Method and system for enhancing the intelligibility of sounds
A method of enhancing the intelligibility of sounds including the steps of: detecting primary sounds emanating from a first direction and producing a primary signal; detecting secondary sounds emanating from the left and right of the first direction and producing secondary signals; delaying the primary signal with respect to the secondary signals; and presenting combinations of the signals to the left and right sides of the auditory system of a listener.
1. A method of enhancing the intelligibility of sounds including the steps of:
providing a sound detecting means which includes at least one microphone located on or within each side of a listener's head;
detecting sounds by way of the sound detecting means to produce a primary signal which emphasizes sounds emanating from a first direction and to produce left and right secondary signals which emphasize sounds emanating from the left and the right of the first direction respectively;
delaying only the primary signal with respect to the secondary signals to produce a delayed primary signal, wherein the primary signal is delayed by more than 0.7 milliseconds;
combining the delayed primary signal and the left secondary signal to produce a combined left signal;
combining the delayed primary signal and the right secondary signal to produce a combined right signal;
providing a signal presentation means;
presenting the combined left signal by way of the signal presentation means to the left side of the auditory system of the listener; and
presenting the combined right signal by way of the signal presentation means to the right side of the auditory system of the listener.
2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the primary signal is delayed by 1 millisecond or more.
3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the steps of producing the combined left and right signals includes the step of altering the level of the left and right secondary signals.
4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of altering is frequency specific.
5. A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of altering is dependent on the levels of the primary and secondary signals.
6. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of altering is dependent on the levels of the primary and secondary signals.
7. A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of altering is controlled by the listener.
8. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of altering is controlled by the listener.
9. A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of altering is controlled by a trainable algorithm.
10. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of altering is controlled by a trainable algorithm.
11. A method according to claim 3 wherein the step of altering is dependent on either the level of the primary or secondary signals.
12. A method according to claim 4 wherein the step of altering is dependent on either the level of the primary or secondary signals.
13. A method according to claim 2 further includes the step of introducing localisation cues into the primary signal to produce a left and a right primary signal.
14. A method according to claim 13 wherein the localisation cues are exaggerated.
15. A system for enhancing the intelligibility of sounds including: a sound detecting means which includes at least one microphone located on or within each side of a listener's head for detecting sounds to produce a primary signal which emphasizes sounds emanating from a first direction and to produce left and right secondary signals which emphasize sounds emanating from the left and the right of the first direction respectively;
delay means for delaying only the primary signal with respect to the secondary signals to produce a delayed primary signal, wherein the delay means is arranged to delay the primary signal by more than 0.7 milliseconds; and
presentation means for presenting combinations of the delayed primary signal and the left secondary signal to the left side of the auditory system of a listener and the delayed primary signal and the right secondary signal to the right side of the auditory system of the listener.
16. A system according to claim 15 wherein the delay means is arranged to delay the primary signal by 1 millisecond or more.
17. A system according to claim 15 wherein the presentation means includes a loudspeaker, headphones, receivers, bone-conductors or cochlear implants.
18. A system according to claim 15 which is embodied in a linked binaural hearing aid.