WO2025257699A1

WO2025257699A1 - Sound attenuation

Info

Publication number: WO2025257699A1
Application number: PCT/IB2025/055846
Authority: WO
Inventors: Max CORNWELL; Federico BOLNER
Original assignee: Cochlear Ltd
Current assignee: Cochlear Ltd
Priority date: 2024-06-13
Filing date: 2025-06-06
Publication date: 2025-12-18
Anticipated expiration: 2026-12-13

Abstract

Presented herein are techniques for differentially attenuating sound components in different frequency bands. One or more sounds are received at a hearing device associated with a recipient. The one or more sounds are filtered to form a plurality of sound components each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands. One or more of the sound components are attenuated, wherein an amount of attenuation applied to each of the one or more sound components is correlated with an output noise floor in an associated one of the plurality of frequency bands.

Description

SOUND ATTENUATION

BACKGROUND

Field of the Invention

[oooi] The present invention relates generally to attenuating sounds across frequency bands.

Related Art

[0002] Medical devices have provided a wide range of therapeutic benefits to recipients over recent decades. Medical devices can include internal or implantable components/devices, external or wearable components/devices, or combinations thereof (e.g., a device having an external component communicating with an implantable component). Medical devices, such as traditional hearing aids, partially or fully-implantable hearing prostheses (e.g., bone conduction devices, mechanical stimulators, cochlear implants, etc.), pacemakers, defibrillators, functional electrical stimulation devices, and other medical devices have been successful in performing lifesaving and/or lifestyle enhancement functions and/or recipient monitoring for a number of years.

[0003] The types of medical devices and the ranges of functions performed thereby have increased over the years. For example, many medical devices, sometimes referred to as “implantable medical devices,” now often include one or more instruments, apparatus, sensors, processors, controllers or other functional mechanical or electrical components that are permanently or temporarily implanted in a recipient. These functional devices are typically used to diagnose, prevent, monitor, treat, or manage a disease/injury or symptom thereof, or to investigate, replace or modify the anatomy or a physiological process. Many of these functional devices utilize power and/or data received from external devices that are part of, or operate in conjunction with, implantable components.

SUMMARY

[0004] In one aspect, a method is provided. The method comprises: receiving one or more sounds at a hearing device associated with a recipient; filtering the one or more sounds to form a plurality of sound components each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands; attenuating one or more of the sound components, wherein an amount of attenuation applied to each of the one or more sound components is correlated with an output noise floor in an associated one of the plurality of frequency bands. [0005] In another aspect, another method is provided. The method comprises: obtaining a plurality of sound components, wherein each of the plurality of sound components is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands; identifying a noise floor level and a target noise floor level for each of the plurality of frequency bands; dynamically attenuating the sound components received in each frequency band based on the noise floor level and the target noise floor level for the frequency band.

[0006] In another aspect, one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media are provided. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media include instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: identify a noise floor level associated with each frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands associated with a hearing device; identify a target noise floor level for each frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands; and configure the hearing device to perform noise reduction for sounds associated with the microphone based on the noise floor level and the target noise floor level associated with each frequency band.

[0007] In yet another aspect, a system is provided. The system includes: one or more sound inputs configured to receive sound signals; a plurality of filters configured to filter the one or more sounds to form a plurality of sound components each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands; at least one processor configured to attenuate one or more of the plurality of sound components, wherein an amount of attenuation applied to each of the one or more of the plurality of sound components is correlated with an output noise floor in an associated one of the plurality of frequency bands.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] Embodiments of the present invention are described herein in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

[0009] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating a cochlear implant system with which aspects of the techniques presented herein can be implemented;

[ooio] FIG. IB is a side view of a recipient wearing a sound processing unit of the cochlear implant system of FIG. 1A;

[ooii] FIG. 1C is a schematic view of components of the cochlear implant system of FIG. 1 A;

[0012] FIG. ID is a block diagram of the cochlear implant system of FIG. 1A; [0013] FIG. IE is a schematic diagram illustrating a computing device with which aspects of the techniques presented herein can be implemented;

[0014] FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating the equivalent noise floor of an implantable microphone and an external microphone compared to the international long-term average speech spectrum (ILTASS) at different levels, according to techniques presented herein;

[0015] FIG. 3 is a graph illustrating typical use of expansion for attenuating sounds;

[0016] FIG. 4 is a graph schematically illustrating an amount of attenuation in different channels/frequency bands to reach a target noise floor, according to techniques presented herein;

[0017] FIG. 5 A is a graph illustrating standard knee points for a noise spectrum and knee points for the noise spectrum in accordance with aspects of the techniques presented herein;

[0018] FIG. 5B is a graph illustrating a speech spectrum with noise reduction using aspects of the techniques presented herein;

[0019] FIG. 6 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of attenuating sound components of one or more sounds received at a hearing device, according to techniques presented herein;

[0020] FIG. 7 is a flow diagram illustrating a method of dynamically attenuating sound components in frequency bands, according to techniques presented herein; and

[0021] FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram illustrating a vestibular stimulator system with which aspects of the techniques presented herein can be implemented.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0022] Hearing devices such as hearing aids, bone conduction devices, cochlear implants, etc., make use of noise reduction techniques, referred to herein as “expansion,” to attenuate sounds having relatively low input levels (e.g., inputs having relatively small magnitudes, sometimes referred to as “soft” sounds) that are not of interest to the wearer. With expansion the intent is to reduce low-level environmental sounds or noise internally generated by the hearing device and microphone, the latter of which is sometimes referred to herein as “self-noise” or the “noise floor” of the device. Expansion is effective at improving sound quality by attenuating distracting background noise, but can have the side effect of impacting the perception of low- level speech inputs, creating a trade-off between sound quality and speech perception. For ease of description, the term “expansion” is used to refer to any noise reduction technique/algorithm that operates on the low-level input signals (e.g., low level sounds) in order to reduce those low-level input signals in a selected manner (e.g., decrease gain as a function of decreasing input, when those inputs are below a kneepoint or threshold).

[0023] Certain devices/systems use an implantable microphone placed under the skin to capture input sounds. Compared to traditional external microphones used in hearing aids and conventional cochlear implant sound processors, implantable microphones can have unfavorable characteristics, such as low sensitivity to external sounds and high output noise floor / equivalent input noise floor (EIN), which can negatively impact sound quality and speech understanding at softer levels. Testing has revealed that there remains a significant gap in performance of implantable microphones compared to external microphones when capturing sounds having relatively low input levels (e.g., relatively softer sounds). It is therefore important to minimize the system noise floor whenever possible while maintaining sufficient speech understanding.

[0024] In operation, hearing devices comprise one or more sound input elements that are configured to receive/capture sound signals, which are then pre-processed and bandpass filtered into multiple components/channels, each one carrying a single frequency sub-band of the original signal (i.e., frequency components of the received sounds signal). That is, the input sound signals are converted into a plurality of channelized signals/components that are each associated with a specific frequency band (a set of bandwidth limited channels, or frequency bins, that each includes a spectral component of the received sound signals). In conventional devices having implantable microphones, the output noise floor/equivalent input noise (EIN) are dependent upon the input noise floor, including the self-noise of the implantable microphone and its acoustic sensitivity, which in a device can vary significantly across the different frequency bands and skin flap thicknesses. Moreover, some implantable microphones may have poor sensitivity in higher frequency bands and, therefore, the noise floor in these frequency bands may be much higher than in lower frequency bands. This creates an audible stimulation (often described as a hiss sound) for a hearing device recipient if not properly addressed.

