JP2017175581A - Hearing aid adjustment apparatus, hearing aid adjustment method and hearing aid adjustment program - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a hearing aid adjustment apparatus capable of preventing degradation in articulation due to adjustment operation of a hearing aid.SOLUTION: The hearing aid adjustment apparatus includes: an input device for adjusting parameters including gain of a hearing aid and inputting a parameter adjustment operation; and a processor that calculates the articulation in a state that the hearing aid is worn or the hearing aid is not worn by a user. The processor calculates a first articulation by using a first gain according to the adjustment operation, and calculates a second articulation before the adjustment operation to thereby support the adjustment of the hearing aid based on the first articulation and the second articulation.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present disclosure relates to a hearing aid adjustment device, a hearing aid adjustment method, and a hearing aid adjustment program.

  In the hearing aid, adjustment (fitting) of the hearing aid is performed so that the hearing aid can be heard easily according to the wearer (user) of the hearing aid. As an example of hearing aid adjustment, it is known that a hearing aid adjustment system measures intelligibility under a plurality of S / N ratios, calculates a difference from a normal hearing person, and sets a gain (Patent Document 1). reference). Further, the hearing aid is often adjusted in the order of hearing measurement, first fit, and fine adjustment.

International Publication No. 2013/128411

  In the conventional hearing aid adjustment system, by performing an inappropriate adjustment operation of the hearing aid, the clarity is lowered, and the user may not fully realize the hearing aid effect.

  The present disclosure has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a hearing aid adjustment device, a hearing aid adjustment method, and a hearing aid adjustment program that can suppress a reduction in clarity due to a hearing aid adjustment operation.

  A hearing aid adjustment device according to the present disclosure is a hearing aid adjustment device that adjusts parameters including a gain of a hearing aid, and includes an input device that inputs the adjustment operation of the parameters, and whether the hearing aid is worn or not worn by a user. A processor for calculating a degree, wherein the processor calculates a first clarity using the first gain according to the adjustment operation, and calculates a second clarity before the adjustment operation. And assisting the adjustment of the hearing aid based on the first clarity and the second clarity.

  A hearing aid adjustment method according to the present disclosure is a hearing aid adjustment method in a hearing aid adjustment device that adjusts a parameter including a gain of a hearing aid, and before the parameter adjustment operation, the hearing aid is adjusted by a user in a wearing state or a non-wearing state. The second clarity is calculated, the parameter adjustment operation is input, the first clarity is calculated using the first gain according to the adjustment operation, and the first clarity and the second clarity are calculated. Based on the intelligibility, the hearing aid is assisted.

  The hearing aid adjustment program of the present disclosure is a program for causing a computer to execute the above-described hearing aid adjustment method.

  According to the present disclosure, it is possible to suppress a decrease in articulation due to a hearing aid adjustment operation.

The block diagram which shows the structural example of the hearing aid adjustment apparatus in 1st Embodiment. Schematic diagram explaining the outline of the adjustment procedure of the hearing aid by the hearing aid adjustment device Graph showing examples of changes in audio level by band Graph showing examples of changes in SII by band A graph in which an example of a target area for performing the first guidance display is set A graph in which an example of a target area for performing the second guidance display is set A graph in which an example of a target area when performing the third guidance display is set Schematic diagram showing the UI screen displayed on the display The flowchart which shows the operation procedure which relates to guidance indication Graph showing an example of the result of hearing measurement (A)-(E) is a schematic diagram which shows the example of a transition of the guidance display displayed on the UI screen of a display at the time of fine adjustment Graph showing examples of changes in audio level for each band A graph showing an example of changes in clarity for each band A flowchart showing an example of an operation procedure related to intelligibility compensation

  Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the drawings as appropriate. However, more detailed description than necessary may be omitted. For example, detailed descriptions of already well-known matters and repeated descriptions for substantially the same configuration may be omitted. This is to avoid the following description from becoming unnecessarily redundant and to facilitate understanding by those skilled in the art. The accompanying drawings and the following description are provided to enable those skilled in the art to fully understand the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the claimed subject matter.

(Background to obtaining one form of the present disclosure)
Hearing aid adjustment includes, for example, prescription processing and fine adjustment. In the prescription process, the gain of the audio signal output by the hearing aid is automatically set from the result of the hearing measurement. In fine adjustment, the gain is adjusted by the hearing aid adjuster via the input device when the user wants to improve the results of the prescription process.

  When adjusting the gain, clarity is likely to be sacrificed. In particular, a user who has just started using a hearing aid often feels “noisy” the sound of the hearing aid set by the prescription process, and fine adjustment is often performed to lower the volume. However, over-adjustment often leads to a decrease in clarity and inability to realize the hearing aid effect.

  That is, if fine adjustment is performed appropriately, the user's satisfaction with respect to the volume, sound quality, etc. output by the hearing aid increases. On the other hand, if fine adjustment is not performed properly (for example, if fine adjustment is performed excessively), the clarity of the audio signal output from the hearing aid may be reduced, and the hearing aid effect may not be sufficiently obtained. In addition, the precision of fine adjustment depends on the ability and experience of the hearing aid adjuster.

  Hereinafter, a hearing aid adjustment device, a hearing aid adjustment method, and a hearing aid adjustment program that can suppress a decrease in clarity due to an adjustment operation of the hearing aid will be described.

(First embodiment)
[Configuration of hearing aid adjustment device]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a configuration of a hearing aid adjusting device 5 according to the first embodiment. The hearing aid adjustment device 5 assists the adjustment of the hearing aid 50 and has a configuration including a processor 10, a display 20, an input device 30, and a hearing aid setting device 40.

