IP Library Granted Patent US 9,203,972
Granted Patent B2
US 9,203,972 · App. 13/617,656 · Granted Dec 1, 2015

Efficient audio signal processing in the sub-band regime

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,203,972
App. No.
13/617,656
Granted
Dec 1, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

A signal processing system enhances an audio signal. The audio signal is divided into audio sub-band signals. Some audio sub-band signals are excised. Other audio sub-band signals are processed to obtain enhanced audio sub-band signals. At least a portion of the excised audio sub-band signals are reconstructed. The reconstructed audio sub-band signals are synthesized with the enhanced audio sub-band signals to form an enhanced audio signal.

Claims (57)

1. A method for audio signal processing, comprising:

dividing a microphone signal into microphone sub-band signals;

excising a predetermined number of the microphone sub-band signals for predetermined sub-bands;

processing the remaining microphone sub-band signals by attenuating noise or echo components in the remaining microphone sub-band signals to obtain enhanced microphone sub-band signals; and

reconstructing microphone sub-band signals for the predetermined sub-bands for which microphone sub-band signals were excised, where each of the excised microphone sub-band signals is reconstructed from the enhanced microphone sub-band signals obtained by processing the remaining microphone sub-band signals;

wherein attenuating the noise or echo components comprises:

dividing a reference signal into reference sub-band signals:

excising a predetermined number of the reference sub-band signals that is equal to the predetermined number of excised microphone sub-band signals for the same predetermined sub-bands:

adapting filter coefficients of an echo compensation filter based on the remaining reference sub-band signals: and

filtering the remaining microphone sub-band signals with the adapted filter coefficients.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the microphone sub-band signals and the reference sub-band signals are down-sampled with respect to the microphone signal and the reference signal, respectively, by the same down-sampling factor.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of excising the predetermined number of the microphone sub-band signals comprises:

excising each of the microphone sub-band signals with an odd index number and maintaining each of the microphone sub-band signals with an even index number; or

excising each of the microphone sub-band signals with an even index number and maintaining each of the microphone sub-band signals with an odd index number.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the act of excising the predetermined number of the microphone sub-band signals comprises excising a greater percentage of the microphone sub-band signals that are above or below a predetermined frequency threshold.

5. A method of for audio signal processing, comprising:

dividing a microphone signal into microphone sub-band signals;

excising a predetermined number of the microphone sub-band signals for predetermined sub-bands:

processing the remaining microphone sub-band signals to obtain enhanced microphone sub-band signals; and

reconstructing microphone sub-band signals for the predetermined sub-bands for which microphone sub-band signals were excised, where each of the excised microphone sub-band signals is reconstructed from the enhanced microphone sub-band signals obtained by processing the remaining microphone sub-band signals:

wherein the act of reconstructing the microphone sub-band signals comprises reconstructing an excised microphone sub-band signal by averaging remaining microphone sub-band signals that are adjacent in time to the excised microphone sub-band signal.

6. A method for audio signal processing, comprising:

dividing a microphone signal into microphone sub-band signals;

excising a predetermined number of the microphone sub-band signals for predetermined sub-bands;

processing the remaining microphone sub-band signals to obtain enhanced microphone sub-band signals; and

reconstructing microphone sub-band signals for the predetermined sub-bands for which microphone sub-band signals were excised, where each of the excised microphone sub-band signals is reconstructed from the enhanced microphone sub-band signals obtained by processing the remaining microphone sub-band signals;

wherein the act of reconstructing the microphone sub-band signals comprises reconstructing excised microphone sub-band signals from a particular time by interpolation of remaining microphone sub-band signals from the particular time and remaining microphone sub-band signals that are adjacent in time.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the interpolation is performed by interpolation matrices that are approximated by their main diagonals and secondary diagonals, respectively.

8. A signal processing system, comprising:

an analysis filter bank configured to divide an audio signal into audio sub-band. signals;

a first filter configured to excise a subset of the audio sub-band signals;

a second filter configured to process a remaining subset of the audio sub-band signals to obtain enhanced audio sub-band signals;

a processor configured to reconstruct at least a portion of the subset of the audio sub-band signals that were excised; and

a synthesis filter bank configured to synthesize the reconstructed audio sub-band signals with the enhanced audio sub-band signals to form an enhanced audio signal;

wherein the processor is configured to average a first signal of the enhanced audio sub-band signals and a second signal of the enhanced audio sub-band signals to generate an audio sub-band signal to replace one of the excised audio sub-band signals.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the processor is configured to reconstruct the excised subset of the audio sub-band signals from the remaining subset of the audio sub-band signals.

10. The signal processing system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a microphone configured to detect the audio signal and pass the audio signal to the analysis filter bank.

11. The system of claim 8 , further comprising:

a post-filter configured to filter the enhanced audio sub-band signals to reduce background noise or residual echoes.

12. A signal processing system comprising:

an analysis filter bank configured to divide an audio signal into audio sub-band signals;

a first filter configured to excise a subset of the audio sub-band signals;

a second filter configured to process a remaining subset of the audio sub-band signals to obtain enhanced audio sub-band signals;

a processor configured to reconstruct at least a portion of the bset of the audio sub-band signals that were excised; and

a synthesis filter bank configured to synthesize the reconstructed audio sub-band signals with the enhanced audio sub-band signals to form an enhanced audio signal;

wherein the processor is configured to reconstruct excised audio sub-band signals from a particular time by interpolation of remaining audio sub-band signals from the particular time and remaining audio sub-band signals that are adjacent in time.

13. A signal processing system comprising:

an analysis filter bank configured to divide an audio signal into audio sub-band signals;

a first filter configured to excise a subset of the audio sub-band signals;

a second filter configured to process a remaining subset of the audio sub-band signals to obtain enhanced audio sub-band signals;

a processor configured to reconstruct at least a portion of the subset of the audio sub-band signals that were excised; and

a synthesis filter bank configured to synthesize the reconstructed audio sub-band signals with the enhanced audio sub-band signals to form an enhanced audio signal;

wherein the second filter comprises an echo compensation filter, the system further comprising:

an analysis filter bank configured to divide a reference signal into reference sub-band signals;

a third filter configured to excise a subset of the reference sub-band signals that is equal in number to the excised subset of the audio sub-band signals; and

where the echo compensation filter is configured to be adapted based on a remaining subset of the reference sub-band signals, where the echo compensation filter is configured to use adapted filter coefficients to remove echo components from at least a portion of the remaining subset of the audio sub-band signals.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE (REEL 052935 / FRAME 0584) Recorded Jan 2, 2025
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069797/0818 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE THE CONVEYANCE DOCUMENT WITH THE NEW ASSIGNMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 050836 FRAME: 0191. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 19, 2022
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 059804/0186 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 15, 2020
From: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 052935/0584 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2020
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 052927/0335 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
Reel/Frame 050953/0133 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 050836 FRAME: 0191. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 29, 2019
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 050871/0001 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 23, 2019
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE INC.
Reel/Frame 050836/0191 →