Patient App: How does Adaptive Volume work with Hearing Scoring?

Our Adaptive Volume feature is designed to tailor the difficulty of auditory exercises to each user's hearing abilities, ensuring an effective and personalized training experience.

 

Adaptive Volume

  1. Real-Time Adjustments: The Adaptive Volume feature dynamically adjusts the volume of background noise during auditory exercises.
  2. Purpose: This ensures that users are consistently challenged at an appropriate level, helping to improve their ability to understand speech in noisy environments.

Hearing Scoring

  1. Initial Assessment: Users undergo an initial assessment to determine their baseline hearing ability and sensitivity to background noise.
  2. Scoring Criteria: Scores are based on the user's ability to understand speech against varying levels of background noise. This involves:
    • Accuracy: How accurately the user can repeat or comprehend speech.
    • Noise Intensity: The level of background noise present during the exercise.
    • Response Time: How quickly the user can process and respond to speech.

Integration of Adaptive Volume and Hearing Scoring

  1. Starting Point: Based on the initial assessment, users begin with a customized volume level for background noise that aligns with their current hearing abilities.
  2. Dynamic Adjustments:
    • As users perform exercises, the Adaptive Volume feature continuously adjusts the noise intensity.
    • If a user is performing well, the background noise volume may increase to provide a greater challenge.
    • Conversely, if a user is struggling, the background noise volume may decrease to make the exercise more manageable.
  3. Ongoing Assessment:
    • Users are regularly scored on their performance during exercises.
    • Scores are calculated based on accuracy, noise intensity, and response time.
  4. Progressive Difficulty:
    • The system uses these scores to adapt future exercises, ensuring that users are gradually exposed to higher levels of background noise as their skills improve.
    • This progressive increase in difficulty helps users build their ability to understand speech in increasingly noisy environments.

Speech in Noise - Thresholds of Understanding in Environments

  1. Very Quiet (1-10)
    • SNR Range: +15 dB and above
    • Description: Speech is significantly louder than background noise. Users can easily follow conversations without any strain.
    • Real-World Scenario: Having a conversation in a quiet room where there is minimal background noise.
  2. Quiet (11-30)
    • SNR Range: +10 to +14 dB
    • Description: Comfortable listening environment with some background noise, but speech remains clearly intelligible.
    • Real-World Scenario: Talking in a car with low road noise or in an office with mild ambient sound.
  3. Moderately Loud (31-50)
    • SNR Range: +5 to +9 dB
    • Description: Moderate background noise where users can understand speech with some effort; may miss nuances or lower-spoken words.
    • Real-World Scenario: Conversations in a busy cafe or during a family dinner in a moderately noisy home.
  4. Noisy (51-70)
    • SNR Range: +1 to +4 dB
    • Description: Background noise is close to the level of speech; understanding requires considerable effort.
    • Real-World Scenario: Talking in a noisy restaurant or at a social gathering with background music and chatter.
  5. Very Noisy (71-90)
    • SNR Range: 0 to +4 dB
    • Description: Speech and noise are at similar levels; understanding speech requires significant effort and concentration.
    • Real-World Scenario: Trying to communicate in environments like busy urban streets or crowded public transit.
  6. Extremely Noisy (90-100)
    • SNR Range: Below 0 dB
    • Description: Background noise is louder than speech, making it very difficult to follow conversations without additional auditory and visual support.
    • Real-World Scenario: Attempting to hold a conversation in very loud settings such as near heavy machinery, during loud events, or in entertainment venues.

Rapid Speech - Compression Ratio (CR) Categories

  1. Deliberate (1-10)
    • CR Range: Below 0.35
    • Description: Extremely slow and deliberate speech for clear comprehension.
    • Real-World Scenario: Interactions requiring extremely slow and repetitive speech, possibly supplemented with visual aids or sign language.
  2. Leisurely (11-30)
    • CR Range: 0.5 to 0.35
    • Description: Much slower than normal speech to ensure clarity and comprehension.
    • Real-World Scenario: Situations like therapy sessions or instructional environments where speech is slow-paced and highly controlled.
  3. Clear (31-50)
    • CR Range: 0.7 to 0.55
    • Description: Clear and somewhat slower than usual speech to facilitate understanding.
    • Real-World Scenario: Settings such as customer service interactions or educational videos designed for non-native speakers.
  4. Casual (51-70)
    • CR Range: 0.85 to 0.75
    • Description: Deliberate speech to aid comprehension, typical in learning or detailed explanation contexts.
    • Real-World Scenario: Casual conversations where speakers intentionally slow down, like explaining directions or teaching.
  5. Fluid (71-90)
    • CR Range: 1.0 to 0.9
    • Description: Conversations feel natural and fluid, with minimal need for repetitions.
    • Real-World Scenario: Participating in everyday conversations that flow quickly or watching a news broadcast.
  6. Rapid (90-100)
    • CR Range: 1.1 to 1.05
    • Description: Involves rapid exchanges without missing details, suitable for very fast-paced and demanding settings.
    • Real-World Scenario: Listening to rapid details at the end of a drug commercial or following fast sports commentary.

Key Points

  • Personalized Experience: Adaptive Volume ensures each user receives a personalized training experience tailored to their hearing abilities.
  • Continuous Challenge: By dynamically adjusting the noise level, users are continually challenged at an appropriate level.
  • Effective Training: This approach helps users progressively improve their ability to understand speech in noisy environments, which is crucial for real-world listening situations.

Our Adaptive Volume feature, combined with our detailed Hearing Scoring system, ensures that users receive the most effective and personalized auditory training experience possible.