Somatic, auditory and cochlear communication system and method
OwnerMark I. Fitchmuninventor
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Abstract
Methods and devices (620, 1220, 1410) to deliver a tactile speech analog to a person's skin (404, 604, 1082, 1440) providing a silent, invisible, hands-free, eyes-free, and ears-free way to receive and directly comprehend electronic communications (1600b). Embodiments include an alternative to hearing aids that will enable people with hearing loss to better understand speech. A device (1410), worn like watch or bracelet, supplements a person's remaining hearing to help identify and disambiguate those sounds he or she can not hear properly. Embodiments for hearing aids (620) and hearing prosthetics (1220) are also described.
Claims110
A method of transforming a sequence of symbols representing phonemes into a sequence of arrays of nerve stimuli, the method comprising:
- establishing a correlation between each member of a phoneme symbol set and an assignment of one or more channels of a multi-electrode array;
- accessing a sequence of phonetic symbols corresponding to a message;
- and
- activating a sequence of one or more electrodes corresponding to each phonetic symbol of the message identified by the correlation.
A method of processing a sequence of spoken words into a sequence of sounds, the method comprising:
- converting a sequence of spoken words into electrical signals;
- digitizing the electrical signals representative of the speech sounds;
- transforming the speech sounds into digital symbols representing corresponding phonemes;
- transforming the symbols representing the corresponding phonemes into sound representations;
- and
- transforming the sound representations into sounds.
A method of processing a sequence of spoken words into a sequence of nerve stimuli, the method comprising:
- converting a sequence of spoken words into electrical signals;
- digitizing the electrical signals representative of the speech sounds;
- transforming the speech sounds into digital symbols representing corresponding phonemes;
- transforming the symbols representing the corresponding phonemes into stimulus definitions;
- and
- transforming the stimulus definitions into a sequence of nerve stimuli.
A method of transforming a sequence of symbols representing phonemes into a sequence of arrays of nerve stimuli, the method comprising:
- establishing a correlation between each member of a phoneme symbol set and an assignment of one or more channels of a multi-stimulator array;
- accessing a sequence of phonetic symbols corresponding to a message;
- and
- activating a sequence of one or more stimulators corresponding to each phonetic symbol of the message identified by the correlation.
A method of training a user, the method comprising:
- providing a set of somatic stimulations to a user, wherein the set of somatic stimulations is indicative of a plurality of phonemes, and wherein the phonemes are based at least in part on an audio communication;
- providing the audio communication concurrently to the user with the plurality of phonemes;
- and
- selectively modifying at least portions of the audio communication to the user during the providing of the set of somatic stimulations to the user.
A method of training a user, the method comprising:
- providing a set of somatic stimulations to a user, wherein the set of somatic stimulations is indicative of a plurality of phonemes, and wherein the phonemes are based at least in part on an audiovisual communication;
- providing the audiovisual communication concurrently to the user with the plurality of phonemes;
- and
- selectively modifying at least portions of the audiovisual communication to the user during the providing of the set of somatic stimulations to the user.
A system for processing a sequence of spoken words into a sequence of sounds, the system comprising:
- a first converter configured to digitize electrical signals representative of a sequence of spoken words;
- a speech recognizer configured to receive the digitized electrical signals and generate a sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words;
- a mapper configured to assign sound sets to phonemes utilizing an audiogram so as to generate a map;
- a transformer configured to receive the sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words and the map and to generate a sequence of sound representations corresponding to the sequence of phonemes;
- and
- a second converter configured to convert the sequence of sound representations into a sequence of audible sounds.
A system for processing a sequence of spoken words into a sequence of sounds, the system comprising:
- a first converter configured to digitize electrical signals representative of a sequence of spoken words;
- a speech recognizer configured to receive the digitized electrical signals and generate a sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words;
- a data structure comprising sound sets mapped to phonemes;
- a transformer configured to receive the sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words and the data structure and to generate a sequence of sound representations corresponding to the sequence of phonemes;
- and
- a second converter configured to convert the sequence of sound representations into a sequence of audible sounds.
