US 2026/0270625 A1 · EAR-WEARABLE DEVICE WITH MACHINE-LEARNING-ASSISTED DIRECTIONALITY

Abstract

Enhancing sound in an ear-wearable device involves receiving an ambient sound stream from a microphone of an ear-wearable device and inputting a representation of the ambient sound stream to a deep neural network that is trained to detect speech in a noisy environment. In response to detecting the speech via the deep neural network, the ear-wearable device operates in a directional mode in which an audio representation derived from the ambient sound stream is emphasized in a target direction. In response to detecting no speech via the deep neural network, the ear-wearable device operates in a spatial omnidirectional mode in which a fixed directional mode signal is combined with an omnidirectional signal to provide the audio representation. The fixed directional mode signal and the omnidirectional signal operate over different frequency ranges.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of enhancing sound in an ear-wearable device, the method implemented via a processor of the ear-wearable device, the method comprising:

receiving an ambient sound stream from a microphone of the ear-wearable device;
inputting a representation of the ambient sound stream to a deep neural network that is trained to detect speech in a noisy environment;
in response to detecting the speech via the deep neural network, causing the ear-wearable device to operate in a directional mode in which an audio representation derived from the ambient sound stream is emphasized in a target direction;
in response to detecting no speech via the deep neural network, causing the ear-wearable device to operate in a spatial omnidirectional mode in which a fixed directional mode signal is combined with an omnidirectional signal to provide the audio representation, the fixed directional mode signal and the omnidirectional signal operating over different frequency ranges;
and
sending the audio representation to a receiver of the ear-wearable device for reproduction in an ear of a user.

3 more elements

An ear-wearable device, comprising:

two external microphones operable to convert ambient sound to respective two ambient sound streams;
a receiver operable to reproduce sound in an ear of a user;
and
a processor coupled to the two external microphones and the receiver and operable to perform:
inputting a representation of one or both of the ambient sound streams to a deep neural network that is trained to detect speech in a noisy environment;
in response to detecting the speech via the deep neural network, causing the ear-wearable device to operate in a directional mode in which an audio representation derived from the ambient sound stream is emphasized in a target direction;
in response to detecting no speech via the deep neural network, causing the ear-wearable device to operate in a spatial omnidirectional mode in which a fixed directional mode signal is combined with an omnidirectional signal to provide the audio representation, the fixed directional mode signal and the omnidirectional signal operating over different frequency ranges;
and
sending the audio representation to the receiver.

6 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Ear-wearable device with machine-learning-assisted directionality

Life of this patent

Ear-wearable device with machine-learning-assisted directionality

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20