Multi-channel speech compression system and method

1. A computer-implemented method, executed on a computing device, comprising:

obtaining one or more speech signals using a plurality of audio acquisition devices from a microphone array, thus defining audio encounter information;

selecting a reference audio acquisition device from the plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the audio encounter information from each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices;

encoding the audio encounter information of the reference audio acquisition device, thus defining encoded reference audio encounter information;

generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system; and

transmitting the encoded reference audio encounter information and a representation of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system are positioned within a fixed geometry relative to each other.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

performing, prior to encoding the encoded reference audio encounter information, one or more of de-reverberation and noise reduction on a plurality of channels of the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system based upon, at least in part, the fixed geometry of the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system includes generating an acoustic relative transfer function codebook for the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 4 , wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system includes estimating the acoustic relative transfer function for each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices from the acoustic relative transfer function codebook.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system includes generating a plurality of residual signals associated with each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices based upon, at least in part, the estimated acoustic relative transfer functions for each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , wherein transmitting the encoded reference audio encounter information and a representation of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions includes one or more of:

transmitting a vector of acoustic relative transfer functions; and

transmitting a vector of acoustic relative transfer function codebook entries for the plurality of audio acquisition devices.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 , further comprising:

updating one or more of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions and the acoustic relative transfer function codebook for the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system.

9. A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:

obtaining one or more speech signals using a plurality of audio acquisition devices from a microphone array, thus defining audio encounter information;

selecting a reference audio acquisition device from the plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the audio encounter information from each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices;

encoding the audio encounter information of the reference audio acquisition device, thus defining encoded reference audio encounter information;

generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system; and

transmitting the encoded reference audio encounter information and a representation of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions.

10. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system are positioned within a fixed geometry relative to each other.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

performing, prior to encoding the encoded reference audio encounter information, one or more of de-reverberation and noise reduction on a plurality of channels of the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system based upon, at least in part, the fixed geometry of the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system.

12. The computer program product of claim 10 , wherein the operations further comprise:

updating one or more of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions and the acoustic relative transfer function codebook for the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system.

13. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system includes generating an acoustic relative transfer function codebook for the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 , wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system includes estimating the acoustic relative transfer function for each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices from the acoustic relative transfer function codebook.

15. The computer program product of claim 14 , wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system includes generating a plurality of residual signals associated with each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices based upon, at least in part, the estimated acoustic relative transfer functions for each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices.

16. The computer program product of claim 9 , wherein transmitting the encoded reference audio encounter information and a representation of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions includes one or more of:

transmitting a vector of acoustic relative transfer functions; and

transmitting a vector of acoustic relative transfer function codebook entries for the plurality of audio acquisition devices.

17. A computing system comprising:

a memory; and

a processor configured to obtain one or more speech signals using a plurality of audio acquisition devices from a microphone array, thus defining audio encounter information, wherein the processor is further configured to select a reference audio acquisition device from the plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, a signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the audio encounter information from each audio acquisition device of the plurality of audio acquisition devices, to encode the audio encounter information of the reference audio acquisition device, thus defining encoded reference audio encounter information, to generate a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system, and to transmitting the encoded reference audio encounter information and a representation of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions.

18. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system are positioned within a fixed geometry relative to each other.

19. The computing system of claim 18 , wherein the processor is further configured to: performing, prior to encoding the encoded reference channel, one or more of de-reverberation and noise reduction on a plurality of channels of the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system based upon, at least in part, the fixed geometry of the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system.

20. The computing system of claim 17 , wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between the reference audio acquisition device and the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the microphone array includes generating an acoustic relative transfer function codebook for the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio acquisition device array.