TECHNICAL FIELD
-
The present disclosure in general relates to hearing devices. More particularly, but not exclusively, the present disclosure relates to method, apparatus, and computer readable media for assessing quality of sound transmissions to at least one hearing device in an environment.
BACKGROUND
-
Hearing loss is one of the most widespread chronic health conditions affecting millions of people globally. Despite advances in hearing devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants, individuals with hearing loss often continue to experience difficulties in understanding speech in their everyday environments. While hearing devices can help amplify sound, they do not fully address the challenges that arise in real-world listening conditions, where speech understanding is influenced by a combination of complex factors. There are several key factors which contribute to the difficulty of speech understanding in individuals with hearing loss. Some of the factors may include a degree of the hearing loss, amount of background noise, a level of reverberation, position of the listener relative to a sound source, etc.
-
The above-mentioned factors significantly impact speech understanding. One factor contributing to the difficulty of speech understanding is the acoustic characteristics of the environment (e.g., room) where communication takes place. The room acoustics including the level of reverberation and the amount of background noise are often not measured and hence, people with hearing loss are frequently exposed to environments that are acoustically undesirable, resulting in difficulties in understanding speech. For example, a room with a high level of reverberation (such as a large lecture hall or a space with hard surfaces) may create an environment where sound waves overlap, making it hard to differentiate between sounds. In contrast, a room with soft furnishings and acoustic treatment would reduce reverberation, providing a clearer listening experience. However, in most everyday settings, such as schools, offices, restaurants, or homes, the acoustics are rarely assessed or optimized for individuals with hearing loss.
-
Existing hearing devices (e.g., hearing aids and cochlear implants) do not typically account for the specific acoustic environment in which an individual is situated. The hearing devices amplify sound based on the individual's hearing profile but have difficulty to compensate for the effects of reverberation or background noise in the room. As a result, even with the most advanced hearing devices, individuals may continue to struggle in environments where acoustics play a significant role in speech understanding.
-
Thus, there is a need to overcome at least the above-mentioned and other related challenges and provide enhanced techniques for improving speech intelligibility for individuals with hearing loss. Specifically, there exists a need for people with hearing difficulties to determine the acoustic characteristics of the listening environment.
-
The information disclosed in this background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.
SUMMARY
-
One or more shortcomings discussed above are overcome, and additional advantages are provided by the present disclosure. Additional features and advantages are realized through the techniques of the present disclosure. Other embodiments and aspects of the disclosure are described in detail herein and are considered a part of the disclosure.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the present disclosure discloses a system for assessing quality of sound transmissions to at least one hearing device in an environment. The system comprises a sound source configured to emit a test signal. The system further comprises at least one microphone integrated into the at least one hearing device and configured to capture the emitted test signal. The system further comprises a processing module configured to control the sound source and assess the quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device in the environment by comparing the test signal emitted by the sound source with the test signal captured by the at least one microphone.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, the present disclosure discloses a method for assessing quality of sound transmissions to at least one hearing device in an environment. The method comprises emitting a test signal using a sound source, capturing the emitted test signal using at least one microphone integrated into the at least one hearing device, and controlling the sound source using the processing module and assessing the quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device in the environment by comparing the test signal emitted by the sound source with the test signal captured by the at least one microphone.
-
In another non-limiting embodiment, the present disclosure discloses a non-transitory computer readable media comprising one or more instructions which, when executed, cause a system to emit a test signal using a sound source, capture the emitted test signal using at least one microphone integrated into the at least one hearing device, and control the sound source using the processing module and assess the quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device in the environment by comparing the test signal emitted by the sound source with the test signal captured by the at least one microphone.
-
The foregoing summary is illustrative only and is not intended to be in any way limiting. In addition to the illustrative embodiments, and features described above, further embodiments, and features will become apparent by reference to the drawings and the following detailed description.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE ACCOMPANYING DRAWINGS
-
The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this disclosure, illustrate exemplary embodiments and, together with the description, serve to explain the disclosed principles. Some embodiments of system and/or methods in accordance with embodiments of the present subject matter are now described, by way of example only, and with reference to the accompanying Figures, in which:
- Figure 1 shows a communication system 100 in which the techniques of assessing quality of sound transmissions to at least one hearing device may be implemented, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
- Figure 2(a) shows a high level block diagram 200-1 of the communication system 100 illustrating one implementation for assessing quality of sound transmissions to at least one hearing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
- Figure 2(b) shows another high level block diagram 200-2 of the communication system 100 illustrating another implementation for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
- Figure 2(c) shows another high level block diagram 200-3 of the communication system 100 illustrating another implementation for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
- Figure 2(d) shows another high level block diagram 200-4 of the communication system 100 illustrating another implementation for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
- Figure 3 shows a high-level block diagram 300 of an apparatus 300 for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
- Figure 4 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 400 for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure.
-
It should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that any block diagrams herein represent conceptual views of the illustrative systems embodying the principles of the present subject matter. Similarly, it will be appreciated that any flowcharts, flow diagrams, state transition diagrams, pseudo code, and the like represent various processes which may be substantially represented in computer readable medium and executed by a computer or processor, whether or not such computer or processor is explicitly shown.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
-
In the present document, the word "exemplary" is used herein to mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any embodiment or implementation of the present subject matter described herein as "exemplary" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other embodiments.
