# US 10,871,940 B2 · Systems and methods for sound enhancement in audio systems > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,871,940 B2 - Document ID: US10871940B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 16/534,742 - Filed: 2019-08-07 - Published: 2020-02-27 - Granted: 2020-12-22 - Earliest claimed: 2018-08-22 - Assignees: Mimi Hearing Technologies GmbH - Applicants: Mimi Hearing Technologies GmbH - Inventors: Nicholas R. Clark - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10871940B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - G10L 21/02: Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation (reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08) - G06V 40/16: Human faces, e.g. facial parts, sketches or expressions - G10L 17/00: Speaker identification or verification techniques - H03G 9/005: {of digital or coded signals} - H03G 9/025: {frequency-dependent volume compression or expansion, e.g. multiple-band systems (H03G9/10, H03G9/18 take precedence)} - H04R 1/1041: {Mechanical or electronic switches, or control elements (switches in general H01H)} - H04R 3/04: for correcting frequency response - G06V 40/172: {Classification, e.g. identification} - H04R 2430/01: Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems - H04R 2430/03: Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - G06V: IMAGE OR VIDEO RECOGNITION OR UNDERSTANDING - H03G: CONTROL OF AMPLIFICATION - 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 are systems and methods for audio processing and sound personalization signal processing. Information suitable to derive an indication of a user's hearing ability is received, and a representative indication of hearing ability is determined for the user. A set of audio processing parameters are determined for the representative indication of hearing ability and a sound personalization signal processing algorithm is configured based on the set of audio processing parameters. An audio signal is received on an entertainment system and is processed using the configured sound personalization signal processing algorithm. The processed audio signal is then outputted from the entertainment system. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An audio processing method comprising: receiving, from one or more users, information suitable to derive an indication of a hearing ability of the one or more users; generating a representative indication of hearing ability for the one or more users based on the received information; calculating a set of multiband compression (MBC) audio processing parameters for the representative indication of hearing ability, the calculating comprising: determining, based on the representative indication of hearing ability, at least a first anchor indication of hearing ability and a second anchor indication of hearing ability; obtaining a first set of MBC parameters and a second set of MBC parameters, for the first and second anchor indications of hearing ability respectively; and interpolating between the first set of MBC parameters and the second set of MBC parameters, the interpolating based on the representative indication of hearing ability, the first anchor indication of hearing ability, and the second anchor indication of hearing ability; configuring a sound personalization multiband compression algorithm based on the interpolated set of MBC audio processing parameters; receiving an audio signal on an entertainment system; processing the audio signal using the configured sound personalization multiband compression algorithm; and outputting the processed audio signal from the entertainment system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the information suitable to derive an indication of hearing ability comprises demographic information of the one or more users and the representative indication of hearing ability is determined from the demographic information. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the demographic information of the one or more users comprises at least one of the sex, the age and the birthdate of the one or more users. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the information suitable to derive an indication of hearing ability comprises one or more of: musical preferences of the one or more users; and hearing test results of the one or more users. ### Claim 5 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the demographic information is manually inputted by the one or more users. ### Claim 6 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the demographic information is retrieved from the one or more user's social media account or from the one or more user's personal account supporting video, photo, music playback, video recording functionality. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, wherein the demographic information of the one or more users is ascertained using a voice recognition algorithm or a facial recognition algorithm. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein configuring the sound personalization multiband compression algorithm based on the interpolated set of MBC audio processing parameters comprises adjusting one or more of a threshold value of a dynamic range compressor provided in each subband of the multiband compression algorithm, a ratio value of a dynamic range compressor provided in each subband of the multiband compression algorithm, and a gain value provided in each subband of the multiband compression algorithm. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein receiving the audio signal comprises receiving the audio signal from a storage device or from a transmitter. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein calculating a set of MBC audio processing parameters for the representative indication of hearing ability comprises deriving the set of MBC audio processing parameters from one or more sets of MBC audio processing parameters for different anchor indications of hearing ability. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the representative indication of hearing ability is determined based upon the hearing test results of the one or more users, by comparing the hearing test results with representative hearing test results for different indications of hearing abilities and determining a closest match. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein calculating a set of MBC audio processing parameters comprises determining the set of MBC audio processing parameters by optimizing perceptually relevant information for the one or more users based on the hearing test results. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the information suitable to derive an indication of hearing ability is received at a server where the representative indication of hearing ability and the set of audio processing parameters are determined. ### Claim 14 (depends on 13) The method of claim 13, further comprising transmitting the set of interpolated MBC audio processing parameters from the server to the entertainment system. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the entertainment system comprises a control unit and headphones, such that the audio signal is processed on the control unit or the headphones and outputted from the headphones. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein information suitable to derive an indication of hearing ability for a plurality of users is received and the representative indication of hearing ability for the plurality of users is determined by selecting the youngest indication of hearing ability of the users. ### Claim 17 An audio processing system comprising: at least one processor; and at least one memory storing instructions, which when executed cause the at least one processor to perform actions comprising: receiving, from one or more users, information suitable to derive an indication of a hearing ability of the one or more users; generating a representative indication of hearing ability for the one or more users based on the received information; determining calculating a set of audio processing parameters for the representative indication of hearing ability, the calculating comprising: determining, based on the representative indication of hearing ability, at least a first anchor indication of hearing ability and a second anchor indication of hearing ability; obtaining a first set of audio processing parameters and a second set of audio processing parameters, for the first and second anchor indications of hearing ability respectively; and interpolating between the first set of audio processing parameters and the second set of audio processing parameters, the interpolating based on the representative indication of hearing ability, the first anchor indication of hearing ability, and the second anchor indication of hearing ability; configuring a sound personalization multiband compression algorithm based on the interpolated set of audio processing parameters; receiving an audio signal on an entertainment system; processing the audio signal using the configured sound personalization multiband compression algorithm; and outputting the processed audio signal from the entertainment system. ### Claim 18 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program containing instructions which, when executed on a processor of an audio output device cause the processor to perform actions comprising: receiving, from one or more users, information suitable to derive an indication of a hearing ability of the one or more users; generating a representative indication of hearing ability for the one or more users based on the received information; calculating a set of audio processing parameters for the representative indication of hearing ability, the calculating comprising: determining, based on the representative indication of hearing ability, at least a first anchor indication of hearing ability and a second anchor indication of hearing ability; obtaining a first set of audio processing parameters and a second set of audio processing parameters, for the first and second anchor indications of hearing ability respectively; and interpolating between the first set of audio processing parameters and the second set of audio processing parameters, the interpolating based on the representative indication of hearing ability, the first anchor indication of hearing ability, and the second anchor indication of hearing ability; configuring a sound personalization multiband compression algorithm based on the interpolated set of audio processing parameters; receiving an audio signal on an entertainment system; processing the audio signal using the configured sound personalization multiband compression algorithm; and outputting the processed audio signal from the entertainment system.