arXiv:2511.21222eess.AS2025-11

将低频时差转为强弱差,可提升听损者语音辨识能力。

Evaluation of an ITD-to-ILD Transformation as a Method to Restore the Spatial Benefit in Speech Intelligibility in Hearing Impaired Listeners

  • 用声波相位偏移测试听损者对时差的敏感度阈值。
  • 替换低频时差为强弱差后,侧方语音目标识别提升1分贝。
  • 该方法适合用于助听器与人工耳蜗的信号处理优化。

为改善复杂日常场景中的语音辨识能力,人类听觉系统依赖双耳时间差(ITDs)与双耳强度差(ILDs)。然而,听损者常对时差敏感度下降,导致语音辨识性能降低。本研究探讨将低频时差转换为强度差是否可恢复听损者的双耳优势。实验一采用不同频率的双耳相位偏移正弦波,评估听损者时差感知阈值,结果显示所有受试者在高频时阈值升高,低频时个体差异明显。实验二通过操控头相关传输函数(HRTFs)测量不同双耳配置下的语音接受阈值(SRT)。结果表明,尽管时差敏感性下降,去除时差后SRT比未处理基线下降约1分贝(即性能变差),而用强度差替代低频时差可显著提升侧方目标说话人识别效果;同时保留时差并增加低频强度差,对所有方向的说话人均有显著改善。研究提示该转换方法有助于恢复听损者双耳优势,具有应用于助听器和人工耳蜗的潜力。

原文摘要 · Abstract (English)

To improve speech intelligibility in complex everyday situations, the human auditory system partially relies on Interaural Time Differences (ITDs) and Interaural Level Differences (ILDs). However, hearing impaired (HI) listeners often exhibit limited sensitivity to ITDs, resulting in decreased speech intelligibility performance. This study aimed to investigate whether transforming low-frequency ITDs into ILDs could reintroduce a binaural benefit for HI listeners. We conducted two experiments with HI listeners. The first experiment used binaurally phase-shifted sinusoids at different frequencies to evaluate the HI listeners ITD sensitivity threshold. All subjects had an increased ITD threshold at higher frequencies, with different ITD sensitivities between the subjects in the lower frequencies. In the second experiment, Speech Reception Thresholds (SRTs) were measured in different binaural configurations by manipulating Head-Related Transfer Functions (HRTFs). The results showed that, despite the decreased ITD sensitivity, removing ITDs decreased SRTs by approximately 1 dB compared to the unprocessed baseline, where ITDs and ILDs are available. Furthermore, substituting low-frequency ITDs with ILDs yielded an improvement for a lateral target speaker. Adding the low-frequency ILDs while preserving the ITDs caused a significant improvement for speakers in all directions. These findings suggest that the proposed transformation method could be effective in restoring binaural benefits in HI listeners. The results of this study suggest the use of such transformation techniques to be implemented in hearing aids and cochlear implants, directly benefiting HI listeners.

听觉增强语音识别助听器

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