Voice-to-remaining audio (VRA) interactive hearing aid and auxiliary equipment

Abstract

An integrated individual listening device and decoder for receiving an audio signal including a decoder for decoding the audio signal by separating the audio signal into a voice signal and a background signal, a first end-user adjustable amplifier coupled to the voice signal and amplifying the voice signal; a second end-user adjustable amplifier coupled to the background signal and amplifying the background signal; a summing amplifier coupled to outputs of said first and second end-user adjustable amplifiers and outputting a total audio signal, said total signal being coupled to an individual listening device.

1. A set-top-terminal for providing voice-to-remaining audio capability comprising:
 a decoder for decoding a bitstream and producing as its output, a digital preferred audio signal and a said digital remaining audio signal; 
 a digital to analog (D/A) converter coupled to said decoder, said D/A converter converting said digital preferred audio signal and a digital remaining audio signal into an analog preferred audio signaI and an analog remaining audio signal; 
 a transmitter coupled to said D/A converter and transmitting said analog preferred audio signal and said analog remaining audio signal; 
 a first end-user adjustable amplifier coupled to said analog preferred voice signal and amplifying said analog preferred voice signal; 
 a second end-user adjustable amplifier coupled to said analog remaining audio signal and amplifying said analog remaining audio signal; and 
 a summer coupled to outputs of said first and second end-user adjustable amplifiers and outputting a total audio signal. 
 
     
     
       2. The set-top-terminal of  claim 1 , wherein an output of the summer outputting said total audio signal is coupled to an analog receiving device. 
     
     
       3. A method for processing a digital bitstream from a set-top terminal, comprising:
 decoding a bitstream to produce a digital preferred audio signal and a digital remaining audio signal;   converting said digital preferred audio signal and said digital remaining audio signal into an analog preferred audio signal and an analog remaining audio signal;   transmitting said analog preferred audio signal to a first end-user adjustable amplifier coupled to receive said analog preferred audio signal and said analog remaining audio signal to a second end-user adjustable amplifier coupled to receive said analog remaining audio signal;   amplifying said analog preferred voice signal with said first end-user adjustable amplifier;   amplifying said analog remaining audio signal with said second end-user adjustable amplifier; and   summing output from said first and second end-user adjustable amplifiers and outputting a total audio signal to an individual listening device.    
     
     
       4. The method of claim 3, wherein outputting said total audio signal includes outputting said total audio signal to an analog receiving device.  
     
     
       5. The method of claim 3, further comprising:
 employing a microphone incorporated into a listening device to detect an ambient environmental sound; and   further processing the digital bitstream based on detected ambient environmental sound.