A Method, a Listening Device and a Listening System for Maximizing a Better Ear Effect

摘要

#$%^&*AU2012216393A120130314.pdf#####A METHOD, A LISTENING DEVICE AND A LISTENING SYSTEM FOR MAXIMIZING A BETTER EAR EFFECT ABSTRACT The application relates to a method of processing audio signals picked up from a sound field by a microphone system of a listening device adapted for being worn at a particular one of the left or right ear of a user, the sound field comprising sound signals from one or more sound sources, the sound signals impinging on the user from one or more directions relative to the user. The application further relates to a method of operating bilateral listening system, to a listening device and to a listening system. The object of the present application is to provide an improved sound localization for a user of a binaural listening system. The problem is solved in that information about a user's Ear, Head, and Torso Geometry, e.g. characterized by Head Related Transfer Functions (HRTF) and the user's hearing ability in combination with knowledge of the spectral profile and location of current sound sources provide the means for deciding upon which frequency bands that, at a given time, contribute most to the BEE seen by the listener or the Hearing Instrument. For a given sound source, a number of donor frequency bands is determined at a given time, where an SNR-measure for the selected signal is above a predefined threshold. Subsequently, a thus determined donor frequency band of the selected signal - at a given time - is transposed in frequency to a target frequency band where a user has an acceptable hearing ability, if a predefined transposition criterion is fulfilled. This has the advantage of providing an improved speech intelligibility of a hearing impaired user. The invention may e.g. be used for the hearing aids for compensating a user's hearing impairment. (Fig. 1 should be published)1/9 BEE Maximizer --- e y BEE Locator --- --- -BEE Allocator + Localization DB-BEE Source SL* Extraction Transposition Additional HI 1crophones Source r11 engine - processing Receivers enhancement BEE Provider Additional HI processing FIG. 1 Localization Source Extraction Transposition Additional HI icrophone Source i engine -11 pocssig. Receivers enhancement SL BEE Provider U Additional HI processing :DB-BEE LD-1 C torsoger ---- --- BEE Allocator + BEE Maximizer BEE Maxim ize LD---- BEE Locator ------- BEE Allocator +0 -... Los Localization DB-BEE w Source SL * O Extraction Transposition 1 Additional HI icrophones Source -1o nie -1.poesn eevr enhancement BEE Provider processing Additional HI processing FIG. 2