  The processor 10 includes, for example, an MPU (Micro Processing Unit), a CPU (Central Processing Unit), or a DSP (Digital Signal Processor). Various functions are realized by executing a program (for example, a hearing aid adjustment program) held in a memory (not shown).

  The processor 10 includes a gain control function 11, a prescription processing function 12, a clarity calculation function 13, and a compensation adjustment amount calculation function 14. The processor 10 supervises each part in the hearing aid adjustment device 5.

  The processor 10 theoretically calculates the initial setting values of the parameters including the gain of the audio signal (also simply referred to as gain) by the prescription processing based on the result of the hearing measurement by the prescription processing function 12. As an example of prescription processing, NAL-NL / NL2 has a gain that maximizes speech intelligibility under the restriction that the loudness output from a hearing aid does not exceed that of a normal hearing person. Calculated.

  The processor 10 gives the gain for each frequency band (channel or simply “band”) to the hearing aid 50 according to the initial setting value calculated by the prescription process or the setting value after fine adjustment by the gain control function 11. Set.

  The processor 10 uses the intelligibility calculation function 13 to calculate the intelligibility of the audio signal for each frequency band according to the initial setting and the finely adjusted gain setting. The calculated clarity for each band is displayed on the display 20 as a guidance display. As an index of intelligibility, for example, SII (Speech Intelligibility Index) can be cited.

  The processor 10 increases the intelligibility SIIi of other bands when the intelligibility SIIi of a certain band i is decreased by the compensation adjustment amount calculation function 14, for example, when the intelligibility SIIi of the 3 KHz band is decreased in order to suppress howling. Correction may be made to compensate for clarity of the entire band.

  The display 20 includes, for example, an LCD (Crystal Liquid Display). The display 20 performs various displays under the control of the processor 10. The display 20 displays a guidance when performing fine adjustment of the gain, for example.

  The input device 30 receives the hearing information obtained from the result of the hearing measurement and the adjustment operation related to the fine adjustment. The input device 30 includes, for example, a touch panel, a mouse, and a keyboard that are integrated with the display 20.

  The processor 10, the display 20, and the input device 30 are configured by a PC (Personal Computer) 8, for example.

  The hearing aid setting device 40 is an adapter that connects the PC 8 and the hearing aid 50 and transfers data between them. The parameters including the gain for each band set by the processor 10 are transmitted to the hearing aid 50. Thereby, the hearing aid 50 receives the parameter from the hearing aid setting device 40 and sets the parameter.

  For example, the hearing aid setting device 40 may be a single device that connects a USB (Universal Serial Bus) cable on the PC 8 side and a dedicated cable on the hearing aid 50 side. The hearing aid setting device 40 includes a device to which a USB cable on the PC 8 side is connected and a device to which a dedicated cable on the hearing aid 50 side is connected, and wirelessly (for example, Bluetooth (registered trademark)) between these devices. ). Further, the hearing aid setting device 40 may be a device to which a USB cable on the PC 8 side is connected and connected to the hearing aid 50 wirelessly.

  The hearing aid setting device 40 may be integrated with the PC 8 as a part of the function of the PC 8, not as a separate device from the PC 8.

[Hearing aid adjustment procedure]
FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the outline of the procedure for adjusting the gain of the hearing aid 50 by the hearing aid adjustment device 5. The adjustment of the hearing aid is normally performed in the order of hearing measurement, first fit, and fine adjustment.

  In the hearing measurement, for example, the lower limit value (hearing level) of the pure sound level for each frequency that the subject (user) can hear in the soundproof room is measured.

  In the first fit, the gain for each frequency band is set for the hearing aid 50 using the initial gain setting value calculated by the prescription formula processing theoretically obtained from the result of the hearing measurement. The first-fitted hearing aid 50 is worn by the user, and the user confirms the hearing through the hearing aid 50. In the first fit stage, there are many cases where the user is requested to improve the volume and quality of the audio signal output from the hearing aid 50. In this case, the gain of the audio signal is finely adjusted.

  In the fine adjustment, the hearing aid 50 is adjusted according to the user's comfort and timbre preference with respect to the hearing of the first fitted hearing aid 50. The fine adjustment is performed according to the adjustment operation via the input device 30.

[Derivation of SII]
Next, an example of deriving SII will be described.

  The processor 10 derives and compares SII (including SII during fine adjustment) in the bare ear state, the first fit state, and the fine adjustment state for each channel. The first fit state is a state in which processing related to the first fit is performed and fine adjustment is not performed. The fine adjustment state is a state in which fine adjustment is further performed. The fine adjustment state may not be a state after the fine adjustment is completed, but may be a state during the fine adjustment.

  The bare ear state is a state where the hearing aid 50 is not worn by the user. During the first fit, the user may or may not wear the hearing aid 50. At the time of fine adjustment, the hearing aid 50 is worn by the user.

SII is represented by, for example, (Formula 1).

  “N” is the number of channels. “Ii” is a function (band importance function) representing the importance of each band with respect to the hearing of the voice, and is a fixed value. “Ai” is a function (band audibility function) that represents how much of each band can be heard (easy to hear), and varies depending on the S / N ratio, hearing ability, sound level, and the like.

The processor 10 calculates an equivalent internal noise spectrum level X′i from the hearing level T′i of the frequency corresponding to each channel according to (Equation 2).
X′i = Xi + T′i (Expression 2)

  Here, “Xi” is a reference internal noise spectrum level. See Reference Non-Patent Document 1 for specific values of “Xi”.