[0025] To optimize for sound quality and to allow the recipient to experience silence in a quiet environment, the sound received at a microphone can be attenuated to fall below a specific threshold level. However, the noise floor can vary from frequency band to frequency band. For example, in one frequency band, the noise floor can be 20 decibels (dB) and, in another frequency, the noise floor can be 40 dB. In other words, in one frequency bands, a recipient of a hearing device can experience an audible stimulation or hissing sound at a level of 20 dB and in another frequency band, the recipient can experience the audible stimulation or hissing sound at 40 dB.

[0026] To minimize or eliminate the audible stimulation, attenuation can be applied to sounds received at the microphone at a level corresponding to the noise floor. However, if sounds received at a microphone are attenuated based on the level of the frequency band with the highest noise level, soft speech in other frequency bands with lower noise floors would also be attenuated, which would negatively impact speech intelligibility. Therefore, to attenuate the audible stimulation sounds associated with a high noise floor associated with some frequencies without attenuating all sounds received at a microphone up to the noise floor level, embodiments described herein provide for attenuating sounds at different frequency bands by different amounts. In particular, the sounds at each frequency band are attenuated based on the noise floor level associated with each frequency band. In this way, some sounds received in a frequency band with a low noise floor may not be attenuated when sounds at the same decibel level received in a frequency band with a high noise floor can be attenuated.

[0027] As such, presented herein are techniques for differentially attenuating sounds having relatively low input levels in different frequency bands based on a noise floor associated with the respective frequency band. More specifically, the techniques presented herein configure expansion technique s/algorithms to provide recipients of implantable microphones with an improved trade-off between sound quality and speech perception at relatively low input levels. Embodiments described herein can be applicable to any hearing device (e.g., hearing aid, acoustic implants, conventional cochlear implants, etc.) or other device configured to capture low level input signals, but the benefit can be magnified for systems characterized by higher noise floors, such as systems using implantable microphones.

[0028] There are a number of different types of devices in/with which embodiments of the present invention can be implemented. Merely for ease of description, the techniques presented herein are primarily described with reference to a specific device in the form of a cochlear implant system. However, it is to be appreciated that the techniques presented herein can also be partially or fully implemented by any of a number of different types of devices, including consumer electronic device (e.g., mobile phones), wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches), hearing devices, implantable medical devices, consumer electronic devices, etc. As used herein, the term “hearing device” is to be broadly construed as any device that acts on an acoustical perception of an individual, including to improve perception of sound signals, to reduce perception of sound signals, etc. In particular, a hearing device can deliver sound signals to a recipient/user in any form, including in the form of acoustical stimulation, mechanical stimulation, electrical stimulation, etc., and/or can operate to suppress all or some sound signals. As such, a hearing device can be a device for use by a hearing-impaired person (e.g., hearing aids, middle ear auditory prostheses, bone conduction devices, direct acoustic stimulators, electro-acoustic hearing prostheses, auditory brainstem stimulators, bimodal hearing prostheses, bilateral hearing prostheses, dedicated tinnitus therapy devices, tinnitus therapy device systems, combinations or variations thereof, etc.), a device for use by a person with normal hearing (e.g., consumer devices that provide audio streaming, consumer headphones, earphones, and other listening devices), a hearing protection device, etc. In other examples, the techniques presented herein can be implemented by, or used in conjunction with, various implantable medical devices, such as visual devices (i.e., bionic eyes), sensors, pacemakers, drug delivery systems, defibrillators, functional electrical stimulation devices, catheters, seizure devices (e.g., devices for monitoring and/or treating epileptic events), sleep apnea devices, electroporation devices, etc.

[0029] FIGs. 1A-1D illustrate an example cochlear implant system 102 with which aspects of the techniques presented herein can be implemented. The cochlear implant system 102 comprises an external component 104 that is configured to be directly or indirectly attached to the body of the recipient, and an intemal/implantable component 112 that is configured to be implanted in or worn on the head of the recipient. In the examples of FIGs. 1A-1D, the implantable component 112 is sometimes referred to as a “cochlear implant.” FIG. 1A illustrates the cochlear implant 112 implanted in the head 154 of a recipient, while FIG. IB is a schematic drawing of the external component 104 worn on the head 154 of the recipient. FIG. 1C is another schematic view of the cochlear implant system 102, while FIG. ID illustrates further details of the cochlear implant system 102. For ease of description, FIGs. 1A- 1D will generally be described together.

[0030] In the examples of FIGs. 1A-1D, the external component 104 comprises a sound processing unit 106, an external coil 108, and generally, a magnet fixed relative to the external coil 108. The cochlear implant 112 includes an implantable coil 114, an implant body 134, and an elongate stimulating assembly 116 configured to be implanted in the recipient’s cochlea. In one example, the sound processing unit 106 is an off-the-ear (OTE) sound processing unit, sometimes referred to herein as an OTE component, which is configured to send data and power to the implantable component 112. In general, an OTE sound processing unit is a component having a generally cylindrically shaped housing 111 and which is configured to be magnetically coupled to the recipient’s head 154 (e.g., includes an integrated external magnet 150 configured to be magnetically coupled to an intemal/implantable magnet 152 in the implantable component 112). The OTE sound processing unit 106 also includes an integrated external (headpiece) coil 108 (the external coil 108) that is configured to be inductively coupled to the implantable coil 114.

[0031] It is to be appreciated that the OTE sound processing unit 106 is merely illustrative of the external devices that could operate with implantable component 112. For example, in alternative examples, the external component 104 can comprise a behind-the-ear (BTE) sound processing unit configured to be attached to, and worn adjacent to, the recipient’s ear. A BTE sound processing unit comprises a housing that is shaped to be worn on the outer ear of the recipient. In certain examples, the BTE is connected to a separate external coil assembly via a cable, where the external coil assembly is configured to be magnetically and inductively coupled to the implantable coil 114, while in other embodiments the BTE includes a coil disposed in or on the housing worn on the outer ear of the recipient. It is also to be appreciated that alternative external components could be located in the recipient’s ear canal, worn on the body, etc.

[0032] Although the cochlear implant system 102 includes the sound processing unit 106 and the cochlear implant 112, as described below, the cochlear implant 112 can operate independently from the sound processing unit 106, for at least a period, to stimulate the recipient. For example, the cochlear implant 112 can operate in a first general mode, sometimes referred to as an “external hearing mode,” in which the sound processing unit 106 captures sound signals which are then used as the basis for delivering stimulation signals to the recipient. The cochlear implant 112 can also operate in a second general mode, sometimes referred as an “invisible hearing” mode, in which the sound processing unit 106 is unable to provide sound signals to the cochlear implant 112 (e.g., the sound processing unit 106 is not present, the sound processing unit 106 is powered-off, the sound processing unit 106 is malfunctioning, etc.). As such, in the invisible hearing mode, the cochlear implant 112 captures sound signals itself via implantable sound sensors and then uses those sound signals as the basis for delivering stimulation signals to the recipient. Further details regarding operation of the cochlear implant 112 in the external hearing mode are provided below, followed by details regarding operation of the cochlear implant 112 in the invisible hearing mode. It is to be appreciated that reference to the external hearing mode and the invisible hearing mode is merely illustrative and that the cochlear implant 112 could also operate in alternative modes. [0033] In FIGs. 1A and 1C, the cochlear implant system 102 is shown with an external device 110, configured to implement aspects of the techniques presented. The external device 110, which is shown in greater detail in FIG. IE, is a computing device, such as a personal computer (e.g,, laptop, desktop, tablet), a mobile phone (e.g., smartphone), a remote control unit, etc. The external device 110 and the cochlear implant system 102 (e.g., sound processing unit 106 or the cochlear implant 112) wirelessly communicate via a bi-directional communication link 126. The bi-directional communication link 126 can comprise, for example, a short-range communication, such as Bluetooth link, Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) link, a proprietary link, etc.

