IP Library Granted Patent US 11,258,908
Granted Patent B2
US 11,258,908 · App. 16/935,594 · Granted Feb 22, 2022

Spectral blending with interior microphone

Inventors: Thanh P. Hua (San Jose, CA); Esge B. Andersen (Campbell, CA)
Assignee: APPLE INC.
H04M9/082G10L21/0208H04R1/1091H04R19/04G10L2021/02082H04R2460/01
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 11,258,908
App. No.
16/935,594
Granted
Feb 22, 2022
Kind
B2
Abstract

A headphone can include plurality of exterior microphones, that generates corresponding exterior microphone signals, an accelerometer that generates an accelerometer signal; and an interior microphone, not directly exposed to the environment, that generates an interior microphone signal. A processor of the headphone can be configured to generate an audio signal containing voice of a user, based on a) the accelerometer signal, b) the interior microphone signal, and c) the plurality of exterior microphone signals.

Claims (38)

1. A headphone, comprising:

a plurality of exterior microphones, directly exposed to an environment of the headphone, that generates corresponding exterior microphone signals;

an accelerometer that generates an accelerometer signal;

an interior microphone, not directly exposed to the environment, that generates an interior microphone signal; and

a processor, configured to

generate an audio signal containing voice of a user, based on a) the accelerometer signal that a first frequency band of the audio signal is generated from, b) the interior microphone signal that a second frequency band of the audio signal is generated from, the second frequency band of the audio signal having a higher frequency than the first frequency band, and c) the plurality of exterior microphone signals.

2. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the audio signal has a third frequency band generated based on the exterior microphone signals, the third frequency band having a higher frequency than the second frequency band.

3. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein generating the audio signal includes beamforming at least two of the exterior microphone signals to form an exterior beamformed signal used to generate the audio signal.

4. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the interior microphone is echo cancelled.

5. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the headphone is at least partially worn in an ear canal of the user.

6. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the headphone is worn over an ear of the user, and a seal of the headphone blocks ambient sound from traveling to an ear canal of the user from ambient air.

7. The headphone of claim 1 , the interior microphone and a speaker are housed in a same cavity of the headphone.

8. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect if noise or wind is present based on the exterior microphone signals, and, if noise or wind is present; increase a bandwidth of a frequency band of the audio signal that is generated based on the interior microphone signal.

9. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect if noise or wind is present based on the exterior microphone signals, and, if noise or wind is not present; decrease a bandwidth of a frequency band of the audio signal that is generated based on the interior microphone signal.

10. The headphone of claim 9 , wherein detecting if noise is present is based on a signal to noise ratio (SNR) and detecting if wind is present is based on cross-coherence between the exterior microphone signals.

11. The headphone of claim 1 , wherein the exterior microphones form a microphone array.

12. An article of manufacture, having

a plurality of exterior microphones, directly exposed to an environment of the article of manufacture, that generates corresponding exterior microphone signals;

an accelerometer that generates an accelerometer signal;

an interior microphone, not directly exposed to the environment, that generates an interior microphone signal; and

a processor, configured to

generate an audio signal containing voice of a user, based on a) the exterior microphone signals, b) the accelerometer signal that a first frequency band of the audio signal is generated from, and c) the interior microphone signal that a second frequency band of the audio signal is generated from, the second frequency band of the audio signal having a higher frequency than the first frequency band; and

communicate the audio signal to a downstream device, the downstream device driving a speaker with the audio signal to produce sound.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 12 , wherein the audio signal has a third frequency band generated based on the exterior microphone signals, the third frequency band having a higher frequency than the second frequency band.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the first frequency band and the second frequency band overlap.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 13 , wherein the first frequency band has a range of 100 Hz to 1 kHz, the second frequency band has a range from 800 Hz to 2.5 kHz, and the third frequency band has a range from 2.5 kHz to 12 kHz.

16. A method, comprising:

receiving exterior microphone signals generated by a plurality of exterior microphones of a headphone directly exposed to an environment the headphone;

receiving an accelerometer signal generated by an accelerometer of the headphone; and

receiving an interior microphone signal generated by an interior microphone of the headphone that is not directly exposed to the environment; and

spectrally blending a) the accelerometer signal, b) the interior microphone signal, and c) the exterior microphone signals, to form an audio signal containing vocal sounds of a user, wherein the audio signal has a first frequency band generated based on the accelerometer signal, and a second frequency band generated based on the interior microphone signal, the second frequency band having a higher frequency than the first frequency band.

17. The method of claim 16 , further comprising communicating the audio signal to a downstream device wherein speakers of the downstream device are driven with the audio signal to reproduce the vocal sounds of the user.

18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising

detecting if noise or wind is present based on the exterior microphone signals; and

if noise or wind is present; then increasing a bandwidth of a frequency band of the audio signal that is generated based on the interior microphone signal; or

if noise or wind is not present; then decreasing the bandwidth of the frequency band.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein detecting if noise is present is based on signal to noise ratio of the exterior microphone signals.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein detecting if wind is present is based on a similarity between the exterior microphone signals.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jul 22, 2020
From: HUA, THANH P.; ANDERSEN, ESGE B.
To: APPLE INC.
Reel/Frame 053279/0921 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 62904259 · Sep 23, 2019
Related Publication 20210092233A1 · Mar 25, 2021