Dynamic Characterization of a Communication Device

• US 20150030168A1
• Filed: 07/23/2013
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Inventors: Schulz, Dieter, Popovic, Mirjana, Gancarcik, Edward P., Leung, Chi Keung
• Granted Patent: US 9,544,702 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/59
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/082 using echo cancellers echo cancellers per se H04B3/23
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/03 Synergistic effects of band splitting and sub-band processing
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/001 for loudspeakers H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

Technology for dynamic characterization of a communication device is disclosed. One method comprises sending an acoustic characterization excitation signal to be output by an acoustic transducer in the communication device. A received acoustic coupling signal that is received by a microphone of the communication device in response to the output of the acoustic transducer is measured. An acoustic signal conditioning algorithm is applied to at least one of the microphone or the acoustic transducer to reduce an amplitude of the acoustic signal or the received acoustic coupling signal to a level below a selected threshold.

Claims

1. A method for dynamic characterization of a communication device, comprising:

sending an acoustic characterization excitation signal to be output by an acoustic transducer in the communication device;

measuring a received acoustic coupling signal that is received by a microphone of the communication device in response to the output of the acoustic transducer; and

applying an acoustic signal conditioning algorithm to at least one of the microphone or the acoustic transducer to reduce an amplitude of the received acoustic coupling signal to a level below a selected threshold to reduce feedback in full duplex communication of the communication device.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending the acoustic characterization excitation signal to be output by the acoustic transducer, wherein the acoustic transducer is a hands free speaker for the communication device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the acoustic characterization excitation signal further comprises receiving a background noise signal to be measured at the microphone.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein sending the acoustic characterization excitation signal further comprises sending at least one of a speech signal or a predetermined acoustic signal to be output by the acoustic transducer and measured by the microphone.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising averaging the speech signal that is received at the microphone over a selected period of time.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the acoustic signal conditioning algorithm further comprises applying a dynamic signal conditioning algorithm to compensate for changes in at least one of the acoustic transducer or the microphone that occur over time.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein applying the dynamic signal conditioning algorithm to compensate for the changes further comprises identifying when a component has failed based on the changes in at least one of the acoustic transducer or the microphone to enable the components to be repaired or replaced.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising applying the acoustic signal conditioning algorithm to provide a desired equalization of amplitude over a selected frequency band for an output of the acoustic transducer to reduce acoustic coupling between the acoustic transducer and the microphone.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein applying the signal conditioning algorithm further comprises reducing distortion output by the acoustic transducer.

10. The method of claim 1, applying the acoustic signal conditioning algorithm to at least one of the microphone or the acoustic transducer at a selected interval.

13. The communication device of claim 10, wherein the acoustic signal conditioning algorithm is one of a finite impulse response filter, a state-space filter and an infinite impulse response filter.

14. The communication device of claim 13, wherein feedback is provided to the finite impulse response filter, the state-space filter or the infinite impulse response filter and the feedback includes at least one of background noise or communication using the communication device or a predetermined acoustic signal.

11. A communication device comprising:

a speaker transducer operable to output an acoustic characterization excitation signal;

a microphone transducer operable to measure a received acoustic coupling signal in response to the output of the speaker transducer; and

a processor configured to apply an acoustic signal conditioning algorithm to at least one of the microphone or the acoustic transducer to reduce an amplitude of the received acoustic coupling signal to a level below a selected threshold to reduce feedback in full duplex communication of the communication device.

12. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the communication device is selected from the group consisting of a desktop phone, a speaker phone, a hands free speaker phone, a smart phone, a tablet computer, a laptop computer, and a desktop computer.

15. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the acoustic signal conditioning algorithm for the microphone transducer is implemented after an analog to digital converter is used to digitize a signal from the microphone transducer.

16. The communication device of claim 11, wherein the acoustic signal conditioning algorithm for the speaker transducer is implemented before a digital to analog converter is used to convert digital signal for the speaker transducer to an analog format.

17. A communication device configured for full duplex communication, having computer circuitry configured to:

send an acoustic characterization excitation signal to be output by a speaker transducer in the communication device;

measure an acoustic coupling signal that is received by a microphone transducer of the communication device in response to the output of the acoustic transducer; and

apply an acoustic signal conditioning algorithm to at least one of the microphone transducer or the speaker transducer to reduce an amplitude of the received acoustic coupling signal to a level below a selected threshold.

18. The computer circuitry of claim 17, that is further configured to apply the acoustic signal conditioning algorithm using an adaptive filter.

19. The computer circuitry of claim 18, wherein the adaptive fitter is one of an infinite impulse response filter and a Kalman filter.

20. The computer circuitry of claim 18, wherein the computer circuitry is configured to apply the acoustic signal conditioning algorithm using the adaptive filter to adaptively filter a digitized output of the microphone transducer or a digitized speaker signal for the speaker transducer.