[0034] Returning to the example of FIGs. 1A-1D, the sound processing unit 106 of the external component 104 also comprises one or more input devices configured to capture and/or receive input signals (e.g., sound or data signals) at the sound processing unit 106. The one or more input devices include, for example, one or more sound input devices 118 (e.g., one or more external microphones, audio input ports, telecoils, etc.), one or more auxiliary input devices 128 (e.g., audio ports, such as a Direct Audio Input (DAI), data ports, such as a Universal Serial Bus (USB) port, cable port, etc.), and a short-range wireless transmitter/receiver (wireless transceiver) 120 (e.g., for communication with the external device 110), each located in, on or near the sound processing unit 106. However, it is to be appreciated that one or more input devices can include additional types of input devices and/or less input devices (e.g., the short- range wireless transceiver 120 and/or one or more auxiliary input devices 128 could be omitted).

[0035] The sound processing unit 106 also comprises the external coil 108, a charging coil 130, a closely-coupled radio frequency transmitter/receiver (RF transceiver) 122, at least one rechargeable battery 132, and an external sound processing module 124. The external sound processing module 124 can be configured to perform a number of operations that are represented in FIG. ID by a noise floor identification module 131, a sound processor 133, and an attenuation calculation module 135. Each of the noise floor identification module 131, the sound processor 133, and the attenuation calculation module 135 can be formed by one or more processors (e.g., one or more Digital Signal Processors (DSPs), one or more uC cores, etc.), firmware, software, etc. arranged to perform operations described herein. That is, the noise floor identification module 131, the sound processor 133, and the attenuation calculation module 135 can each be implemented as firmware elements, partially or fully implemented with digital logic gates in one or more application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs), partially or fully in software, etc. Although FIG. ID illustrates the noise floor identification module 131, a sound processor 133, and the attenuation calculation module 135 as being implemented/performed at the external sound processing module 124, it is to be appreciated that these elements (e.g., functional operations) could also or alternatively be implemented/performed as part of the implantable sound processing module 158, as part of the external device 110, etc.

[0036] Returning to the example of FIGs. 1A-1D, the implantable component 112 comprises an implant body (main module) 134, a lead region 136, and the stimulating assembly 116, all configured to be implanted under the skin (tissue) 115 of the recipient. The implant body 134 generally comprises a hermetically-sealed housing 138 that includes, in certain examples, at least one power source 125 (e.g., one or more batteries, one or more capacitors, etc.), in which the RF interface circuitry 140 and a stimulator unit 142 are disposed. The implant body 134 also includes the intemal/implantable coil 114 that is generally external to the housing 138, but which is connected to the RF interface circuitry 140 via a hermetic feedthrough (not shown in FIG. ID).

[0037] As noted, the stimulating assembly 116 is configured to be at least partially implanted in the recipient’s cochlea. The stimulating assembly 116 includes a plurality of longitudinally spaced intra-cochlear electrical stimulating contacts (electrodes) 144 that collectively form a contact array (electrode array) 146 for delivery of electrical stimulation (current) to the recipient’s cochlea. The stimulating assembly 116 extends through an opening in the recipient’s cochlea (e.g., cochleostomy, the round window, etc.) and has a proximal end connected to stimulator unit 142 via lead region 136 and a hermetic feedthrough (not shown in FIG. ID). Lead region 136 includes a plurality of conductors (wires) that electrically couple the electrodes 144 to the stimulator unit 142. The implantable component 112 also includes an electrode outside of the cochlea, sometimes referred to as the extra-cochlear electrode (ECE) 139.

[0038] As noted, the cochlear implant system 102 includes the external coil 108 and the implantable coil 114. The external magnet 150 is fixed relative to the external coil 108 and the intemal/implantable magnet 152 is fixed relative to the implantable coil 114. The external magnet 150 and the intemal/implantable magnet 152 fixed relative to the external coil 108 and the intemal/implantable coil 114, respectively, facilitate the operational alignment of the external coil 108 with the implantable coil 114. This operational alignment of the coils enables the external component 104 to transmit data and power to the implantable component 112 via a closely-coupled wireless link 148 formed between the external coil 108 with the implantable coil 114. In certain examples, the closely-coupled wireless link 148 is an RF link. However, various other types of energy transfer, such as infrared (IR), electromagnetic, capacitive and inductive transfer, can be used to transfer the power and/or data from an external component to an implantable component and, as such, FIG. ID illustrates only one example arrangement.

[0039] As noted above, the sound processing unit 106 includes the external sound processing module 124. The external sound processing module 124 is configured to process the received input audio signals (received at one or more of the input devices, such as sound input devices 118 and/or auxiliary input devices 128) and convert the received input audio signals into output control signals for use in stimulating a first ear of a recipient or user (i.e., the external sound processing module 124 is configured to perform sound processing on input signals received at the sound processing unit 106). Stated differently, the one or more processors (e.g., processing element(s) implementing firmware, software, etc.) in the external sound processing module 124 are configured to execute sound processing logic in memory to convert the received input audio signals into output control signals (stimulation signals) that represent electrical stimulation for delivery to the recipient.

[0040] As noted, FIG. ID illustrates an embodiment in which the external sound processing module 124 in the sound processing unit 106 generates the output control signals. In an alternative embodiment, the sound processing unit 106 can send less processed information (e.g., audio data) to the implantable component 112, and the sound processing operations (e.g., conversion of input sounds to output control signals 156) can be performed by a processor within the implantable component 112.

[0041] In FIG. ID, according to an example embodiment, output control signals (stimulation signals) are provided to the RF transceiver 122, which transcutaneously transfers the output control signals (e.g., in an encoded manner) to the implantable component 112 via the external coil 108 and the implantable coil 114. That is, the output control signals (stimulation signals) are received at the RF interface circuitry 140 via the implantable coil 114 and provided to the stimulator unit 142. The stimulator unit 142 is configured to utilize the output control signals to generate electrical stimulation signals (e.g., current signals) for delivery to the recipient’s cochlea via one or more of the stimulating contacts 144. In this way, cochlear implant system 102 electrically stimulates the recipient’s auditory nerve cells, bypassing absent or defective hair cells that normally transduce acoustic vibrations into neural activity, in a manner that causes the recipient to perceive one or more components of the input audio signals (the received sound signals). [0042] As detailed above, in the external hearing mode, the cochlear implant 112 receives processed sound signals from the sound processing unit 106. However, in the invisible hearing mode, the cochlear implant 112 is configured to capture and process sound signals for use in electrically stimulating the recipient’s auditory nerve cells. In particular, as shown in FIG. ID, an example embodiment of the cochlear implant 112 can include a plurality of implantable sound sensors 165(1), 165(2) that collectively form a sensor array 160, and an implantable sound processing module 158. Similar to the external sound processing module 124, the implantable sound processing module 158 can comprise, for example, one or more processors and a memory device (memory) that includes sound processing logic. The memory device can comprise any one or more of: Non-Volatile Memory (NVM), Ferroelectric Random Access Memory (FRAM), read only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), magnetic disk storage media devices, optical storage media devices, flash memory devices, electrical, optical, or other physical/tangible memory storage devices. The one or more processors are, for example, microprocessors or microcontrollers that execute instructions for the sound processing logic stored in memory device.

