The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Mar. 17, 1998
Filed:
Jun. 17, 1994
Zezhang Hou, Cambridge, MA (US);
Aaron R Thornton, Boston, MA (US);
Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary, Boston, MA (US);
Abstract
A method of calculating a single number summarizing the performance of a device for transmitting, amplifying, or reproducing acoustic speech signals. The number can be used for evaluation and comparison of characteristics of devices for conveying speech, for instance to choose a hearing aid prescription. In the method, for each device of a plurality of acoustic devices, intelligibility measurements are obtained for speech signals transmitted from or reproduced by the device under multiple of listening conditions, and a weighted sum of the device's intelligibility measurements is formed. From among the plurality of devices, the one device best overall suited to the plurality of listening conditions is chosen by comparing the weighted sums and selecting the device with the largest corresponding weighted sum. The devices may be computer models of real acoustic devices; a plurality of the models are iteratively generated and the weighted sums corresponding to the computer models are evaluated, and modelled acoustic properties of successive ones of the computer models are altered to increase the weighted sum.