Systems and methods for frequency-specific localization and speech comprehension enhancement

A bimodal hearing system comprising:

• a cochlear implant device associated with a first ear of a recipient of the bimodal hearing system and configured to:
• receive, at the first ear, an audio signal presented to the recipient,
• generate, based on the audio signal as received at the first ear, a first low-frequency signal and a first high-frequency signal, the first low-frequency signal including a portion of the audio signal associated with a low frequency range including audible frequencies lower than a crossover frequency, and the first high-frequency signal including a portion of the audio signal associated with a high frequency range including audible frequencies greater than the crossover frequency, and
• generate, based on the first low-frequency and high-frequency signals, a first output frequency signal associated with the low and high frequency ranges and configured for use by the cochlear implant device in stimulating aural perception by the recipient at the first ear, the generating of the first output frequency signal including
• processing the first low-frequency signal to apply a localization enhancement, and
• processing the first high-frequency signal to apply a speech comprehension enhancement that is different than the localization enhancement;
• and
• a hearing aid device associated with a second ear of the recipient opposite the first ear, the hearing aid device configured to:
• receive, at the second ear, the audio signal presented to the recipient,
• generate, based on the audio signal as received at the second ear, a second low-frequency signal and a second high-frequency signal, the second low-frequency signal including the portion of the audio signal associated with the low frequency range, and the second high-frequency signal including the portion of the audio signal associated with the high frequency range, and
• generate, based on the second low-frequency and high-frequency signals, a second output frequency signal associated with the low and high frequency ranges and configured for use by the hearing aid device in stimulating aural perception by the recipient at the second ear, the generating of the second output frequency signal including
• processing the second low-frequency signal to apply the localization enhancement, and
• processing the second high-frequency signal to apply the speech comprehension enhancement.

A method comprising:

• receiving, by a spatial enhancement system associated with a hearing device associated with a first ear of a recipient, an audio signal presented to the recipient, the first ear located opposite a second ear of the recipient;
• generating, by the spatial enhancement system and based on the audio signal, a first frequency signal and a second frequency signal, the first frequency signal including a portion of the audio signal associated with a first frequency range, and the second frequency signal including a portion of the audio signal associated with a second frequency range distinct from the first frequency range;
• and
• generating, by the spatial enhancement system and based on the first and second frequency signals, an output frequency signal associated with the first and second frequency ranges and configured for use by the hearing device in stimulating aural perception by the recipient, the generating of the output frequency signal including:
• processing the first frequency signal to apply a localization enhancement, and
• processing the second frequency signal to apply a speech comprehension enhancement that is different than the localization enhancement, wherein the processing of the second frequency signal includes performing a contralateral routing of signal (“CROS”) operation with respect to the second frequency signal to amplify, ipsilaterally at the first ear, an aspect of the audio signal that is received contralaterally at the second ear.