Methods and systems for hearing device signal enhancement using a remote microphone

An exemplary hearing device is configured to receive a first signal output by a local microphone that is a part of the hearing device at a first location. The first signal is representative of a degraded version of audio content as detected by the local microphone. The audio content is provided by an audio source at a second location. The hearing device is further configured to receive a second signal from a remote microphone system located in proximity of the second location. The second signal is representative of a cleaner version of the audio content as detected by the remote microphone system. The hearing device is further configured to determine a relatedness factor between the first signal and the second signal and apply, based on the relatedness factor, a signal enhancing operation to the first signal to output an enhanced first signal.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application claims priority to GB Patent Application No. 1819422.5, filed on Nov. 29, 2018, and entitled “Methods and Systems for Hearing Device Signal Enhancement Using a Remote Microphone,” the contents of which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Remote microphone systems are widely used to stream audio content from a remote sound source to a hearing device of a user so that the user can more clearly perceive the audio content. For example, in a classroom setting, a remote microphone system worn by an instructor may detect the instructor's speech and stream a signal representative of the speech directly to a hearing device worn by a student in the classroom. Because the streamed signal is free from noise and reverberation that may be introduced along an audio transmission path between the instructor and the student, the streamed signal is typically much better in terms of speech intelligibility and quality than a signal based on audio content captured by a microphone that is a part of the hearing device.

Unfortunately, the signal output by the remote microphone system does not contain any information related to spatial hearing. Hence, when perceived by the user, the audio content sounds unnatural and does not provide the user with cues that allow the user to ascertain the location of the remote sound source.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods and systems for hearing device signal enhancement using a remote microphone are described herein. For example, as will be described in more detail below, in one particular scenario a hearing device (e.g., a hearing aid, a cochlear implant, an assisted listening device, etc.) may be at a first location and a sound source (e.g., a person) may be at a second location. When the sound source provides audio content (e.g., speech), a local microphone that is a part of the hearing device may detect a degraded version of the audio content and output a first signal representative of the degraded version of the audio content. The degraded version of the audio content has been degraded by noise (e.g., background noise and/or reverberation noise) as the audio content acoustically travels from the sound source to the local microphone.

In some examples, a remote microphone system may be provided in proximity of the second location and configured to detect a cleaner version of the audio content provided by the audio source (i.e., a version of the audio signal that is less impacted by the noise than the degraded version). The remote microphone system may provide (e.g., wirelessly transmit) a second signal representative of the cleaner version of the audio content to the hearing device.

The hearing device may receive the first signal output by the local microphone and the second signal from the remote microphone system and determine a relatedness factor (e.g., a coherence) between the first and second signals. Based on the relatedness factor, the hearing device may apply a signal enhancing operation to the first signal to output an enhanced first signal. For example, based on the relatedness factor, the hearing device may output a noise reduced version of the first signal.

The hearing device may mix the enhanced first signal and the second signal to output a mixed signal. The hearing device may then render the mixed signal to the user of the hearing device (e.g., by providing an audible signal representative of the mixed signal to the user of the hearing device). In some alternative embodiments (e.g., if the enhanced first signal is deemed to be of sufficient quality), the hearing device may simply render the enhanced first signal to the user.

The methods and systems described herein may advantageously provide many benefits to a user of a hearing device. For example, the methods and systems described herein may allow a user to intelligibly perceive a relatively cleaner version of remotely provided audio content that has spatial and localization information contained therein. Moreover, in cases where the methods and systems described herein are implemented by a binaural hearing system that includes hearing devices for both ears, the methods and systems described herein do not require the hearing devices to stream their respective microphone signals from one side to the other, as is typically required in conventional binaural hearing systems that attempt to preserve localization cues. This, in turn, increases the efficiency, power management, and efficacy of the hearing devices. These and other benefits of the methods and systems described herein will be made apparent herein.

FIG. 1shows an exemplary configuration100in which a hearing device102is configured to communicate with a remote microphone system104. As will be described herein, hearing device102and remote microphone system104facilitate hearing by a hearing impaired user106-1of audio content108(e.g., speech) provided (e.g., generated) by a user106-2. While user106-2is shown to be the source of audio content108inFIG. 1, it will be recognized that any other suitable audio source may be the source of audio content108. For example, audio content108may alternatively be provided by speakers in a sound system, one or more musical instruments, etc.

