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Environmental Classifier

Role
Analyzes the incoming sounds and classifies them into listening environments.

End user benefit
Sets the foundation for a comfortable hearing experience.


Hearing instruments have complex sound processing that adapts to the listening environment. One way they do this is by recognizing characteristics of incoming sound and categorizing them in a meaningful and accurate way.

Environmental Classifier employs sophisticated speech and noise detection algorithms based on frequency content and spectral balance, as well as the temporal properties of the incoming sound. Furthermore, the classification is calculated on the basis of probabilistic models, resulting in classification of listening environments which has shown a high degree of consistency with listener perception. Automatic control of feature settings based on the acoustic environment is transparent and natural-sounding. The user benefits without noticing changes in the sound processing.

 THE SEVEN ENVIRONMENTS IN ENVIRONMENTAL CLASSIFIER
 
 

 
 
 
 
 Quiet  Soft Speech  Loud Speech 

Speech in 
moderate noise 

Speech in
loud noise 
Moderate noise  Loud noise 
 < 54 db < 60 dB  > 60 dB  < 75 dB  > 75 dB  < 75 dB 

> 75 db 

* Time used to determine an environment: 4 seconds or less