Method for predicting the intelligibility of noisy and/or enhanced speech and a binaural hearing system

Abstract

An intrusive binaural speech intelligibility predictor system receives a target signal comprising speech in left and right essentially noise-free and noisy and/or processed versions at left and right ears of a listener. The system comprises a) first, second, third and fourth input units for providing time-frequency representations of said left and right noise-free and noisy/processed versions of the target signal, respectively; b) first and second Equalization-Cancellation stages adapted to receive and relatively time shift and amplitude adjust the left and right noise-free and noisy/processed versions, respectively, and to provide resulting noise-free and noisy/processed signals, respectively; and c) a monaural speech intelligibility predictor unit for providing final binaural speech intelligibility predictor value SI-Measure based on said resulting noise-free and noisy/processed signals. The Equalization-Cancellation stages are adapted to optimize the SI-Measure to indicate a maximum intelligibility of said noisy/processed versions of the target signal by said listener. The invention may e.g. be used in development systems for hearing aids.