Hearing device102may be implemented by any type of device configured to provide or enhance hearing to user106-1. For example, hearing device102may be implemented by a hearing aid configured to provide an audible signal (e.g., amplified audio content) to user106-1, a sound processor included in a cochlear implant system configured to apply electrical stimulation representative of audio content to user106-1, a sound processor included in a system configured to apply both acoustic and electrical stimulation to user106-1, or any other suitable hearing prosthesis. Hearing device102may include one or more components (e.g., processors, receivers, memory, etc.) configured to perform various operations described herein.

As shown, hearing device102may include or be communicatively coupled to a microphone110(referred to herein as a local microphone). Local microphone110may be integrated into a housing of hearing device102, included in an earhook that attaches to hearing device102, and/or otherwise connected to hearing device102. In some examples, local microphone110is implemented by an array of microphones (e.g., an array of beamforming microphones).

In some examples, hearing device102is included in a binaural hearing system configured to provide binaural hearing capability to user106-1. For example,FIG. 2illustrates an exemplary binaural hearing system200that may be associated with user106-1. As shown, binaural hearing system200includes a hearing device102-L configured to be used with the left ear of user106-1and a hearing device102-R configured to be used with the right ear of user106-2. Hearing devices102-L and102-R may each be similar to hearing device102described in connection withFIG. 1. For example, hearing devices102-L and102-R may each include a local microphone110(i.e., hearing device102-L includes local microphone110-L and hearing device102-R includes local microphone110-R). Hence, it will be understood that functionality described in connection with hearing device102shown inFIG. 1may be performed by either or both of hearing devices102-L and102-R.

Hearing devices102-L and102-R may be configured to communicate with one another by way of a binaural communication link202, which may be wired or wireless as may serve a particular implementation. As will be described below, this binaural communication may be used to facilitate binaural optimization between hearing devices102-L and102-R.

Returning toFIG. 1, remote microphone system104may be implemented by any suitable system configured to be located in proximity of (e.g., at or near) a location of user106-2and capture audio content108provided by user106-2. For example, remote microphone system104may be implemented by a wearable system (e.g., a Roger™ Touchscreen Mic system by Phonak®) configured to be worn by user106-2. As shown, remote microphone system104may include or be communicatively coupled to a microphone112(referred to herein as a remote microphone).

Hearing device102and remote microphone system104may be at different locations within an environment of user106-2. For example, hearing device102and remote microphone system104may be at different locations within the same room in which user106-2is located. In the examples described herein, remote microphone system104is located in proximity of a location of user106-2. In contrast, hearing device102is located relatively far from the location of user106-2. For example, user106-2and remote microphone system104may be located on one side of a room, while user106-1and hearing device102are located on the other side of the room.

As illustrated by arrows114-1and114-2, both local microphone110and remote microphone112may be configured to detect audio content108provided by user104-2. Because local microphone110is relatively far from user104-2, local microphone108-1detects a degraded version of audio content108. In contrast, because remote microphone112is located in proximity to user104-2, remote microphone112detects a cleaner version of audio content108.

As used herein, a “degraded version” of audio content108as detected by local microphone110refers to a version of audio content108that has been degraded by noise (e.g., noise in the environment) as the audio content108acoustically travels along an audio transmission path between user106-2and local microphone110. This noise may include background noise in the environment and/or reverberation noise caused by reflections of the audio content108within the environment as the audio content108travels from user106-2to local microphone110.

In contrast, a “cleaner version” of audio content108as detected by remote microphone112refers to a version of audio content108that is less impacted by the noise than the degraded version. For example, the cleaner version may be devoid of the noise.

Local microphone110may output a first signal (e.g., an electrical signal) representative of the degraded version of the audio content108. Hearing device102may receive the first signal output by local microphone110in any suitable manner. For example, a processor included in hearing device102may receive the first signal directly from local microphone110.

As depicted by arrow116, remote microphone system104may transmit (e.g., wirelessly stream) a second signal (e.g., an RF signal) representative of a cleaner version of audio content108as detected by remote microphone112to hearing device102. Hearing device102may receive the second signal from remote microphone system104in any suitable manner. For example, hearing device102may include an RF receiver that wirelessly receives the second signal in accordance with a wireless communication protocol. Additionally or alternatively, hearing device102may receive the second signal by way of a wired communication channel.