[0043] In the invisible hearing mode, the implantable sound sensors 165(1), 165(2) of the sensor array 160 are configured to detect/capture input sound signals 166 (e.g., acoustic sound signals, vibrations, etc.), which are provided to the implantable sound processing module 158. The implantable sound processing module 158 is configured to convert received input sound signals 166 (received at one or more of the implantable sound sensors 165(1), 165(2)) into output control signals 156 for use in stimulating the first ear of a recipient or user (i.e., the implantable sound processing module 158 is configured to perform sound processing operations). Stated differently, the one or more processors (e.g., processing element(s) implementing firmware, software, etc.) in the implantable sound processing module 158 are configured to execute sound processing logic in memory to convert the received input sound signals 166 into output control signals 156 that are provided to the stimulator unit 142. The stimulator unit 142 is configured to utilize the output control signals 156 to generate electrical stimulation signals (e.g., current signals) for delivery to the recipient’s cochlea, thereby bypassing the absent or defective hair cells that normally transduce acoustic vibrations into neural activity.

[0044] It is to be appreciated that the above description of the so-called external hearing mode and the so-called invisible hearing mode are merely illustrative and that the cochlear implant system 102 could operate differently in different embodiments. For example, in one alternative implementation of the external hearing mode, the cochlear implant 112 could use signals captured by the sound input devices 118 and the implantable sound sensors 165(1), 165(2) of sensor array 160 in generating stimulation signals for delivery to the recipient.

[0045] According to the techniques of the present disclosure, the external sound processing module 124 can also include an inertial measurement unit (IMU) 170. The IMU 170 is configured to measure the inertia of the recipient's head, that is, motion of the recipient's head. As such, the IMU 170 comprises one or more sensors 175 each configured to sense one or more of rectilinear or rotatory motion in the same or different axes. Examples of sensors 175 that can be used as part of inertial measurement unit 170 include accelerometers, gyroscopes, inclinometers, compasses, and the like. Such sensors can be implemented in, for example, micro electromechanical systems (MEMS) or with other technology suitable for the particular application.

[0046] As also illustrated in FIG. ID, in certain examples, a second IMU 180 including one or more sensors 185 is incorporated into implantable sound processing module 158 of implant body 134. The second IMU 180 can serve as an additional or alternative inertial measurement unit to the IMU 170 of external sound processing module 124. Like sensors 175, sensors 185 can each be configured to sense one or more of rectilinear or rotatory motion in the same or different axes. Examples of sensors 185 that can be used as part of inertial measurement unit 180 include accelerometers, gyroscopes, inclinometers, compasses, and the like. Such sensors can be implemented in, for example, MEMS or with other technology suitable for the particular application. For hearing devices that include an implantable sound processing module, such as implantable sound processing module 158, that includes an IMU, such as the IMU 180, the techniques presented herein can be implemented without an external processor. Accordingly, a hearing device that includes an implant body 134 and lacks an external component 104 can be configured to implement the techniques presented herein.

[0047] FIG. IE is a block diagram illustrating one example arrangement for an external computing device 110 configured to perform one or more operations in accordance with certain embodiments presented herein. As shown in FIG. IE, in its most basic configuration, the external computing device 110 includes at least one processing unit 183 and a memory 184. The processing unit 183 includes one or more hardware or software processors (e.g., Central Processing Units) that can obtain and execute instructions. The processing unit 183 can communicate with and control the performance of other components of the external computing device 110. The memory 184 is one or more software or hardware-based computer-readable storage media operable to store information accessible by the processing unit 183. The memory 184 can store, among other things, instructions executable by the processing unit 183 to implement applications or cause performance of operations described herein, as well as other data. The memory 184 can be volatile memory (e.g., RAM), non-volatile memory (e.g., ROM), or combinations thereof. The memory 184 can include transitory memory or non-transitory memory. The memory 184 can also include one or more removable or non-removable storage devices. In examples, the memory 184 can include RAM, ROM) EEPROM (Electronically- Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory), flash memory, optical disc storage, magnetic storage, solid state storage, or any other memory media usable to store information for later access. By way of example, and not limitation, the memory 184 can include wired media, such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and wireless media, such as acoustic, RF, infrared, other wireless media, or combinations thereof. In certain embodiments, the memory 184 comprises logic 195 that, when executed, enables the processing unit 183 to perform aspects of the techniques presented.

[0048] In the illustrated example of FIG. IE, the external computing device 110 further includes a network adapter 186, one or more input devices 187, and one or more output devices 188. The external computing device 110 can include other components, such as a system bus, component interfaces, a graphics system, a power source (e.g., a battery), among other components. The network adapter 186 is a component of the external computing device 110 that provides network access (e.g., access to at least one network 189). The network adapter

186 can provide wired or wireless network access and can support one or more of a variety of communication technologies and protocols, such as Ethernet, cellular, Bluetooth, near-field communication, and RF, among others. The network adapter 186 can include one or more antennas and associated components configured for wireless communication according to one or more wireless communication technologies and protocols. The one or more input devices

187 are devices over which the external computing device 110 receives input from a user. The one or more input devices 187 can include physically-actuatable user-interface elements (e.g., buttons, switches, or dials), a keypad, keyboard, mouse, touchscreen, and voice input devices, among other input devices that can accept user input. The one or more output devices 188 are devices by which the external computing device 110 is able to provide output to a user. The output devices 188 can include a display 190 (e.g., a liquid crystal display (LCD)) and one or more speakers 191, among other output devices for presentation of visual or audible information to the recipient, a clinician, an audiologist, or other user. [0049] It is to be appreciated that the arrangement for the external computing device 110 shown in FIG. IE is merely illustrative and that aspects of the techniques presented herein can be implemented at a number of different types of systems/devices including any combination of hardware, software, and/or firmware configured to perform the functions described herein. For example, the external computing device 110 can be a personal computer (e.g., a desktop or laptop computer), a hand-held device (e.g., a tablet computer), a mobile device (e.g., a smartphone), a surgical system, and/or any other electronic device having the capabilities to perform the associated operations described elsewhere herein.

[0050] As noted above, the sound inputs of hearing devices capture low-level environmental sounds and noise internally generated by the hearing device and microphone, the latter of which is sometimes referred to herein as “self-noise” or the “noise floor” of the device. If not addressed, the hearing device recipient can perceive these sounds in a manner that is often described by recipients as a hissing sound. The noise floor can, however, vary across different frequency bands and, therefore, create the audible stimulation at different amplitudes across the frequency bands. Conventionally, expansion techniques are applied in conventional arrangements to eliminate the perception the low-level environmental sounds and self -noise. However, these conventional expansion techniques apply expansion equivalently to all frequency bands, which is results in a sub-optimal outcomes (e.g., trade-offs between sound quality and speech perception). As such, as noted above, presented herein are techniques for differentially attenuating sounds in different frequency bands (e.g., attenuate sounds by different amounts in different frequency bands) based on a noise floor associated with each frequency band.

[0051] Reference is now made to FIG. 2, which includes a graph 200 illustrating the equivalent noise floor (EIN) of an implantable microphone and an external microphone compared to the international long-term average speech spectrum (ILTASS) at different levels. More specifically, trace 202 shows the equivalent noise floor of an implantable microphone, trace 204 shows the equivalent noise floor of an external microphone, trace 206 shows the ILTASS at 65 decibels (dB) sound pressure level (SPL), trace 208 shows the ILTASS at 55 dB SPL, and trace 210 shows the ILTASS at 45 dB SPL. The long-term average speech spectra is a voice analysis method that offers an acoustic representation of language in daily conversations.

[0052] As described above, the noise floor for a device refers to the audible stimulation created by a microphone or other component of a hearing device. A volume or level associated with the noise floor can vary along a processing chain as sounds are processed by the hearing device to provide stimulation to a recipient of the hearing device. In general, when sounds are received at a microphone of a hearing device, the sounds are fdtered to form sound components associated with a corresponding frequency band. For example, sound components in different frequencies can be separated and processed along the processing chain in different ways based on the frequencies/frequency bands associated with the sound components. The processing chain operates to convert the received sound components into output stimulation signals (e.g., acoustic stimulation signals, mechanical stimulation signals, electrical stimulation signals, etc.), which can be used for delivering stimulation to a recipient in a manner that evokes perception of the sound signals.

