphone input short-time power, and detects an interval for which a difference there between is within a predetermined range as a TV-only interval.

28. The hearing aid according to claim 25, wherein the output sound control section performs directivity control.

29. The hearing aid according to claim 25, wherein the output sound control section outputs TV sound received by the TV sound reception section in a “

TV viewing scene”

.

30. The hearing aid according to claim 25, wherein the output sound control section sets wide directivity in a “

TV viewing while conversation scene”

.

31. A signal processing method that is a signal processing method of a hearing aid worn on both ears which has two microphone arrays respectively for both of the ears, the signal processing method comprising:

detecting a sound source direction from sound signals input from the microphone arrays;

detecting a voice of a hearing aid wearer from the sound signal;

detecting TV sound from the sound signal;

detecting speech of a speaker other than a wearer based on the detected sound source direction information, the own-speech detection result, and the TV sound detection result;

calculating, in each direction and for each sound source, a per-sound-source frequency which indicates how often the sound source is detected per predetermined time, based on the own-speech detection result, the TV sound detection result, the other-speaker'"'"'s speech detection result, and the sound source direction information;

determining a scene based on the sound source direction information and the per-sound-source frequency;

controlling a sound output from the hearing aid according to the determined scene; and

outputting a TV sound control signal that controls TV sound,

wherein in the determining of the scene, the scene classification for each scene is performed, the each scene having a “

conversation scene”

in which a wearer is engaged in conversation, a “

TV viewing scene”

in which a wearer is watching TV, and a ‘

TV viewing while conversation scene”

in which a wearer is simultaneously engaged in conversation and watching TV; and

in the controlling of the sound output, the TV sound control signal, based on a classification result from the scene determination section, is generated.

32. A program stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that causes a computer to execute each step of the hearing aid signal processing method according to claim 31.