Reducing noise in audio systems

• US 20030147538A1
• Filed: 07/12/2002
• Published: 08/07/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 02/05/2002
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: mh acoustics LLC
• Original Assignee: mh acoustics LLC
• Inventors: Elko, Gary W.
• Granted Patent: US 7,171,008 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/07 Mechanical or electrical reduction of wind noise generated by wind passing a microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/21 Direction finding using differential microphone array [DMA]
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/405 by combining a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 25/407 Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Two or more microphones receive acoustic signals and generate audio signals that are processed to determine what portion of the audio signals result from (i) incoherence between the audio signals and/or (ii) audio-signal sources having propagation speeds different from the acoustic signals. The audio signals are filtered to reduce that portion of one or more of the audio signals. The present invention can be used to reduce turbulent wind-noise resulting from wind or other airjets blowing across the microphones. Time-dependent phase and amplitude differences between the microphones can be compensated for based on measurements made in parallel with routine audio system processing.

Claims

1. A method for processing audio signals generated by two or more microphones receiving acoustic signals, comprising the steps of:

(a) determining a portion of the audio signals resulting from one or more of (i) incoherence between the audio signals and (ii) one or more audio-signal sources having propagation speeds different from the acoustic signals; and

(b) filtering at least one of the audio signals to reduce the determined portion.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein the audio signals are generated by two microphones, wherein:

a first microphone is either an omnidirectional microphone or a differential microphone;

a second microphone is either an omnidirectional microphone or a differential microphone

the one or more audio-signal sources comprises turbulent wind blowing across at least one of the two or more microphones;

at least some of the incoherence between the audio signals results from microphone self-noise; and

the method is implemented by a hearing aid, a cell phone, or a consumer recording device.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:

(1) generating sum and difference powers for the audio signals; and

(2) updating one or more filter parameters used during the filtering of step (b) based on the sum and difference powers.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein the sum and difference powers are generated using audio signals from more than two microphones.

5. The invention of claim 1, wherein step (a) comprises the steps of:

(1) characterizing coherence between the audio signals; and

(2) updating one or more filter parameters used during the filtering of step (b) based on the characterized coherence.

6. The invention of claim 1, wherein the filtering of step (b) is based on an idealized response of the two or more microphones receiving acoustic signals from a specified direction.

7. The invention of claim 6, wherein the two or more microphones are positioned along a linear axis, and the specified direction corresponds to acoustic signals arriving along the axis.

8. The invention of claim 1, wherein steps (a) and (b) are implemented for each of two or more different frequency sub-bands in the audio signals.

9. An audio system for processing audio signals generated by two or more microphones receiving acoustic signals, the audio system comprising:

(a) a signal processor configured to determine a portion of the audio signals resulting from one or more of (i) incoherence between the audio signals and (ii) one or more audio-signal sources having propagation speeds different from the acoustic signals; and

(b) a filter configured to filter at least one of the audio signals to reduce the determined portion.

10. The invention of claim 9, wherein the audio signals are generated by two microphones, wherein:

the audio system comprises the two microphones;

a first microphone is either an omnidirectional microphone or a differential microphone;

a second microphone is either an omnidirectional microphone or a differential microphone;

the one or more audio-signal sources comprises turbulent wind blowing across at least one of the microphones;

at least some of the incoherence between the audio signals results from microphone self-noise; and

the audio system is part of a hearing aid, a cell phone, or a consumer recording device.

11. The invention of claim 9, wherein the signal processor is configured to:

(1) generate sum and difference powers for the audio signals; and

(2) update one or more filter parameters used by the filter based on the sum and difference powers.

12. The invention of claim 11, wherein the signal processor generates the sum and difference powers using audio signals from more than two microphones.

13. The invention of claim 9, wherein the signal processor is configured to:

(1) characterize coherence between the audio signals; and

(2) update one or more filter parameters used by the filter based on the characterized coherence.

14. The invention of claim 9, wherein the filtering performed by the filter is based on an idealized response of the two or more microphones receiving acoustic signals from a specified direction.

15. The invention of claim 14, wherein the two or more microphones are positioned along a linear axis, and the specified direction corresponds to acoustic signals arriving along the axis.

16. The invention of claim 9, wherein processing of the signal processor and the filter is implemented for each of two or more different frequency sub-bands in the audio signals.

17. A consumer device comprising:

(a) two or more microphones configured to receive acoustic signals and to generate audio signals;

(b) a signal processor configured to determine a portion of the audio signals resulting from one or more of (i) incoherence between the audio signals and (ii) one or more audio-signal sources having propagation speeds different from the acoustic signals; and

(c) a filter configured to filter at least one of the audio signals to reduce the determined portion.

18. The invention of claim 17, wherein the consumer device is one of a hearing aid, a cell phone, and a consumer recording device.

19. A method for processing audio signals generated in response to a sound field by at least two microphones of an audio system, comprising the steps of:

(a) filtering the audio signals to compensate for a phase difference between the at least two microphones;

(b) generating a revised phase difference between the at least two microphones based on the audio signals; and

(c) updating, based on the revised phase difference, at least one calibration parameter used during the filtering of step (a).

