Controlling audio signals

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9698916-B2
Application number	US-201313914786-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 8, 2010
Publication date	Jul 4, 2017
Grant date	Jul 4, 2017

Abstract

One or more embodiments describe controlling audio signals at a user device during a communication session between the user device and a remote node, in which a primary audio signal is received at audio input means of the user device for transmission to the remote node in the communication session. It is determined whether the user device is operating in a first or a second mode. In dependence upon determining that the user device is operating in the first mode, the secondary audio signals are selectively suppressed from being output from the user device during the communication session.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
receiving a speech signal at audio input means of a user device for transmission to a remote node in a communication session;
determining, using a processor of the user device and based at least in part on activity of an echo canceller or an echo suppressor at the user device, whether the user device is operating in a first mode or a second mode, the determining comprising:
determining that the user device is operating in the first mode if the activity of the echo canceller or the echo suppressor indicates that a signal strength of secondary audio signals generated by an application which is not involved with the communication session are above a threshold strength thereby indicating that the secondary audio signals are likely to disturb the speech signal received at the audio input means; and
determining that the user device is operating in the second mode if the activity of the echo canceller or the echo suppressor indicates that the signal strength of the secondary audio signals generated by the application are below the threshold strength thereby indicating that the secondary audio signals are unlikely to disturb the speech signal received at the audio input means; and selectively suppressing the secondary audio signals generated by the application from being output from the user device during the communication session if it is determined that the user device is operating in the first mode, and not suppressing the secondary audio signals from being output from the user device during the communication session if it is determined that the user device is operating in the second mode.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the first mode comprises a hands-free mode, and wherein the second mode comprises a non-hands-free mode.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the hands-free mode comprises a mode in which an open microphone and a speaker located in a housing of the user device are configured to receive and output audio signals.

4. The method of claim 2 , wherein the non-hands-free mode comprises a mode in which a headphone is used which includes a directional microphone and one or more earpieces for receiving and outputting audio signals respectively.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the user device is operating in the first mode or the second mode is based at least in part on determining a type of the user device.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein said determining a type of the user device comprises determining a device ID identifying the type of the user device.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the user device is operating in the first mode or the second mode is based at least in part on determining a type of the audio input means.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the determining whether the user device is operating in the first mode or the second mode is based at least in part on accessing an indicator of a current mode of the user device from memory of the user device.

9. A computing device comprising:
audio input means for receiving a primary audio signal for transmission to a remote node in a communication session;
at least a memory and a processor configured to:
determine whether the computing device is operating in a first mode or a second mode based at least in part on activity of an echo canceller or an echo suppressor at the computing device by:
determining that the computing device is operating in the first mode if the activity of the echo canceller or the echo suppressor indicates that a signal strength of secondary audio signals generated by an application which is not involved with the communication session are above a threshold strength thereby indicating that the secondary audio signals are likely to disturb a primary audio signal received at the audio input means; and
determining that the computing device is operating in the second mode if the activity of the echo canceller or the echo suppressor indicates that the signal strength of the secondary audio signals generated by the application are below the threshold strength thereby indicating that the secondary audio signals are unlikely to disturb the primary audio signal received at the audio input means; and
suppress the secondary audio signals generated by the application from being output from the computing device during the communication session if the computing device is operating in the first mode.

10. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the computing device comprises a mobile phone.

11. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the computing device comprises a television.

12. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is further configured to not suppress the secondary audio signals from being output from the computing device during the communication session if the computing device is operating in the second mode.

13. The computing device of claim 12 , wherein the first mode comprises a hands-free mode, and wherein the second mode comprises a non-hands-free mode.

14. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the computing device is operating in the first mode or the second mode based at least in part on determining a type of the computing device.

15. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the computing device is operating in the first mode or the second mode based at least in part on determining a type of the audio input means.

16. The computing device of claim 9 , wherein the processor is configured to determine whether the computing device is operating in the first mode or the second mode based at least in part on accessing an indicator of a current mode of the computing device from memory of the computing device.

17. A system comprising
one or more processors;
one or more memories comprising instructions stored thereon that, responsive to execution by the one or more processors, perform a method comprising:
determining whether the computing device is operating in a first mode or a second mode during a communication session by analyzing activity of an echo canceller or an echo suppressor at the computing device, the determining comprising:
determining that the computing device is operating in the first mode if the activity of the echo canceller or the echo suppressor indicates that a signal strength of secondary audio signals generated by an application which is not involved with the communication session are above a threshold strength thereby indicating that the secondary audio signals are likely to disturb a primary audio signal received during the communication session; and
determining that the computing device is operating in the second mode if the activity of the echo canceller or the echo suppressor indicates that the signal strength of the secondary audio signals generated by the application are below the threshold strength thereby indicating that the secondary audio signals are unlikely to disturb the primary audio signal received during the communication session; and
selectively suppressing the secondary audio signals generated by the application from being output from the computing device during the communication session if it is determined that the computing device is operating in the first mode, and not suppressing the secondary audio signals from being output from the computing device during the communication session if it is determined that the computing device is operating in the second mode.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein the first mode

Assignees

• Skype

Inventors

• Ohlmeier Nils

Classifications

• G10L21/02

  Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation (reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08) · CPC title

• H04M1/6041

  Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use · CPC title

• H04M1/605

  involving control of the receiver volume to provide a dual operational mode at close or far distance from the user · CPC title

• H04M1/20

  Arrangements for preventing acoustic feed-back (H04M1/62 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04M9/082

  using echo cancellers (echo cancellers per se H04B3/23) · CPC title