Hearing device102may be configured to determine a relatedness factor between the first signal received from local microphone110and the second signal received from remote microphone system104. In some examples, The relatedness factor may be a coherence between the first and second signals. Additionally or alternatively, the relatedness factor may be a speech onset included in the first and second signals, an envelope of the first and second signals, and/or any other indicator of relatedness between the first and second signals. Based on the relatedness factor, hearing device102may apply a signal enhancing operation to the first signal to output an enhanced first signal. These and other operations that may be performed by hearing device102will be described in more detail below.

Various signal processing operations that may be performed by hearing device102to enhance the first signal output by local microphone110based on the second signal output by remote microphone112will now be described in connection withFIGS. 3-7.

InFIG. 3, hearing device102includes a relatedness factor generator302and a signal enhancer304. Relatedness factor generator302and signal enhancer304may be implemented by any suitable combination of hardware and/or software. For example, relatedness factor generator302and signal enhancer304(as well as any of the other modules described herein) may be implemented by a processor configured to operate in accordance with instructions stored in memory and that are executable by the processor.

As shown, relatedness factor generator302receives a signal SHIoutput by local microphone110and a signal SRXoutput by remote microphone112. As described above, signal SHIis representative of a degraded version of audio content as detected by local microphone110and signal SRXis representative of a cleaner version of the audio content as detected by remote microphone112included in remote microphone system104.

Relatedness factor generator302may determine a relatedness factor between signals SHIand SRX. This may be performed in any suitable manner. For example, relatedness factor generator302may divide signal SHIinto a plurality of portions (e.g., a plurality of temporal frames) and determine a relatedness factor value for each of the plurality of portions.

As an example, if the relatedness factor determined by relatedness factor generator302is a coherence between signals SHIand SRX, relatedness factor generator302may determine a plurality of frequency spectrum-based short-term coherence values representative of the coherence between signals SHIand SRX, where each short-term coherence value corresponds to a different temporal frame of signal SHI.

To illustrate, signals SHIand SRXmay be in the short-time Fourier transform (STFT) domain. Relatedness factor generator302may generate a plurality of frequency spectrum-based short-term coherence values representative of the coherence between signals SHIand SRXin accordance with the following equation:

In this equation, ΓSRXSHI[k, i] represents the short-term coherence value between signals SHIand SRXat frame k and frequency index i, the quantity ϕSRXSHIrepresents a cross power spectral density between signals SHIand SRX, the quantity ϕSRXSRXrepresents a power spectral density of signal SRX, and the quantity ϕSHISHIrepresents a power spectral density of signal SHI.

The quantities ϕSRXSHI, ϕSRXSRX, and ϕSHISHIare obtained by averaging over time. For example, these quantities may be obtained by relatedness factor generator302in accordance with the following equations:
ϕSRXSHI[k,i]=λϕSRXSHI[k−1,i]+(1−λ)SRX[k,i]S*HI[k,i],
ϕSRXSRX[k,i]=λϕSRXSRX[k−1,i]+(1−λ)|SRX[k,i]|2, and
ϕSHISHI[k,i]=λϕSHISHI[k−1,i]+(1−λ)|SHI[k,i]|2.

In these equations, * denotes a complex conjugate and λ is a recursive coefficient. Typical values of λ are within the range 0.95-0.99, and may be set by relatedness factor generator302in any suitable manner.

Relatedness factor generator302may determine other types of relatedness factors (e.g., speech onsets, envelopes, etc.) in any suitable manner. These factors may be used alternatively or simultaneously combined. For example, relatedness factor generator302may detect a characteristic in signal SRXthat is indicative of a speech onset and attempt to locate a corresponding indicator of speech onset in signal SHI. In this example, relatedness factor generator302may output a value representative of how similar the indicators are in each of signals SHIand SRX.

As shown inFIG. 3, the output of relatedness factor generator302is input into signal enhancer304. Signal enhancer304is configured to apply a signal enhancing operation to signal SHI, which is also supplied as an input to signal enhancer304as shown inFIG. 3. Based on the application of the signal enhancing operation to signal SHI, signal enhancer304outputs an enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCED, which is an enhanced version of signal SHI.

Signal enhancer304is configured to apply the signal enhancing operation to signal SHIin any suitable manner. For example, based on a relatedness factor value determined for a particular portion of signal SHI, signal enhancer304may determine a gain model corresponding to the particular portion of signal SHIand apply the gain model to the particular portion of signal SHI.

