IP Library Granted Patent US 12,477,273
Granted Patent B2
US 12,477,273 · App. 18/035,297 · Granted Nov 18, 2025

Beamforming method and beamforming system using neural network

Inventors: Kang Hun Ahn (Daejeon, KR); Sang-Hyun Park (Daegu, KR)
Assignee: Deep Hearing Corp.
H04R3/005G06F17/14G06N3/08H04R1/406G06N3/0464G06N3/084H04B7/0617H04N7/15H04R2201/401H04R2430/03H04R2430/23
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,477,273
App. No.
18/035,297
Granted
Nov 18, 2025
Kind
B2
Abstract

Provided are a beamforming method and a beamforming system. The beamforming method may comprise the steps of: receiving a first sound signal and a second sound signal by respectively using a first microphone and a second microphone spaced apart from the first microphone by a pre-determined distance; obtaining a Fourier transform result for each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal; obtaining a phase difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal from the Fourier transform result; performing an arithmetic operation by inputting the phase difference to a beamforming model by using a neural network; performing element multiplication on an operation result of the neural processor and the Fourier transform result for the first sound signal; and outputting a result of the element multiplication.

Claims (23)

1 . A beamforming method, comprising the steps of:

receiving, respectively, a first sound signal and a second sound signal using a first microphone and a second microphone disposed apart from the first microphone by a predetermined distance;

obtaining Fourier transform results for the first sound signal and the second sound signal, respectively;

acquiring a phase difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal from the Fourier transform results;

inputting only the phase difference into a beamforming model and performing neural network operations using a neural processor, wherein the neural processor performs the beamforming method independently or together with a processor that performs overall control of a beamforming device, and wherein the beamforming model is trained to perform the neural network operations based only on the phase difference;

performing element-wise multiplication between corresponding components of a matrix representing an output of the neural network operations and a matrix representing the Fourier transform results for the first sound signal; and

outputting the element-wise multiplication results,

wherein the neural processor obtains a mask using a Soft Binary Mask (SBM) method through the neural network operations.

2 . The beamforming method of claim 1 , wherein

the predetermined distance is within a range of 10 cm to 14.

3 . The beamforming method of claim 1 ,

further comprising a step of training the beamforming model using the phase difference.

4 . A beamforming system, comprising:

a first microphone for receiving a first sound signal;

a second microphone disposed apart from the first microphone by a predetermined distance to receive a second sound signal;

a processor configured to obtain Fourier transform results for the first sound signal and Fourier transform results for the second sound signal, and to acquire a phase difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal from the result of the Fourier transform; and

a neural processor configured to perform neural network operations using only the phase difference as input, with a beamforming model, wherein the neural processor performs the beamforming method independently or together with the processor that performs overall control of a beamforming device, and wherein the beamforming model is trained to perform the neural network operations based only on the phase difference,

wherein the processor performs element-wise multiplication between corresponding components of a matrix representing an output of the neural network operations and a matrix representing the Fourier transform results for the first sound signal and outputs the result of the element-wise multiplication,

wherein the neural processor obtains a mask using a Soft Binary Mask (SBM) method through the neural network operations.

5 . The beamforming system of claim 4 , wherein

the predetermined distance is between 10 cm and 14 cm.

6 . The beamforming system of claim 4 , further comprising:

a learning model for training the beamforming model using the phase difference.

Assignments (2)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE ASSIGNEE PREVIOUSLY RECORDED ON REEL 63851 FRAME 235. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Sep 19, 2025
From: AHN, KANG HUN; PARK, SANG-HYUN
To: DEEP HEARING CORP.
Reel/Frame 072910/0798 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 5, 2023
From: AHN, KANG HUN; PARK, SANG-HYUN
To: DEEPHEARING INC.
Reel/Frame 063851/0235 →
Priority Claims (1)
KR 10-2020-0146191 · Nov 4, 2020 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20230269532A1 · Aug 24, 2023
References Cited (24)
US 10522167B1 · Ayrapetian et al. · 2019 [cited by applicant]
US 10593347B2 · Baek et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 11017791B2 · Chang et al. · 2021 [cited by applicant]
US 20140185814A1 · Cutler · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140226838A1 · Wingate · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20140322887A1 · Miller · 2014 [cited by examiner]
US 20160111107A1 · Erdogan · 2016 [cited by examiner]
US 20190005976A1 · Peleg · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190043491A1 · Kupryjanow · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190219660A1 · Cordourier Maruri · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20190318757A1 · Chen · 2019 [cited by examiner]
US 20200111483A1 · Shafran et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200342891A1 · Deng et al. · 2020 [cited by applicant]
US 20200349928A1 · Mandal · 2020 [cited by examiner]
US 20210110813A1 · Khoury · 2021 [cited by examiner]
JP 2020503570A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
JP 2020034624A · 2020 [cited by applicant]
KR 20180111271A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
KR 20180115984A · 2018 [cited by applicant]
WO 2019199554A1 · 2019 [cited by applicant]
Xiao et al, Deep Beamforming Networks for Multichannel Speech Recognition, IEEE (Year: 2016). [cited by examiner]
European Search Report 21889384.0, Issued on Nov. 4, 2024. [cited by applicant]
Shoko Arakit et al., “Exploring Multi-Channel Features for Denoising-Autoencoder-Based Speech Enhancement”, Published: Apr. 19, 2015, Retrieved from the Internet: URL: https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/stampPDF/getPDF.jsp?tp=… [cited by applicant]
Japanese Office Action 2023-551942, Issued on Jun. 11, 2024. [cited by applicant]