MICROPHONE PLACEMENT FOR NOISE CANCELLATION IN VEHICLES

• US 20140112496A1
• Filed: 10/18/2013
• Published: 04/24/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 10/19/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Audience Corporation
• Original Assignee: Audience Corporation
• Inventors: Murgia, Carlo, Laroche, Jean, Aguilar, Alfredo, Isabel, Scott
• Application Number:
  US14/058,059
• Publication Number:
  US 20140112496A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0216 characterised by the method used for estimating noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/06 Transformation of speech into a non-audible representation, e.g. speech visualisation or speech processing for tactile aids G10L15/26 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/009 Signal processing in [PA] systems to enhance the speech intelligibility
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/002 Damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/027 Spatial or constructional arrangements of microphones, e.g. in dummy heads

Abstract

Systems and methods for processing acoustic signals in vehicles are provided. An example system comprises one or more microphones and a voice monitoring device. The voice monitoring device can receive, via the one or more microphones, an acoustic signal and suppress noise in the acoustic signal to obtain a clean speech component. The obtained clean speech component can be provided to one or more vehicle systems. In some embodiments, two microphones selected from the one or more microphones can be positioned on an inner side of a roof of the vehicle, above a windshield, in front of a driver'"'"'s seat, and directed towards a driver. The two microphones can be equidistant with respect to a symmetry plane of the driver'"'"'s seat.

Claims

1. A system for processing an acoustic signal in a vehicle, the system comprising

one or more microphones;

and

a voice monitoring device, the voice monitoring device being configured to;

receive, via the one or more microphones, the acoustic signal;

suppress noise in the acoustic signal to obtain a clean speech component; and

provide the clean speech component to one or more vehicle systems.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein two microphones selected from the one or more microphones are positioned on an inner side of a roof of the vehicle, above a windshield, in front of a driver'"'"'s seat, and directed towards a driver.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the selected two microphones are equally spaced relative to a symmetry plane of the driver'"'"'s seat.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the distance between the selected two microphones is about 5 cm.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one microphone selected from the one or more microphones is configured to receive only noise.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein at least one microphone selected from the one or more microphones is configured to receive at least mostly speech.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice monitoring device is further configured to provide the clean speech component to a communication system, the communication system being configured to provide the clean speech component to a device located outside the vehicle via a communications network.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice monitoring device is further configured to provide the clean speech component to a communication system, the communication system being configured to provide the clean speech component to one or more persons located inside the vehicle.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the voice monitoring device is further configured to suppress speech signals originating from a source outside a pre-determined area in the vehicle.

18. The system of claim 1, further comprising suppressing speech signals originating from a source outside at least one pre-determined area in the vehicle.

10. A method for processing an acoustic signal in a vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, via the one or more microphones, the acoustic signal;

suppressing noise in the acoustic signal to obtain a clean speech component; and

providing the clean speech component to one or more vehicle systems.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein two microphones selected from the one or more microphones are positioned on an inner side of a roof of the vehicle, above a windshield, in front of a driver'"'"'s seat, and directed towards a driver.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the selected two microphones are equally spaced relative to a symmetry plane of the driver'"'"'s seat.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the distance between the selected two microphones is about 5 cm.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein at least one microphone selected from the one or more microphones is configured to receive only noise.

15. The method of claim 10, wherein at least on microphone selected from the one or more microphones is configured to receive at least mostly speech.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing the clean speech component to a communication system, the communication system being configured to provide the clean speech component to a device located outside the vehicle vehicle via a communications network.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising providing the clean speech component to a communication system, the communication system being configured to provide the clean speech component to one or more persons located inside vehicle.

19. A non-transitory machine readable medium having embodied thereon a program, the program providing instructions for a method for processing an acoustic signal in vehicle, the method comprising:

receiving, via the one or more microphones, the acoustic signal, the acoustic signal including speech and noise;

suppressing noise in the acoustic signal to obtain a clean speech component; and

providing the clean speech component to one or more vehicle systems.

20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19, wherein two microphones selected from the one or more microphones:

are placed on an inner side of a roof of the vehicle, above a windshield, in front of a driver'"'"'s seat, and directed towards a driver; and

are equally spaced relative to a symmetry plane of the driver'"'"'s seat.