To illustrate, continuing with the example above where relatedness factor generator302determines short-term coherence values between signals SHIand SRXat frame k and frequency index i, signal enhancer304may determine a gain model for signal SHIin accordance with the following equation:
W[k,i]=ΓSRXSHI[k,i].

In some examples, the gain model may be between zero and one. A gain model of one for a particular frame and frequency index means that signals SHIand SRXare perfectly coherent at the frame and frequency index. A gain model of zero for a particular frame and frequency index means that signals SHIand SRXare not coherent at all at the frame and frequency index. A gain model in between zero and one means that signals SHIand SRXare coherent to some degree at the frame and frequency index.

Signal enhancer304may apply a gain model to signal SHIin any suitable manner. For example, a gain model for a particular frame and frequency index of SHImay be multiplied with a portion of signal SHIthat corresponds to the frame and frequency index. By so doing, portions of signal SHIthat are not coherent with signal SRXare filtered out and not included in enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCED, while portions of signal SHIthat are coherent with signal SRXare included in enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCEDand weighted based on the degree to which they are coherent with signal SRX.

In some examples, hearing device102may render enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCEDto user106-1. As described above, this may be performed by providing an audible signal representative of enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCEDto user106-1or by providing electrical and/or acoustic stimulation representative of enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCEDto user106-1. In these examples, the rendering is only representative of SHI_ENHANCED(and not signal SRX). Hence, in these examples, signal SRXis only used to generate a version of SHI(i.e., enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCED) that is enhanced and easier for user106-1to perceive than the original version of signal SHI.

Alternatively, the rendering may be representative of a combination of signals SHI_ENHANCEDand SRX. To illustrate,FIG. 4is similar toFIG. 3, but shows that hearing device102may further include a mixer402configured to mix enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCEDand signal SRXto output a mixed signal SMIXED. In some examples, prior to the mixing process, the signal SRXmay be spatialized according to the position of the remote microphone. Mixer402may be implemented by any suitable combination of hardware and/or software.

Mixer402may mix enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCEDand signal SRXin any suitable manner. For example, mixer402may add enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCEDwith signal SRXto output the mixed signal SMIXED. In some examples, mixer402may weight signals SHI_ENHANCEDand SRXin any suitable manner before they are mixed.

Hearing device102may render mixed signal SMIXEDto user106-1. By rendering mixed signal SMIXEDinstead of rendering enhanced signal SHI_ENHANCEDby itself, hearing device102may advantageously provide user106-1with a cleaner version of audio content108as detected by remote microphone112and a version of audio content108that includes localization cues as detected by local microphone110.

FIG. 5shows an exemplary binaural configuration in which both hearing device102-L and hearing device102-R include a relatedness factor generator302and a signal enhancer304. Elements labeled with a “-L” suffix inFIG. 5are included in hearing device102-L, and elements labeled with a “-R” suffix inFIG. 5are included in hearing device102-R.

In the configuration ofFIG. 5, signal enhancers304-L and304-R generate gain models WLand WR, respectively, where WL[k, i]=ΓSRXSHIL[k, i] and WR[k, i]=ΓSRXSHIR[k, i]. However, applying different gain models at the left and right hearing devices102-L and102-R may lead to distortion of the interaural level difference (“ILD”), which is detrimental for an accurate reproduction of natural spatial hearing. Therefore, hearing devices102-L and102-R may each include a binaural optimization module502. Each binaural optimization module502may be implemented by any suitable combination of hardware and/or software and may be configured to generate correction factors that may be applied to the gain models generated by signal enhancers304before the gain models are applied to the signals SHIgenerated by local microphones110-L and110-R. The correction factors are configured to reduce ILD distortion the signals SHIgenerated by local microphones110-L and110-R in an optimal way.

Binaural optimization modules502may generate the correction factors in any suitable way. For example, optimization modules502may generate correction factors BLand BRso that:

In this equation, BLis the correction factor generated by binaural optimization module502-L and BRis the correction factor generated by binaural optimization module502-R, where BLand BRare set to be within the range [α:1] with 0<α≤1. The parameter α allows binaural optimization modules502to control the amount of correction that is introduced.

As shown, binaural optimization modules502-L and502-R may communicate one with another by way of binaural link202. For example, binaural optimization module502-L may receive, by way of binaural link202, data representative of gain models determined by signal enhancer304-R of hearing device102-R. Likewise, binaural optimization module502-R may receive, by way of binaural link202, data representative of gain models determined by signal enhancer304-L of hearing device102-L.