-
While the disclosure is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiment thereof has been shown by way of example in the drawings and will be described in detail below. It should be understood, however, that it is not intended to limit the disclosure to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the disclosure is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and the scope of the disclosure.
-
The terms "comprise(s)", "comprising", "include(s)", or any other variations thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, such that a setup, device, apparatus, system, or method that comprises a list of components or steps does not include only those components or steps but may include other components or steps not expressly listed or inherent to such setup or device or apparatus or system or method. In other words, one or more elements in a device or system or apparatus proceeded by "comprises... a" does not, without more constraints, preclude the existence of other elements or additional elements in the system.
-
The terms like "at least one" and "one or more" may be used interchangeably throughout the description. In the context of present disclosure, the terms "computing device", "mobile device", and "electronic device" may be used interchangeably throughput the description.
-
In the following detailed description of the embodiments of the present disclosure, reference is made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof. The drawings show, by way of illustration, few embodiments in which the disclosure may be practiced. The embodiments of the present disclosure are described in sufficient detail to enable those skilled in the art to practice the disclosure, and it is to be understood that other embodiments may be utilized and that changes may be made without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. The following description is, therefore, not to be taken in a limiting sense. In the following description, well known functions or constructions are not described in detail since they would obscure the description with unnecessary detail.
-
In the context of present disclosure, a "test signal" refers to a generated sound or audio signal used to evaluate and measure performance of sound systems, environments, or hearing devices. In the context of present disclosure, the test signal may be an artificial sound such as modulated noise, pink noise, sine waves, speech stimuli, or speech-like stimuli designed to simulate real-world sounds. The signal is emitted/played by a sound source (e.g., a loudspeaker) and captured/recorded by microphones in the hearing devices for analysis of how sound is transmitted, altered, or degraded due to various factors (e.g., such as medium through which the sound traverses, background noise, reverberations, room acoustics, etc.).
-
In the context of present disclosure, "background noise" refers to any unwanted or ambient sound present in an environment that may mix with the sound signal (such as speech signal). The background noise may come from a variety of sources, including chatter from other people, equipment (like air conditioners or fans), or outdoor sounds. For individuals with hearing loss, background noise is particularly problematic, as it makes it more difficult to focus on or understand the desired sound. The background noise makes the speech less intelligible by reducing Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR).
-
In the context of present disclosure, "reverberation" refers to persistence of sound in an enclosed space after the sound source has stopped emitting sound. Generally, reverberations occur when sound waves reflect from surfaces such as walls, ceilings, and floors, resulting in a series of reflections that overlap with the original sound. In spaces with high reverberation, the sound becomes blurred or smeared, making it difficult to distinguish individual words or sounds, particularly for people with hearing loss. Room acoustics may refer to the way sound behaves within an enclosed space i.e., how the sound is absorbed, reflected, or diffused by surfaces of a room and objects present within the room.
-
In the context of present disclosure, a "sound level" refers to an intensity of sound emitted by the sound source. It is measured in decibels (dB). The sound level is an important factor in determining how well the sound can be heard or understood. Higher sound levels may improve speech intelligibility in noisy environments, but if the sound is too loud, it may cause discomfort or even hearing damage. Thus, measuring sound level helps in assessing adequacy of a sound signal and calibrating hearing devices for optimizing listening conditions.
-
In the context of present disclosure, "hearing devices" refers to electronic devices designed to assist individuals by amplifying sounds and improving speech quality, when encountering an unfavorable listening situation. These devices may comprise one or more of: microphones, amplifiers, speakers, processors, etc. to enhance specific frequencies or filter out unwanted components from speech signals. The hearing devices may support wireless connectivity with external computing devices. The hearing devices may include hearing aids, cochlear implants, ear buds, bone-anchored hearing aids, implantable hearing devices, but not limited thereto. Hearing aids are most frequently used devices that aim to rehabilitate hearing loss. The hearing aids are sound-amplifying devices for people who experience mild to moderate degrees of hearing loss. Such devices are individually fitted as per patient's requirements.
-
Hearing aids may have built-in features that help in different communication situations, such as, directional microphone or noise reduction. Further, some hearing aids are adaptable to user requirements. For example, such devices may improve speech recognition by facilitating reverberant speech enhancement features. Cochlear implants are another example of hearing rehabilitation devices which aim to stimulate auditory nerve directly. They are typically beneficial for people with severe-to-profound hearing loss. Apart from the above-mentioned devices there exists assistive listening devices that is simply a microphone-receiver arrangement which are specifically designed to improve speech quality of audio signals delivered to the user. In such scenarios, the speaker talks into a microphone and the sound is delivered wirelessly to a receiver integrated within the hearing device.
-
Typically, people with hearing loss have difficulty in understanding speech. For example, children with hearing loss often struggle to understand speech in environments like schools, despite using hearing aids or cochlear implants. The degree of hearing loss and settings of the hearing devices are known to be key factors, however they are not the only factors. Additional factors such as distance from the teacher, classroom acoustics (e.g., reverberation), background noise, and the child's head orientation relative to the speaker also significantly impact speech comprehension. Particularly, the signal received by the listener may not only contain the target speech signals from the talker or the signal emitted by a sound source, but may also contain unwanted noises caused due to room reverberations and other background noises prevalent in the room. This severely affects the speech intelligibility of the speech signals. Room reverberation occurs when sound reflects and re-reflects from room boundaries, causing temporal speech prompts to smear and potentially mask the direct speech.
