CONTENT BASED NOISE SUPPRESSION

• US 20140254816A1
• Filed: 03/06/2013
• Published: 09/11/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/06/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Lae-Hoon, Mohammad, Asif Iqbal, Visser, Erik, Shin, Jongwon
• Granted Patent: US 9,275,625 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.11
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/16 Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general G10K11/36 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02082 the noise being echo, reverberation of the speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0216 characterised by the method used for estimating noise
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/082 using echo cancellers echo cancellers per se H04B3/23

Abstract

Apparatus and methods for audio noise attenuation are disclosed. An audio signal analyzer can determine whether an input audio signal received from a microphone device includes a noise signal having identifiable content. If there is a noise signal having identifiable content, a content source is accessed to obtain a copy of the noise signal. An audio canceller can generate a processed audio signal, having an attenuated noise signal, based on comparing the copy of the noise signal to the input audio signal. Additionally or alternatively, data may be communicated on a communication channel to a separate media device to receive at least a portion of the copy of the noise signal from the separate media device, or to receive content-identification data corresponding to the content source.

Claims

1. A device to attenuate audio noise, the device comprising:

a microphone configured to receive an input audio signal;

an audio signal analyzer configured to determine if the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content, wherein if there is a noise signal having identifiable content, accessing a content source to obtain a copy of the noise signal; and

an audio canceller configured to generate a processed audio signal having an attenuated noise signal based on comparing the copy of the noise signal to the input audio signal.

2. The device of claim 1, wherein the audio signal analyzer is configured to perform the determination of whether the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content for noise signals generated by separate media devices.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication interface, wherein the audio signal analyzer is further configured to:

determine feature information of the input audio signal;

using the communication interface, transmit the feature information; and

using the communication interface, receive the copy of the noise signal based at least on transmitting the feature information.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein the audio signal analyzer is further configured to:

using the communication interface, receive content-identification information in response to providing the feature information;

search the device for the content source based on matching the received content-identification information with the content source; and

generate the copy of the noise signal from the content source if the search results in matching the content source.

5. The device of claim 1, wherein the audio signal analyzer comprises:

a feature extractor configured to determine feature information of the input audio signal;

a content identifier configured to determine content-identification information associated with the feature information;

a source searcher configured to search a database for the content source based on matching the content-identification information to the content source; and

a source transmitter configured to generate the copy of the noise signal from the content source if the search locates the content source.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising a signal synchronizer configured to delay at least one of the input audio signal and the copy of the noise signal, wherein the audio canceller includes:

an adaptive filter having a tunable filter parameter, the adaptive filter configured to generate a filtered noise signal based on the synchronized copy of the noise signal and the tunable filter parameter, the adaptive filter being configured to adjust the tunable filter parameter based on comparing the synchronized input audio signal and the synchronized copy of the noise signal; and

a double talk detector of the adaptive filter configured to disable adjustment of the tunable filter parameter of the adaptive filter when the double talk detector detects that the input audio signal has another signal in addition to the copy of the noise signal,

wherein the audio canceller compares the copy of the noise signal to the input audio signal by comparing the filtered noise signal to the synchronized input audio signal.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication module configured to communicate data on a communication channel between the device and a separate media device, wherein the communication module receives at least a portion of the copy of the noise signal from the separate media device.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a communication module configured to communicate data on a communication channel between the device and a separate media device, wherein the source communication module receives content-identification data corresponding to the content source.

9. A method to attenuate audio noise, the method comprising:

receiving an input audio signal;

determining if the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content;

if there is a noise signal having identifiable content, accessing a content source to obtain a copy of the noise signal; and

generating a processed audio signal having an attenuated noise signal based on comparing the copy of the noise signal to the input audio signal.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining whether the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content comprises determining whether the input audio signal includes a noise signal generated by a separate media device and having identifiable content.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining whether the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content comprises:

determining feature information of the input audio signal; and

transmitting the feature information,

wherein the step of accessing the copy of the noise signal includes receiving the copy of the noise signal based at least on transmitting the feature information.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the step of determining of whether the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content comprises:

receiving content-identification information in response to providing the feature information;

searching the device for the content source based on matching the received content-identification information with the content source; and

generating the copy of the noise signal from the content source if the search results in matching the content source.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the step of determining of whether the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content comprises:

determining feature information of the input audio signal;

determining content-identification information associated with the feature information;

searching a database for the content source based on matching the content-identification information to the content source; and

generating the copy of the noise signal from the content source if the search locates the content source.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising delaying at least one of the input audio signal and the copy of the noise signal to synchronize the input audio signal and the copy of the noise signal, wherein the step of generating the processed audio signal includes:

using an adaptive filter having a tunable filter parameter to generate a filtered noise signal based on the synchronized copy of the noise signal and the tunable filter parameter;

selectively adjusting the tunable filter parameter based on comparing the synchronized input audio signal and the synchronized copy of the noise signal; and

determining whether the input audio signal has another signal in addition to the noise signal;

disabling adjustment of the tunable filter parameter of the adaptive filter when it is determined that the input audio signal has another signal in addition to the noise signal,

wherein the comparing the copy of the noise signal to the input audio signal by comparing the noise signal to the input audio signal includes comparing the filtered noise signal to the synchronized input audio signal.

15. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating data on a communication channel with a separate media device to receive at least a portion of the copy of the noise signal from the separate media device.

16. The method of claim 9, further comprising communicating data on a communication channel to a separate media device to receive content-identification data corresponding to the content source.

17. A non-transitory, computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed, causes a processor to perform a method comprising of:

receiving an input audio signal;

determining if the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content;

if there is a noise signal having identifiable content, accessing a content source to obtain a copy of the noise signal; and

generating a processed audio signal having an attenuated noise signal based on comparing the copy of the noise signal to the input audio signal.

18. The non-transitory, computer-readable medium of claim 17, wherein the instructions, when executed, perform a method further comprising:

determining feature information of the input audio signal;

transmitting the feature information by using a communication interface; and

receiving the copy of the noise signal based at least on transmitting the feature information by using the communication interface.

19. An apparatus to attenuate audio noise, the apparatus comprising:

means for receiving an input audio signal;

means for determining if the input audio signal includes a noise signal having identifiable content, and for selectively accessing a content source to obtain a copy of the noise signal if there is a noise signal having identifiable content; and

means for generating a processed audio signal having an attenuated noise signal based on comparing the copy of the noise signal to the input audio signal.

20. The apparatus of claim 19, wherein the means for determining includes:

means for determining content-identification information associated with the feature information;

means for searching a database for the content source based on matching the content-identification information to the content source; and

means for generating the copy of the noise signal from the content source if the search locates the content source.