System and Method for Personalization of an Audio Equalizer

摘要

The invention is directed to synthesizing a personalized audio equalization filter based on an individual's hearing profile when listening to audio signals using a preferred electronic means of transduction and production of the audio signals through headphones, earphones, or loudspeakers and is presented in two steps. In the first step, the deviation of the listener's hearing profile, when the preferred listening device is donned, is measured and recorded relative to predetermined equal-loudness contours (e.g., ISO standard equal-loudness contours). The hearing profile is used to compute an equalization filter such that when the audio signal to be reproduced is played through the filter, the equal-loudness contour for a specified phon level is restored. Thus, the invention compensates for deviations of the user's listening device, the user's own hearing profile from a standard hearing profile that represents natural hearing, and other factors. The equalization filter can be adapted to any phon level through adaptation of filter coefficients as a function of the volume of the listening level.

主权项

1. A method for automatically generating a personalized equalization filter for listener, the method comprising:
measuring a first hearing profile of the listener as a deviation of a first recorded response profile, obtained from a first equal loudness hearing test when the listener is listening through a personal listening device in a personal listening environment, from a first reference equal-loudness contour associated with a first given phon level; automatically generating a first personalized equalization filter based on the measured deviation of the first hearing profile such that application of the personalized equalization filter to an audio signal played through the personal listening device provides an equalized listening profile that recovers the equal-loudness contour for which the hearing profile was measured; and applying the first personalized equalization filter to an audio signal played through the personal listening device.