Adaptive feedback cancellation based on interaural level difference using lattice filter with correlation control for binaural hearing devices

Abstract

This paper proposes a correlation control method for linear prediction filters based on howling detection using binaural information in hearing aids. In a closed-loop system, high autocorrelation of the input signal can cause estimation errors owing to biased solutions, resulting in an acoustic artifact known as entrainment. Adaptive feedback cancellation (AFC) based on the linear prediction error method (PEM) has been successfully used as a solution to this bias. However, if the convergence speed of the linear prediction filter is faster than the estimated speed of the feedback path, removal of the feedback signal would be difficult. The proposed method uses a strategy to improve convergence by detecting howling based on the interaural level difference (ILD) and controlling the decorrelation performance of the correlation control algorithm of the adaptive lattice filter. Experimental results indicate that the adaptive filter of the proposed method significantly improves the estimation accuracy and tracking performance. The robustness of the proposed method is also confirmed via objective and subjective evaluation experiments on the generation of artifacts. Experimental results obtained using autocorrelated input signals show that the proposed method significantly improves robustness to entrainment compared to the conventional bilateral AFC method.