Method and a hearing device for improved separability of target sounds

A hearing device for improving a hearing impaired user's ability to perceptually separate a target sound from competing sounds, the target sound and the competing sounds forming a composite sound signal having a given frequency range, the hearing device comprising

• an input unit for providing a time-domain electric input signal y(n) as digital samples representing said composite sound signal in a frequency range of operation forming part of said given frequency range, n being a time-sample index,
• an analysis filter bank subdividing said frequency range of operation, or a part thereof, of said composite sound signal into a plurality of frequency sub-bands and providing corresponding frequency sub-band signals;
• a signal processor connected to said analysis filter bank and configured to
• arrange frequency sub-bands in sub-band-groups based on comparable characteristics among the plurality of frequency sub-band signals;
• calculate a group envelope for each of said sub-band groups, said group envelope comprising peaks and troughs;
• provide an enhancement function for each sub-band group configured to enhances said peaks in the group envelope and/or attenuate said troughs in the group envelope;
• and
• multiply a signal in the frequency sub-bands of each individual sub-band-group by a respective enhancement function for the sub-band group in question, or a scaled version thereof, to provide enhanced frequency sub-band signals.