(Reference Non-Patent Document 1)
ANSI (1997). “ANSI S3.5-1997, American national standard methods for calculation of the speech intelligibility index”

  Subsequently, the processor 10 calculates equivalent speech spectrum level E′i in each user state (bare ear state, first fit state, fine adjustment state). In the calculation of E′i, in the bare ear state, the sound spectrum level measured as described in Reference Non-Patent Document 1 is used. Alternatively, the standard speech spectrum level described in Reference Non-Patent Document 1 may be used. In the first fit state, a value obtained by adding the gain determined by the prescription process to the measured speech spectrum level or standard speech spectrum level is used. Similarly, in the fine adjustment state, a value obtained by adding the gain in the fine adjustment state to the speech spectrum level in the first fit state or the standard speech spectrum level is used.

  Subsequently, the processor 10 calculates the variables Li and Ki according to (Expression 3) and (Expression 4).

Li = 1- (E'i-Ui-10) / 160 (Formula 3)
Here, “Ui” is a standard speech spectrum level at a normal volume. See Reference Non-Patent Document 1 for specific numerical values of “Ui”.

Ki = (E′i−Di + 15) / 30 (Expression 4)
Here, “Di” is a larger value of X′i and equivalent masking spectrum level Zi. If the influence of background noise and masking can be ignored, Di = X′i may be set. Note that the processor 10 sets a value 0 when both of Li and Ki are below the value 0, and sets the value 1 when it is above the value 1.

Subsequently, the processor 10 calculates the Band audibility function Ai according to (Equation 5).
Ai = Li · Ki (Formula 5)
“·” Indicates a multiplication code.

The processor 10 calculates SIIi for each band according to Equation (6) using the Ai and the band importance function Ii. See Reference Non-Patent Document 1 for specific values of Ii.
SIIi = Ai · Ii (Formula 6)

  Note that, in the bare ear state, the first fit state, and the fine adjustment state, since the sound level output from the hearing aid 50 is different, the intelligibility SIIi at different sound levels is derived.

  FIG. 3 is a graph showing changes in sound level (SPL: Sound Pressure Level) for each band. In this graph, the data of the audio level of 8 channels (signal level of the audio signal) is shown in the range of 250 Hz to 8 KHz. Graphs o1, o2, and o3 show the sound levels in the bare ear state, the first fit state, and the fine adjustment state, respectively.

  In FIG. 3, the sound level in the bare ear state is low over the entire measurement band (here, 8 channels) as shown in the graph o1. In addition, the sound level in the first fit state is high in the vicinity of the 3 kHz band as shown in the graph o2. As shown in the graph o3, the sound level in the fine adjustment state is finely adjusted with respect to the sound level in the first fit state.

  FIG. 4 is a graph showing an example of a change in SII for each band. In this graph, SIIi data of 8 channels is shown in the range of 250 Hz to 8 KHz. Graphs m1, m2, and m3 show SIIi at the sound level in the bare ear state, the first fit state, and the fine adjustment state, respectively.

  In FIG. 4, as shown in the graph m1, the SIIi in the bare ear state is generally lower than the other user states (first fit state, fine adjustment state) in a band of 1 kHz or more. As shown in the graph m2, the SIIi in the first fit state is generally higher than the other user states (bare ear state, fine adjustment state) in a band of 500 Hz or higher. As shown in the graph m3, the clarity SIIi in the fine adjustment state is suppressed with respect to the clarity SIIi in the first fit state in a band of 1 kHz or more.

  Note that the bands shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 are examples, and other bands may be used. The band classification method may depend on the type of the hearing aid 50, for example.

[Guidance display]
Next, guidance display will be described.

  In the present embodiment, when the clarity SIIi in the fine adjustment state is so small that it is assumed that the user cannot feel the hearing aid effect, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 outputs a caution or warning as a guidance display.

  In other words, the processor 10 presents warning information such as a caution and a warning when a decrease in SII that exceeds a predetermined standard occurs. Thereby, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 can realize fine adjustment while maintaining the hearing aid effect.

  Examples of the guidance display include a first guidance display to a third guidance display. The guidance display is confirmed by the fitting operator and is effectively used for fine adjustment operations after the confirmation.

  In each guidance display, for example, guidance is shown in four bands of 500 Hz, 1 kHz, 2 kHz, and 4 kHz. These four bands are bands that have a great influence on the user's hearing. The guidance may be displayed in a band other than these four bands, or the number of bands may be other than four.

In a first guidance display, the processor 10, the difference DerutaSII _F of SII _F in SII _U and first fit state of naked ear conditions, as well as clarity SII _A in SII _U and fine adjustment state of naked ear condition The guidance is displayed based on the difference ΔSII _A.

ΔSII _F indicates how much the intelligibility is improved by the first fit with respect to the bare ear state. ΔSII _A indicates how much the intelligibility has been improved by fine-tuning the bare ear state. Therefore, when ΔSII _F = 0 and ΔSII _A = 0, it indicates that there is no hearing aid effect by the hearing aid 50.

FIG. 5 is a graph showing a target area where the first guidance display is performed. In FIG. 5, the vertical axis is ΔSII _A , the horizontal axis is ΔSII _F , and the target region is shown in two dimensions.

If 1/3 · ΔSII _F ≦ ΔSII _A <2/3 · ΔSII _F , the processor 10 issues attention via the display 20 (see the area of the light dot display in FIG. 5), assuming that the intelligibility has decreased. . Further, when ΔSII _A <1/3 · ΔSII _F , the processor 10 issues a warning via the display 20 on the assumption that the intelligibility is remarkably lowered and the hearing aid effect cannot be maintained (the dark dot display region in FIG. 5). See). “·” Indicates a multiplication code.