FIG. 6illustrates additional modules that may be implemented by hearing device102generate signal SHI_ENHANCED. For example, as shown, hearing device102may further include a temporal alignment module602, and envelope modeling module604, a mapping function module606, and a frequency smoothing module608. Modules602-608may each be implemented by any suitable combination of hardware and/or software. It will be recognized that module602-608are optional and that in some implementations one or more of module602-608may not be implemented by hearing device102.

Temporal alignment module602may be configured to temporally align signals SHIand SRXbefore the signals are input into relatedness factor generator302. It will be recognized that due to the distance between local microphone110and remote microphone112, signal SHImay be temporally delayed by a slight amount compared to signal SRX. Temporal alignment module602may detect this delay and temporally align signals SHIand SRXsuch that the coherence (or other relatedness factor) between signals SHIand SRXmay be more accurately determined.

Envelope modeling module604may detect an envelope of signal SRXand, based on the envelope, identify a portion of signal SRXthat does not include speech content (or any other desired type of content). Envelope modeling module604may then identify a portion of signal SHIthat is temporally aligned with the portion of signal SRXand direct relatedness factor generator302to abstain from determining the relatedness factor for the identified portion of signal SHI. Instead, envelope modeling module applies a gain model that smoothly falls to zero to the identified portion of signal SHI. In this manner, worthless operations by relatedness factor generator302may be prevented from being performed.

Mapping function module606is configured to associate a gain model W to the computed relatedness factor, following a certain relationship. The mapping function may be updated over time and frequency by the input of a classifier. This classifier may be represented by the following equation: W[k, i]=f(ΓSRXSHI[k, i], k,i). In this equation, f is the identity function.

As shown, the gain models generated by mapping function module606and envelope modeling module604are multiplied by a multiplier610. Frequency smoothing module608may smooth the combined gain over a frequency range to reduce and/or cancel undesired sound artifacts (e.g., musical noise). After binaural optimization is performed by binaural optimization module502, signal enhancer304may apply the combined gain to signal SHIto generate signal SHI_ENHANCED.

As mentioned, local microphone110may be implemented by an array of beamforming microphones. To illustrate,FIG. 7shows that hearing device102may include a beamformer module702configured to receive a plurality of signals SHI_1through SHI_Noutput by an array of beamforming microphones. Beamformer module702may be implemented by any suitable combination of hardware and/or software, and may be configured to perform one or more beamforming operations on signals SHI_1through SHI_N. The output of beamformer module702is a single signal SHI.

In the example ofFIG. 7, binaural optimization module502may be configured to perform a multiple binaural optimization procedure that aims at finding the best left and right gain models BLWLand BRWRwith respect to the following constraints:

The first constraint is similar to the constraint described above in connection withFIG. 5. The second and third constraints ensure a limited modification of the gain models WLand WR, respectively.

FIG. 8illustrates an exemplary method800. One or more of the operations shown inFIG. 8may be performed by hearing device102and/or any implementation thereof. WhileFIG. 8illustrates exemplary operations according to one embodiment, other embodiments may omit, add to, reorder, and/or modify any of the operations shown inFIG. 8.

In step802, a hearing device receives a first signal output by a local microphone at a first location. The first signal is representative of a degraded version of audio content as detected by the local microphone. The audio content is provided by an audio source at a second location and degraded by noise. Step802may be performed in any of the ways described herein.

In step804, the hearing device receives a second signal from a remote microphone system located in proximity of the second location. The second signal is representative of a cleaner version of the audio content as detected by the remote microphone system. The cleaner version of the audio content is less impacted by the noise. Step804may be performed in any of the ways described herein.

In step806, the hearing device determines a relatedness factor between the first signal and the second signal. Step806may be performed in any of the ways described herein.

In step808, the hearing device applies, based on the relatedness factor, a signal enhancing operation to the first signal to output an enhanced first signal. Step808may be performed in any of the ways described herein.

In some examples, the methods and systems described herein may be used to improve the perception of externalized sound (e.g., an out-of-the-head sound image) when using a remote microphone system (e.g., a system that includes a Roger™ microphone). For example, the methods and systems described herein may provide a user of a hearing device with room-related spatial cues associated with an external sound source. Such room-related spatial cues include binaural early reflections.