-
In a similar manner, background noise can physically mask or cognitively interfere with the target speech signals. Both reverberation and background noise thus negatively impact the speech recognition or intelligibility of an audio/sound signal. However, the influence and interaction of the above-mentioned factors are difficult to quantify, making it difficult to optimize listening conditions for hearing-impaired individuals. Thus, the present disclosure provides techniques measuring and/or evaluating a sound transmission quality of an environment using a hearing device of the user, and providing indications related to the sound transmission quality. The present disclosure aids in measuring the effect of room acoustics on speech intelligibility of audio signals, thereby enabling hearing device users to make proactive measures to compensate negative effect caused due reverberations and background noise prevalent in the surrounding environment.
-
Referring now to Figure 1 , an exemplary communication system 100 or exemplary environment is shown, in which the techniques of the present disclosure may be implemented. The system 100 may comprise at least one sound source 110, at least one hearing device 120, and at least one computing device 130. Typically, the sound source 110 may play a sound file (e.g., an audio file) and emit a sound signal (also referred to as "test signal" or "test sound signal"). The emitted sound signal is be captured by the at least one hearing device 120.
-
In an embodiment, the at least one hearing device 120 may comprise a pair of hearing devices e.g., a left and a right hearing device which a user can wear in his/her left and right ear, respectively. In one embodiment, the at least one hearing device may be worn only in a single ear e.g., left, or right ear. The at least one hearing device 120 may be one of a hearing amplifier, a hearing aid, a cochlear implant, or any other suitable electronic device that can be worn in or behind user's ear and is capable of helping the user in hearing more clearly in different environments. The at least one hearing device 120 may comprise at least one microphone.
-
The at least one hearing device 120 may be communicatively coupled with the at least one computing device 130 over a communication (wired/wireless) network. The network may comprise a data network such as, but not restricted to, the Internet, Local Area Network (LAN), Wide Area Network (WAN), Metropolitan Area Network (MAN), etc. In certain embodiments, the network may include a wireless network, such as, but not restricted to, a cellular network and may employ various technologies including. In one embodiment, the network may include or otherwise cover networks or subnetworks, each of which may include, for example, a wired or wireless data pathway such as Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, but not limited thereto.
-
The computing device 130 may be any mobile or non-mobile computing device including, but not limited to, a phone (e.g., a cellular phone or smart phone), a pager, a laptop computer, a desktop computer, a wireless handset, a portable communication device, a portable computing device (e.g., a personal data assistant), an entertainment device (e.g., a music or video device, or a satellite radio), a global positioning system device, Internet-of-Things (IoT)-enabled device, or any other suitable computing device capable of exchanging data using a wired or wireless communications interface. In one example, the computing device 130 may deliver the sound file to the sound source 110 for playback. Such delivery of the sound file to the sound source 110 may be over the network (which can be wired or wireless network).
-
Figures 2(a) -(d) outline various arrangements for assessing the quality of sound transmissions to the hearing devices 120 in various environments so that the performance of the hearing devices 120 remains optimal in different listening conditions. Broadly, the arrangements of Figures 2(a)-2(d) comprise the sound source 110 (or audio-emitting device) that is responsible for emitting a test signal. The test signal may be a predefined sound signal, which may be captured and analyzed to evaluate the quality of sound transmission. The sound source could be a loudspeaker or another audio-emitting device. At least one microphone 210 is integrated into the hearing device 120. The at least one microphone 210 of the hearing device 120 is responsible for capturing the emitted test signal as well as any environmental noises that may interfere with sound transmission, such as reverberations or background noise.
-
The arrangements further comprise a processing module 220 which is a core component that controls the sound source 110 and performs comparison between the emitted test signal (which was emitted/output by the sound source 110) and the captured test signal (which was recorded by the hearing device 120). The processing module 220 analyzes any differences between the two signals to assess the quality of the sound transmission between sound source and the hearing device 120 in the given environment, accounting for factors like reverberation and background noise. In an exemplary non-limiting embodiment, a software application may be utilized by the processing module 220 for assessing the quality of sound transmissions to the hearing device 120 within the communication system 100 or the environment.
-
In one example, the software application may be provided within the computing device 130, as shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(c) . In another example, the software application may be provided within the hearing device 120, as shown in Figures 2(b) and 2(d) . However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto and in general, the software application may be provided in any suitable device capable of executing the software application for assessing sound quality. In one example, the sound source 110 may be a standalone loudspeaker or a speaker integrated with an electronic device (when the sound source is external to the computing device), as shown in Figures 2(a) -(b). In another example, the sound source 110 may be a part of the computing device 130, as shown in Figures 2(c) -(d).
-
Figure 2(a) shows a high level block diagram 200-1 of the communication system 100 illustrating one implementation for assessing quality of sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device 120, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2(a) , the at least one hearing device 120 may comprise the at least one microphone 210 and the computing device 130 may comprise the processing module 220. In one embodiment, a left and a right microphones 210 may be attached to the left and right hearing devices 120 worn by the user. The sound source 110 is external to the computing device 130 and is connected to the computing device 120 via a network (wired or wireless network such as Bluetooth or Wi-Fi). This arrangement (the sound source 110 being external to the computing device 120) allows flexibility in setting up the system 200-1 in various environments.
