User satisfaction based microphone array

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11818556-B2
Application number	US-202117451758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2021
Priority date	Oct 21, 2021
Publication date	Nov 14, 2023
Grant date	Nov 14, 2023

Abstract

One example method includes performing sound quality operations. Microphone arrays are used to cancel or reduce or suppress background noise and to enhance speech. Subjective user input is received by an orchestration engine. The orchestration engine generates an output that includes at least adjustments to a microphone array. Controlling the microphone array based, in part, on subjective user feedback, allows desired speech or desired sound to be heard more clearly by the user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method, comprising:
receiving user input via a user interface presented on a device associated with the user into an orchestration engine;
generating an output, by the orchestration engine, in response to the user input, wherein the output includes adjustments configured to optimize sound quality of sound heard by the user and output by the device; and
adjusting at least a microphone array associated with the device with the adjustments.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving additional user inputs and generating additional outputs that include additional adjustments.

3. The method of claim 2 , further comprising adjusting the microphone array based on the additional adjustments.

4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving second user input from a second user via a second user interface on a second device.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the adjustments include first adjustments for the microphone array and second adjustments for a second microphone array associated with the second device.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising making additional adjustments when metrics associated with a sound quality are below a threshold as measured by receiving more user inputs.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the first and second microphone arrays form a distributed microphone array and are located in the same environment.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating adjustments to multiple microphone arrays based on inputs from multiple users, wherein the adjustments are distinct for each of the multiple users.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user input received via the user interface includes subjective input including one or more of a noise satisfaction input, a loudness satisfaction input, a clarity satisfaction input, a comfort level satisfaction input, or combination thereof.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the orchestration engine comprises a machine learning model configured to receive input from at least one microphone array and generate output to control the at least one microphone array.

11. A non-transitory storage medium having stored therein instructions that are executable by one or more hardware processors to perform operations comprising:
receiving user input via a user interface presented on a device associated with the user into an orchestration engine;
generating an output, by the orchestration engine, in response to the user input, wherein the output includes adjustments configured to optimize sound quality of sound heard by the user and output by the device; and
adjusting at least a microphone array associated with the device with the adjustments.

12. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising receiving additional user inputs and generating additional outputs that include additional adjustments.

13. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 12 , further comprising adjusting the microphone array based on the additional adjustments.

14. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising receiving second user input from a second user via a second user interface on a second device.

15. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 14 , wherein the adjustments include first adjustments for the microphone array and second adjustments for a second microphone array associated with the second device.

16. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising making additional adjustments when metrics associated with a sound quality are below a threshold as measured by receiving more user inputs.

17. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 15 , wherein the first and second microphone arrays form a distributed microphone array and are located in the same environment.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , further comprising generating adjustments to multiple microphone arrays based on inputs from multiple users, wherein the adjustments are distinct for each of the multiple users.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the user input received via the user interface includes subjective input including one or more of a noise satisfaction input, a loudness satisfaction input, a clarity satisfaction input, a comfort level satisfaction input, or combination thereof.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the orchestration engine comprises a machine learning model configured to receive input from at least one microphone array and generate output to control the at least one microphone array.

Assignees

• Emc Ip Holding Co Llc

Inventors

• Sha Danqing
• Seibel Amy N
• Bruno Eric
• Jia Zhen

Classifications

• H04R3/005 Primary

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title

• G06F3/165

  Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path · CPC title

• H04R1/406

  microphones · CPC title

• G06N20/00

  Machine learning · CPC title

• G10L21/0232

  Processing in the frequency domain · CPC title