Systems and methods for reducing vibration noise

• US 10,433,087 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2016
• Issued: 10/01/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Bernal Castillo, Ricardo De Jesus, Weber, Daniel, Sen, Dipanjan, Mattis, Eric, Cherry, Mark, Peters, Nils Gunther
• Primary Examiner(s): Goins, Davetta W
• Assistant Examiner(s): Ganmavo, Kuassi A
• Application Number:
  US15/266,776
• Publication Number:
  US 20180077507A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,111 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01H 17/00 Measuring mechanical vibrations or ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves, not provided for in the preceding groups see provisionally also G01H1/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/097 by vibratory elements
• CPC Class Codes: G01P 15/125 by capacitive pick-up
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/401 2D or 3D arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/004 for microphones H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/005 Microphone arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

A method for reducing vibration noise by an electronic device is described. The method includes obtaining an audio signal. The audio signal includes vibration noise. The method also includes obtaining vibration data from one or more motion sensor signals. The method further includes processing the vibration data to produce microphone-response matched vibration data based on a transfer function. The method additionally includes reducing the vibration noise based on the microphone-response matched vibration data.

Claims

1. A method for reducing vibration noise by an electronic device, comprising:

obtaining an audio signal, wherein the audio signal comprises vibration noise;

obtaining vibration data from one or more motion sensor signals, wherein a 6-axis motion sensor that produces the one or more motion sensor signals is alignment independent from a microphone that produces the audio signal;

processing the vibration data to produce microphone-response matched vibration data based on a transfer function, wherein processing the vibration data comprises adding vibration levels from a plurality of axes to produce a total microphone vibration response; and

reducing the vibration noise based on the microphone-response matched vibration data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer function indicates a mechanical vibration response relationship between the 6-axis motion sensor and the microphone.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the vibration noise is reduced in an electronic domain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the 6-axis motion sensor that produces the one or more motion sensor signals is used for multiple microphones.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer function varies over frequency.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the electronic device comprises a microphone array that includes the microphone.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the microphone array is a spherical microphone array that is mechanically coupled to the 6-axis motion sensor that produces the one or more motion sensor signals.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the transfer function is calibrated to match a motion sensor vibration response to a vibration response of the microphone.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising adjusting a physical disposition of the microphone based on the vibration data.

10. An electronic device for reducing vibration noise, comprising:

a processor configured to;

obtain an audio signal, wherein the audio signal comprises vibration noise;

obtain vibration data from one or more motion sensor signals, wherein a 6-axis motion sensor configured to produce the one or more motion sensor signals is alignment independent from a microphone configured to produce the audio signal;

process the vibration data to produce microphone-response matched vibration data based on a transfer function, wherein the processor is configured to add vibration levels from a plurality of axes to produce a total microphone vibration response; and

reduce the vibration noise based on the microphone-response matched vibration data.

11. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the transfer function indicates a mechanical vibration response relationship between the 6-axis motion sensor and the microphone.

12. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is configured to reduce the vibration noise in an electronic domain.

13. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the 6-axis motion sensor configured to produce the one or more motion sensor signals is configured to be used for multiple microphones.

14. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the transfer function varies over frequency.

15. The electronic device of claim 10, further comprising a microphone array that includes the microphone.

16. The electronic device of claim 15, wherein the microphone array is a spherical microphone array that is mechanically coupled to the 6-axis motion sensor configured to produce the one or more motion sensor signals.

17. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the transfer function is configured to be calibrated to match a motion sensor vibration response to a vibration response of the microphone.

18. The electronic device of claim 10, wherein the processor is further configured to adjust a physical disposition of the microphone based on the vibration data.

19. An apparatus for reducing vibration noise, comprising:

means for obtaining an audio signal, wherein the audio signal comprises vibration noise;

means for obtaining vibration data from one or more motion signals, wherein a means for sensing 6-axis motion that produces the one or more motion signals is alignment independent from an audio sensing means that produces the audio signal;

means for processing the vibration data to produce audio sensing means-response matched vibration data based on a transfer function, wherein the means for processing the vibration data comprises means for adding vibration levels from a plurality of axes to produce a total microphone vibration response; and

means for reducing the vibration noise based on the audio sensing means-response matched vibration data.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transfer function indicates a mechanical vibration response relationship between the means for sensing 6-axis motion and the audio sensing means.

21. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for sensing 6-axis motion that produces the one or more motion signals is used for multiple audio sensing means.

22. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the transfer function is calibrated to match a means for sensing motion vibration response to a vibration response of the audio sensing means.

23. A computer-program product for reducing vibration noise, comprising a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions thereon, the instructions comprising:

code for causing an electronic device to obtain an audio signal, wherein the audio signal comprises vibration noise;

code for causing the electronic device to obtain vibration data from one or more motion sensor signals, wherein a 6-axis motion sensor that produces the one or more motion sensor signals is alignment independent from a microphone that produces the audio signal;

code for causing the electronic device to process the vibration data to produce microphone-response matched vibration data based on a transfer function, comprising code for causing the electronic device to add vibration levels from a plurality of axes to produce a total microphone vibration response; and

code for causing the electronic device to reduce the vibration noise based on the microphone-response matched vibration data.

24. The computer-program product of claim 23, wherein the transfer function indicates a mechanical vibration response relationship between the 6-axis motion sensor and the microphone.

25. The computer-program product of claim 23, wherein the 6-axis motion sensor that produces the one or more motion sensor signals is used for multiple microphones.

26. The computer-program product of claim 23, wherein the transfer function is calibrated to match a motion sensor vibration response to a vibration response of the microphone.