-
The computing device 120 may send the actual test signal (or a sound file having the test signal) to the sound source 110, which in turn emits/plays the test signal. The hearing device 120 captures/records the emitted test signal via the microphone 210. However, the microphone 210 does not only capture the emitted test signal but also records additional acoustic components present in the environment such as background noise, reverberations, and other acoustic factors including vibrations, reflections, or other sound artifacts present in the environment that affect the original test signal. Due to the presence of these additional acoustic components, the captured/recorded test signal may significantly differ from the emitted test signal. Such degradation of the emitted test signal complicates speech recognition and reduces auditory comprehension for individuals with hearing loss, making it harder for them to understand the spoken words.
-
In order to assess the quality of sound transmission in the environment, the at least one microphone 210 delivers the captured/recorded signal back to the computing device 130 for analysis. This transmission can be either wired or wireless. The processing module 220 of the computing device 130 then evaluates the quality of the sound transmission based on the comparison between the actual test signal (also referred to as "emitted test signal") and the captured test signals.
-
Figure 2(b) shows another high level block diagram 200-2 of the communication system 100 illustrating another implementation for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device 120, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In the present embodiment, the at least one hearing device 120 comprises the processing module 220 being integrated directly into the hearing device 120. The computing device 120 may send the actual test signal (or a sound file having the test signal) to the sound source 110, which in turn emits/plays the test signal. The hearing device 120 captures/records the emitted test signal via the microphone 210 along with the additional acoustic components. In an embodiment, the computing device 130 may send the actual test signal (or the emitted test signal) to the hearing device 120 for analysis. The processing module 220 of the hearing device 120 then evaluates the quality of the sound transmission based on the comparison between the actual test signal and the captured test signals. In this manner, the hearing device 120 performs the sound transmission quality assessment internally, thereby reducing the reliance on external computing power and enabling more localized analysis. In one embodiment, the results of processing may be transmitted to the computing device 130 for displaying or notifying the user.
-
Figure 2(c) shows another high level block diagram 200-3 of the communication system 100 illustrating another implementation for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As shown in Figure 2(c), the sound source 110 may be integrated within the computing device 130, allowing the computing device 130 to emit/play the test signal without needing any external sound source. The computing device 120 directly controls the sound source 110 for emitting/playing the test signal. The hearing device 120 captures/records the emitted test signal via the microphone 210 which may include the additional acoustic components such as background noise, reverberation, or other acoustic components present in the environment. The hearing device 120 delivers the captured/recorded signal back to the computing device 130 for analysis. This transmission can be either wired or wireless. The processing module 220 of the computing device 130 then evaluates the quality of the sound transmission based on the comparison between the actual test signal (also referred to as "emitted test signal") and the captured test signals.
-
Figure 2(d) shows another high level block diagram 200-4 of the communication system 100 illustrating another implementation for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device 120, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. In this embodiment, the sound source 110 may be integrated within the computing device 130, allowing the computing device 130 to emit/play the test signal without needing any external sound source. The computing device 120 directly controls the sound source 110 for emitting/playing the test signal. The hearing device 120 captures/records the emitted test signal via the microphone 210 along with the additional acoustic components such as background noise, reverberation, or other acoustic components present in the environment. In an embodiment, the computing device 130 may send the actual test signal (or the emitted test signal) to the hearing device 120 for analysis. The processing module 220 of the hearing device 120 then evaluates the quality of the sound transmission based on the comparison between the actual test signal and the captured test signals (which may comprise the additional acoustic components). In this manner, the hearing device 120 performs the sound transmission quality assessment internally, thereby reducing the reliance on external computing power and enabling more localized analysis. In one embodiment, the results of processing may be transmitted to the computing device 130 for displaying or notifying the user.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment (in any of the arrangements of Figures 2(a)-2(d) ), the computing device 130 may be configured to control behavior of the sound source 110 for proper coordination and execution of the sound transmission quality assessment process. The computing device 130 is configured to transmit the actual test signal (or sound file with the test signal) directly to the sound source 110. The test signal may be a specifically designed audio signal used to assess the acoustic quality and sound transmission capabilities within the environment. The test signal may vary depending on the requirements of the testing. For example, the test signal may be any test signal which is used for Speech Transmission Index (STI) measurements to evaluate how well speech can be understood in various environments, impulse signals used for measuring room acoustics including reverberation and background noise, speech stimuli which is a set of recorded speech sounds that simulate real-world scenarios, but not limited thereto.
-
The computing device sends digital or analog version of the test signal to the sound source 110. Upon receiving the test signal, the sound source 110 emits/plays the test signal into the environment, where the surrounding acoustics and environmental conditions, such as reverberation and background noise, interact with the emitted signal. Alternatively, or additionally, the computing device 130 may transmit a trigger signal to the sound source 110. The trigger signal is a control command sent by the computing device 130 to instruct the sound source 110 to initiate the emission of the test signal. Such configuration allows the sound source 110 to independently store the test signal, ready to be played when triggered. When the computing device 130 transmits the trigger signal, the device 130 sends a start command to the sound source 110, prompting the sound source 110 to emit the stored test signal into the environment. This is particularly useful in situations where the sound source 110 and computing device 130 may be physically separated or where latency needs to be minimized.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, once the microphones 210 have captured the emitted signal (comprising both the emitted test signal and the additional components), the captured signal is sent to the processing module 220 for further analysis either via a wired or via a wireless network. The processing module 220 may utilize sophisticated algorithms and/or mathematical models to compare the actual test signal with the captured signal (which contains additional acoustic components). The purpose of the comparison is to assess the extent to which the sound transmission is being affected by environmental conditions. The factors utilized for assessment may include Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR), Reverberation Time (RT60), Distortion Metrics, but not limited thereto. The SNR measures a level of the test signal relative to the background noise. The reverberation time refers to how long it takes for sound to decay in an environment after the source has stopped emitting. The distortion metrics assess how much the test signal is altered by acoustic reflections or other environmental factors. By analyzing these factors, the processing module 220 may provide an assessment of how well the hearing device 120 is receiving and processing sound in the environment. This analysis may be used to fine-tune settings of the hearing device 120 or inform adjustments to the environment (such as reducing noise or improving room acoustics).
