Low delay moving-horizon multiple-description audio coding forwireless hearing aids

Abstract

In this work, we construct a novel scheme for efficient perceptual coding of audio for robust communication between encoders and wireless hearing aids. To limit the physical size of the hearing aids and to reduce power consumption and thereby increase the lifetime expectancy of the batteries, the hearing aids are constrained to be of low complexity. We therefore provide an asymmetric strategy where most of the computational load is placed at the encoding side. We make use of multiple-description coding. This combats possible erasures on the wireless link between the encoder and the hearing aids without introducing significant delay. Furthermore, we employ psychoacoustically optimized noise-shaping quantizers based on the moving-horizon principle, which exploits a finite prediction horizon.

Zero-Delay Multiple Descriptions of Stationary Scalar Gauss-Markov Sources

“…Real-time communication is desirable in many modern applications, e.g., Internet of Things [ 1 ], audio transmission for hearing aids [ 2 ], stereo audio signals [ 3 ], on-line video conferencing [ 4 ], or systems involving feedback, such as networked control systems [ 5 , 6 , 7 ]. All these scenarios may operate under strict requirements on latency and reliability.…”

“…Thus, analog joint source-channel coding is only applicable in a very limited amount of settings. Digital low-delay MD coding for practical audio transmission has been explored in, e.g., [ 2 , 4 , 24 ], as well as for low-delay video coding in [ 25 ]. Some initial work regarding MDs in networked control systems may be found in [ 26 ].…”