Patent ID: 9031270
Filing Date: 2015-05-12
Classification: H04R,H04S

Abstract:
1. A method of processing audio signals picked up from a sound field by a microphone system of a listening device adapted for being worn at a particular one of the left or right ear of a user, the sound field comprising sound signals from one or more sound sources, the sound signals impinging on the user from one or more directions relative to the user, the method comprising a) providing information about the transfer functions for the propagation of sound to the user's left and right ears, the transfer functions depending on the frequency of the sound signal, the direction of sound impact relative to the user, and properties of the head and body of the user; b1) providing information about a user's hearing ability on the particular ear, the hearing ability depending on the frequency of a sound signal; b2) determining a number of target frequency bands for the particular ear, for which the user's hearing ability fulfils a predefined hearing ability criterion; c1) providing a dynamic separation of sound signals from the one or more sound sources for the particular ear, the separation depending on time, frequency and direction of origin of the sound signals relative to the user; c2) selecting a signal among the dynamically separated sound signals; c3) determining an SNR-measure for the selected signal indicating a strength of the selected signal relative to signals of the sound field, the SNR-measure depending on time, frequency and direction of origin of the selected signal relative to the user, and on the location and mutual strength of the sound sources; c4) determining a number of donor frequency bands of the selected signal at a given time, where the SNR-measure for the selected signal is above a predefined threshold; d) transposing at least one donor frequency band of the selected signal—at a given time—to a target frequency band, if a predefined transposition criterion is fulfilled.