System and method for in cabin communication

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016119712-A1
Application number	US-201414525695-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 28, 2014
Priority date	Oct 28, 2014
Publication date	Apr 28, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system and methods are disclosed for improving communication between occupants in a cabin of a vehicle. A source location of a speaking occupant and an output location of a loudspeaker is identified using a microphone array. A beam forming module directs a main beam at the source location and a null beam at the output location. An audible communication from the speaking occupant is received with the microphone array, filtered with a spatial filter based on the main beam and the null beam and broadcast over the loudspeaker.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method for improving communication between occupants in a cabin, comprising:
forming a main beam directed at a source location using a beam forming module; forming a null beam directed at an output location using the beam forming module; receiving an audible communication from a speaking occupant with at least one microphone in a microphone array and generating a microphone signal; filtering the microphone signal using a spatial filter based on the main beam and the null beam to generate a beam former output signal; and broadcasting the beam former output signal over the loudspeaker.

2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
identifying the source location of the speaking occupant using the microphone array including at least two microphones.

3 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing the main beam at a predetermined location, the predetermined location stored in a memory and corresponding to the source location relative to the microphone array.

4 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
forming a first main beam directed at a first source location using a first beam forming module; forming a second main beam directed at a second source location using a second beam forming module; and broadcasting the sum of the first and second beam former output signals over the loudspeaker.

5 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
filtering the microphone signal by selecting the main beam based on which of the occupants is identified as the speaking occupant.

6 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
directing at least one null beam at each of a plurality of output locations.

7 . A system for improving communication between occupants in a cabin, comprising:
an electronic control module having a processor and a memory; a microphone array configured to receive an audible communication from a speaking occupant and generate a microphone signal in response thereto; a loudspeaker having an output location, and the loudspeaker configured to broadcast a beam former output signal; a beam forming module configured to form a main beam directed at a source location and a null beam directed at the output location; and a spatial filter configured to filter the microphone signal based on the main beam and the null beam, and to generate the beam former output signal based on the microphone signal.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the microphone array comprises at least two microphones.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the source location is defined in the memory as a predetermined location relative to the microphone array, wherein the main beam is directed at the predetermined location.

10 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a plurality of beam forming modules each configured to form a main beam directed at one of a plurality of source locations and a null beam directed at the output location, each beam forming module generating a partial beam former output signal, and wherein the beam former output signal is the summation of each of the partial beam former output signals.

11 . The system of claim 7 , wherein a plurality of source locations are defined in the memory as predetermined locations relative to the microphone array, wherein the main beam is directed at one of the predetermined locations based on the source location of the speaking occupant.

12 . The system of claim 7 , wherein at least one null beam is directed at each of a plurality of output locations.

13 . The system of claim 7 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to identify the source location of the speaking occupant.

14 . A vehicle, comprising:
a cabin; and a system for improving communication between occupants in the cabin, the system including:
an electronic control module having a processor and a memory;
a microphone array for receiving an audible communication from a speaking occupant and generating a microphone signal in response thereto;
a loudspeaker having an output location, the loudspeaker configured to broadcast a beam former output signal;
a beam forming module forming a main beam directed at a source location and a null beam directed at the output location; and
a spatial filter configured to filter the microphone signal based on the main beam and the null beam and to generate the beam former output signal based on the microphone signal.

15 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the microphone array comprises at least two microphones.

16 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein the source location is defined in the memory as a predetermined location relative to the microphone array, wherein the main beam is directed at the predetermined location.

17 . The vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising:
a plurality of beam forming modules each configured to form a main beam directed at one of a plurality of source locations and a null beam directed at the output location, each beam forming module generating a partial beam former output signal, and wherein the beam former output signal is the summation of each of the partial beam former output signals.

18 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein a plurality of source locations are defined in the memory as predetermined locations relative to the microphone array, and wherein the main beam is directed at one of the predetermined locations based on the source location of the speaking occupant.

19 . The vehicle of claim 14 , wherein at least one null beam is directed at each of a plurality of output locations.

20 . The vehicle of claim 14 , further comprising:
a sensor configured to identify the source location of the speaking occupant.

Assignees

• Gm Global Tech Operations Inc

Inventors

• Tzirkel-Hancock Eli
• Chowdhury Md-Foezur Rahman
• Shahmurad Bassam S
• Malka Ilan

Classifications

• H04R1/326

  for microphones (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04R3/005

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

• H04R1/323 Primary

  for loudspeakers (H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2430/23

  Direction finding using a sum-delay beam-former · CPC title

• H04R2201/403

  Linear arrays of transducers · CPC title