Smartphone-based Hearing Aid System

Technology Description:

      We present a smartphone app which, when paired with a conventional smartphone and an ear-level device (i.e., wired or wireless ear buds), can provide a user with a cost-effective and complete assistive hearing aid system for both monaural and binaural applications.  Using integrated microphone(s) and camera(s) of iOS-based and Android-based smartphones, the app processes ambient audio and visual information through a system of novel signal processing algorithms (including machine learning and deep neural net methods) to identify and reduce noise, enhance speech, detect emergency alert sounds, and identify sound source location/direction and distance, in real-time. The resultant “clean” speech is then transmitted from the smartphone to the user’s ear-level device, while the speaker/sound source location information can also be displayed on the user’s smartphone.

Value Proposition:

      An accessible, affordable, user-friendly assistive hearing aid system and hearing improvement tool for users everywhere with or without hearing disability – including those in distant and low-income communities with difficulty reaching hearing healthcare professionals and obtaining assistive devices.

Key Benefits:

• Hearing Improvement: Simple cost-effective tool for enhancing hearing capability of people with or without hearing loss in noisy environments and/or in specific situations anywhere. 
• Accessibility: Easy-to-use assistive hearing to users with a smartphone and wired or wireless ear buds.
• Affordability: Effectively replaces expensive hearing aid devices, does not require costly healthcare visits/prescriptions, no additional/external hardware/components required.
• Tunability: Personalized adjustability through advanced signal processing techniques (e.g., Machine Learning, Neural-Network, Sound wave propagation, advanced Beamforming techniques).
• Scalability: Easily expandable to other operating system-based devices (e.g., Tablets, iPads).

Applications:

• Social Scenarios: In-door and out-door conversations, Party event, Home, Restaurant and bar, Street, Store, Airport, Vehicle (car, bus, van, train, airplane), Concert, Seminar, Stadium, Sporting events.
• Work Scenarios: Meeting, Conference room, Open office space, Hospital, Medical office, Clinics, Laboratory, Classroom, Factory, Community and emergency services and places, Military situations.
• End-users and manufactures of smart devices: Industrial, Commercial, and Consumer products.
• Providers of smart device OS and Applications: Added value app for the users of smartphones, sound systems, game products.

IP Status: US Provisional (Filed/Pending)

Primary Inventor: Dr. Issa Panahi

ID Number: 21026

Contact: otc@utdallas.edu

Additional Information: www.utdallas.edu/~issa.panahi/