US 12,334,101 B2
Method for operating a hearing device based on a speech signal, and hearing device
Sebastian Best, Erlangen (DE); and Marko Lugger, Weilersbach (DE)
Assigned to Sivantos Pte. Ltd., Singapore (SG)
Filed by SIVANTOS PTE. LTD., Singapore (SG)
Filed on Dec. 29, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/399,881.
Application 18/399,881 is a continuation of application No. 17/460,552, filed on Aug. 30, 2021, granted, now 11,967,334.
Claims priority of application No. 10 2020 210 918.4 (DE), filed on Aug. 28, 2020; and application No. 10 2020 210 919.2 (DE), filed on Aug. 28, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2024/0144953 A1, May 2, 2024
This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.
Int. Cl. G10L 25/78 (2013.01); G10L 21/0364 (2013.01); G10L 25/60 (2013.01); H04R 25/00 (2006.01)
CPC G10L 21/0364 (2013.01) [G10L 25/60 (2013.01); H04R 25/405 (2013.01); H04R 25/407 (2013.01); H04R 25/43 (2013.01); H04R 25/505 (2013.01); H04R 2225/43 (2013.01)] 12 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method of operating a hearing device on a basis of a speech signal, the method which comprises:
recording with an acousto-electric input transducer of the hearing device a sound which contains the speech signal from surroundings of the hearing device, and converting the sound into an input audio signal;
performing a signal processing operation for generating an output audio signal based on the input audio signal;
quantitatively acquiring at least one articulatory and/or prosodic feature of the speech signal through analysis of the input audio signal by way of the signal processing operation, and deriving from the property a quantitative measure of a speech quality of the speech signal;
setting at least one parameter of the signal processing operation for generating the output audio signal on a basis of the quantitative measure of the speech quality of the speech signal, and thereby selecting the at least one parameter from the group consisting of a gain factor, a compression ratio, a knee point of a compression, a time constant of an automatic gain control operation, a magnitude of noise suppression, and a directional effect of a directional signal; and
when the quantitative measure indicates worsening of the speech quality, performing at least one of the following:
increasing the gain factor; increasing the compression ratio;
lowering the knee point of the compression; shortening the time constant;
attenuating the noise suppression; increasing the directional effect;
and/or
when the quantitative measure indicates an improvement in the speech quality, performing at least one of the following:
lowering the gain factor; reducing the compression ratio; increasing the knee point of the compression; lengthening the time constant;
increasing the noise suppression; reducing the directional effect.