[0053] The sound components (e.g., environmental sounds and microphone noise) can be processed by filtering, amplifying, applying gain, etc. to provide the stimulation to the recipient. Each frequency band can be associated with a stimulation electrode that provides stimulation to the recipient to evoke perception of the sound component in the corresponding frequency band. Sounds received at the microphone and sounds created by the microphone or other component of a hearing device (the noise floor) are processed along the processing chain. As the noise created by the microphone or other component is processed along the processing chain, a volume or level of the noise floor can vary. In other words, processing the sound/sound components can cause the volume of the sound/sound components to change (e.g., based on amplifying the sound signals, applying gain to the sound signals, etc.). Therefore, the noise created by the microphone or other component at the input can be of a different volume than the noise when it is being processed along the processing chain or at the output when the stimulation is delivered to the recipient.

[0054] To determine the noise floor for a device, in some embodiments, the noise floor can be measured. When the noise floor is measured for a device, the noise floor can be measured at any point along the processing chain. For example, as used herein, the noise floor can be an input noise floor that is measured at the beginning of the processing chain, an output noise floor that is measured at the end of the processing chain, or a noise floor that is measured at a different point along the processing chain. In other embodiments, to determine the noise floor for the device, the noise floor can be estimated. For example, noise floor measurements can be taken across a range of hearing devices and the noise floor for a particular device can be estimated based on the previous measurements of noise floors for other devices.

[0055] As illustrated in graph 200, the equivalent input noise floor for an implantable microphone and an external microphone varies across frequency levels. The equivalent input noise for a device refers to the noise level along the processing chain as if it were due to the input of the device. As such, the equivalent input noise floor is a representation of the noise level of a device regardless of where the noise level is measured along the processing chain. As shown by trace 204, the equivalent noise floor of the external microphone is approximately 40 dB SPL at 100 Hz and slightly above 10 dB SPL at 10 kHz. As shown by trace 202, the equivalent noise floor of the implantable microphone is approximately 35 dB SPL at 100 Hz and approximately 45 dB SPL at 10 kHz. In other words, a volume of the hissing sound experienced by recipients varies at different frequency levels.

[0056] In particular, as described above, implantable microphones may have poor sensitivity in higher frequency bands, and thus the noise floor in the relatively higher frequency bands may be much higher than in lower bands. As illustrated in graph 200, at some frequency levels, the noise floor is greater than the ILTASS for daily conversations. For example, as shown by trace 202, the equivalent noise floor at 10 kHz is greater than the ILTASS at 45 dB SPL (illustrated by trace 206), the ILTASS at 55 dB SPL (illustrated by trace 210), and the ILTASS at 65 dB SPL (illustrated by trace 210) at 10 kHz. Therefore, at higher frequencies, the noise floor or hissing sound experienced by a recipient of a hearing device can appear louder than the daily conversation. On the other hand, at lower frequencies, such as at 1 kHZ, the equivalent noise floor is lower than the ILTASS at all three dB SPL shown in graph 200. The louder hissing sound experienced (particularly at the higher frequencies) can be annoying or distracting to the recipient of the hearing device. To reduce the hissing sound experienced by the recipient, expansion or other similar noise reduction algorithms can be applied to the sound signal.

[0057] In conventional arrangements, to reduce the impact of the noise floor or hissing experienced by recipients of hearing devices, an expansion algorithm is configured to apply attenuation to sound below a specified input level, which is called a “knee point.” The knee point is derived from the calibrated system noise floor, which varies from one frequency band to another, and defines the input level below which expansion will be active. The noise floor is typically calibrated at production of a hearing device since it can vary across different hearing devices or models. In conventional systems, the knee point is typically set a few decibels above the noise floor. For example, if the system noise floor levels in five bands is [25, 20, 18, 22, 20] dB SPL, the knee points can be set 6 dB above it, at [31, 26, 24, 28, 26] dB SPL, in order to provide about 6 dB of attenuation during silence (and a decreasing amount of attenuation up to the knee points). [0058] Reference is now made to FIG. 3, which shows a graph 300 illustrating use of conventional expansion for attenuating sounds based on an expansion knee point 302 and a calibrated noise floor 304. In graph 300, the expansion knee point 302 is set to 6 dB above the calibrated noise floor 304 for each frequency band. For example, assume the system noise floor is 25 dB SPL for a particular frequency band and the knee point is, therefore, set to 31 dB SPL for the frequency band. In this example, sound received in the frequency band at a volume above the expansion knee point 302 (e.g., 31 dB SPL) will not be attenuated and sound received in the frequency band at a volume below the level of the calibrated noise floor 304 (e.g., 25 dB SPL) will be attenuated completely such that no stimulation is provided to the recipient for sounds received below 25 dB SPL.

[0059] For sounds received in the frequency band that are at volumes between the calibrated noise floor 304 and the expansion knee point 302 (e.g., sounds that are between 25 dB SPL and 31 dB SPL), the received sounds are attenuated based on the expansion slope 306. For example, the sounds that are closer to 31 dB SPL can be attenuated a small amount and the sounds that are closer to 25 dB SPL can be attenuated at a much higher rate . Therefore, using an attenuation algorithm, louder sounds in the range between the calibrated noise floor 304 and the expansion knee point 302 are attenuated less than quieter sounds in the same range.

[0060] Generally, when using an expansion algorithm, a knee point is set and the expansion slope is a constant angle for all knee points. If the knee point is set to, for example, 2 dB above the calibrated noise floor, the slope will be short and only sounds received in the 2 dB between the calibrated noise floor and the knee point will be attenuated. On the other hand, if the knee point is set much higher, for example at 30 dB above the calibrated noise floor, the expansion slope will be at the same angle as the slope when the knee point that is set 2 dB above the calibrated noise floor, but the slope will be much longer. In this case, sounds in the 30 dB between the calibrated noise floor and the knee point will be attenuated based on where the sounds fall on the slope.

[0061] Expansion algorithm parameters are primarily derived from the calibrated input system noise floor rather than the output noise floor at the end of the signal processing chain. As described above with respect to FIG. 2, the equivalent input noise floor of an implantable microphone varies significantly across frequency bands, with the high frequency bands typically containing the highest noise levels that would be audible as an undesirable hiss sound if not properly addressed. To optimize sound quality and enable the recipient to experience silence in a quiet environment, the sound needs to be attenuated to fall below a specific threshold level (called “T-SPL” level, for example set to 25 dB SPL) in all frequency bands. Using the conventional approach described with respect to FIG. 3, the expansion knee point (or equivalent parameters in similar algorithms) should be set according to the highest noise floor such that all frequency bands are below the T-SPL threshold. However, doing so would also attenuate soft speech in lower frequency bands (where the noise floor is lower) and negatively impact speech intelligibility.

[0062] For example, returning to FIG. 2, the equivalent noise floor for the implantable microphone shown at trace 202 is highest at 10 kHz and is approximately 45 dB SPL. To attenuate the noise floor at 10 kHz so that the sounds at 10 kHz are to be attenuated to fall below the T-SPL of 25 dB SPL, the knee point can be set high, such as 20 dB above the noise floor. When using the conventional approach described above, the knee point would be set at 20 dB above the noise floor at all frequencies. However, applying this technique would unnecessarily attenuate sounds (including soft speech) in frequency bands in which the noise floor or hissing sound is already low. Therefore, applying a knee point at a constant level above a noise floor for all frequency bands or channels based on the frequency band/channel with the highest noise floor negatively impacts a recipient’s ability to experience quieter sounds in frequency bands/channels with lower noise floors.

