Patent application number | Description | Published |
20130329895 | MICROPHONE OCCLUSION DETECTOR - Digital signal processing microphone occlusion detection is described that can be used with a noise suppression system that uses two types of noise estimators, including a more aggressive one based on two audio signals (such as for non-stationary noises) and a less aggressive one based on one audio signal (such as for stationary noises). Decisions are made on how to select or combine the outputs of the noise estimators into a usable noise estimate, based on an occlusion function. The occlusion detection may alternatively be used to trigger an alert to users of multi-microphone audio processing systems, such as smart phones, headsets, laptops and tablet computers. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. | 12-12-2013 |
20130332157 | AUDIO NOISE ESTIMATION AND AUDIO NOISE REDUCTION USING MULTIPLE MICROPHONES - Digital signal processing techniques for automatically reducing audible noise from a sound recording that contains speech. A noise suppression system uses two types of noise estimators, including a more aggressive one and less aggressive one. Decisions are made on how to select or combine their outputs into a usable noise estimate in a different speech and noise conditions. A 2-channel noise estimator is described. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. | 12-12-2013 |
20140072148 | BONE-CONDUCTION PICKUP TRANSDUCER FOR MICROPHONIC APPLICATIONS - A personal audio device has a bone conduction pickup transducer, having a housing of which a rigid outer wall has an opening formed therein. A volume of yielding material fills the opening in the rigid outer wall. An electronic vibration sensing element is embedded in the volume of yielding material. The housing is shaped, and the opening is located, so that the volume of yielding material comes into contact with an ear or cheek of a user who is using the personal audio device. Other embodiments are also described and claimed. | 03-13-2014 |
20140093091 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETECTING A USER'S VOICE ACTIVITY USING AN ACCELEROMETER - A method of detecting a user's voice activity in a headset with a microphone array is described herein. The method starts with a voice activity detector (VAD) generating a VAD output based on acoustic signals received from microphones included in a pair of earbuds and the microphone array included on a headset wire and data output by an accelerometer that is included in the pair of earbuds. A noise suppressor may then receive the acoustic signals from the microphone array and the VAD output and suppress the noise included in the acoustic signals received from the microphone array based on the VAD output. The method may also include steering one or more beamformers based on the VAD output. Other embodiments are also described. | 04-03-2014 |
20140093093 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF DETECTING A USER'S VOICE ACTIVITY USING AN ACCELEROMETER - A method of detecting a user's voice activity in a mobile device is described herein. The method starts with a voice activity detector (VAD) generating a VAD output based on (i) acoustic signals received from microphones included in the mobile device and (ii) data output by an inertial sensor that is included in an earphone portion of the mobile device. The inertial sensor may detect vibration of the user's vocal chords modulated by the user's vocal tract based on vibrations in bones and tissue of the user's head. A noise suppressor may then receive the acoustic signals from the microphones and the VAD output and suppress the noise included in the acoustic signals received from the microphones based on the VAD output. The method may also include steering one or more beamformers based on the VAD output. Other embodiments are also described. | 04-03-2014 |
20140270231 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF MIXING ACCELEROMETER AND MICROPHONE SIGNALS TO IMPROVE VOICE QUALITY IN A MOBILE DEVICE - A method of improving voice quality in a mobile device starts by receiving acoustic signals from microphones included in earbuds and the microphone array included on a headset wire. The headset may include the pair of earbuds and the headset wire. An output from an accelerometer that is included in the pair of earbuds is then received. The accelerometer may detect vibration of the user's vocal chords filtered by the vocal tract based on vibrations in bones and tissue of the user's head. A spectral mixer included in the mobile device may then perform spectral mixing of the scaled output from the accelerometer with the acoustic signals from the microphone array to generate a mixed signal. Performing spectral mixing includes scaling the output from the inertial sensor by a scaling factor based on a power ratio between the acoustic signals from the microphone array and the output from the inertial sensor. Other embodiments are also described. | 09-18-2014 |
20150245129 | SYSTEM AND METHOD OF IMPROVING VOICE QUALITY IN A WIRELESS HEADSET WITH UNTETHERED EARBUDS OF A MOBILE DEVICE - Method of improving voice quality using a wireless headset with untethered earbuds starts by receiving first acoustic signal from first microphone included in first untethered earbud and receiving second acoustic signal from second microphone included in second untethered earbud. First inertial sensor output is received from first inertial sensor included in first earbud and second inertial sensor output is received from second inertial sensor included in second earbud. First earbud processes first noise/wind level captured by first microphone, first acoustic signal and first inertial sensor output and second earbud processes second noise/wind level captured by second microphone, second acoustic signal, and second inertial sensor output. First and second noise/wind levels and first and second inertial sensor outputs are communicated between the earbuds. First earbud transmits first acoustic signal and first inertial sensor output when first noise and wind level is lower than second noise/wind level. Other embodiments are described. | 08-27-2015 |
20150325251 | SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUDIO NOISE PROCESSING AND NOISE REDUCTION - Electronic system for audio noise processing and noise reduction comprises: first and second noise estimators, selector and attenuator. First noise estimator processes first audio signal from voice beamformer (VB) and generate first noise estimate. VB generates first audio signal by beamforming audio signals from first and second audio pick-up channels. Second noise estimator processes first and second audio signal from noise beamformer (NB), in parallel with first noise estimator and generates second noise estimate. NB generates second audio signal by beamforming audio signals from first and second audio pick-up channels. First and second audio signals include frequencies in first and second frequency regions. Selector's output noise estimate may be a) second noise estimate in the first frequency region, and b) first noise estimate in the second frequency region. Attenuator attenuates first audio signal in accordance with output noise estimate. Other embodiments are also described. | 11-12-2015 |