-
In one embodiment, the system 100, 200 is designed to dynamically determine the sound level of the test signal (which is emitted by the sound source 110) and make necessary adjustments to ensure accurate sound transmission measurements. Such calibration process may involve use of a calibration signal to fine-tune the sound source 110 so as to optimize an output of the sound source 110 to match desired measurement conditions. Specifically, the system 100, 200 may monitor the sound level of the test signal emitted by the sound source 110 to ensure that the test signal is emitted at an appropriate sound level for accurate assessment of sound transmission quality. The system may use the microphone 210 of the hearing device 120, the computing device 130, or any other sound level measuring component (such as a sound level meter either in the hearing device 120 or in the computing device 130 or external) to determine the sound level of the emitted signal.
-
In one embodiment, the system 100, 200 is configured to dynamically adjust the frequency characteristics of the emitted signals from the sound source 110. The system 100, 200 determines the spectrum or frequency characteristics of the test signal or calibration signal emitted by the sound source 110 and then makes corrections to compensate for the frequency characteristics of the sound source 110. In one embodiment, in order to measure the frequency spectrum of the emitted test signal, a measurement device is placed near the sound source to avoid effects of room acoustics 110.
-
Once the system determines the sound level of the emitted calibration signal, the system may adjust one or more parameters of the sound source or test signal to ensure that the test signal is emitted at the optimal level. This adjustment is achieved through a calibration process, which is guided by the use of the calibration signal. Specifically, once the system determines the sound level of the calibration signal emitted by the sound source 110, the system then transmits a signal to the sound source 110 to fine-tune the sound source 110 for emitting the test signal at an optimal sound level. The signal adjusts the output sound level of the sound source 110. For example, if the sound level is too low, the signal instructs the sound source 110 to increase volume. Similarly, if the sound level is too loud, the calibration signal triggers a reduction in output sound level to bring the sound level within a desired range. In another embodiment, the calibration signal triggers a reduction/scaling in the output sound level to bring the sound level equal to a predefined level.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the processing module 220 is configured to determine a degree of reverberation and background noise by analyzing the test signal emitted by the sound source 110 at multiple sound levels. Performing measurements at multiple sound levels allows the system to better isolate the effects of reverberation and background noise. Specifically, the sound source 110 emits a test signal at two or more different sound levels (e.g., low, and high). The different sound levels help to capture variations in how sound propagates and interacts with the environment. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the test signal may be a group of one or more different test signals having one or more sound levels. In such configuration the processing module 220 is configured to determine the degree of reverberation and background noise by analyzing the different test signals, Here, performing measurements using different test signals allows the system to separate the effects of background noise and reverberation because of different effects on different test signals.
-
The hearing devices 120 equipped with the microphones 210 record the emitted test signals along with any background noise and reverberation that may affect sound clarity and provide the captured signals to the processing module 220 for analysis.
-
It may be noted that when the hearing device 120 comprises multiple microphones 210, the processing module 220 is configured to combine results of measurements from the multiple microphones 210 to determine an overall quality of the sound transmission. Specifically, the processing module 220 may combine results from each microphone using a weighted integration approach. This means that different microphones may be given different importance based on their position or quality of their recordings. For example, a microphone closer to the sound source 110 may be given more weight than the one farther away. The processing module 220 may employ statistical methods, such as averaging, to merge data from the multiple microphones 210 to provide a more robust representation of overall sound quality. The overall sound quality may be compared to a predefined benchmark or threshold to determine if the sound transmission meets specific quality standards.
-
It may be noted that the sound quality assessment results may be provided to a user (e.g., the results may be displayed on a device such as the computing device 130). In one example, the results of the assessments may be represented using a single quality score which may be computed as a weighted average of the various metrics, providing a straightforward representation of overall sound transmission quality. Alternatively, the results may be presented in a more granular manner, splitting the overall sound transmission quality into distinct components that separately reflect the impacts of background noise, reverberations, and other factors. This approach provides deeper insights into acoustic environment and its effects on sound transmission.
