IP Library Granted Patent US 8,768,406
Granted Patent B2
US 8,768,406 · App. 13/809,896 · Granted Jul 1, 2014

Background sound removal for privacy and personalization use

Inventors: Arie Heiman (Sde Warburg, IL); Uri Yehuday (Bat Yam, IL)
Assignee: Bone Tone Communications Ltd.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,768,406
App. No.
13/809,896
Granted
Jul 1, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

A system for background sound removal, the system may include: a noise reduction circuit arranged to apply a background sound reduction process on multiple samples of background sound and speech to provide first signals that comprise residual background sound; a background cancellation circuit arranged to remove the residual background sound from the first signals to provide second signals; and an output circuit arranged to output a mixture of the second signals and at least zero selected signals to a sound generating circuit that is arranged to output audio signals representative of the mixture.

Claims (35)

1. A system for background sound removal, the system comprises:

a noise reduction circuit arranged to apply a background sound reduction process on multiple samples of background sound and speech to provide first signals that comprise residual background sound;

a background cancellation circuit arranged to remove the residual background sound from the first signals to provide second signals; and

an output circuit arranged to output a mixture of the second signals and at least zero selected signals to a sound generating circuit that is arranged to output audio signals representative of the mixture.

2. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the output circuit is arranged to output only the second signals to the sound generating circuit.

3. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the output signals is arranged to output a mixture of the second signals and selected signals that are represent selected background sounds.

4. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the background cancellation circuit comprises a speech extractor circuit that is followed by a speech synthesis circuit.

5. The system according to claim 1 , comprising a selection circuit arranged to select the selected signals out of multiple signals representing different desired background sounds.

6. The system according to claim 1 , comprising a selection circuit arranged to select the selected signals out of at least one set of signals representing a desired background sound and the background sound.

7. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the selecting circuit and the sound generating circuit belong to a same communication device.

8. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the selecting circuit and the sound generating circuit belong to different components of a same communication device.

9. The system according to claim 1 , wherein the sound generating circuit belongs to a phone while the selection circuit belongs to a headset that is arranged to communicate with the phone.

10. The system according to claim 1 wherein the noise reduction circuit is arranged to receive the multiple samples from a plurality of microphones.

11. The system according to claim 1 comprising the sound generating circuit.

12. A method for background sound removal, the method comprises:

applying, by a noise reduction circuit, a background sound reduction process on multiple samples of background sound and speech to provide first signals that comprise residual background sound;

removing, by a background cancellation circuit, the residual background sound from the first signals to provide second signals; and

outputting, by an output circuit, a mixture of the second signals and at least zero selected signals to a sound generating circuit that is arranged to output audio signals representative of the mixture.

13. A non-transitory computer readable medium that stores instructions for:

applying a background sound reduction process on multiple samples of background sound and speech to provide first signals that comprise residual background sound;

removing the residual background sound from the first signals to provide second signals; and

outputting a mixture of the second signals and at least zero selected signals to a sound generating circuit that is arranged to output audio signals representative of the mixture.

14. A system for background sound removal, the system comprises:

a processor arranged to remove background sound from multiple samples from multiple microphones to provide background sound removed signals;

a memory arranged to store multiple samples of desired background sounds;

an interface coupled between the processor and a sound generating circuit;

wherein the processor is further adapted to: 3 determine whether to send to the sound generating circuit (a) only the background removed signals; or (b) a mixture of the background removed signals and samples representative of a desired background sound; and

provide to the sound generating circuit, via the interface, signals in response to the determination.

15. The system according to claim 14 wherein the processor comprises a noise reduction circuit arranged to apply a background sound reduction process on the multiple samples of background sound and speech to provide first signals that comprise residual background sound; and a background cancellation circuit arranged to remove the residual background sound from the first signals to provide second signals.

16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the background cancellation circuit comprises a speech extractor circuit that is followed by a speech synthesis circuit.

17. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is arranged to select the selected signals out of multiple signals representing different desired background sounds.

18. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the processor is arranged to select the selected signals out of at least one set of signals representing a desired background sound and the background sound.

19. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the selecting circuit and the sound generating circuit belong to a same communication device.

20. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the selecting circuit and the sound generating circuit belong to different components of a same communication device.

21. The system according to claim 14 , wherein the sound generating circuit belongs to a phone while the selection circuit belongs to a headset that is arranged to communicate with the phone.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 29, 2023
From: BONETONE COMMUNICATIONS (ISRAEL) LTD
To: DSP GROUP LTD.
Reel/Frame 064743/0194 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 20, 2013
From: HEIMAN, ARIE; YEHUDAY, URI
To: BONE TONE COMMUNICATIONS LTD.
Reel/Frame 031440/0301 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61372474 · Aug 11, 2010
Related Publication 20130137480A1 · May 30, 2013