  According to the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 shown in FIG. 5, guidance display can be performed based on the comparison between the improvement amount of SII in the first fit state and the improvement amount of SII in the fine adjustment state. For example, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 can perform a caution display or a warning display when the effect of improving the clarity in the fine adjustment state is lower than a predetermined reference by the first fit state.

FIG. 6 is a graph showing a target area where the second guidance display is performed. In FIG. 6, as in FIG. 5, the vertical axis is ΔSII _A , the horizontal axis is ΔSII _F , and the target region is shown in two dimensions.

In the second guidance display, guidance is displayed based on SI _F in the first fit state and clarity CII _A in the fine adjustment state.

For ΔSII _F ≧ 0.12, When it is _{1/3 · ΔSII F ≦ ΔSII} A <2/3 · ΔSII F, the processor 10 issues a note through the display 20. If ΔSII _A <1/3 · ΔSII _F , the processor 10 issues a warning via the display 20.

0.08 In the case of ≦ ΔSII _F <0.12, the processor 10 issues a notice through the display 20 if ΔSII _F −0.08 ≦ ΔSII _A <ΔSII _F −0.04. If ΔSII _A <ΔSII _F −0.08, the processor 10 issues a warning via the display 20.

Further, in the case of ΔSII _F <0.08, if 0 ≦ ΔSII _A <1/2 · ΔSII _F , the processor 10 issues a notice through the display 20. If ΔSII _A <0, the processor 10 issues a warning via the display 20.

For example, in the case where ΔSII _F in the first fit state is a relatively good value of 0.12, but ΔSII _A in the fine adjustment state is reduced to a value less than 0.08, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 Give attention. In addition, when ΔSII _A in the fine adjustment state related to further fine adjustment is reduced to a value less than 0.04, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 issues a warning.

As described above, the hearing aid adjusting apparatus 5 shown in FIG. 6 sets a target area (attention area) to be noted wider than the attention area related to the first guidance display, so that a warning is immediately given during fine adjustment. Can be suppressed. In particular, in a range of ΔSII _F <0.08, it is possible to suppress a sudden warning display and prevent the fitting operator from being surprised. That is, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 can display guidance in stages so that a warning is issued even when ΔSII _F is relatively low (for example, a value of 0.08 or less).

FIG. 7 is a graph showing a target area where the third guidance display is performed. In the third guidance display, the target area is set using SII _F in the first fit state and SII _A in the fine adjustment state, without using the difference between the clarity SII _U in the bare ear state. . In FIG. 7, the vertical axis is SII _A , the horizontal axis is SII _F , and the target region is shown in two dimensions.

If ½ · SII _F ≦ SII _A <3/4 · SII _F , the processor 10 issues a notice through the display 20. If SII _A <1/2 · SII _F , the processor 10 issues a warning via the display 20.

  Thus, according to the third guidance display, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 can display guidance based on the comparison between the SII in the first fit state and the SII in the fine adjustment state. That is, it is possible to visually confirm the improvement amount of SII in the fine adjustment state based on the first fit state.

  FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a UI screen 25 displayed on the display 20.

  The UI screen 25 includes a graph gdh indicating a sound level for each frequency band and a slider part sdb for changing the sound level for each frequency band. The slider part sdb is an example of the input device 30.

  The graph gdh shows the sound level in the first fit state and the sound pressure level in the fine adjustment state in eight frequency bands in the band of 250 Hz to 8 kHz.

  For example, a graph gd2 indicating the sound pressure level in the first fit state when the input sound level is 40 dB, and a graph gd1 indicating the sound pressure level in the fine adjustment state are shown.

  Further, a graph gd4 indicating the sound pressure level in the first fit state when the input sound level is 60 dB and a graph gd3 indicating the sound pressure level in the fine adjustment state are shown.

  Further, a graph gd6 indicating the sound pressure level in the first fit state when the input sound level is 90 dB and a graph gd5 indicating the sound pressure level in the fine adjustment state are shown.

  The UI screen 25 is overlaid with a color-coded display (for example, the background color is yellow (light dot display in the figure)) indicating attention in the frequency band 750 Hz to 3 kHz so as to overlap the graph gdh. Note that character information related to attention (for example, “caution” character) may be displayed together with the color-coded display or instead of the color-coded display.

  Further, the UI screen 25 is overlaid with a color-coded display (for example, the background color is red (dark dot display in the figure)) representing a warning in the frequency band 3 kHz to 5 kHz so as to overlap the graph gdh. Note that character information related to a warning (for example, “warning” characters) may be displayed together with the color-coded display or instead of the color-coded display.

  The slider part sdb includes sliders sr1 to sr8 for adjusting sound levels in eight frequency bands in the band of 250 Hz to 8 kHz, and a slider sr9 for adjusting sound levels in all bands at once.

  When the user slides the sliders sr1 to sr8, the processor 10 changes the gain in each frequency band. Thereby, the sound level of each frequency band is changed. Further, when the user slides on the slider sr9, the processor 10 collectively changes the gain of the entire band. As a result, the sound level is changed at once.

  Note that the audio level may be adjusted by a button bt instead of the slider portion sdb. The button bt can adjust the audio level in each frequency band as in the slider, and can also adjust the audio levels in all bands at once.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure related to guidance display by the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5.

  The processor 10 inputs the hearing information (result of hearing measurement) received by the input device 30, for example (S1).

  FIG. 10 is a graph showing changes in the hearing level for each frequency band as a result of the hearing measurement. Here, the hearing level is measured in eight frequency bands in the range of 125 Hz to 8 kHz. In FIG. 10, the hearing level is high in a band of 250 Hz to 2 kHz used for human conversation, for example.

