IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,548,585
Granted Patent B2
US 12,548,585 · App. 18/318,910 · Granted Feb 10, 2026

Hybrid AHS: a hybrid of kalman filter and deep learning for acoustic howling suppression

Inventors: Hao Zhang (Columbus, OH); Meng Yu (Palo Alto, CA); Dong Yu (Palo Alto, CA)
Assignee: TENCENT AMERICA LLC
G10L25/30G10L15/063G10L21/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,548,585
App. No.
18/318,910
Granted
Feb 10, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Method, apparatus, and non-transitory storage medium for hybrid acoustic howling suppression based on a frequency filter model and a deep neural network are provided. The method may include receiving a speech signal, the speech signal including target speech, feedback, and noise, and inputting the speech signal into a trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model, wherein the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model is trained using training speech signal and pre-processed acoustic feedback from a first frequency filter model. The method may also include generating an enhanced speech signal with suppressed howling as an output of the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model, wherein the enhanced speech signal is used to update parameters of the first frequency filter model.

Claims (43)

1 . A method of hybrid acoustic howling suppression based on a frequency filter model and a deep neural network, the method being executed by at least one processor, the method comprising:

receiving a speech signal, the speech signal including target speech, feedback, and noise;

inputting the speech signal into a trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model, wherein the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model is trained using training speech signal and pre-processed acoustic feedback from a first frequency filter model; and

generating an enhanced speech signal with suppressed howling as an output of the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model, wherein the enhanced speech signal is used to update parameters of the first frequency filter model.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model comprises:

generating a teacher speech signal, the teacher speech signal comprising a modified microphone signal, wherein the modified microphone signal comprises a target speech signal, a training noise signal, and a one-time playback signal, wherein the one-time playback signal is based on the target speech signal, and wherein the one-time playback signal replaces feedback in an initial microphone signal; and

training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation using the teacher speech signal and the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model.

3 . The method of claim 2 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation is based on a combined loss function, the combined loss function comprising a first component based on scale-invariance signal-to-distortion ratio and a second component based on a mean absolute error of spectrum magnitude in a frequency domain.

4 . The method of claim 2 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation comprises:

generating at least two reference signals, the at least two reference signals comprising a first intermediate signal based on the teacher speech signal and a second intermediate signal based on the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model; and

training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation using the teacher speech signal, the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model, the first intermediate signal, and the second intermediate signal.

5 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model is used only for training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model.

6 . The method of claim 2 , wherein the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model is not used for generating the enhanced speech signal with suppressed howling as the output of the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model.

7 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model is trained in an offline manner.

8 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first frequency filter model is based on a Kalman Filter.

9 . An apparatus for hybrid acoustic howling suppression based on a frequency filter model and a deep neural network, the apparatus comprising:

at least one memory configured to store program code; and

at least one processor configured to read the program code and operate as instructed by the program code, the program code including:

first receiving code configured to cause the at least one processor to receive a speech signal, the speech signal comprising target speech, feedback, and noise;

first inputting code configured to cause the at least one processor to input the speech signal into a trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model, wherein the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model is trained using training speech signal and pre-processed acoustic feedback from a first frequency filter model; and

first generating code configured to cause the at least one processor to generate an enhanced speech signal with suppressed howling as an output of the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model, wherein the enhanced speech signal is used to update parameters of the first frequency filter model.

10 . The apparatus of claim 9 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model comprises:

second generating code configured to cause the at least one processor to generate a teacher speech signal, the teacher speech signal comprising a modified microphone signal, wherein the modified microphone signal comprises a target speech signal, a training noise signal, and a one-time playback signal, wherein the one-time playback signal is based on the target speech signal, and wherein the one-time playback signal replaces feedback in an initial microphone signal; and

first training code configured to cause the at least one processor to train the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation using the teacher speech signal and the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model.

11 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation is based on a combined loss function, the combined loss function comprising a first component based on scale-invariance signal-to-distortion ratio and a second component based on a mean absolute error of spectrum magnitude in a frequency domain.

12 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation is based on a combined loss function, the combined loss function comprising a first component based on scale-invariance signal-to-distortion ratio and a second component based on a mean absolute error of spectrum magnitude in a frequency domain.

13 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation comprises:

third generating code configured to cause the at least one processor to generate at least two reference signals, the at least two reference signals comprising a first intermediate signal based on the teacher speech signal and a second intermediate signal based on the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model; and

second training code configured to cause the at least one processor to train the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation using the teacher speech signal, the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model, the first intermediate signal, and the second intermediate signal.

14 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model is used only for training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model.

15 . The apparatus of claim 10 , wherein the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model is not used for generating the enhanced speech signal with suppressed howling as the output of the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model.

16 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions, the instructions comprising: one or more instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a device for hybrid acoustic howling suppression based on a frequency filter model and a deep neural network, cause the one or more processors to:

receive a speech signal, the speech signal comprising target speech, feedback, and noise;

input the speech signal into a trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model, wherein the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model is trained using training speech signal and pre-processed acoustic feedback from a first frequency filter model; and

generate an enhanced speech signal with suppressed howling as an output of the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model, wherein the enhanced speech signal is used to update parameters of the first frequency filter model.

17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model comprises:

generating a teacher speech signal, the teacher speech signal comprising a modified microphone signal, wherein the modified microphone signal comprises a target speech signal, a training noise signal, and a one-time playback signal, wherein the one-time playback signal is based on the target speech signal, and wherein the one-time playback signal replaces feedback in an initial microphone signal; and

training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation using the teacher speech signal and the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model.

18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation is based on a combined loss function, the combined loss function comprising a first component based on scale-invariance signal-to-distortion ratio and a second component based on a mean absolute error of spectrum magnitude in a frequency domain.

19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation comprises:

generating at least two reference signals, the at least two reference signals comprising a first intermediate signal based on the teacher speech signal and a second intermediate signal based on the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model; and

training the hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model for speech separation using the teacher speech signal, the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model, the first intermediate signal, and the second intermediate signal.

20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the pre-processed acoustic feedback from the first frequency filter model is not used for generating the enhanced speech signal with suppressed howling as the output of the trained hybrid neural-network based howling suppression model.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 17, 2023
From: ZHANG, HAO; YU, MENG; YU, DONG
To: TENCENT AMERICA LLC
Reel/Frame 063673/0318 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20240386904A1 · Nov 21, 2024
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