Methods and systems for presenting an audio signal to a cochlear implant patient

1. A method comprising:

dividing an audio signal into a plurality of analysis channels corresponding to a plurality of stimulation channels, wherein a total number of said plurality of analysis channels is greater than a total number of said plurality of stimulation channels and wherein each stimulation channel included in the plurality of stimulation channels corresponds to a distinct group of one or more analysis channels included in the plurality of analysis channels;

detecting an energy level within each of said analysis channels;

selecting one or more of said analysis channels for presentation to a patient;

synthesizing said selected one or more analysis channels by summing or averaging the detected energy levels of each of the selected one or more analysis channels within each of the groups of one or more analysis channels; and

mapping said synthesized one or more analysis channels to one or more stimulation channels included in the plurality of stimulation channels.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein information within each of said synthesized one or more analysis channels defines one or more stimulation current pulses delivered to a cochlea of said patient via said one or more stimulation channels during a stimulation frame.

3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising providing a plurality of filters and using said filters to divide said audio signal into said plurality of said analysis channels.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein said step of detecting said energy level within each of said analysis channels comprises detecting an average energy level of a signal within each of said analysis channels.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein said plurality of said analysis channels comprises one or more analysis channels that are not selected for presentation to said patient, wherein said energy levels of said selected one or more analysis channels are greater than said energy levels of said unselected one or more analysis channels.

6. A cochlear implant system, comprising:

a signal processor configured to:

divide an audio signal into a plurality of analysis channels corresponding to a plurality of stimulation channels, wherein a total number of said plurality of analysis channels is greater than a total number of said plurality of stimulation channels and wherein each stimulation channel included in the plurality of stimulation channels corresponds to a distinct group of one or more analysis channels included in the plurality of analysis channels;

detect an energy level within each of said analysis channels;

select one or more of said analysis channels for presentation to a patient;

synthesize said selected one or more analysis channels by summing or averaging the detected energy levels of each of the selected one or more analysis channels within each of the groups of one or more analysis channels; and

map said synthesized one or more analysis channels to one or more stimulation channels included in the plurality of stimulation channels; and

an implantable cochlear stimulator communicatively coupled to said signal processor and configured to apply a stimulation current during a stimulation frame to a cochlea of said patient via the one or more stimulation channels in accordance with information contained within said synthesized one or more analysis channels.

7. The system of claim 6 , further comprising:

an array of electrodes configured to form said plurality of stimulation channels.

8. The system of claim 6 , wherein said signal processor comprises a plurality of filters configured to divide said audio signal into said plurality of said analysis channels.

9. The system of claim 6 , wherein said signal processor comprises a number of energy detection circuits configured to detect said energy level within each of said analysis channels by detecting an average energy level of a signal within each of said analysis channels.

10. The system of claim 6 , wherein said plurality of said analysis channels comprises one or more analysis channels that are not selected for presentation to said patient, wherein said energy levels of said selected one or more analysis channels are greater than said energy levels of said unselected one or more analysis channels.

11. A method comprising:

detecting, by a cochlear implant system, an energy level within each of a plurality of analysis channels corresponding to a single stimulation channel;

selecting, by the cochlear implant system, a subset of the analysis channels for presentation to a patient based on the detected energy levels;

synthesizing, by the cochlear implant system, the selected subset of analysis channels; and

mapping, by the cochlear implant system, the synthesized subset of analysis channels to the single stimulation channel.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising applying, by the cochlear implant system, a stimulation current to the patient via the single stimulation channel in accordance with information contained within the synthesized subset of analysis channels.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the synthesizing of the selected subset of analysis channels comprises summing the detected energy levels of each of the analysis channels included in the selected subset of analysis channels.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the synthesizing of the selected subset of analysis channels comprises averaging the detected energy levels of each of the analysis channels included in the selected subset of analysis channels.

15. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:

detecting, by the cochlear implant system, an energy level within each of an additional plurality of analysis channels corresponding to an additional single stimulation channel;

selecting, by the cochlear implant system, an additional subset of the additional analysis channels for presentation to the patient based on the detected energy levels of the additional analysis channels;

synthesizing, by the cochlear implant system, the selected additional subset of analysis channels; and

mapping, by the cochlear implant system, the synthesized additional subset of analysis channels to the additional single stimulation channel.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising applying, by the cochlear implant system, an additional stimulation current to the patient via the additional single stimulation channel in accordance with information contained within the synthesized additional subset of analysis channels.