20. The invention of claim 19, wherein step (b) comprises the step of determining whether the sound field is sufficiently diffuse based on the audio signals, wherein the revised phase difference is generated only when the sound field is determined to be sufficiently diffuse.

21. The invention of claim 20, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(1) generating front and rear power ratios based on the audio signals; and

(2) comparing the front and rear power ratios to determine whether the sound field is sufficiently diffuse.

22. The invention of claim 21, wherein the front and rear power ratios are generated by treating the at least two microphones as sensors in a differential microphone having a cardioid configuration.

23. The invention of claim 20, wherein step (b) comprises the steps of:

(1) generating an integrated coherence function for each of two different frequency regions; and

(2) comparing the integrated coherence functions for the two different frequency regions to determine whether the sound field is sufficiently diffuse.

24. The invention of claim 19, wherein:

the method is implemented by a hearing aid, a cell phone, or a consumer recording device;

step (a) further comprises the step of filtering the audio signals to compensate for an amplitude difference between the at least two microphones;

step (b) further comprises the step of generating a revised amplitude difference between the at least two microphones based on the audio signals; and

step (c) further comprises the step of updating, based on the revised amplitude difference, at least one calibration parameter used in the filtering of step (a).

25. The invention of claim 19, wherein step (c) comprises the step of switching to a single-microphone mode when the revised phase difference is sufficiently large.

26. The invention of claim 25, wherein step (c) comprises the step of selecting a microphone having greatest power for the single-microphone mode.

27. The invention of claim 19, wherein step (c) comprises the step of generating a message to notify a user of the existence of a problem when the revised phase difference or an amplitude difference between the at least two microphones is sufficiently large.

28. The invention of claim 19, wherein:

the revised phase difference is computed using background processing;

step (b) further comprises the step of determining how much using the revised phase difference would improve the filtering of step (a); and

the at least one calibration parameter is updated based on the revised phase difference when doing so improves the filtering of step (a) by a sufficient amount.

29. The invention of claim 19, wherein:

the audio system comprises more than two microphones; and

step (a) comprises the step of filtering the audio signals from a subset of the microphones to compensate for the phase difference.

30. The invention of claim 29, wherein the subset corresponds to microphones having greatest power.

31. An audio system comprising:

(a) a filter configured to filter audio signals generated in response to a sound field by at least two microphones to compensate for a phase difference between the at least two microphones; and

(b) a signal processor configured to;

(1) generate a revised phase difference between the at least two microphones based on the audio signals; and

(2) update, based on the revised phase difference, at least one calibration parameter used by the filter.

32. The invention of claim 31, wherein the audio system further comprises the at least two microphones.

33. The invention of claim 31, wherein the signal processor is configured to determine whether the sound field is sufficiently diffuse based on the audio signals, wherein the revised phase difference is generated only when the sound field is determined to be sufficiently diffuse.

34. The invention of claim 33, wherein the signal processor is configured to:

(A) generate front and rear power ratios based on the audio signals; and

(B) compare the front and rear power ratios to determine whether the sound field is sufficiently diffuse.

35. The invention of claim 34, wherein the front and rear power ratios are generated by treating the at least two microphones as sensors in a differential microphone having a cardioid configuration.

36. The invention of claim 33, wherein the signal processor is configured to:

(A) generate an integrated coherence function for each of two different frequency regions; and

(B) compare the integrated coherence functions for the two different frequency regions to determine whether the sound field is sufficiently diffuse.

37. The invention of claim 31, wherein:

the apparatus is part of a hearing aid, a cell phone, or a consumer recording device;

the filter is further configured to filter the audio signals to compensate for an amplitude difference between the at least two microphones; and

the signal processor is further configured to;

(i) generate a revised amplitude difference between the at least two microphones based on the audio signals; and

(ii) update, based on the revised amplitude difference, at least one calibration parameter used by the filter.

38. The invention of claim 31, wherein the signal processor is configured to switch to a single-microphone mode when the revised phase difference or an amplitude difference between the at least two microphones is sufficiently large.

39. The invention of claim 38, wherein the signal processor is configured to select a microphone having greatest power for the single-microphone mode.

40. The invention of claim 31, wherein the signal processor is configured to generate a message to notify a user of the existence of a problem when the revised phase difference is sufficiently large.

41. The invention of claim 31, wherein:

the revised phase difference is computed using background processing;

the signal processor is further configured to determine how much using the revised phase difference would improve the filter; and

the at least one calibration parameter is updated based on the revised phase difference when doing so improves the filter by a sufficient amount.

42. The invention of claim 31, wherein:

the audio system comprises more than two microphones; and

the signal processor is configured to filter the audio signals from a subset of the microphones to compensate for the phase difference.

43. The invention of claim 42, wherein the subset corresponds to microphones having greatest power.

44. A consumer device comprising:

(a) at least two microphones;

(b) a filter configured to filter audio signals generated in response to a sound field by the at least two microphones to compensate for a phase difference between the at least two microphones; and

(c) a signal processor configured to;

(1) generate a revised phase difference between the at least two microphones based on the audio signals; and

(2) update, based on the revised phase difference, at least one calibration parameter used by the filter.

45. The invention of claim 44, wherein the consumer device is a hearing aid, a cell phone, or a consumer recording device.