Remote microphone devices for auditory prostheses
Presented herein are techniques for adapting settings/operations of a remote microphone device associated with an auditory prosthesis based on a desired/preferred listening direction of a recipient of the auditory prosthesis. More specifically, an auditory prosthesis worn by a recipient and a remote microphone device, which are configured to wirelessly communicate with one another, are both positioned in the same spatial area. At least one of a recipient-specified (e.g., recipient-preferred) region of interest within the spatial area, or a recipient-specified listening direction, is determined. Based on a determined relative positioning (e.g., location and orientation) of the remote microphone device and the auditory prosthesis, operation of the remote microphone device is dynamically adapted so that the remote microphone device can focus on (e.g., have increased sensitivity to) sounds originating from the recipient-specified region of interest/listening direction.
1 . A method, comprising:
determining a relative rotational angle of at least one of a remote device or a first device to a reference point, wherein the remote device is located within a spatial area and wherein the remote device comprises one or more sensors; and
using the relative rotational angle of the at least one of the remote device or the first device to the reference point to focus the one or more sensors of the remote device on a recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area,
wherein data sensed by the one or more sensors is sent to the first device, and wherein the first device is at least one of a prosthesis, an implant, or a consumer electronic device associated with a recipient.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining the recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
capturing one or more inertial measurements representing motion of a head of the recipient; and
determining the recipient specified region of interest based on the one or more inertial measurements.
4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein determining the recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area comprises:
identifying a plurality of sound sources and a placement of each sound source of the plurality of sound sources with respect to the recipient in the spatial area;
receiving, via a user interface, one or more inputs identifying a sound source of the plurality of sound sources; and
determining the recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area based on the one or more inputs.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein the one or more inputs comprise voice provided by the recipient.
6 . The method of claim 5 , comprising:
determining a directionality of the voice provided by the recipient; and
identifying the sound source of the plurality of sound sources based on the directionality of the voice being directed from the recipient toward the sound source according to the placement of the sound source with respect to the recipient.
7 . The method of claim 4 , comprising capturing image data of the plurality of sound sources, wherein the plurality of sound sources and the placement of each sound source of the plurality of sound sources with respect to the recipient in the spatial area is identified based on the image data.
8 . The method of claim 7 , comprising using face recognition to identify a plurality of persons as the plurality of sound sources.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
wirelessly sending the data sensed by the one or more sensors to the first device.
10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the one or more sensors comprise one or more microphones.
11 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data sensed by the one or more sensors comprise environmental signals.
12 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the data sensed by the one or more sensors comprise sound signals.
13 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
synchronizing placement information of the remote device with placement information of the first device;
determining, based on the synchronized placement information, a physical separation between the remote device and the first device; and
using the physical separation between the remote device and the first device to focus the one or more sensors of the remote device on the recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area.
14 . The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the relative rotational angle of the at least one of the remote device or the first device to the reference point comprises:
determining a relative rotational angle of each of the remote device and the first device to the reference point.
15 . A system, comprising:
a first device, wherein the first device is at least one of a prosthesis, an implant, or a consumer electronic device associated with a recipient;
a remote device comprising one or more sensors, wherein the remote device is located within a spatial area; and
one or more processors configured to:
determine a relative rotational angle of at least one of the remote device or the first device to a reference point, and
use the relative rotational angle of the at least one of the remote device or the first device to the reference point to focus the one or more sensors of the remote device on a recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area,
wherein the remote device comprises:
a wireless transceiver, and
at least one processor configured to process data captured by the one or more sensors for wireless transmission by the wireless transceiver to a wireless transceiver of the first device.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to determine the recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
obtain one or more inertial measurements representing motion of a head of the recipient; and
determine the recipient specified region of interest based on the one or more inertial measurements.
18 . The system of claim 16 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
identify a plurality of sound sources and a placement of each sound source of the plurality of sound sources with respect to the recipient in the spatial area;
receive, via a user interface, one or more inputs identifying a selected sound source of the plurality of sound sources; and
determine the recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area based on the placement of the selected sound source with respect to the recipient in the spatial area.
19 . The system of claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured to:
synchronize placement information of the remote device with placement information of the first device;
determine, based on the synchronized placement information, a physical separation between the remote device and the first device; and
use the physical separation between the remote device and the first device to focus the one or more sensors of the remote device on the recipient specified region of interest within the spatial area.
20 . The system of claim 15 , wherein determining the relative rotational angle of the at least one of the remote device or the first device to the reference point comprises:
determining a relative rotational angle of each of the remote device and the first device to the reference point.