A system for processing a sequence of spoken words into a sequence of nerve stimuli, the system comprising:
- a converter configured to digitize electrical signals representative of a sequence of spoken words;
- a speech recognizer configured to receive the digitized electrical signals and generate a sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words;
- a mapper configured to assign nerve stimuli arrays to phonemes utilizing an audiogram so as to generate a map;
- and
- a transformer configured to receive the sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words and the map and to generate a sequence of stimulus definitions corresponding to the sequence of phonemes.
A system for processing a sequence of spoken words into a sequence of nerve stimuli, the system comprising:
- a converter configured to digitize electrical signals representative of a sequence of spoken words;
- a speech recognizer configured to receive the digitized electrical signals and generate a sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words;
- a data structure comprising nerve stimuli arrays mapped to phonemes;
- and
- a transformer configured to receive the sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words and the data structure and to generate a sequence of stimulus definitions corresponding to the sequence of phonemes.
A system for processing a sequence of spoken words into a sequence of nerve stimuli, the system comprising:
- a processor configured to generate a sequence of phonemes representative of a sequence of spoken words and to transform the sequence of phonemes using a data structure comprising nerve stimuli arrays mapped to phonemes to produce a sequence of stimulus definitions corresponding to the sequence of phonemes;
- and
- an electrode array configured to play the sequence of stimulus definitions.
A system for processing a sequence of spoken words into a sequence of sounds, the system comprising:
- a processor configured to generate a sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of spoken words and to transform the sequence of phonemes using a data structure comprising sound sets mapped to phonemes to produce sound representations corresponding to the sequence of phonemes;
- and
- a converter configured to convert the sound representations into audible sounds.
A system for processing a sequence of text into a sequence of sounds, the system comprising:
- a first converter configured to receive a sequence of text and generate a sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of text;
- a mapper configured to assign sound sets to phonemes utilizing a hearing audiogram so as to generate a map;
- a transformer configured to receive the sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of text and the map and to generate sound representations corresponding to the sequence of phonemes;
- and
- a second converter configured to convert the sound representations into audible sounds.
A system for processing a sequence of text into a sequence of sounds, the system comprising:
- a text converter configured to receive a sequence of text and generate a sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of text;
- a data structure comprising sound sets mapped to phonemes;
- a transformer configured to receive the sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of text and the data structure and to generate sound representations corresponding to the sequence of phonemes;
- and
- a second converter configured to convert the sound representations into audible sounds.
A system for processing a sequence of text into a sequence of nerve stimuli, the system comprising:
- a converter configured to receive a sequence of text and generate a sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of text;
- a data structure comprising nerve stimuli arrays mapped to phonemes;
- and
- a transformer configured to receive the sequence of phonemes representative of the sequence of text and the data structure and to generate a sequence of stimulus definitions corresponding to the sequence of phonemes.
A method of processing a sequence of text into a sequence of sounds, the method comprising:
- transforming the sequence of text into digital symbols representing corresponding phonemes;
- transforming the symbols representing the corresponding phonemes into sound representations;
- and
- transforming the sound representations into a sequence of sounds.
A method of processing a sequence of text into a sequence of nerve stimuli, the method comprising:
- transforming the sequence of text into digital symbols representing corresponding phonemes;
- transforming the symbols representing the corresponding phonemes into stimulus definitions;
- and
- transforming the stimulus definitions into a sequence of nerve stimuli.
A method of creating a data structure configured to transform symbols representing phonemes into sound representations, the method comprising:
- identifying phonemes corresponding to a language utilized by a user;
- establishing a set of allowed sound frequencies;
- generating a correspondence mapping the identified phonemes to the set of allowed sound frequencies such that each constituent phoneme of the identified phonemes is assigned a subset of one or more frequencies from the set of allowed sound frequencies;
- and
- mapping each constituent phoneme of the identified phonemes to a set of one or more sounds.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.