In the last decade, hearing aid technology has advanced rapidly. Digital hearing aids have become widely available. Paralleling the advancements in hearing aids has been the rapid development in wireless communications. Digital cell phone has become an indispensable tool that enables people to communicate wirelessly around the nation or the world wherever the service is available. The acoustic characteristics of a cell phone, however, are designed for users with normal hearing. People with sensory hearing loss would have to ware hearing aids to properly use the cell phone. It is inefficient and cumbersome to have to use two (digital) devices for making a simple wireless call. In addition, many digital wireless phones can emits electromagnetic energy that interferes with hearing aids, turning amplified sounds into static and squeals. FCC, for example, has issued a requirement that cell phone manufactures need to provided hearing aids friendly phones by 2008. Recognizing that cell phones are digital devices that have all the necessary hardware components to support the function of hearing aids, the specific aims of this project are: (1) to develop the software needed to enable hearing aid functions on a cell phone so that people with hearing loss could make a wireless call without the need of hearing aids. (2) To develop and modify system software of the cell phone so that it could be used as alternative, stand-alone hearing aids at off-line (not making a call) mode. (3) To develop advanced noise reduction and speech enhancement programs that otherwise would be difficult to implement on the resource-limited hardware of digital hearing aids. The long-term goal of the project is to develop the necessary software and hardware to enable and enhance hearing aids functions on cell phones. The hearing aid enabled, cell phone system is expected to be an economic, efficient, and effective device of communication for people with sensory hearing loss.
