Binaural hearing system and method

Abstract

A system (202) for binaural signal processing. A first speaker (210) and a second speaker (220) are respectively mounted proximal to, and deliver respective first and second acoustic signals to, the left and right ears of a user. A first microphone (212) and a second microphone (222) are respectively mounted proximal to the left and right ears. A binaural processing device receives signals from the microphones and, based on the microphone signals, determines the first and second acoustic signals. The binaural processing device operates at a distance from both the left and right ears of the user. The speakers, microphones and the binaural processing device are connected by a signal network.

Claims

1. A system for binaural signal processing, the system comprising: a first speaker and a second speaker respectively configured to be mounted proximal to, and to deliver respective first and second acoustic signals to, the left and right ears of a user; a first microphone and a second microphone respectively configured to be mounted proximal to the left and right ears of a user; and a binaural processing device for receiving respective first and second acoustic signals from each of the first and second microphones and for modifying each of the first and second acoustic signals to produce the modified first and second acoustic signals, wherein sound captured at both ears is used to modify the first acoustic signal to produce the modified first signal and sound captured at both ears is used to modify the second acoustic signal to produce the modified second signal, and wherein the binaural processing device is operable when distal from the left and right ears of the user; wherein the first and second speakers, the first and second microphones and the binaural processing device are connected by a signal network configured to pass signals from the first and second microphones to the binaural processing device and from the binaural processing device to the speakers, wherein the signal network comprises a single wire chained bus loop having a chained configuration in which data from upstream on the single wire chained bus loop is recovered by each of the first and second speakers and the first and second microphones and re-modulated downstream onto the single wire chained bus loop, and wherein the first and second speakers are positioned downstream of the binaural processing device on the single wire chained bus loop, and the first and second microphones are positioned downstream of the first and second speakers on the single wire chained bus loop.

2. The system of claim 1, configured to implement a hearing aid.

3. The system of claim 1, configured to implement an assisted listening device (ALD) or personal sound amplifier product (PSAP).

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the single wire chained bus loop is connected to the binaural processing device by a 3.5 mm jack.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the binaural processing device comprises one of: a mobile telephone, smart phone, tablet computer, and e-reader.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein at least one of the first microphone and the second microphone comprises two microphones.

7. A system for binaural signal processing according to claim 1 included in a telephone headset.

8. A system for binaural signal processing according to claim 1 included in an audio playback device.

9. A system for binaural signal processing according to claim 1 included in an audio recording device.

10. A method for binaural signal processing, the method comprising: obtaining a first microphone signal from a first microphone mounted proximal to a left ear of a user, and obtaining a second microphone signal from a second microphone mounted proximal to a right ear of a user; a binaural processing device receiving each of the first and second microphone signals via a signal network and modifying the first and second microphone signals to produce first and second acoustic output signals, wherein sound captured at both ears is used to modify the first microphone signal to produce the first acoustic output signal and the sound captured at both ears is used to modify the second microphone signal to produce the second acoustic output signal, and wherein the binaural processing device is operable when distal from the left and right ears of the user; and a first speaker and a second speaker, respectively mounted proximal to the left and right ears of the user, respectively receiving the first and second output signals from the binaural processing device via the signal network and delivering respective first and second acoustic output signals to the left and right ears of the user, wherein the signal network comprises a single wire chained bus loop having a chained configuration in which data from upstream on the single wire chained bus loop is recovered by each of the first and second speakers and the first and second microphones and re-modulated downstream onto the single wire chained bus loop, and wherein the first and second speakers are positioned downstream of the binaural processing device on the single wire chained bus loop, and the first and second microphones are positioned downstream of the first and second speakers on the single wire chained bus loop.

11. A non-transitory computer readable medium for binaural signal processing, comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes performance of the following: obtaining a first microphone signal from a first microphone mounted proximal to a left ear of a user, and obtaining a second microphone signal from a second microphone mounted proximal to a right ear of a user; a binaural processing device receiving each of the first and second microphone signals via a signal network and modifying the first and second microphone signals to produce first and second acoustic output signals, wherein sound captured at both ears is used to modify the first microphone signal to produce the first acoustic output signal and the sound captured at both ears is used to modify the second microphone signal to produce the second acoustic output signal, and wherein the binaural processing device is operable when distal from the left and right ears of the user; and a first speaker and a second speaker, respectively mounted proximal to the left and right ears of the user, respectively receiving the first and second output signals from the binaural processing device via the signal network and delivering respective first and second acoustic output signals to the left and right ears of the user, wherein the signal network comprises a single wire chained bus loop having a chained configuration in which data from upstream on the single wire chained bus loop is recovered by each of the first and second speakers and the first and second microphones and re-modulated downstream onto the single wire chained bus loop, and wherein the first and second speakers are positioned downstream of the binaural processing device on the single wire chained bus loop, and the first and second microphones are positioned downstream of the first and second speakers on the single wire chained bus loop.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

