IP Library Granted Patent US 10,192,566
Granted Patent B1
US 10,192,566 · App. 15/873,219 · Granted Jan 29, 2019

Noise reduction in an audio system

Inventor: Jeffrey Bullough (South Jordan, UT)
Assignee: Sorenson IP Holdings, LLC
G10L21/0216H04R3/005G10L2021/02166H04R2410/07
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,192,566
App. No.
15/873,219
Granted
Jan 29, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

According to one or more aspects of the present disclosure, operations may include obtaining multiple microphone signals derived from a microphone array that includes a multiple omnidirectional microphones. Each of the microphone signals may be derived from a different microphone of the microphone array. The operations may further include determining whether the microphone signals include noise, such as wind noise, based on two or more of the plurality of microphone signals. In addition, the operations may include generating an output signal based on a beamformed signal or a reduced-noise signal based on whether the microphone signals are determined to include noise.

Claims (43)

1. A system comprising:

a microphone array that includes a plurality of omnidirectional microphones, each of the plurality of microphones being configured to produce a microphone signal based on sound detected by the corresponding microphone such that the microphone array produces a plurality of microphone signals; and

a computing system communicatively coupled to the microphone array and configured to perform operations, the operations comprising:

generate a beamformed signal by beamforming two or more of the plurality of microphone signals;

generate an averaged signal by averaging two or more of the plurality of microphone signals;

determine that the plurality of microphone signals include noise based on two or more of the plurality of microphone signals; and

generate an output signal such that at least a portion of the output signal is based on the averaged signal instead of the beamformed signal in response to determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise increasing, over a period time during which it is determined that the plurality of microphone signals include noise, how much of the output signal is based on the averaged signal instead of the beamformed signal.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein all of the output signal is based on the averaged signal instead of the beamformed signal in response to determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determine, after determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise, that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise; and

generate the output signal such that all of the output signal is based on the beamformed signal in response to determining that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the operations further comprise increasing, over a period time after which it is determined that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise, how much of the output signal is based on the beamformed signal instead of the averaged signal until all of the output signal is based on the beamformed signal.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein averaging the two or more of the plurality of microphone signals includes averaging samples of the two or more of the plurality of microphone signals.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise based on two or more of the plurality of microphone signals is based on a correlation between the two or more of the plurality of microphone signals.

8. A system comprising:

one or more computer-readable storage media configured to store instructions; and

one or more processors configured to execute the instructions, wherein execution of the instructions causes the system to perform operations comprising:

obtain a plurality of microphone signals derived from a microphone array that includes a plurality of omnidirectional microphones, each of the plurality of microphone signals being derived from a different microphone of the microphone array;

determine that the plurality of microphone signals include noise based on two or more of the plurality of microphone signals; and

generate an output signal such that at least a portion of the output signal is based on an averaged signal instead of a beamformed signal in response to determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise, the beamformed signal is based on beamforming of two or more of the plurality of microphone signals and the averaged signal is based on an averaging of two or more of the plurality of microphone signals.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise increasing, over a period time during which it is determined that the plurality of microphone signals include noise, how much of the output signal is based on the averaged signal instead of the beamformed signal.

10. The system of claim 8 , wherein all of the output signal is based on the averaged signal instead of the beamformed signal in response to determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise.

11. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

determine, after determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise, that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise; and

generate the output signal such that all of the output signal is based on the beamformed signal in response to determining that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise increasing, over a period time after which it is determined that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise, how much of the output signal is based on the beamformed signal instead of the averaged signal until all of the output signal is based on the beamformed signal.

13. The system of claim 8 , wherein the operations further comprise:

generate the beamformed signal;

generate the averaged signal; and

generate the output signal by selecting the averaged signal instead of the beamformed signal as the output signal.

14. The system of claim 8 , wherein determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise based on two or more of the plurality of microphone signals is based on a correlation between the two or more of the plurality of microphone signals.

15. A method comprising:

obtaining a plurality of microphone signals derived from a microphone array that includes a plurality of omnidirectional microphones, each of the plurality of microphone signals being derived from a different microphone of the microphone array;

determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise based on two or more of the plurality of microphone signals; and

selecting a reduced-noise signal instead of a beamformed signal as all of an output signal based on determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise, the beamformed signal is based on beamforming of two or more of the plurality of microphone signals and the reduced-noise signal is based on an averaging of two or more of the plurality of microphone signals or is based on only one of the plurality of microphone signals.

16. The method of claim 15 , further comprising increasing, over a period time during which it is determined that the plurality of microphone signals include noise, how much of the output signal is based on the reduced-noise signal instead of the beamformed signal until all of the output signal is based on the reduced-noise signal.

17. The method of claim 15 , further comprising:

determining, after determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise, that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise; and

selecting the beamformed signal instead of the reduced-noise signal as all of the output signal in response to determining that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise.

18. The method of claim 15 , further comprising increasing, over a period time after which it is determined that the plurality of microphone signals no longer include noise, how much of the output signal is based on the beamformed signal instead of the reduced-noise signal until all of the output signal is based on the beamformed signal.

19. The method of claim 15 , wherein determining that the plurality of microphone signals include noise based on two or more of the plurality of microphone signals is based on a correlation between the two or more of the plurality of microphone signals.

20. At least one non-transitory computer-readable media configured to store one or more instructions that in response to being executed by at least one computing system cause performance of the method of claim 15 .

Assignments (11)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE RECEIVING PARTY DATA THE NAME OF THE LAST RECEIVING PARTY SHOULD BE CAPTIONCALL, LLC PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 67190 FRAME 517. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST. Recorded May 31, 2024
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC; SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
Reel/Frame 067591/0675 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2024
From: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; INTERACTIVECARE, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: OAKTREE FUND ADMINISTRATION, LLC, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 067573/0201 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Apr 23, 2024
From: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
To: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC; SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONALCALL, LLC
Reel/Frame 067190/0517 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 16, 2021
From: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
To: CAPTIONCALL, LLC; SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC
Reel/Frame 058533/0467 →
JOINDER NO. 1 TO THE FIRST LIEN PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 22, 2021
From: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH
Reel/Frame 056019/0204 →
LIEN Recorded Feb 11, 2020
From: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: CORTLAND CAPITAL MARKET SERVICES LLC
Reel/Frame 051894/0665 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 8, 2019
From: U.S. BANK NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC; INTERACTIVECARE, LLC
Reel/Frame 049115/0468 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2019
From: JPMORGAN CHASE BANK, N.A.
To: SORENSON COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC; INTERACTIVECARE, LLC
Reel/Frame 049109/0752 →
PATENT SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Apr 29, 2019
From: SORENSEN COMMUNICATIONS, LLC; CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: CREDIT SUISSE AG, CAYMAN ISLANDS BRANCH, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 050084/0793 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2018
From: CAPTIONCALL, LLC
To: SORENSON IP HOLDINGS, LLC
Reel/Frame 044834/0807 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 17, 2018
From: BULLOUGH, JEFFREY
To: CAPTIONCALL, LLC
Reel/Frame 044644/0614 →