IP Library Granted Patent US 8,009,841
Granted Patent B2
US 8,009,841 · App. 11/701,629 · Granted Aug 30, 2011

Handsfree communication system

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,009,841
App. No.
11/701,629
Granted
Aug 30, 2011
Kind
B2
Abstract

A handsfree communication system includes microphones, a beamformer, and filters. The microphones are spaced apart and are capable of receiving acoustic signals. The beamformer compensates for propagation delays between the direct and reflected acoustic signals. The filters are configured to a predetermined susceptibility level. The filter process the output of the beamformer to enhance the quality of the received signals.

Claims (93)

1. A method to design a superdirective beamformer filter in the frequency domain based on a predetermined susceptibility, comprising:

calculating a filter transfer function based on a regularization parameter;

calculating a susceptibility based on the determined transfer function;

determining if the calculated susceptibility exceeds the predetermined susceptibility;

changing the value of the regularization parameter and re-calculating the filter transfer function and the susceptibility until the susceptibility is within an acceptable range of the predetermined susceptibility; and

configuring the superdirective beamformer filter according to the calculated transfer function.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the act of calculating a filter transfer function based on the regularization parameter comprises determining A i (ω) where

A

i

(

ω

)

=

(

Γ

(

ω

)

+

μ

I

)

-

1

d

d

T

(

Γ

(

ω

)

+

μ

I

)

-

1

d

.

3. The method of claim 2 , where the act of calculating the susceptibility comprises determining K(ω) where

K

(

ω

)

=

1

WNG

(

ω

)

=

A

(

ω

)

H

A

(

ω

)

A

(

ω

)

H

d

(

ω

)

.

4. The method of claim 1 , where the act of changing the value of the regularization parameter comprises increasing the value of the regularization parameter when the calculated susceptibility exceeds the predetermined susceptibility.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the act of changing the value of the regularization parameter comprises decreasing the value of the regularization parameter when the calculated susceptibility is less than the regularization parameter.

Assignments (7)
RELEASE (REEL 052935 / FRAME 0584) Recorded Jan 2, 2025
From: WELLS FARGO BANK, NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 069797/0818 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE REPLACE THE CONVEYANCE DOCUMENT WITH THE NEW ASSIGNMENT PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 050836 FRAME: 0191. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Apr 19, 2022
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 059804/0186 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jun 15, 2020
From: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
To: WELLS FARGO BANK, N.A.
Reel/Frame 052935/0584 →
RELEASE OF SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 12, 2020
From: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 052927/0335 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Nov 7, 2019
From: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
To: BARCLAYS BANK PLC
Reel/Frame 050953/0133 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE ASSIGNEE NAME PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 050836 FRAME: 0191. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT. Recorded Oct 29, 2019
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE OPERATING COMPANY
Reel/Frame 050871/0001 →
INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY AGREEMENT Recorded Oct 23, 2019
From: NUANCE COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
To: CERENCE INC.
Reel/Frame 050836/0191 →