[0063] According to embodiments described herein, expansion algorithms can be configured such that more aggressive attenuation is applied in frequency bands with higher output noise floors while limiting attenuation in bands where the noise floor is lower. In particular, an amount of attenuation to apply in each channel/frequency band to achieve a target noise floor forthat channel/frequency band can calculated. The calculated amount of attenuation can then be used to configure a noise suppression algorithm to provide only the necessary amount of attenuation to the noise floor in each channel/frequency band.

[0064] In some embodiments, the configuring can include, for example, configuring the knee points or an expansion slope parameter. This can be achieved by configuring the expansion parameters based on the output noise or, equivalently, the calibrated input noise plus (a subset of) all the gains in the signal processing chain that contribute to a change in the output noise (e.g., from equalizers, Automatic Gain Control (AGC) modules, compressors, other noise reduction modules, etc.).

[0065] Reference is now made to FIG. 4, which is a graph 400 that illustrates an amount of attenuation in different channels/frequency bands to reach a target noise floor, in accordance with embodiments presented herein. In graph 400, trace 402 illustrates a noise spectrum in which the noise floor varies in different channels/frequency bands and trace 404 represents a target noise floor across all channels/frequency band.

[0066] In some embodiments, expansion parameters are configured such that the processed output noise floor (after expansion processing) will be at a chosen target output (stimulation) level. The target noise floor level can be chosen to find the best compromise between sound quality/comfort and speech perception. For example, the target noise floor level can signify a highest volume of noise (or hiss) a recipient can tolerate at the output of the system that comes from the input noise. In other words, the target noise floor level can be the desired output noise floor level. In some embodiments, the target level can be tuned for each recipient individually. For example, if a recipient can tolerate a higher level of hiss or output noise derived from the input microphone (or other component) noise, the target level can be set higher. The level where the target is set affects how other environmental sounds (such as speech) are attenuated, so there can be a tradeoff between experiencing a hissing sound and being able to perceive speech intelligibly.

[0067] In practice, it can be reasonable to choose a target output level around a minimum stimulation level that is perceivable by recipient, sometimes referred to as the “threshold stimulation level” or “T-SPL,” such that the output stimulation during silence is absent or very soft. For example, the target output level can be set at T-SPL or slightly below it (e.g., at T- SPL - 3dB), to ensure no stimulation is given to a recipient in a quiet environment. In other configurations, the target output level can be above T-SPL. One of the key benefits of this approach compared to conventional methods is that speech is minimally impacted by expansion or not impacted at all in those frequency bands where the output noise floor sits below the target stimulation.

[0068] As illustrated by trace 402, the noise floor associated with an exemplary hearing device varies across frequency bands. For example, at frequency band 10, the noise floor is approximately 20 dB SPL and at frequency band 21, the noise floor is approximately 43 dB SPL. As illustrated by trace 404, the target noise floor is approximately 17 dB SPL. In this example, the target noise floor is flat (i.e., constant across all channels/frequency bands). In other words, in graph 300, although the noise floor varies over frequency bands (ranging from approximately 18 dB SPL to approximately 43 dB SPL), the target noise floor for all bands is approximately 17 db SPL. In other embodiments, the target noise floor can be a different shape and can vary across channels/frequency bands. For example, the target noise floor level can be different for different frequency channels or bands.

[0069] As discussed above, in conventional expansion systems, a knee point is set at a fixed level or offset above the noise spectrum for each frequency band. However, setting the position of the knee point at the same level for frequency band 21 (with a noise floor of approximately 43 dB SPL) and for frequency band 7 (with a noise floor of approximately 18 dB SPL) can negatively impact speech intelligibility in frequency band 7. Instead, according to embodiments presented herein, an amount of attenuation needed to achieve the target noise floor for each frequency channel is calculated based on the noise floor associated with each frequency channel. For example, in frequency band 21, the noise spectrum should be attenuated by approximately 26 dB SPL to reach the target noise floor. In frequency band 7, which has a much lower noise floor, the noise spectrum should be attenuated only by approximately 1 dB SPL to reach the target noise floor. Therefore, according to embodiments herein, a noise reduction algorithm is configured so that the sound associated with each frequency band is attenuated based on the calculated amount of attenuation needed to achieve the target noise floor for each frequency band.

[0070] By attenuating sounds at each frequency band based on the noise floor associated with the frequency band, a better trade-off is provided between sound quality and speech perception at soft levels, particularly for recipients of hearing devices with implantable microphones. The recipient will be undisturbed by the self-noise of the implantable microphone (i.e., the hearing device itself sounds quiet) and speech at soft levels is minimally impacted compared to conventional methods.

[0071] In one embodiment, a noise reduction algorithm (e.g., an expansion algorithm) can be configured to set a position of a knee point for each frequency band based on the amount of attenuation calculated for each frequency band. Reference is now made to FIGs. 5A and 5B, where FIG. 5 A is a graph 500 illustrating standard knee points for a noise spectrum and knee points for the noise spectrum using the embodiments described herein and FIG. 5B is a graph 510 illustrating a speech spectrum with noise reduction using the embodiments described herein.

[0072] Graph 500 in FIG. 5 A shows a trace 502 illustrating a volume level of a noise spectrum/noise floor for a device across frequency bands, trace 504 illustrating knee points that are a fixed distance from the noise spectrum trace across the frequency bands (e.g., using the standard expansion algorithm described with respect to FIG. 3), trace 506 illustrating knee points that are a variable distance from the noise spectrum based on a noise floor associated with each frequency band, and a trace 508 illustrating speech (ILTASS at 55 dB SPL).

[0073] Using a standard expansion algorithm, the offset between the noise floor illustrated by trace 502 and the knee points illustrated by trace 504 is determined based on the highest noise floor level across the frequency bands. As described above, trace 504 illustrates a volume of the noise in different frequency bands/channels or how loud the hiss appears to be on each channel. With the standard previous method of fitting expansion, to make the noise floor quiet enough on channels where there is a high noise floor (e.g., channels 21 and 22), the offset of the knee point relative to the noise floor is very high. In the example illustrated in FIG. 5A, the offset is approximately 25 dB.

[0074] For channel 22, the noise floor is approximately 42 dB SPL (so the volume of the “hiss” on channel 22 is approximately 42 dB SPL) and the knee point is set at approximately 67 dB SPL. At channel 22, the noise floor is higher than the level of quiet speech represented by trace 508. When the knee point is set at 67 dB SPL, sounds in frequency band 22 that are louder than 67 dB SPL will not be attenuated, sounds below 42 dB SPL will be attenuated completely (there will be no stimulation for sounds under 42 dB SPL) and sounds between 42 dB SPL and 67 dB SPL will be attenuated based on an expansion slope. The louder sounds closer to 67 dB SPL will be attenuated by a small amount and the quieter sounds closer to 42 dB SPL will be attenuated by a larger amount.

[0075] On the other hand, for frequency band 7, the noise floor is approximately 19 dB SPL. For this channel, as shown by trace 508, the volume of quiet speech is approximately 39 dB SPL. Therefore, the hiss is almost 20 dB lower than the level of quiet speech and a recipient can clearly identify quiet speech in this channel, possibly without any interference from the quiet noise floor. Using the standard expansion method using the fixed offset for knee points, the knee point would be set at 44 dB SPL (because the offset of 25 dB SPL is determined based on the highest noise floor level). When the knee point is set at 44 dB SPL, sounds above 44 dB SPL at channel 7 are not attenuated, sounds below 19 dB SPL are completely attenuated (and there is no stimulation for sounds below 19 dB SPL) and sounds between 19 dB SLP and 44 dB SPL are attenuated based on the slope. As illustrated, if the fixed knee point offset of 25 dB SPL is applied at channel 7, the quiet speech would be attenuated and appear even quieter to a recipient. In other words, with the attenuation using the conventional expansion algorithm, a recipient can struggle to understand speech that the recipient can have easily understood if no attenuation had been applied to the channel.