Conventional techniques used to provide the user with room-related spatial cues convolve the input signal (e.g., a speech signal captured by a remote microphone) with binaural room impulse responses. However, these conventional techniques are not optimal for a number of reasons. For example, these conventional techniques are computationally costly, the exact room-related cues are unknown or must be estimated with advanced methods, and the individual binaural room impulse responses are unknown and generic impulse responses must be used instead.

In contrast, in accordance with the methods and systems described herein, when a user is using a remote microphone system, the “true” room-related personal spatial cues are actually captured by the local microphone110of hearing device102(or, in binaural hearing system200, local microphones110-L and110-R). However, as described herein, the signals output by local microphone110is degraded by undesired noise and late reverberation that are detrimental for sound (e.g., speech) intelligibility. Hence, the methods and systems described herein may be used to emphasize the “true” early reflections and reduce unwanted noise and/or reverberation components using the cleaner signal output by the remote microphone112as a reference.

To illustrate,FIG. 9shows an exemplary signal processing operation configured to provide a user of hearing device102with an improved perception of externalized sound. As shown, a spatialization block902receives the signal output by remote microphone112and is configured to output a signal representative of a cleaner version of sound, as described herein. Hence, this output is referred to inFIG. 9as an “intelligibility path”. Spatialization block902may be implemented by any of the components described herein.

An early reflection extraction block904receives both the signal output by remote microphone112and the signal output by local microphone110. Early reflection extraction block904is configured to implement the signal processing operations described herein with dedicated settings (which may be set in any suitable manner) to output a gain G(f,t) that is a function of frequency f and time t. Gain G(f,t) is configured to emphasize the early reflections to improve externalization by the user. Hence, as shown, the gain G(f,t) is applied to the signal output by local microphone110at multiplier906. This path is referred to as the “externalization path” because it is the path that will bring the perception of externalization to the user.

As shown, the output of multiplier906is mixed with the output of spatialization block902at summation block908. In other words, the cleaner signal output by remote microphone112is mixed with the gain applied signal output by local microphone110. An amplifier910may perform further amplification of the mixed signal as may serve a particular implementation. In some alternative embodiments, amplifier910is not included.

As shown, early reflection extraction block904is further configured to output an opposite gain 1−G(f,t), which is opposite gain G(f,t). The opposite gain 1−G(f,t) is configured to emphasize late reverberation and thereby provide spatial awareness (e.g., of other sound and/or noise sources present in the room) to the user at a lower sound level than the intelligibility path. Accordingly, as shown, the opposite gain 1−G(f,t) is applied to the signal output by local microphone110at multiplier912. This path is referred to inFIG. 9as the “spatial awareness path”. As shown, the output of multiplier912may be amplified by amplifier914. In some alternative embodiments, amplifier914is not included.

At summation block916, the spatial awareness path is mixed with the already mixed intelligibility and externalization paths. The resulting signal is applied to the user. In this manner, the user may be provided with intelligibility, externalization, and spatial awareness. The technique described inFIG. 9advantageously requires low computational cost and memory usage compared to the conventional techniques described above.

In some examples, a hearing device is configured to receive, at a first location, a first signal output by a local microphone that is a part of the hearing device. The first signal is representative of a degraded version of audio content as detected by the local microphone. The audio content is provided by an audio source at a second location and degraded by noise. The hearing device may be further configured to receive a second signal from a remote microphone system located in proximity of the second location, the second signal representative of a cleaner version of the audio content as detected by the remote microphone system, the cleaner version less impacted by the noise than the degraded version. The hearing device may be further configured to determine a relatedness factor between the first signal and the second signal and apply, based on the relatedness factor, a signal enhancing operation to the first signal to output an enhanced first signal.

As illustrated inFIG. 9, in some examples, the hearing device may apply the signal enhancing operation to the first signal comprises by applying a gain G(f,t) based on the relatedness factor to the first signal to output a gain enhanced first signal. In these examples, the hearing device may be further configured to mix the gain enhanced first signal and the second signal to output a first mixed signal configured to provide the user with intelligibility and externalization of the audio content. The hearing device may be further configured to apply an opposite gain 1−G(f,t) that is opposite the gain G(f,t) to the first signal to output an opposite gain enhanced first signal configured to provide the user with spatial awareness associated with the audio content. The hearing device may be further configured to mix the first mixed signal with the opposite gain enhanced first signal to output a second mixed signal and provide an audible signal representative of the second mixed signal to a user of the hearing device.