Smartphone-Assisted Adaptive Speech Enhancement and Auditory Training of Hearing

描述（由申请人提供）：现有的助听器（HAD）具有内置处理器和功能，可执行多种信号处理任务。然而，由于器件尺寸、处理器的计算能力、内存大小和麦克风数量等设计限制，可以提高HAD性能的更复杂的信号处理算法的应用要么被过度简化，要么被忽略。为了规避这些设计限制，我们建议使用智能手机和无线技术来辅助和提高HAD的性能。本提案的主旨是提供一种辅助处理范例，以提高个人HAD用户在各种嘈杂环境中的语音质量和可理解性。本研究计划采取双管齐下的方法，在一个总体原则下：利用智能手机和无线技术的能力，为个人用户改善HAD的性能。研究的第一部分提供了一种替代方法，在这种方法中，智能手机处理器上运行的自适应算法可以辅助和增强HAD处理器的信号处理任务。该方法的优点是利用智能手机的计算资源、特性和麦克风来运行复杂的信号处理算法，而不会给HAD的信号处理器带来沉重的计算和内存负担。当智能手机不被使用时，HAD会单独运行先前保存的算法。研究的第二个组成部分是对第一个组成部分的补充。它是交互式听觉训练方法在HAD个人用户中的具体应用。听觉训练算法驻留在智能手机上，并作为一个新的应用程序提供给用户。通过使用此应用程序，HAD用户可以训练他的听力能力，以便更好地感知和识别语音中的单词，这些单词可能被各种类型的残余或中断的短时间噪声信号所破坏。本研究的创新之处在于，第一个研究组成部分同时提高了语音质量和可理解性，而第二个研究组成部分通过用户控制使HAD个性化。可以在智能手机上操作的交互式听觉训练协议的开发是创新的，因为它利用了常用的技术。因此，用户更容易接受参与培训计划，因为它随时可用，可以在短时间内完成，通常是一整天。例如，有些人甚至可以在等公共汽车或排队点餐时进行培训。提出的研究为用户提供了一个个性化的、可单独调整的HAD应用程序，并提高了性能。此外，智能手机与HAD的无线应用为教育、教学和未来的研究创新提供了一个灵活的平台。本研究及其结果将为今后许多新的研究思路和有用的发展铺平道路，以帮助不同年龄的听力障碍患者。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Existing hearing aid devices (HAD) with built-in processors and features perform multiple signal processing tasks. However, due to design constraints such as device size, computational capability of processors, memory size, and number of microphones, application of more sophisticated signal processing algorithms that could improve performance of HAD are either oversimplified or ignored. To circumvent these design constraints, we propose the use of smartphone and wireless technologies to assist and improve performance of HAD. The thrust of this proposal is to provide an assistive processing paradigm for enhancing the quality and intelligibility of speech for an individual HAD user in various noisy environments. The proposed research activity takes a two-pronged approach under one overarching principle: improvement of performance of HAD for individual user by utilizing the capabilities of smartphone and wireless technologies. The first component of research provides an alternative approach where the signal processing tasks of the HAD processors are assisted and enhanced by the adaptive algorithms run on the processor of a smartphone. The proposed approach will have the advantage of tapping into the computing resources, features, and microphones of smartphone for running complex signal processing algorithms without placing heavy computation and memory burdens on the signal processors of HAD. When the smartphone is not in use, the HAD operates alone running the previously saved-in algorithms. The second component of research is complementary to the first research component. It is on specific application of interactive auditory training methods for the individua user of HAD. The auditory training algorithm resides on the smartphone and is available to the user as a new application. By running this application at the user discretion, the HAD user can train his hearing ability for better perception and recognition of spoken words in the speech that might be corrupted by various types of residual or interrupting short-duration noise signals. An innovation of the proposed study lies in that while the first research component improves enhancement of quality and intelligibility of speech simultaneously, the second research component individualizes the HAD through user controls. The development of interactive auditory training protocols which can be operated on a smartphone is innovative because it takes advantage of commonly used technology. Therefore, the users are more receptive to engage in the training programs because it is readily available and can be done in brief moments, frequently throughout the day. For example, some may even engage in training while waiting for a bus or while in line to order food. The proposed research offers the users a personalized and individually tunable application of HAD with improved performance. Furthermore, application of smartphone working wirelessly with HAD offers a flexible platform for educational purposes, teaching, and future research innovations. The proposed study and its outcomes will pave the way for many new research ideas and useful development to help people of different age with hearing disorders in future.