IP Library Granted Patent US 10,037,753
Granted Patent B2
US 10,037,753 · App. 15/629,711 · Granted Jul 31, 2018

Multi-sensor signal optimization for speech communication

Inventors: Siew Kok Hui (Singapore, SG); Eng Sui Tan (Singapore, SG)
Assignee: BITWAVE PTE LTD.
G10K11/16G10L21/0232H04R1/083H04R3/005G10L2021/02166H04R2201/107H04R2410/05H04R2410/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,037,753
App. No.
15/629,711
Granted
Jul 31, 2018
Kind
B2
Abstract

Systems, methods, and apparatus for facilitating multi-sensor signal optimization for speech communication are presented herein. A sensor component including acoustic sensors can be configured to detect sound and generate, based on the sound, first sound information associated with a first sensor of the acoustic sensors and second sound information associated with a second sensor of the acoustic sensors. Further, an audio processing component can be configured to generate filtered sound information based on the first sound information, the second sound information, and a spatial filter associated with the acoustic sensors; determine noise levels for the first sound information, the second sound information, and the filtered sound information; and generate output sound information based on a selection of one of the noise levels or a weighted combination of the noise levels.

Claims (40)

1. A system, comprising:

a sensor component comprising acoustic sensors configured to detect sound and generate, based on the sound, first sound information corresponding to a bone conduction microphone of the acoustic sensors and second sound information corresponding to an air conduction microphone of the acoustic sensors; and

an audio processing component configured to:

generate filtered sound information based on the first sound information, the second sound information, and a spatial filter associated with the acoustic sensors;

determine noise levels for the first sound information, the second sound information, and the filtered sound information; and

generate output sound information based on a selection of one of the noise levels or a weighted combination of the noise levels.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the bone conduction microphone is positioned adjacent to the air conduction microphone within a structure of the system.

3. The system of claim 2 , wherein the structure comprises rubber.

4. The system of claim 2 , further comprising:

a foam material positioned between the structure and the acoustic sensors.

5. The system of claim 2 , wherein the structure comprises an air tube configured to at least one of inflate or deflate the structure.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the air tube is fluidly coupled to a mouthpiece.

7. The system of claim 5 , wherein the air tube is fluidly coupled to a balloon portion configured to inflate the air tube.

8. The system of claim 2 , wherein the structure is mounted adjacent to an inner lining of a helmet.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the acoustic sensors are mounted on an elastic band that has been fastened to a helmet.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the weighted combination of the noise levels comprises a proportionally weighted combination of processes comprising a first process that is proportional to a first signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) for the first sound information, and wherein the proportionally weighted combination of processes comprises a second process that is proportional to a second SNR for the second sound information.

11. The system of claim 10 , wherein the proportionally weighted combination of processes comprises a third process that is proportional to a third SNR of beamforming information that has been computed using the first sound information, the second sound information, and spatial information corresponding to the spatial filter.

12. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a device via sound sensors of the device, sound information comprising first sound information that has been output by a bone conduction microphone of the sound sensors and second sound information that has been output by an air conduction microphone of the sound sensors;

based on the first sound information, the second sound information, and a spatial filter that has been applied to the sound sensors, generating, by the device, filtered sound information;

determining, by the device, noise levels for the first sound information, the second sound information, and the filtered sound information; and

based on the a noise level of the noise levels or a weighted combination of the noise levels, generating, by the device, output data.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the generating the output data comprises:

generating the output data based on a proportionally weighted combination of processes comprising a first process that is proportional to a first signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the first sound information, a second process that is proportional to a second SNR for the second sound information, and a third process that is proportional to a third SNR of beamforming information that has been computed using the first sound information, the second sound information, and spatial information that has been output by the spatial filter.

14. The method of claim 12 , further comprising:

determining, by the device, echo information associated with acoustic coupling between the sound sensors and speakers of the device; and

filtering, by the device, a portion of the sound information based on the echo information.

15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the bone conduction microphone is adjacent to the air conduction microphone.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the sound sensors are included in a structure fluidly coupled to an air tube configured to at least one of inflate or deflate the structure.

17. A machine readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions that, in response to execution, cause a system comprising a processor to perform operations, comprising:

receiving first sound data from an air conduction microphone and second sound data from a bone conduction microphone;

applying a spatial filter to the first sound data and the second sound data to obtain filtered data;

based on the filtered data, generating filtered sound data;

obtaining noise levels for the first sound data, the second sound data, and the filtered sound data; and

based on the a noise level of the noise levels or a weighted combination of the noise levels, generating audio data.

18. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generating the output data based on a proportionally weighted combination of processes comprising a first process that is proportional to a first signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) for the first sound data, a second process that is proportional to a second SNR for the second sound data, and a third process that is proportional to a third SNR of beamforming information that has been computed using the first sound data, the second sound data, and spatial information that has been output by the spatial filter.

19. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein system further comprises a structure fluidly coupled to an air tube configured to at least one of inflate or deflate the structure, and wherein the air conduction microphone and the bone conduction microphone are included in the structure.

20. The machine readable storage medium of claim 17 , wherein the system further comprises:

speakers configured to generate sound waves based on the audio data.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 11, 2025
From: BITWAVE PRIVATE LIMITED
To: FAUNUS IP HOLDINGS LLC
Reel/Frame 071982/0176 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 21, 2017
From: HUI, SIEW KOK; TAN, ENG SUI
To: BITWAVE PTE LTD.
Reel/Frame 042775/0223 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 13621432 · Sep 17, 2012
Provisional Application 61536362 · Sep 19, 2011
Provisional Application 61569152 · Dec 9, 2011
Provisional Application 61651601 · May 25, 2012
Related Publication 20170294179A1 · Oct 12, 2017
Cited By (1)
US 12,624,975