# US 10,313,805 B2 · Binaurally coordinated frequency translation in hearing assistance devices

> Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt

- Number: US 10,313,805 B2
- Document ID: US10313805B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 15/837,564
- Filed: 2017-12-11
- Published: 2018-04-12
- Granted: 2019-06-04
- Earliest claimed: 2015-09-25
- Assignees: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
- Applicants: Starkey Laboratories, Inc.
- Inventors: Kelly Fitz
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10313805B2

## CPC

- H04R 25/552: {Binaural}
- H04R 25/505: {using digital signal processing}
- H04R 25/70: {Adaptation of deaf aid to hearing loss, e.g. initial electronic fitting}
- H04R 25/35: {using translation techniques}
- H04R 25/353: {Frequency, e.g. frequency shift or compression}
- H04R 2225/0216: BTE hearing aids having a receiver in the ear mould
- H04R 2225/023: Completely in the canal [CIC] hearing aids
- H04R 2225/025: In the ear hearing aids [ITE] hearing aids
- H04R 2225/43: Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility
- H04R 2225/55: Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange
- H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K)

## Abstract

Disclosed herein, among other things, are apparatus and methods for a binaurally coordinated frequency translation for hearing assistance devices. In various method embodiments, an audio input signal is received at a first hearing assistance device for a wearer. The audio input signal is analyzed and a first set of target parameters is calculated. A third set of target parameters is derived from the first set and a second set of calculated target parameters received from a second hearing assistance device using a programmable criteria, and frequency lowered auditory cues are generated using the third set of target parameters. The derived third set of target parameters is used in both the first hearing assistance device and the second hearing assistance device for binaurally coordinated frequency lowering.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A system, comprising:
a first hearing device configured to be worn in or on a first ear of a wearer, wherein the first hearing device includes a first processor programmed to:
receive a first audio input signal, and determine a first set of spectral envelope parameters from the first audio input signal;
receive a second set of spectral envelope parameters from a second hearing device configured to be worn in or on a second ear of the wearer;
process the first set of spectral envelope parameters and the second set of spectral envelope parameters using a programmable criteria to derive a third set of spectral envelope parameters used to generate frequency lowered audio cues for binaurally coordinated frequency lowering;
process the first audio input signal using the third set of spectral envelope parameters to obtain a first audio output signal; and
output the first audio output signal at the first ear using a first receiver,
wherein the second hearing device includes a second processor programmed to:
receive a second audio input signal, and determine the second set of spectral envelope parameters from the second audio input signal;
receive the first set of spectral envelope parameters from the first heating device;
process the first set of spectral envelope parameters and the second set of spectral envelope parameters using the programmable criteria to derive the third set of spectral envelope parameters, including using binaural smoothing to prevent artifacts;
process the second audio input signal using the third set of spectral envelope parameters to obtain a second audio output signal; and
output the second audio output signal at the second ear using a second receiver.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of spectral envelope parameters includes a first spectral envelope pole magnitude.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the first set of spectral envelope parameters includes a first spectral envelope pole frequency.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein the second set of spectral envelope parameters includes a second spectral envelope pole magnitude.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the second set of spectral envelope parameters includes a second spectral envelope pole frequency.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The system of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first hearing device and the second hearing device includes a hearing aid.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid.

### Claim 8 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the hearing aid includes a behind-the-ear (BTE) hearing aid.

### Claim 9 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the hearing aid includes an in-the-canal (ITC) hearing aid.

### Claim 10 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the hearing aid includes a receiver-in-canal (RIC) hearing aid.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

The system of claim 6, wherein the hearing aid includes a completely-in-the-canal (CIC) hearing aid.

### Claim 12

A method, comprising:
receiving a first audio input signal at a first hearing device for a first ear of a wearer, and receiving a second audio input signal at a second hearing device for a second ear of the wearer;
determining a first set of spectral envelope parameters from the first audio input signal at the first hearing device using a first processor, and determining a second set of spectral envelope parameters from the second audio input signal at the second hearing device using a second processor;
receiving the first set of spectral envelope parameters at the second hearing device, and receiving the second set of spectral envelope parameters at the first hearing device;
using the first processor and the second processor to process the first set of spectral envelope parameters and the second set of spectral envelope parameters using a programmable criteria to derive a third set of spectral envelope parameters used to generate frequency lowered audio cues for binaurally coordinated frequency lowering, including using binaural smoothing to prevent artifacts;
using the first processor to process the first audio input signal using the third set of spectral envelope parameters to obtain a first audio output signal; and
using the second processor to process the second audio input signal using the third set of spectral envelope parameters to obtain a second audio output signal.

### Claim 13 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining the first set of spectral envelope parameters includes identifying first peaks in a signal spectrum of the first audio input signal.

### Claim 14 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein determining the second set of spectral envelope parameters includes identifying second peaks in a signal spectrum of the second audio input signal.

### Claim 15 (depends on 13)

The method of claim 13, wherein using the programmable criteria includes using magnitude of the identified first peaks.

### Claim 16 (depends on 14)

The method of claim 14, wherein using the programmable criteria includes using magnitude of the identified second peaks.

### Claim 17 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, further comprising storing the second set of spectral envelope parameters at the first hearing device.

### Claim 18 (depends on 17)

The method of claim 17, further comprising reusing the stored second set of spectral envelope parameters in successive signal processing blocks at the first hearing device.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The method of claim 18, further comprising updating the stored second set of spectral envelope parameters at the first hearing device when new parameters are received from the second hearing device.

### Claim 20 (depends on 12)

The method of claim 12, wherein the first and second processor are programmed to, after coordinating translated cues between the two ears, apply spatial processing to reflect a direction of a source to cause the translated cues to be perceived as coming from the direction.