Method of Wind Noise Suppression in Hearing Aids

描述(由申请人提供)：本申请建议继续我们在第一阶段调查中所做的工作，并进一步评估和改进我们在MH声学公司开发的一项有前景的新型数字技术，以减少助听器中的风噪声。在第一阶段，我们论证了我们的风噪声抑制突破性概念的可行性，并通过风洞测试证明了我们的风噪声抑制算法的有效性。根据我们第一阶段业绩中显示的承诺，我们已经迈出了将我们的算法商业化的第一步，与手机和蓝牙无线耳机市场的两家领先的IC供应商达成了战略联盟。此外，我们还与助听器行业领先的DSP芯片供应商Gennum Corporation合作，将我们的解决方案引入助听器市场。我们第二阶段提案的一个主要组成部分是包括临床试验，以支持我们的业务计划。在这项工作中，我们将与爱荷华大学的露丝·本特勒教授合作。本特勒教授是研究助听器降噪方案有效性的公认专家。我们第二阶段提案的具体任务是：a)构建不同环境风噪声条件的多通道声学数据库，以便使用第一阶段构建和验证的独特校准气流测试设备和麦克风阵列进行测试；b)为将在临床试验期间执行的听力测试构建测试矢量c)与Ruth Bentler教授合作进行临床试验，以根据临床试验期间获得的数据对我们的算法进行评估和优化。D)在商用助听器DSP(Gennum Voyager)上实时实现改进和定制的双声道算法。E)创建我们的算法的可移植C版本，以简化将我们的算法移植到各种低功耗定点DSP和其他处理器上的过程。F)在第二阶段中最终证明MH声学算法在抑制正常和听力受损受试者的助听器中的风噪声方面明显优越。对于佩戴助听器的听力受损人士来说，风噪声是非常令人不安的，他们希望在有风的情况下或在散步或跑步等活动期间参与户外对话。在这些情况下，风噪声会显著降低信噪比，因此，语音和声音的清晰度会显著降低。本项目的目标是展示MH声学公司针对数字助听器市场的多麦克风降噪发明。MH声学公司的风降噪技术是独一无二的，因为它提供瞬时收敛，同时保持麦克风阵列的方向性。目前的商业技术不提供此功能。由贝尔实验室的研究人员创立的MH Acoustics目前正成功地将风降噪技术商业化，面向移动耳机和手机市场，并正在与领先的助听器设备制造商合作，将他们的新技术推向市场。该技术将实现业界无与伦比的风噪抑制能力。

DESCRIPTION (Provided by applicant): This application proposes to continue the work done in our Phase I investigation and further evaluate and refine a promising novel digital technique we have developed at MH Acoustics for reducing wind noise in hearing aids. In Phase I, we demonstrated the feasibility of our breakthrough concept for wind noise suppression and, using wind tunnel tests, proved the effectiveness of our wind noise suppression algorithm. Based on the promise shown in our Phase I results, we have taken the first steps to commercialize our algorithm by entering into strategic alliances with two leading IC vendors in the cell phone and Bluetooth wireless headset market. Furthermore, we have teamed with Gennum Corporation a leading supplier of DSP chips to the hearing aid industry to introduce our solution to the hearing aid market. A major component of our Phase II proposal is to include clinical trials in support of our business plan. For this work, we will partner with Professor Ruth Bentler of the University of Iowa. Professor Bentler is a recognized expert in the study of the effectiveness of noise reduction schemes in hearing aids. The specific tasks of our Phase II proposal are to: a) Construct a multichannel acoustic database of different environmental wind-noise conditions for testing using the unique calibrated airflow test facility and microphone arrays that were built and verified during Phase I. b) Build test vectors for listening tests to be performed during the clinical trials c) Partner with Professor Ruth Bentler, to perform clinical trials to evaluate and optimize our algorithm from data obtained during the clinical trial. d) Implement our refined and tailored two-channel algorithm in real-time on a commercial hearing aid DSP (Gennum Voyager). e) Create a portable C version of our algorithm to simplify porting our algorithm to a wide range of low power fixed-point DSP's and other processors. f) Demonstrate conclusively in Phase II that the MH Acoustics algorithm is clearly superior in suppressing wind noise in hearing aids for both normal and hearing impaired subjects. Wind-noise is highly disturbing to hearing impaired individuals wearing hearing aids who wish to participate in outdoor conversations where wind is present or during activities such as walking or running. In these situations, wind noise significantly reduces signal-to-noise ratio and, consequently, the intelligibility of speech and sounds is significantly impaired. The objective of this project is to demonstrate the MH Acoustics' multi-microphone wind-noise reduction invention for the digital hearing aids market. MH Acoustics' wind noise reduction technology is unique since it provides instantaneous convergence while maintaining directionality of the microphone array. Current commercial technologies do not provide this feature. MH Acoustics, founded by researchers from Bell Laboratories, is currently successfully commercializing wind noise reduction technology for the mobile headset and handset markets and is working with leading hearing aid device producers to introduce their new technology into the market. This technology will achieve wind noise suppression capability unequaled in the industry.