Patent ID: 7181034
Filing Date: 2007-02-20
Classification: H04R

Abstract:
1. A hearing instrument, comprising: a microphone that receives an acoustical signal and generates a wideband audio signal; a band-split filter coupled to the microphone that filters the wideband audio signal into a plurality of channel audio signals; a plurality of channel processors coupled to the band-split filter that each set a gain for one channel audio signal as a function of both the energy level of the one channel audio signal and the energy level of at least one other audio signal to generate a conditioned channel signal; a summation circuit coupled to the plurality of channel processors that sums the conditioned channel signals from the channel processors and generates a composite signal; and a speaker coupled to the summation circuit that receives the composite signal and generates an acoustical output signal; wherein each channel processor sets the gain for one channel signal as a function of the energy level of the one channel audio signal and the energy level of the wideband audio signal.