-
Typically, Speech-in-noise tests may be used in assessments designed to evaluate how well individuals can understand speech when competing sounds (background noises) are present. Such tests are particularly important for individuals with hearing loss, as they often struggle to comprehend spoken language in noisy environments, such as classrooms, workplaces, and social settings. Adaptive procedures adjust a difficulty of a task based on responses of a listener to provide a more accurate measurement of speech recognition abilities. During the test, the SNR is adjusted until the listener can recognize speech at a predetermined accuracy level, known as the target point (maybe set at 50% correct responses). Speech Recognition Threshold (SRT) indicates the SNR at which a listener can correctly identify 50% of the speech. This is often denoted as SNR50. SRT serves as a benchmark for evaluating an individual's ability to perceive speech against noise, providing valuable insight into their hearing capabilities. The interaction between reverberation and background noise significantly affects speech intelligibility. The Speech Transmission Index (STI) provides a reliable framework for understanding this relationship. By assessing an individual's sensitivity to background noise from a speech-in-noise test, clinicians may predict their sensitivity to reverberation effects. This predictive capability is vital for developing customized interventions and accommodations for individuals with hearing impairments.
-
The Speech Transmission Index (STI) is a quantitative measure of the intelligibility of speech transmitted through a given environment. The STI is based on the principles of Modulated Transfer Functions (MTF) which assesses how well speech modulations are preserved during transmission. Any degradation in the modulations, whether due to reverberation, noise, or other environmental factors, may lead to decreased intelligibility of speech. STI protocol employs amplitude-modulated measurement signals across various frequency bands to analyze how modulation is affected by room acoustics. This involves examining the extent to which the modulations are altered by the room characteristics, such as background noise and reverberation.
-
In the present disclosure, the impact of an environment on a speech signal may be determined by measuring the speech intelligibility level using the STI which is a measure of speech transmission quality and measures physical characteristics of a transmission channel. STI expresses the ability of the channel or environment to carry across the characteristics of a speech signal. The various factors on which STI is dependent are the speech level, frequency response of the channel, non-linear distortions, background noise level, quality of the sound reproduction equipment, echoes (reflections with delay > 100ms), the reverberation time, psychoacoustic effects (masking effects).
-
The techniques of the present disclosure for assessing the sound transmission quality of an environment may utilize at least one from two approaches. In a first approach (STI based approach), the test signal may be an artificial signal having multiple modulating frequencies. A person skilled in the art would understand that if such a signal is emitted in a noisy and/or reverberant environment, the modulations in the test signal typically smooth out. Thus, the impact of a noisy and/or reverberant environment on such an artificial signal could be easily determined and the quality of sound transmission can be easily measured based on the changing modulations in the artificial signal. Usually, a mathematical analysis may be performed to obtain the reverberation and background noise values of the signal. For instance, considering an original signal is based on pink noise, that is modulated in seven octave bands with 14 different frequencies. The test signal is played by a loudspeaker and recorded at the receiver. A person skilled in the art would understand that the MTF measurements of individual octave bands of a signal indicate how well the modulations were preserved in each of the frequency bands, Thus, the present technique utilizes this principle and examines the MTF in each octave band of a signal. From this MTF the reverberation time and background noise are calculated for all frequency bands.
-
In the second approach, the test signal comprises one or more stimuli or short-duration artificial stimuli. In one embodiment, the one or more stimuli may be speech stimuli and/or noise stimuli. In this approach, Automatic Speech Recognizer (ASR) systems are used. For instance, when the outcome from the ASR system for the test signals is compared with recorded signals in a room then the recorded signal would show poorer speech recognition scores than for the test signal. The difference between the speech recognition scores provides a measure for the room acoustics. Considering the scenario for at least a higher and a lower level of the test signal level, here the effect of reverberation remains same, however, the effect of background noise on speech recognition is lesser for a signal with a higher level. Further, when considering a steady state noise stimuli and interrupted noise stimuli, the effect of reverberation is larger for interrupted noise stimuli. Thus, on comparison of results from the measurements at different levels and/or for different noise stimuli, the amount of reverberation and background noise in the room may be estimated more accurately.
-
In one embodiment, the one or more stimuli may have associated one or more parameters and the processing module 220 may be configured to adjust the one or more parameters and measure the amount of reverberation and background noise in the environment based on the adjusted one or more parameters. In one embodiment, the one or more stimuli may be speech and/or noise stimuli and the one or more parameters may include a frequency of gaps and a gap length between the one or more stimuli. Therefore, to estimate the effect of reverberation and background noise, a sequence of stimuli in a signal is taken and larger or smaller gaps are created between the different speech stimuli. It may be noted that, the effect of background noise may be same, but the effect of reverberation may decrease with increasing gap lengths. Finally, the speech signals are then compared to estimate reverberation time and background noise.
-
As explained earlier in the background section, the techniques of the present disclosure improve and enhance the experience of users having hearing loss. Specifically, the techniques aim to augment the listening experience of users by indicating and facilitating user to adjust the various factors that are affecting a sound transmission quality of a room or an environment. In the present disclosure, it is possible for people with hearing difficulty to take a measurement via their computing devices (e.g., smartphone) at work, at home, or in the classroom. A test signal may be played via a speaker and microphones of the hearing device may capture the test signal to determine the quality of the signal at the ear of a person wearing the hearing device. Thus, audiological care for people with hearing loss may improve tremendously. In some embodiments, smartphone applications may be used to perform measurements using internal microphone of the smartphone or an external microphone. The present disclosure facilitates that measurements at ear-level of a patient are performed which accurately represent input of the listener in real-life while taking into account the specific features of the hearing devices (e.g., directionality or noise reduction systems).