[0076] Therefore, by applying fixed offset knee points across a spectrum with widely varying noise floor levels, useful signals can be attenuated partially or completely because the knee point is higher than is required on most channels. In this example, the quiet speech spectrum is being attenuated unnecessarily across the entire spectrum. A recipient can lose out on environmental sounds using the fixed offset knee point attenuation algorithm.

[0077] Trace 506 illustrates the knee points with varying offsets from the noise floor according to embodiments described herein. The offset of the knee point from the noise floor for each frequency band/channel can be determined based on the target noise floor described with respect to FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 5 A, for frequency channels with high noise floor levels (e.g., channels 20-22), the knee point offsets are high because the amount of attenuated needed to bring the noise floor level to the target noise floor level for these channels is high. On the other hand, the offset between the knee point and the noise floor for channels with low noise floor levels (e.g., channels 5-8) is very low because the amount of attenuation needed to bring the noise floor level to the target noise floor level for these channels is very low.

[0078] For example, for channel 7, because the noise floor or the volume of hiss on this channel is so low, the knee point is barely higher than the noise floor level. Therefore, when performing attenuation according to the embodiments described herein, very few sounds above the level of the noise floor will be attenuated. As illustrated in FIG. 5A, the level of quiet speech shown by trace 508 is well above the knee point level shown by trace 506. Therefore, the quiet speech and other sounds in the same volume range as the quiet speech are not attenuated. By varying the offset of the knee points from the noise floor based on the level of the noise floor, a recipient can experience more sounds and understand quiet speech at a greater rate.

[0079] FIG. 5B shows trace 508 illustrating the speech spectrum (ILTASS at 55 dB SPL), trace 512 illustrating the attenuation of the speech with standard fitting (i.e., using fixed offset knee points), and trace 514 illustrating the attenuation of the speech using variable offset knee points described herein. As illustrated by trace 512, when using fixed offset knee points, the speech is attenuated for most of the spectrum. Therefore, the quiet speech appears even quieter to a recipient across almost the entire spectrum.

[0080] In contrast, as illustrated by trace 514, when the offset of the knee points is determined based on the noise floor level for each frequency band, the speech is not attenuated for most of the spectrum. On frequency bands where the noise floor is high, the speech is attenuated. However, as illustrated in FIG. 5A, in these frequency bands, the volume of the hiss in these bands is higher than the volume of the speech. Therefore, a recipient likely would not be able to perceive the speech at these frequencies since the noise floor is so high on these channels. For the channels where the noise floor is lower, the speech is not attenuated, which allows the recipient to perceive the speech level at a full volume.

[0081] Although FIGs. 5A and 5B illustrate attenuating sound by varying the offset of the knee point relative to the noise floor based on the levels of the noise floor at each frequency band/channel, in some embodiments, the sounds can be attenuated per frequency band/channel in other ways. For example, when attenuating sounds based on an expansion algorithm, instead of varying the offset of the knee points, the knee points can be a fixed offset from the noise floor and an angle of the slope can be variable. For example, an angle of the slope 306 shown in FIG. 3 can be determined for each frequency band based on the calculated distance between the noise floor for a frequency band/channel and the target noise floor. The knee points can then be set at a fixed distance from the noise floor and the angles of the expansion slope that indicate a rate of the attenuation between the knee point and the noise floor can be set based on the calculated distance. In other embodiments, different noise suppression/attenuation algorithms can be used to suppress the noise floor by different amounts on different channels based on the noise floor level in each frequency channel. In another embodiment, for an expansion-like algorithm that uses a different attenuation curve, any kind of “shape” parameter may be varied. For example, attenuation may be applied based on an attenuation curve and a shape of the attenuation curve may be variable. In this example, the shape of the attenuation curve may be varied to attenuate the sounds in different channels.

[0082] Reference is now made to FIG. 6, which is a flowchart illustrating a method 600 of attenuating sound components of one or more sounds received at a hearing device. At 602, the one or more sounds are received at a hearing device associated with a recipient. At 604, the one or more sounds are filtered to form a plurality of sound components each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands. At 606, one or more of the sound components are attenuated. An amount of the attenuation applied to each of the one or more sound components is correlated with an output noise floor in an associated one of the plurality of frequency bands. For example, a frequency band can be associated with a particular noise floor and an amount of attenuation applied to the sound components associated with the frequency band is correlated to the particular noise floor. [0083] Reference is now made to FIG. 7, which is a flowchart illustrating a method 700 of dynamically attenuating sound components in frequency bands. At 702, a plurality of sound components are obtained. Each of the plurality of sound components is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands. At 704, a noise floor level and a target noise floor level are identified for each of the plurality of frequency bands. At 706, the sound components received in each frequency band are dynamically attenuated based on the noise floor level and the target noise floor level for each frequency band.

[0084] As previously described, the technology disclosed herein can be applied in any of a variety of circumstances and with a variety of different devices. Example devices that can benefit from technology disclosed herein are described in more detail in FIG. 8. The techniques of the present disclosure can be applied to other devices, such as neurostimulators, cardiac pacemakers, cardiac defibrillators, sleep apnea management stimulators, seizure therapy stimulators, tinnitus management stimulators, and vestibular stimulation devices, as well as other medical devices that deliver stimulation to tissue. Further, technology described herein can also be applied to consumer devices. These different systems and devices can benefit from the technology described herein.

[0085] FIG. 8 illustrates an example vestibular stimulator system 802, with which embodiments presented herein can be implemented. As shown, the vestibular stimulator system 802 comprises an implantable component (vestibular stimulator) 812 and an external device/component 804 (e.g., external processing device, battery charger, remote control, etc.). The external device 804 comprises a transceiver unit 860. As such, the external device 804 is configured to transfer data (and potentially power) to the vestibular stimulator 812.

[0086] The vestibular stimulator 812 comprises an implant body (main module) 834, a lead region 836, and a stimulating assembly 816, all configured to be implanted under the skin/tissue (tissue) 815 of the recipient. The implant body 834 generally comprises a hermetically-sealed housing 838 in which RF interface circuitry, one or more rechargeable batteries, one or more processors, and a stimulator unit are disposed. The implant body 134 also includes an intemal/implantable coil 814 that is generally external to the housing 838, but which is connected to the transceiver via a hermetic feedthrough (not shown).

[0087] The stimulating assembly 816 comprises a plurality of electrodes 844(l)-(3) disposed in a carrier member (e.g., a flexible silicone body). In this specific example, the stimulating assembly 816 comprises three (3) stimulation electrodes, referred to as stimulation electrodes 844(1), 844(2), and 844(3). The stimulation electrodes 844(1), 844(2), and 844(3) function as an electrical interface for delivery of electrical stimulation signals to the recipient’s vestibular system.

[0088] The stimulating assembly 816 is configured such that a surgeon can implant the stimulating assembly adjacent the recipient’s otolith organs via, for example, the recipient’s oval window. It is to be appreciated that this specific embodiment with three stimulation electrodes is merely illustrative and that the techniques presented herein can be used with stimulating assemblies having different numbers of stimulation electrodes, stimulating assemblies having different lengths, etc.

