Channel selection systems and methods that employ temporal modification

A system comprising:

• a cochlear implant implanted within a patient;
• a plurality of electrodes communicatively coupled to the cochlear implant and implanted within a cochlea of the patient;
• a sound processor communicatively coupled to the cochlear implant and that
• divides an audio signal into M analysis channels,
• selects only N analysis channels included in the M analysis channels for presentation to a patient during a stimulation frame, wherein N is less than M,
• increases a probability that a particular analysis channel included in the M analysis channels will be included in the N analysis channels selected for presentation to the patient during the stimulation frame if the particular analysis channel was not selected for presentation to the patient during one or more stimulation frames that temporally precede the stimulation frame, and
• decreases the probability that the particular analysis channel will be included in the N analysis channels selected for presentation to the patient during the stimulation frame if the particular analysis channel was selected for presentation to the patient during the one or more stimulation frames that temporally precede the stimulation frame.

A method comprising:

• dividing, by a sound processor included in a cochlear implant system associated with a patient, an audio signal into M analysis channels;
• selecting, by the sound processor, only N analysis channels included in the M analysis channels for presentation to the patient during a stimulation frame, wherein N is less than M;
• increasing, by the sound processor, a probability that a particular analysis channel included in the M analysis channels will be included in the N analysis channels selected for presentation to the patient during the stimulation frame if the particular analysis channel was not selected for presentation to the patient during one or more stimulation frames that temporally precede the stimulation frame;
• and
• decreasing, by the sound processor, the probability that the particular analysis channel will be included in the N analysis channels selected for presentation to the patient during the stimulation frame if the particular analysis channel was selected for presentation to the patient during the one or more stimulation frames that temporally precede the stimulation frame.