-
The techniques of the present disclosure provide various technical advantages. For example, the techniques of the present disclosure provides an assessment of a sound transmission quality. The sound transmission quality of an environment is usually dependent on a speech transmission or intelligibility quality of the sound/speech signals transmitted. That is the higher the quality of sound transmission the higher the intelligibility of a speech signal. Hence, the techniques of the present disclosure facilitate the user of a hearing device to measure and potentially adjust the various factors that govern the quality of sound signal received by them. For instance, if the user of a hearing device can perform any action to improve the quality of received signal. The action may include moving closer to a sound source. Here the sound source may be a speaker or a person speaking via a microphone. The actions may further include adjusting the settings of the hearing device to compensate for a poor room acoustics or improving the acoustics of the room. Thus, the present techniques enable a user of a hearing device by giving indications to compensate for a poor transmission quality and adjust the various factors that may be affecting the transmission quality.
-
It may be understood to a person skilled in art that the present disclosure is not limited to the communication system 100 illustrated in Figures 1 or 2(a) -2(d) and may be implemented in various other communication systems as well, other than the ones shown in Figures 1 or 2(a)- 2(d).
-
Referring now to Figure 3 which illustrates a block diagram 300 of an apparatus, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. The apparatus 300 may comprise at least one transmitter 302, at least one receiver 304, at least one processor 308, at least one memory 310, at least one interface 312, at least one antenna 314, at least one display, at least one speaker, etc. The at least one transmitter 302 may be configured to transmit data/information to one or more devices using the antenna 314 and the at least one receiver 304 may be configured to receive data/information from the one or more devices using the antenna 314. The at least one transmitter and receiver may be collectively implemented as a single transceiver module 306. In one non-limiting embodiment, the at least one processor 308 may be communicatively coupled with the transceiver 306, the memory 310, the interface 312, and the antenna 314.
-
The at least one processor 308 may include, but not restricted to, microprocessors, microcomputers, micro-controllers, central processing units, state machines, logic circuitries, and/or any devices that manipulate signals based on operational instructions. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a plurality of microprocessors or any other such configuration. The at least one memory 310 may be communicatively coupled to the at least one processor 308 and may comprise various instructions. The at least one memory 310 may include a Random Access Memory (RAM) unit and/or a nonvolatile memory unit such as a Read Only Memory (ROM), optical disc drive, magnetic disc drive, flash memory, Electrically Erasable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), a memory space on a server or cloud and so forth. The at least one processor 308 may be configured to execute one or more instructions stored in the memory 310.
-
The interfaces 312 may include a variety of software and hardware interfaces, for example, a web interface, a graphical user interface, an input device-output device (I/O) interface, a network interface, and the like. The I/O interfaces may allow the apparatus 300 to communicate with one or more devices either directly or through other devices. The network interface may allow the apparatus 300 to interact with one or more networks either directly or via any other network.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the apparatus 300 may implement functionalities of any of: the hearing devices 120, the computing device 130, any other electronic device, or a part thereof. The processor 308 may be configured to implement the functionalities of the processing module 220 described in connection with Figures 2(a)-2(d) e.g., by executing instructions stored in the memory 310 or by running the software application.
-
Figure 4 shows a flowchart illustrating an exemplary method 400 for assessing quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device 120, in accordance with some embodiments of the present disclosure. As illustrated in Figure 4 , the method 400 includes one or more blocks illustrating the method for assessing the sound transmission quality of an environment. The method 400 is merely provided for exemplary purposes, and embodiments are intended to include or otherwise cover any method of assessing the sound transmission quality of an environment within the context of the present disclosure.
-
The method 400 may include, at block 402, emitting a test signal using a sound source 110. In one embodiment, the test signal may be provided to the sound source 110 in form of a sound file by a computing device 130. Upon receiving the sound file from the computing device 130, the sound source plays the sound file, thereby emitting the test signal. In one non-limiting embodiment, the method 400 comprises delivering the test signal or the sound file to the sound source 110 and/or transmitting a trigger signal to the sound source 110 instructing the sound source 110 to emit the test signal.
-
The method 400 may include, at block 404, capturing or recording the test signal that is emitted by the sound source 110. The operations of block 404 may be performed by the microphone 210 of the hearing device 120. The microphone 210 may convert sound signal received from the sound source 110 into electronic signals and store them into a recording medium, which are then transmitted to a processing module 220.
