Acoustic path modeling for signal enhancement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10957334-B2
Application number	US-201816224022-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 18, 2018
Priority date	Dec 18, 2018
Publication date	Mar 23, 2021
Grant date	Mar 23, 2021

Abstract

Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for signal enhancement are presented. One example of such an apparatus includes a receiver configured to produce a remote speech signal from information carried by a wireless signal; a signal canceller configured to perform a signal cancellation operation on a local speech signal to generate a room response; and a filter configured to filter the remote speech signal according to the room response to produce a filtered speech signal. In this example, the signal cancellation operation is based on the remote speech signal as a reference signal.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for signal enhancement, the apparatus comprising:
a memory configured to store a first local speech signal that includes speech information from a first microphone output signal and a second local speech signal that includes speech information from a second microphone output signal; and
a processor configured to:
receive the first local speech signal and the second local speech signal;
produce a remote speech signal that includes speech information carried by a wireless signal;
perform a signal cancellation operation, which is based on the remote speech signal as a reference signal, on at least the first local speech signal and the second local speech signal to generate a binaural room response; and
filter the remote speech signal according to the binaural room response to produce a filtered speech signal.

2. The apparatus for signal enhancement according to claim 1 , wherein the processor configured to perform the signal cancellation operation is configured to:
filter the remote speech signal to produce a first replica signal and a second replica signal;
subtract the first replica signal from the first local speech signal; and
subtract the second replica signal from the second local speech signal.

3. The apparatus for signal enhancement according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is configured to generate the binaural room response as a set of filter coefficient values.

4. The apparatus for signal enhancement according to claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to combine the filtered speech signal with a signal that is based on the first local speech signal to produce an audio output signal.

5. A hearable including the apparatus for signal enhancement according to claim 1 and configured to be worn at an ear of a user, the hearable further comprising a first microphone configured to produce the first microphone output signal and a loudspeaker configured to reproduce a signal based on the filtered speech signal.

6. The hearable according to claim 5 , wherein the hearable comprises an integrated circuit that includes at least the processor.

7. The hearable according to claim 5 , wherein the hearable further comprises:
a second microphone configured to produce the second microphone output signal and arranged to be worn at another ear of the user; and
a transmitter configured to transmit a signal based on the second microphone output signal.

8. The hearable according to claim 5 , wherein the hearable further comprises a transmitter configured to transmit, via magnetic induction, a signal based on the speech information carried by the wireless signal.

9. A method of signal enhancement, the method comprising:
receiving a first local speech signal that includes speech information from a first microphone output signal;
receiving a second local speech signal that includes speech information from a second microphone output signal;
producing a remote speech signal that includes speech information carried by a wireless signal;
performing a signal cancellation operation, which is based on the remote speech signal as a reference signal, on at least the first local speech signal and the second local speech signal to generate a binaural room response; and
filtering the remote speech signal according to the binaural room response to produce a filtered speech signal.

10. The method for signal enhancement according to claim 9 , wherein performing the signal cancellation operation comprises:
filtering the remote speech signal to produce a replica signal; and
subtracting the replica signal from the first local speech signal.

11. The method for signal enhancement according to claim 9 , wherein the binaural room response is a set of filter coefficient values.

12. The method for signal enhancement according to claim 9 , the method further comprising combining the filtered speech signal with a signal that is based on the first local speech signal and the second local speech signal to produce an audio output signal.

13. The method for signal enhancement according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises transmitting, via magnetic induction, a signal based on the speech information carried by the wireless signal.

14. The method for signal enhancement according to claim 9 , wherein the speech information included in the first local speech signal, the speech information included in the second local speech signal, and the speech information carried by the wireless signal are from the same acoustic speech signal.

15. The method of signal enhancement according to claim 9 , wherein the performing the signal cancellation operation comprises:
filtering the remote speech signal to produce a first replica signal and a second replica signal;
subtracting the first replica signal from the first local speech signal; and subtracting the second replica signal from the second local speech signal.

16. An apparatus for signal enhancement, the apparatus comprising:
means for producing a first local speech signal that includes speech information from a first microphone output signal;
means for producing a second local speech signal that includes speech information from a second microphone output signal;
means for producing a remote speech signal that includes speech information carried by a wireless signal;
means for performing a signal cancellation operation, which is based on the remote speech signal as a reference signal, on at least the first local speech signal and the second local speech signal to generate a binaural room response; and
means for filtering the remote speech signal according to the binaural room response to produce a filtered speech signal.

17. The apparatus for signal enhancement according to claim 16 , wherein the means for performing the signal cancellation operation comprises means for generating the binaural room response as a set of filter coefficient values.

18. The apparatus for signal enhancement according to claim 16 , wherein the means for performing the signal cancellation operation to generate the binaural room response comprises:
means for filtering the remote speech signal to produce a first replica signal and a second replica signal;
means for subtracting the first replica signal from the first local speech signal; and
means for subtracting the second replica signal from the second local speech signal.

19. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising code which, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to:
receive a first local speech signal that includes speech information from a first microphone output signal;
receive a second local speech signal that includes speech information from a second microphone output signal;
produce a remote speech signal that includes speech information carried by a wireless signal;
perform a signal cancellation operation, which is based on the remote speech signal as a reference signal, on at least the first local speech signal and the second local speech signal to generate a binaural room response; and
filter the remote speech signal according to the binaural room response to produce a filtered speech signal.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium according to claim 19 , wherein causing the at least one processor to perform the signal cancellation operation comprises causing the at least one processor to:
filter the remote speech signal to produce a first replica signal and a second replica signal;
subtract the first repl

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Kim Lae-Hoon
• Kaziunas Sharon
• Konertz Anne Katrin
• Visser Erik
• Hung Cheng-Yu
• Zhang Shuhua
• Saki Fatemeh
• Wang Dongmei

Classifications

• H04R5/0335

  Earpiece support, e.g. headbands or neckrests (for monophonic headphones H04R1/105) · CPC title

• H04R2201/107

  Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication · CPC title

• H04R3/04

  for correcting frequency response · CPC title

• H04R1/1016 Primary

  Earpieces of the intra-aural type · CPC title

• H04R5/04

  Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} · CPC title