The processor 10 calculates SII _U in the bare ear state from the result of the hearing measurement (S2). The SII _U in the bare ear state is calculated according to, for example, the above-described (Equation 1). The SII _U calculation in the bare ear state may be performed before the guidance display, that is, may be performed before S9 described later.

  The processor 10 calculates the gain for each frequency band by the prescription process (S3).

  The processor 10 sets the gain calculated by the prescription process to the hearing aid 50 via the hearing aid setting device 40 (S4).

The processor 10 calculates the clarity SII _F in the first fit state in which the gain by the prescription process is set (S5).

  When the parameters in the first fit state are set in the hearing aid 50, a fine adjustment operation is performed for the wearer (user) wearing the hearing aid 50 so that the sound volume, sound quality, and the like are appropriate. In the fine adjustment operation, for example, the hearing aid adjuster moves the sliders sr1 to sr9 of the slider unit sdb on the UI screen 25 displayed on the display 20 to adjust the gain.

  The processor 10 inputs the gain adjustment value by the fine adjustment operation of the hearing aid adjuster via the input device 30 (S6).

  The processor 10 sets the input gain adjustment value in the hearing aid 50 via the hearing aid setting device 40 (S7).

The processor 10 calculates the clarity SIII _A in the fine adjustment state (S8).

  In accordance with the first guidance display (see FIG. 5), the second guidance display (see FIG. 6), or the third guidance display (see FIG. 7), the processor 10 performs “caution” or “warning” together with the voice level graph gdh. It is determined whether or not to perform guidance display with “” (S9).

  When the processor 10 determines to perform guidance display, the processor 10 performs guidance display (see FIG. 8) on the display 20 (S10).

  Thereafter, the processor 10 determines whether or not the fine adjustment is completed (S11). The fine adjustment is completed, for example, when the input device 30 receives a predetermined operation from the hearing aid adjuster or the user, or when a predetermined time elapses from the reception of the immediately preceding fine adjustment operation by the timer.

  If the fine adjustment has not been completed, the processor 10 returns to the process of S6. That is, the fine adjustment is repeated. On the other hand, when the fine adjustment is completed, the processor 10 ends this operation.

  The hearing aid adjustment device 5 can suppress an adjustment operation that causes an erroneous operation by the hearing aid adjuster or a decrease in intelligibility due to an excessive operation by the operation related to the guidance display.

Next, the transition of guidance display during fine adjustment will be described.
FIGS. 11A to 11E are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of transition of guidance display displayed on the UI screen 25 of the display 20 during fine adjustment.

  The transition of the guidance display shown in FIGS. 11A to 11E shows a case where the sound level is gradually lowered from the sound level in the first fit state using the slider sr9 of the entire band. As shown in FIG. 11A, the sound level decreases.

  FIG. 11A shows a graph representing the sound level for each frequency band in the first fit state. FIG. 11B shows a graph showing the sound level for each frequency band when the sound level is lowered by 7 dB from the first fit state. In the stage of FIG. 11 (B), color-coded display indicating attention is performed in an overlay display in the 4 kHz band. In addition, a balloon of “caution” may be displayed.

  FIG. 11C shows a graph representing the sound level for each frequency band when the sound level is lowered by 11 dB from the first fit state. In the stage of FIG. 11 (C), color-coded display indicating attention is performed on the entire band (250 Hz to 4 kHz) to be guided by overlay display. In addition, a balloon of “caution” may be displayed.

  FIG. 11D shows a graph showing the sound level for each frequency band when the sound level is lowered by 13 dB from the first fit state. In the stage of FIG. 11 (D), color-coded display indicating a warning by overlay display is performed in the 4 kHz band. In addition, a balloon of characters “Warning” may be displayed.

  FIG. 11E shows a graph representing the sound level for each frequency band when the sound level is reduced by 17 dB from the first fit state. In the stage of FIG. 11 (E), color-coded display indicating warning is performed on the entire band (250 Hz to 4 kHz) to be a guidance target by overlay display.

  Thus, the hearing aid adjuster can suppress a decrease in articulation such that the hearing aid effect cannot be maintained by performing a fine adjustment operation via the slider portion sdb while watching the guidance display.

[Clarity compensation]
Next, intelligibility compensation will be described.

  In the present embodiment, when the intelligibility SIIi of a certain band decreases, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 compensates so that the intelligibility or audio level in all bands becomes substantially constant by increasing the gain of the other band. May be.

  In the intelligibility compensation, when the intelligibility SIIi of a certain band is lowered or has to be lowered, the processor 10 increases the SIIi of other bands so as to increase the SIIi of other bands in order to reduce the change of the SII of the entire band. Adjust the gain.

  As an example of lowering the intelligibility SIIi of a certain band, when taking a howling measure, it is possible to decrease the SIIi of the 3 kHz band by reducing the gain of the 3 kHz band. The reduction of the gain in the predetermined band (for example, 3 kHz) may be performed according to an operation by the input device 30, for example. Further, the processor 10 may detect a band and a sound level in which howling occurs, and reduce the gain to a value that can suppress howling.

  In the prescription process performed before the fine adjustment operation, the occurrence of howling in the audio signal is not normally considered. The occurrence of howling is often detected when the user wears the hearing aid 50 and hears the sound output from the hearing aid 50 during the fine adjustment operation.

  FIG. 12 is a graph showing a change in sound level for each band. In FIG. 12, the vertical axis represents the audio level, and the horizontal axis represents the frequency. In the graph, an area “are” indicates a variable range of SII in each frequency band (a range between the maximum value and the minimum value of SII).

