US 12,149,892 B2
Method and system for streaming a multichannel audio signal to a binaural hearing system
Yves Oesch, Neuchatel (CH); Amre El-Hoiydi, Neuchâtel (CH); and Xavier Gigandet, Stäfa (CH)
Assigned to Sonova AG, Staefa (CH)
Filed by SONOVA AG, Staefa (CH)
Filed on Jun. 16, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/842,151.
Claims priority of application No. 21180598 (EP), filed on Jun. 21, 2021.
Prior Publication US 2022/0408202 A1, Dec. 22, 2022
Int. Cl. H04R 25/00 (2006.01); G06F 3/16 (2006.01); G10L 19/00 (2013.01); G10L 19/005 (2013.01); H04L 65/1059 (2022.01); H04L 65/61 (2022.01); H04L 65/70 (2022.01); H04L 65/75 (2022.01); H04R 1/10 (2006.01); H04R 5/033 (2006.01); H04W 28/02 (2009.01)
CPC H04R 25/552 (2013.01) [G10L 19/0017 (2013.01); H04R 25/554 (2013.01); H04R 2420/07 (2013.01)] 13 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for streaming a multichannel audio signal comprising a first channel (L) and a second channel (R) from an audio source device to a binaural hearing system comprising a first hearing device worn at first ear of a user and a second hearing device worn at a second ear of the user; the method comprising:
establishing a first wireless link between the audio source device and the first hearing device and a second wireless link between the audio source device and the second hearing device;
transmitting, from the audio source device, the multichannel audio signal as audio packets via the first and second wireless links, the first channel being transmitted on the first wireless link and the second channel being transmitted on the second wireless link, the audio packets including first audio packets transmitted on the first wireless link containing audio data of the first channel only and second audio packets transmitted on the second wireless link containing audio data of the second channel only; and
receiving the audio packets by each of the hearing device and reproducing, by each of the hearing devices, an audio output from the received audio packets;
wherein each hearing device is operated either in
a normal packet reception mode under stable link conditions in which no audio packet loss occurs or is to be expected, or
in a packet loss reception mode under instable link conditions in which packet loss occurs or is to be expected for the respective hearing device,
wherein in the normal packet reception mode the first hearing device receives only audio packets containing audio data of the first channel as its dedicated channel for reproducing its audio output, and the second hearing device receives only audio packets containing audio data of the second channel as its dedicated channel for reproducing its audio output, and
wherein in the packet loss reception mode the hearing device which misses reception of an audio packet containing audio data of its dedicated channel uses an audio packet containing audio data of another one of the channels as input to a packet loss concealment (PLC) algorithm for reproducing its audio signal;
wherein each hearing device switches from the normal packet reception mode into the packet loss reception mode (i) once it is detected by that hearing device that an audio packet containing audio data of its dedicated channel (L, R) is not received by that hearing device, or in case of multiple packet transmission, that none of the transmissions of the same audio packet is received by that hearing device, and/or (ii) once it is detected by that hearing device that a quality of its link with the audio source device, as determined by that hearing device, is below a predefined threshold.