A Customizable Multi-channel Loudness Compensation Method Based on WDRC for Digital Hearing Aids

摘要

Loudness compensation is the most significant signal processing algorithm in digital hearing aids at present. An algorithm of multi-channel loudness compensation for embedded system has been put forward in this paper. The number of channels is customizable in this algorithm. The algorithm can set different number and different width of channels for each patient based on frequency domain wide dynamic range compression. First, according to the requirement of patient to divide the frequency domain into multiple unequal frequency bands. And then calculate the gain of each channel according to the input-output curve of sound pressure level. Finally, the time-domain impulse response of gain is computed from Mel filter banks. It is used in conjunction with speech enhancement processing in hearing aids. Simulation results show that the algorithm can effectively enhance the loudness for different frequencies.