[0089] In operation, the vestibular stimulator 812, the external device 804, and/or another external device can be configured to implement the techniques presented herein. That is, the vestibular stimulator 812, possibly in combination with the external device 804 and/or another external device, can be configured to perform the expansion techniques presented herein in processing input signals (e.g., in processing motion signals captured by an accelerometer or other device).

[0090] As should be appreciated, while particular uses of the technology have been illustrated and discussed above, the disclosed technology can be used with a variety of devices in accordance with many examples of the technology. The above discussion is not meant to suggest that the disclosed technology is only suitable for implementation within systems akin to that illustrated in the figures. In general, additional configurations can be used to practice the processes and systems herein and/or some aspects described can be excluded without departing from the processes and systems disclosed herein.

[0091] This disclosure described some aspects of the present technology with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which only some of the possible aspects were shown. Other aspects can, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the aspects set forth herein. Rather, these aspects were provided so that this disclosure was thorough and complete and fully conveyed the scope of the possible aspects to those skilled in the art.

[0092] As should be appreciated, the various aspects (e.g., portions, components, etc.) described with respect to the figures herein are not intended to limit the systems and processes to the particular aspects described. Accordingly, additional configurations can be used to practice the methods and systems herein and/or some aspects described can be excluded without departing from the methods and systems disclosed herein.

[0093] According to certain aspects, systems and non-transitory computer readable storage media are provided. The systems are configured with hardware configured to execute operations analogous to the methods of the present disclosure. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media comprise instructions that, when executed by one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to execute operations analogous to the methods of the present disclosure.

[0094] Similarly, where steps of a process are disclosed, those steps are described for purposes of illustrating the present methods and systems and are not intended to limit the disclosure to a particular sequence of steps. For example, the steps can be performed in differing order, two or more steps can be performed concurrently, additional steps can be performed, and disclosed steps can be excluded without departing from the present disclosure. Further, the disclosed processes can be repeated.

[0095] Although specific aspects were described herein, the scope of the technology is not limited to those specific aspects. One skilled in the art will recognize other aspects or improvements that are within the scope of the present technology. Therefore, the specific structure, acts, or media are disclosed only as illustrative aspects. The scope of the technology is defined by the following claims and any equivalents therein.

[0096] It is also to be appreciated that the embodiments presented herein are not mutually exclusive and that the various embodiments can be combined with another in any of a number of different manners.

Claims

CLAIMS What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising : receiving one or more sounds at a hearing device associated with a recipient; filtering the one or more sounds to form a plurality of sound components each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands; and attenuating one or more of the plurality of sound components, wherein an amount of attenuation applied to each of the one or more of the plurality of sound components is correlated with an output noise floor in an associated one of the plurality of frequency bands.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein attenuating one or more of the plurality of sound components comprises: applying an amount of attenuation to the one or more of the plurality of sound components such that, following the attenuation, each of the one or more of the plurality of sound components has a sound level that corresponds to a target noise floor for the associated one of the plurality of frequency bands.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the target noise floor is a same level for each of the plurality of frequency bands.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the target noise floor is different for two or more of the plurality of frequency bands.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein the target noise floor for each of the plurality of frequency bands is determined based on information associated with the recipient.

6. The method of claim 2, wherein the target noise floor is a desired output noise floor level.

7. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the attenuation is applied below a knee point associated with each of the plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the method comprises: configuring a position of the knee point for each of the plurality of frequency bands.

8. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the attenuation is applied below a knee point associated with each of the plurality of frequency bands in accordance with an expansion slope parameter, and wherein the method comprises: configuring the expansion slope parameter for each of the plurality of frequency bands.

9. The method of claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, wherein the attenuation is applied based on an attenuation curve, and wherein the method comprises: configuring a shape of the attenuation curve.

10. A method comprising : obtaining a plurality of sound components, wherein each of the plurality of sound components is associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands; identifying a noise floor level and a target noise floor level for each of the plurality of frequency bands; and dynamically attenuating the plurality of sound components received in each frequency band based on the noise floor level and the target noise floor level for the frequency band.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein dynamically attenuating the plurality of sound components includes applying an amount of attenuation to the plurality of sound components in each frequency band such that, following attenuation, the noise floor level for each frequency band is at the target noise floor level.

12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the target noise floor level is a same level for all frequency bands of the plurality of frequency bands.

13. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the target noise floor level is a different level for at least two frequency bands of the plurality of frequency bands.

14. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the plurality of sound components are received at a hearing device of a recipient.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the noise floor level is based on information associated with the recipient of the hearing device.

16. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the attenuation is applied below a knee point associated with each of the plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the method comprises: configuring a position of the knee point for each of the plurality of frequency bands.

17. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the attenuation is applied below a knee point associated with each of the plurality of frequency bands in accordance with an expansion slope parameter, and wherein the method comprises: configuring the expansion slope parameter for each of the plurality of frequency bands.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the knee point is placed at a constant offset from the noise floor level in each of the plurality of frequency bands.

19. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the attenuation is applied based on an attenuation curve, and wherein the method comprises: configuring a shape of the attenuation curve.

20. One or more non-transitory computer readable storage media comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to: identify a noise floor level associated with each frequency band of a plurality of frequency bands associated with a hearing device; identify a target noise floor level for each frequency band of the plurality of frequency bands; and configure the hearing device to perform noise reduction for sounds associated with the hearing device based on the noise floor level and the target noise floor level associated with each frequency band.

21. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 20, wherein, when configuring the hearing device to perform noise reduction, the instructions cause the processor to configure an expansion parameter for performing expansion by the hearing device.

22. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the expansion parameter includes an offset of a knee point with respect to the noise floor level for each frequency band.

23. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 21, wherein the expansion parameter includes an angle of an expansion slope for each frequency band.

24. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 20, 21, 22, or 23, wherein the target noise floor level is a same level for all of the plurality of frequency bands.

25. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 20, 21, 22, or 23, wherein the target noise floor level is a different level for at least two frequency bands of the plurality of frequency bands.

26. The one or more non-transitory computer readable storage media of claim 20, 21, 22, or 23, wherein the target noise floor level is based on information associated with a recipient of the hearing device.

27. A system, comprising: one or more sound inputs configured to receive sound signals; a plurality of filters configured to filter the one or more sounds to form a plurality of sound components each associated with a corresponding one of a plurality of frequency bands; at least one processor configured to attenuate one or more of the plurality of sound components, wherein an amount of attenuation applied to each of the one or more of the plurality of sound components is correlated with an output noise floor in an associated one of the plurality of frequency bands.

28. The system of claim 27, wherein, when attenuating one or more of the plurality of sound components, the at least one processor is configured to: apply an amount of attenuation to the one or more of the plurality of sound components such that, following the attenuation, each of the one or more of the plurality of sound components has a sound level that corresponds to a target noise floor for the associated one of the plurality of frequency bands.

29. The system of claim 28, wherein the target noise floor is a same level for each of the plurality of frequency bands.

30. The system of claim 28, wherein the target noise floor is different for two or more of the plurality of frequency bands.

31. The system of claim 28, wherein the target noise floor for each of the plurality of frequency bands is determined based on information associated with the recipient.

32. The system of claim 28, wherein the target noise floor is a desired output noise floor level.

33. The system of claim 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32, wherein the attenuation is applied below a knee point associated with each of the plurality of frequency bands, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: configure a position of the knee point for each of the plurality of frequency bands.

34. The system of claim 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, or 32, wherein the attenuation is applied below a knee point associated with each of the plurality of frequency bands in accordance with an expansion slope parameter, and wherein the at least one processor is further configured to: configure the expansion slope parameter for each of the plurality of frequency bands.