-
The method 400 may include, at block 406, controlling the sound source 110 using the processing module 220 and assessing the quality of the sound transmissions in the environment by comparing the test signal emitted by the sound source 110 with the test signal captured by the at least one microphone 210.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the sound source 110 is external to the computing device 120 which is communicatively coupled with the at least one hearing device 120, and the sound source 120 comprises a loudspeaker or a speaker integrated with an electronic device. In an alternative embodiment, the sound source 110 is integrated into the computing device 120 which is communicatively coupled with the at least one hearing device 120.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the processing module 220 is integrated into the computing device 130 and the method further comprises delivering, using the at least one hearing device 120, the captured test signal to the processing module 220 via a wired or wireless medium for assessing the quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the processing module 220 is integrated into the at least one hearing device 120, the method further comprises delivering, using the computing device 130, the emitted test signal to the processing module 220 via a wired or wireless medium for assessing the quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device 120.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the method further comprises performing at least one of: transmitting the test signal to the sound source 110 and transmitting a trigger signal to the sound source 110 instructing the sound source 110 to emit the test signal. In one non-limiting embodiment, the method further comprise capturing, using the at least one microphone 210, the emitted test signal along with background noise associated with the environment, and delivering the captured test signal along with the background noise to the processing module 220 for assessing the quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device 120.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the method 400 further comprises determining at least one of a sound level and a spectrum of the test signal emitted by the sound source 110, and adjusting the sound level and a spectrum by calibrating the sound source 110 based on a calibration signal. In one non-limiting embodiment, the test signal may comprise an artificial sound signal, and the method 400 comprises evaluating modulation ratios for each octave band of the artificial signal by comparing the test signal emitted by the sound source 110 with the test signal captured by the at least one microphone 210.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the test signal comprises one or more stimuli or short-duration artificial stimuli having associated one or more parameters. The method 400 further comprises adjusting the one or more parameters associated with one or more stimuli or short-duration artificial stimuli. The method 400 further comprises measuring reverberation effect of the test signal based on the adjusted parameters to assess the quality of the sound transmissions to the at least one hearing device (120) in the environment. In one embodiment of the present disclosure, the one or more parameters comprise a duration or length of the gaps or the frequency of gaps in the one or more stimuli. The method 400 further comprises adjusting the duration of the gaps between successive speech stimuli and measuring reverberation effect of the test signal based on the adjustment. It may be noted that the reverberation effect changes as the gaps between the stimuli increase while the impact of background noise remains constant.
-
In one non-limiting embodiment, the method 400 further comprises determining a degree of reverberation and background noise in the test signal by performing measurements at two or more sound levels of the test signal or using different test signals. In one non-limiting embodiment, the method 400 further comprises combining results of measurements from the at least one microphone to determine an overall quality of the sound transmission.
-
The above method 400 may be described in the general context of computer executable instructions. Generally, computer executable instructions can include routines, programs, objects, components, data structures, procedures, modules, and functions, which perform specific functions or implement specific abstract data types. In one aspect, the method 400 may be performed by a system comprising at least a microphone, a sound source, and a processing module. The order in which the various operations of the method 400 are described is not intended to be construed as a limitation, and any number of the described method blocks can be combined in any order to implement the method 400. Additionally, individual blocks may be deleted from the method 400 without departing from the spirit and scope of the subject matter described herein.
-
The various operations of methods described above may be performed by any suitable means capable of performing the corresponding functions. The means may include various hardware and/or software component(s) and/or module(s), including, but not limited to the at least one processor and the various units. Generally, where there are operations illustrated in Figures, those operations may have corresponding counterpart means-plus-function components.
-
It may be noted here that the subject matter of some or all embodiments described with reference to Figures 1-2(d) may be relevant for the method 400 and apparatus 300 and the same is not repeated for the same of brevity.
-
In a non-limiting embodiment of the present disclosure, one or more non-transitory computer-readable media may be utilized for implementing the embodiments consistent with the present disclosure. A computer-readable medium refers to any type of physical memory on which information or data readable by a processor may be stored. Thus, a computer-readable media may store one or more instructions for execution by the at least one processor, including instructions for causing the at least one processor to perform steps or stages consistent with the embodiments described herein. The term "computer-readable media" should be understood to include tangible items and exclude carrier waves and transient signals. By way of example, and not limitation, such computer-readable media can comprise Random Access Memory (RAM), Read Only Memory (ROM), volatile memory, nonvolatile memory, hard drives, Compact Disc (CD) ROMs, Digital Video Disc (DVDs), flash drives, disks, and any other known physical storage media.
-
Thus, certain aspects may comprise a computer program product for performing the operations presented herein. For example, such a computer program product may comprise a computer readable media having instructions stored (and/or encoded) thereon, the instructions being executable by one or more processors to perform the operations described herein. For certain aspects, the computer program product may include packaging material.
-
The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and operations described in connection with the present disclosure may be implemented or performed with a general-purpose processor, a digital signal processor (DSP), an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), a field programmable gate array signal (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD), discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general-purpose processor may include a microprocessor, but in the alternative, the processor may include any commercially available processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. A processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, e.g., a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or more microprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other such configuration.
-
The phrase "based on" does not mean "based only on," unless expressly specified otherwise. In other words, the phrase "based on" describes both "based only on" and "based at least on". Additionally, the term "and/or" means "and" or "or". For example, "A and/or B" can mean "A", "B", or "A and B". Additionally, "A, B, and/or C" can mean "A alone," "B alone," "C alone," "A and B," "A and C," "B and C" or "A, B, and C."
-
As used herein, a phrase referring to "at least one" or "one or more" of a list of items refers to any combination of those items, including single members. As an example, "at least one of: A, B, or C" is intended to cover: A, B, C, A-B, A-C, B-C, and A-B-C. The terms "a", "an" and "the" mean "one or more", unless expressly specified otherwise. A description of an embodiment with several components in communication with each other does not imply that all such components are required. On the contrary, a variety of optional components are described to illustrate the wide variety of possible embodiments of the disclosed methods and systems.
-
Finally, the language used in the specification has been principally selected for readability and instructional purposes, and it may not have been selected to delineate or circumscribe the inventive subject matter. It is therefore intended that the scope of the disclosure be limited not by this detailed description, but rather by any claims that issue on an application based here on. Accordingly, the embodiments of the present disclosure are intended to be illustrative, but not limiting, of the scope of the disclosure, which is set forth in the appended claims.