  FIG. 13 is a graph showing changes in SIIi for each band. In FIG. 13, the vertical axis represents SII and the horizontal axis represents frequency.

  In order to suppress howling, it is assumed that the processor 10 lowers the sound level in the 3 kHz band, that is, lowers the gain in the 3 kHz band, as shown by the arrow y1, with respect to the graph sg representing the sound level shown in FIG. In this case, as shown in FIG. 13, the SIIi in the 3 kHz band decreases as indicated by the arrow z1. Even if the SIIi in the 3 kHz band decreases, the following two compensation methods are studied in order to reduce the change in SII for each frequency band. Here, the sum of SII in the band of 250 Hz to 4 kHz is made substantially constant before and after the howling countermeasure.

  In the first compensation method, the processor 10 increases the gain of the peripheral band (here, the adjacent band, the 2 kHz band, and the 4 kHz band) of the band whose gain is decreased (here, the 3 kHz band), and the sound level is changed to the arrow y2. , Y3. In this case, SII is about 0.15 in the 2 kHz band and about 0.1 in the 4 kHz band.

  As a result, even if the SII in the 3 kHz band decreases as indicated by the arrow z1, the SII in the adjacent band increases as indicated by the arrows z2 and z3. Therefore, as shown in the graph mg, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 can suppress a decrease in SII in the entire compensation band (for example, a band of 250 Hz to 4 kHz) including the 3 kHz band. The compensation band may be the entire band (for example, 250 Hz to 8 kHz).

  In the second compensation method, the processor 10 calculates the gain of a band (here, 1 kHz band) having a long distance (a large margin) from the currently set gain to the upper limit value U1 of the area are in the frequency band. Raise as shown by arrow y4. In this case, the SII in the 1 kHz band is about 0.15.

  As a result, even if the SII in the 3 kHz band decreases as indicated by the arrow z1, the SII in the band having a large margin increases as indicated by the arrow z4. Therefore, as shown in the graph mg, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 can suppress the decrease in SII in the entire compensation band including the 3 kHz band. The compensation band may be the entire band (for example, 250 Hz to 8 kHz).

  FIG. 14 is a flowchart showing an operation procedure related to intelligibility compensation.

  As in the case of the guidance display, the processor 10 inputs the hearing measurement result via the input device 30, for example (S21).

  The processor 10 calculates a gain for each frequency band by prescription processing (S22).

  The processor 10 sets the gain calculated in S22 to the hearing aid 50 via the hearing aid setting device 40 (S23).

  The processor 10 inputs the gain adjustment value by the adjustment operation of the hearing aid adjuster or the user via the input device 30 (S24). The input by the adjustment operation here includes, for example, an input by a fine adjustment operation and an input to lower the gain of a specific band as a howling measure.

The processor 10 calculates the clarity SII _A in the fine adjustment state (S25).

The processor 10 determines a frequency band to be compensated based on, for example, the first compensation method or the second compensation method on the basis of the clarity SII _A in the fine adjustment state, and determines a gain amount (compensation adjustment amount) to be compensated. Calculate (S26).

  The processor 10 sets the calculated gain for the determined frequency band in the hearing aid 50 via the hearing aid setting device 40 (S27).

  Thereafter, the processor 10 determines whether or not the adjustment of the intelligibility compensation is completed (S28). The fine adjustment is completed, for example, when the input device 30 receives a predetermined operation from the hearing aid adjuster or the user, or when a predetermined time elapses from the reception of the immediately preceding fine adjustment operation by the timer.

  If the fine adjustment has not been completed, the processor 10 returns to the process of S24. That is, fine adjustment is repeated. On the other hand, when the fine adjustment is completed, the processor 10 ends this operation.

  The hearing aid adjustment device 5 increases the intelligibility of other frequency bands even if the intelligibility of an arbitrary frequency band is reduced by an operation related to intelligibility compensation. The degree can be maintained.

[Effects]
Thus, when the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 adjusts the parameter including the gain of the hearing aid 50, the slider unit sdb inputs a gain adjustment operation by the user. The processor 10 can calculate the intelligibility when the hearing aid 50 is worn or not worn by the user. The processor 10 calculates the first clarity using the first gain according to the adjustment operation, and calculates the second clarity before the adjustment operation. The processor 10 assists in adjusting the hearing aid 50 based on the first clarity and the second clarity.

The wearing state of the hearing aid 50 includes, for example, a first fit state or a fine adjustment state. The non-wearing state of the hearing aid 50 includes a bare ear state, for example. The adjustment operation is, for example, a fine adjustment operation. The first clarity is, for example, SII _A in a fine adjustment state. The second articulation is SII _F in the first fit state or SII _U in the bare ear state.

  Thereby, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 can suppress a decrease in clarity due to the adjustment operation of the hearing aid 50 and can perform adjustment while maintaining the hearing aid effect.

  Further, the display 20 may display warning information for suppressing the adjustment of the hearing aid 50 based on the first clarity and the second clarity under the control of the processor 10.

  The display 20 is an example of an output device. The display of warning information is an example of warning information output. The display of the warning information includes, for example, a color-coded display relating to attention and a character display, and a color-coded display relating to warning and a character display.

  Thereby, the user can adjust the hearing aid 50 according to the warning information, can suppress excessive adjustment, and a suitable adjustment operation becomes simple.

  The display 20 may display warnings and warnings as warning information in stages.

  Thereby, the user can finely adjust according to the warning information output in stages, and the operability is improved. Moreover, it can suppress that a warning is emitted unexpectedly (for example, without giving attention), and the user can perform suitable adjustment operation with a margin.

The processor 10 may determine the second gain by prescription processing before the adjustment operation, and calculate the second clarity according to the second gain. Note that the second gain is, for example, a gain in a first fit state. The second clarity is, for example, SII _F in the first fit state.

  Thereby, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 can perform guidance display based on the comparison between the clarity in the first fit state and the clarity in the fine adjustment state. That is, it is possible to visually confirm the improvement amount of SII in the fine adjustment state based on the first fit state.

  In addition, the processor 10 calculates the third intelligibility when the hearing aid 50 is not worn, the difference between the second intelligibility and the third intelligibility, and the first intelligibility and the third intelligibility. The warning information may be displayed according to the difference between

The third articulation is, for example, articulation SII _U in a bare ear state. The difference between the second clarity and the third clarity is, for example, ΔSII _F. The difference between the first clarity and the third clarity is, for example, ΔSII _A.

  Thereby, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 can display guidance based on the comparison between the improvement amount of the clarity in the first fit state and the improvement amount of the clarity in the fine adjustment state. For example, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 can perform a caution display or a warning display when the effect of improving the clarity in the first fit state is lower than a predetermined reference by the fine adjustment.

  Further, the processor 10 may calculate the intelligibility SIIi for each frequency band and assist the adjustment of the hearing aid 50 for each frequency band.

  Thereby, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 can adjust the hearing aid 50 for every frequency band. Therefore, the hearing aid adjustment device 5 can assist the adjustment of the hearing aid 50, for example, with emphasis on a reduction in the clarity of a band that has a large influence on the user's hearing.

  Further, the processor 10 calculates the intelligibility for each frequency band, and the first intelligibility in the first frequency band (for example, 3 kHz band) is reduced by using the first gain according to the adjustment operation. The gain according to the adjustment operation in the second frequency band may be controlled so that the first clarity in the second frequency band other than the first frequency band is increased.

  Thereby, even if the clarity of the 1st frequency band falls by adjustment operation, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 can maintain the clarity of all the bands by raising the clarity of other frequency bands.

  The second frequency band may include a frequency band adjacent to the first frequency band (for example, a band of 2 kHz or 4 kHz).

  Thereby, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 can suppress the change of the sound quality of an audio | voice signal by raising the intelligibility of an adjacent frequency band, and can reduce the change with respect to a user's hearing.

  Further, the processor 10 may determine the second frequency band based on a difference between the first intelligibility using the first gain in each frequency band and the maximum intelligibility in the same frequency band. Good. The maximum clarity is, for example, the upper limit value U1 of the area Are.

  Thereby, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 can increase the compensation amount for compensating for the decrease in the intelligibility in the specific frequency band, and can suppress the influence on the user's hearing.

  In addition, the clarity may be SII.

  As a result, it is possible to employ a highly versatile articulation and to suppress a reduction in articulation due to a hearing aid adjustment operation.

(Other embodiments)
As described above, the first embodiment has been described as an example of the technique in the present disclosure. However, the technology in the present disclosure is not limited to this, and can also be applied to embodiments in which changes, replacements, additions, omissions, and the like are performed.

  In the first embodiment, it has been shown that the hearing aid adjustment device 5 displays guidance based on at least one of SII in the bare ear state and SII in the first fit state and SII in the fine adjustment state. However, the adjustment of the hearing aid 50 may be prohibited for the range where the guidance display is provided.

  That is, the processor 10 may limit the gain adjustment range of the hearing aid 50 based on at least one of SII in the bare ear state and SII in the first fit state and SII in the fine adjustment state. Thereby, since the fine adjustment operation which worsens a hearing aid state beyond a predetermined reference | standard is prohibited compared with the bare ear state or the first fit state, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 can avoid excessive adjustment.

  In the first embodiment, as an output mode of warning information, the display 20 performs a color-coded display that changes the background color for each band on the sound pressure level graph displayed on the UI screen 25, and displays warning characters. Although displayed with a balloon, it is not limited to this. For example, when the sound pressure level enters the warning target area, the display 20 may blink a part of the graph in that area. In addition, the display 20 expresses a decrease in intelligibility as warning information in two stages of attention and warning, but may express a decrease in intelligibility in three or more stages so that the degree of warning can be understood more. .

  In the first embodiment, it has been shown that the display 20 displays guidance for each frequency band to be adjusted. However, the SIIi of each frequency band is added, that is, the SII represented by (Equation 1) is displayed. It may be used to display guidance for the whole.

  In the first embodiment, the case where SII is used as an index of intelligibility has been described. However, another index of intelligibility (for example, ESII (extended SII), STI (Speech Transmission Index)) may be used. Details of the clarity index ESII are shown in Reference Non-Patent Document 2. Details of the articulation index STI are shown in Reference Non-Patent Document 3.

(Reference Non-Patent Document 2)
Rhebergen et al. (2006). “Extended speech intelligibility index for the prediction of the speech reception threshold in fluctuating noise,” J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 120 (6), pp. 3988-3997

(Reference Non-Patent Document 3)
IEC (2011). “IEC 60268-16: 2011, Sound system equipment-Part 16: Objective rating of speech intelligibility by speech transmission index”

  In the first embodiment, it has been described that the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 outputs warning information by displaying on the display 20, but the warning information may be output by other methods. For example, the hearing aid adjusting device 5 may output warning information by sound output from a speaker (not shown) or vibration by a vibrator (not shown) together with the display 20 instead of the display 20.

  In the first embodiment, the gain of the hearing aid 50 is exemplified. However, parameters other than the gain of the hearing aid 50 may be adjusted together, and this parameter may be set in the hearing aid 50. When the hearing aid 50 has a function of nonlinear amplification, the hearing aid adjustment apparatus 5 adjusts parameters for adjusting the nonlinear amplification (for example, compression ratio, compression threshold, time constant, etc.). The gain may be adjusted by adjusting.

  In the first embodiment, it has been described that the processor 10 may increase the gain of another frequency band when the gain of a specific frequency band is decreased. Alternatively, a guidance display as a guide for gain control may be displayed.

  For example, in a state where the hearing aid 50 is worn by the user, an audio signal fed back from a speaker (not shown) of the hearing aid 50, which is a source of howling, to a microphone (not shown) is measured. The processor 10 determines how much the gain of the hearing aid 50 can be increased based on the measured value. That is, the processor 10 can determine whether or not howling is performed when, for example, an audio signal of 60 dB is converted into an audio signal of 80 dB. Therefore, the display 20 may display warning information for a range of sound levels where howling is expected to occur under the control of the processor 10.

  In the first embodiment, compensation for intelligibility when the gain of the hearing aid 50 decreases and the sound level decreases has been described. However, the processor 10 compensates for intelligibility when the gain of the hearing aid 50 increases and the sound level increases. May be.

  In the first embodiment, the processor 10 may be physically configured in any manner. Further, if the programmable processor 10 is used, the processing contents can be changed by changing the program, so that the degree of freedom in designing the processor 10 can be increased. The processor 10 may be composed of one semiconductor chip or may be physically composed of a plurality of semiconductor chips. When configured by a plurality of semiconductor chips, each control of the first embodiment may be realized by separate semiconductor chips. In this case, it can be considered that one processor 10 is constituted by the plurality of semiconductor chips. Further, the processor 10 may be configured by a member (capacitor or the like) having a function different from that of the semiconductor chip. Further, one semiconductor chip may be configured to realize the functions of the processor 10 and other functions.

  The present disclosure is useful for a hearing aid adjustment device, a hearing aid adjustment method, a hearing aid adjustment program, and the like that can suppress a reduction in intelligibility due to a hearing aid adjustment operation.

5 Hearing aid adjustment device 8 PC
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 Processor 11 Gain control function 12 Prescription formula processing function 13 Clarity calculation function 14 Compensation adjustment amount calculation function 20 Display 25 UI screen 30 Input device 40 Hearing aid setting device 50 Hearing aid are area gd1, gd2. gd3, gd4, gd5, gd6, m1, m2, m3, mg, o1, o2, o3, gdh, sg graph sdb slider part sr1-sr9 slider y1, y2, y3, y4, z1, z2, z3, z4 arrow

Claims (13)

A hearing aid adjustment device for adjusting the gain of a hearing aid,
An input device for inputting the gain adjustment operation;
A processor for calculating the intelligibility of the hearing aid when worn or not worn by the user;
With
The processor calculates a first clarity using a first gain corresponding to the adjustment operation, calculates a second clarity before the adjustment operation, and calculates the first clarity and the first clarity. A hearing aid adjustment device that assists the adjustment of the hearing aid based on the clarity of the two. The hearing aid adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising:
A hearing aid adjustment apparatus comprising: an output device that outputs warning information for suppressing adjustment of the hearing aid based on the first clarity and the second clarity under the control of the processor. A hearing aid adjustment device according to claim 2,
The hearing aid adjustment apparatus, wherein the output device outputs the warning information in stages. The hearing aid adjustment device according to claim 2 or 3, further comprising:
The hearing aid adjustment device, wherein the processor determines a second gain by prescription processing before the adjustment operation, and calculates the second intelligibility according to the second gain. The hearing aid adjustment device according to claim 4,
The processor calculates a third intelligibility when the hearing aid is not worn, a difference between the second intelligibility and the third intelligibility, and the first intelligibility and the third intelligibility A hearing aid adjustment device that outputs the warning information in accordance with a difference from the clarity. The hearing aid adjustment device according to claim 1, further comprising:
The processor adjusts the gain adjustment range of the hearing aid based on the first clarity and the second clarity. The hearing aid adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
The hearing aid adjustment device, wherein the processor calculates the intelligibility for each frequency band and assists the adjustment of the hearing aid for each frequency band. The hearing aid adjustment device according to claim 1,
The processor is
Calculating the intelligibility for each frequency band;
When the first clarity in the first frequency band is reduced by using the first gain according to the adjustment operation, the first gain in the second frequency band other than the first frequency band. A hearing aid adjustment device that controls the first gain in the second frequency band so that the clarity of 1 increases. A hearing aid adjustment device according to claim 8,
The hearing aid adjustment apparatus, wherein the second frequency band includes a frequency band adjacent to the first frequency band. A hearing aid adjustment device according to claim 8,
The hearing aid adjustment device, wherein the processor determines the second frequency band based on a difference between the first intelligibility and the maximum intelligibility using the first gain in each frequency band. A hearing aid adjustment device according to any one of claims 1 to 10,
The hearing aid adjustment device, wherein the intelligibility is SII (Speech Intelligency Index). A hearing aid adjustment method in a hearing aid adjustment device for adjusting a parameter including a gain of a hearing aid, comprising:
Prior to the adjustment operation of the parameter, a second intelligibility is calculated when the hearing aid is worn or not worn by the user,
Enter the parameter adjustment operation,
Calculating a first clarity using a first gain corresponding to the adjustment operation;
A hearing aid adjustment method that assists the adjustment of the hearing aid based on the first clarity and the second clarity.   A hearing aid adjustment program for causing a computer to execute the hearing aid adjustment method according to claim 12.

Images