(1) An example of the invention will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

(2) FIG. 1 shows a typical prior binaural system;

(3) FIG. 2 illustrates a system for integrated binaural signal processing in accordance with one embodiment of the invention;

(4) FIG. 3 illustrates the chained single wire signal network in the system of FIG. 2; and

(5) FIG. 4 illustrates the DSP processing within the smart phone.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

(6) FIG. 2 illustrates a system for integrated binaural signal processing in accordance with one embodiment of the invention. A binaural processing device 202 is chained in a single wire signal network with two speakers 210, 220 and two microphones 212, 222. The speakers and microphones are arranged as a wired headset so as to position one speaker and one microphone proximal to a user's ear when in use. More microphones may also be provided (e.g. 230, 232, 234) for example to capture the user's voice or at other positions to capture additional signals. Additional microphones located on the earpieces may be located external to or internal to the ear canal. The microphones' signals are passed to the processor 240 via the signal network (FIG. 3). The standard 3.5 mm jack (250) and headset wire carries data from between 2 and 6 microphones (212, 222, 230, 232, 234 etc), along with power for the speakers and microphones as required, and an electrical ground reference.

(7) The signal network bus is shown in FIG. 3. Low latency on the bus is important for total processing delay and for feedback cancellation.

(8) Binaural processing is performed in the binaural processing device, which in this embodiment is a mobile handset. Alternative embodiments may utilise a tablet computer or e-reader for this function.

(9) In this embodiment, the binaural processing is configured to effect binaural hearing aid processing. That is, signals captured from the vicinity of the user's ears are processed and amplified in accordance with a user-specific program and then delivered via the binaural speakers 210, 220, giving stereo effects and directional cues. Moreover, the hearing aid processing performed in the mobile handset is configurable, and in this embodiment is under the control of apps running on the processor 240 of the mobile device. The apps are arranged to implement the user-specific program and to receive user input via the mobile device to allow the program to be updated when required.

(10) Appropriate amplification and/or processing is also applied to music playback and telephony provided by the processor 240 of the mobile device, in accordance with the program executed by the app.

(11) As shown in FIG. 4, audio signal processing is performed in phone DSP 240. DSP 240 can implement standard hearing aid processing functions for both ears, such as directional microphones (with 2 mics per ear), feedback cancellation, noise reduction and compression. Hearing aid processing can, selectively, be applied during telephone calls and audio playback from the smart phone.

(12) In this embodiment, a second mode can be provided by the device, whereby the mobile device itself carries at least one microphone 234, and the user can hold the mobile device close to a sound source of interest, for example by the user holding the mobile device out towards a person with whom they are speaking. In such embodiments the signal from the mobile device microphone 234 is processed by the binaural processing device and delivered to the user in a binaural manner.

(13) In this embodiment, a third mode is also provided. In this third mode an external microphone (not shown), such as the microphone on another mobile device or an accessory microphone, is used and delivers an external microphone signal to the binaural processing device as part of the binaural processing to be performed.

(14) A fourth mode of operation is to provide ambient noise cancellation via speakers 210, 220, based on detected noise signals obtained at each ear by mics 212, 222. Location of the mics 212, 222 at ear level is particularly advantageous for ambient noise cancellation.

(15) Shifting the audio processing to a smart phone also permits a sophisticated user interface to be presented to the user, as opposed to simple toggle switches and the like which are all that can be typically provided on ear-mounted devices.

(16) The second through fourth modes of operation can be entered into voluntarily, by the user inputting commands into the mobile device. Preferably, signal delay is kept to a minimum for feedback cancellation and to avoid negative occlusion effects.

(17) The present embodiment of the invention uses a single wire chained bus and pulse length modulation scheme in order to interface the headset mounted microphones 212, 222 and speakers 210, 220, and the hearing aid processor 240. Due to the chained configuration, data must be recovered by each device and then re-modulated onto the bus by the same device. This requires one symbol period to achieve and therefore introduces bus latency of one symbol period per device on the bus. Data consuming devices (speakers 210, 220) should therefore desirably be first on the bus and data generating devices (microphones 212, 222) last on the bus. A wireless signal network may be suitable in alternative embodiments.

(18) Notably, sound is captured binaurally at ear level and then processed in the mobile device processor 240. This is key to permit hearing aid performance, rather than low performance if distal microphones are used. Additionally, this enables in some embodiments the application of suitable algorithms that combine information from both ears to enhance the signal processing and/or deliver binaural integration.

(19) It will be appreciated by persons skilled in the art that numerous variations and/or modifications may be made to the invention as shown in the specific embodiments without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention as broadly described. The present embodiments are, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive.