Hearing aid systems and mehods

Abstract

A system may include a wearable camera configured to capture a plurality of images from an environment of a user and a microphone configured to capture sounds from an environment of the user. The system may also include a processor programmed to receive the images; identify a representation of an individual in one of the images; identify a lip movement associated with a mouth of the individual, based on analysis of the images; receive audio signals representative of the sounds; identify, based on analysis of the sounds, an audio signal associated with a voice of the individual; and cause transmission of the audio signal to a hearing interface device configured to provide sound to an ear of the user.

1 - 338 . (canceled) 
     
     
         339 . A hearing aid system for providing audio signals based on tracked lip movements, the hearing aid system comprising:
 a wearable camera configured to capture a plurality of images from an environment of a user;   at least one microphone configured to capture sounds from an environment of the user; and   at least one processor programmed to:
 receive the plurality of images captured by the camera; 
 identify a representation of an individual in at least one of the plurality of images; 
 identify a lip movement associated with a mouth of the individual, based on analysis of the plurality of images; 
 receive audio signals representative of the sounds captured by the at least one microphone; 
 identify, based on analysis of the sounds captured by the at least one microphone, an audio signal associated with a voice of the individual; and 
 cause transmission of the audio signal to a hearing interface device configured to provide sound to an ear of the user. 
   
     
     
         340 . The system of  claim 339 , wherein the at least one processor is further programmed to cause conditioning of the audio signal before the transmission. 
     
     
         341 . The system of  claim 340 , wherein the sounds captured by the at least one microphone include a background noise, and the conditioning of the audio signal comprises at least one of amplification of the audio signal associated with the voice of the individual or attenuation of the background noise. 
     
     
         342 . The system of  claim 340 , wherein conditioning of the audio signal comprises changing a tone associated with the audio signal. 
     
     
         343 . The system of  claim 340 , wherein conditioning of the audio signal comprises changing a rate of speech associated with the audio signal. 
     
     
         344 . The system of  claim 339 , wherein the wearable camera and the at least one microphone are included in a common housing. 
     
     
         345 . The system of  claim 344 , wherein the at least one processor is included in the common housing. 
     
     
         346 . The system of  claim 344 , wherein the at least one processor is included in a second housing separate from the common housing. 
     
     
         347 . The system of  claim 346 , wherein the at least one processor is configured to receive the captured images via a wireless link between a transmitter in the common housing and a receiver in the second housing. 
     
     
         348 . The system of  claim 339 , wherein the at least one microphone includes at least one of a directional microphone or a microphone array. 
     
     
         349 . The system of  claim 339 , wherein the hearing interface device includes a speaker associated with an earpiece. 
     
     
         350 . The system of  claim 339 , wherein the hearing interface device includes a bone conduction microphone. 
     
     
         351 . A method for providing audio signals based on tracked lip movements, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of images captured by a wearable camera from an environment of a user;   identifying a representation of an individual in at least one of the plurality of images;   identifying at least one lip movement associated with a mouth of the individual, based on analysis of the plurality of images;   receiving audio signals representative of the sounds captured by at least one microphone from the environment of the user;   identifying, based on analysis of the sounds captured by the at least one microphone, an audio signal associated with a voice of the individual; and   causing transmission of the audio signal to a hearing interface device configured to provide sound to an ear of the user.   
     
     
         352 . The method of  claim 351 , the method further comprises causing conditioning of the audio signal before the transmission. 
     
     
         353 . The method of  claim 352 , wherein the sounds captured by the at least one microphone include a background noise, and the conditioning of the audio signal comprises at least one of amplification of the audio signal associated with the voice of the individual or attenuation of the background noise. 
     
     
         354 . The method of  claim 352 , wherein conditioning of the audio signal comprises changing a tone associated with the audio signal. 
     
     
         355 . The method of  claim 352 , wherein conditioning of the audio signal comprises changing a rate of speech associated with the audio signal. 
     
     
         356 . The method of  claim 351 , wherein the wearable camera and the at least one microphone are included in a common housing. 
     
     
         357 . The method of  claim 351 , wherein the hearing interface device includes at least one of a speaker associated with an earpiece or a bone conduction microphone. 
     
     
         358 . The method of  claim 351 , wherein the at least one microphone includes at least one of a directional microphone or a microphone array.