SELECTIVE AMPLIFICATION OF AN ACOUSTIC SIGNAL

• US 20170354796A1
• Filed: 06/08/2017
• Published: 12/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Inventors: GUSSEN, Uwe, STEFAN, Frederic, ARNDT, Christoph
• Granted Patent: US 10,065,013 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2021/0027 by the hearing sense
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 21/02 for inducing sleep or relaxation, e.g. by direct nerve stimulation, hypnosis, analgesia for massage A61H; electrotherapy A61N, e.g. applying alternating or intermittent electric currents for producing anaesthesia A61N1/36021
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/3375 Acoustical, e.g. ultrasonic, measuring means
• CPC Class Codes: A61M 2205/50 with microprocessors or computers
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17823 Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17825 Error signals
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17853 of the filter
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/17875 using an error signal without a reference signal, e.g. pure feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/12 Rooms, e.g. ANC inside a room, office, concert hall or automobile cabin
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 2210/3044 Phase shift, e.g. complex envelope processing
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/08 Speech classification or search
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/088 Word spotting
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02087 the noise being separate speech, e.g. cocktail party
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0272 Voice signal separating
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/51 for comparison or discrimination
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/63 for estimating an emotional state
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• 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: H04S 2400/15 Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/30 : Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field

Abstract

The present subject matter relates to systems and methods for selectively amplifying an acoustic signal in a closed environment. In an implementation, a plurality of acoustic signals may be received from within the closed environment. Frequency ranges corresponding to each acoustic signal may be obtained and compared to determine presence of at least one individual in the closed environment. Acoustic signals pertaining to the at least one individual may be analysed to detect occurrence of a physiological event. Based on the analysis, the acoustic signal may be recognized as a target signal, and the target signal may be amplified in the closed environment. Further, an interfering signal may be generated to cancel other acoustic signals within the closed environment.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

an audio engine configured to compare frequency ranges of a plurality of acoustic signals having frequency ranges that determine a presence of an individual in a closed environment; and

an amplification engine configured to, in response to a target signal indicative of an occurrence of a physiological event pertaining to the individual, amplify the target signal within the closed environment and generate an interfering signal to cancel other acoustic signals.

2. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio engine is further configured to process the plurality of acoustic signals to obtain the frequency ranges for each of the plurality of acoustic signals.

3. The system as claimed in claim 2, wherein the audio engine is further configured to employ a Kalman analysis to process the plurality of acoustic signals.

4. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of acoustic signals is received from at least one sensor employed at different locations within the closed environment.

5. The system as claimed in claim 4, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a microphone and a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Sensors.

6. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the audio engine is further configured to segregate the acoustic signal received from the individual from the other acoustic signals in the closed environment.

7. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physiological event is indicative of a condition of discomfort to an individual.

8. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the physiological event comprises one of an utterance of a pre-defined keyword and an occurrence of a pre-defined frequency range in the acoustic signal corresponding to the individual.

9. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the interfering signal has a frequency that is 180 degrees out of phase with the other acoustic signals.

10. The system as claimed in claim 1, wherein the amplification engine is coupled with a loudspeaker placed within the closed environment.

11. A method for amplifying an acoustic signal in a closed environment, the method comprising:

analyzing, by an amplification engine, acoustic signals pertaining to at least one individual to detect occurrence of a physiological event in the closed environment;

recognizing an acoustic signal as a target signal, wherein the target signal is indicative of the acoustic signal triggering the physiological event;

amplifying the target signal within the closed environment; and

cancelling other acoustic signals in the closed environment.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the plurality of acoustic signals is received in real-time.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the cancelling further includes generating, by the amplification engine, an interfering signal having same frequency as the other acoustic signals in the closed environment, wherein the interfering signal is 180 degrees out of phase with the other acoustic signals;

and

adding, by the amplification engine, the interfering signal to the closed environment to cancel the other acoustic signals in the closed environment.

14. The method as claimed in claim 11, wherein the physiological event comprises one of an utterance of a pre-defined keyword and an occurrence of a pre-defined frequency range in the acoustic signal pertaining to the at least one individual.

15. A vehicle infotainment system, comprising:

a processor configured to,

receive, in real-time, a plurality of acoustic signals from within a closed environment;

analyze acoustic signals pertaining to at least one individual from the plurality of acoustic signals to detect occurrence of a physiological event in the closed environment;

based on the analysis, select an acoustic signal corresponding to the at least one individual as a target signal, wherein the target signal is indicative of the acoustic signal triggering the physiological event;

amplify the target signal within the closed environment, based on the identification; and

generate an interfering signal to cancel other acoustic signals amongst the plurality of acoustic signals.

16. The infotainment system as claimed in claim 15 further comprising at least one sensor employed at different locations within the closed environment configured to measure the plurality of acoustic signals.

17. The infotainment system as claimed in claim 16, wherein the at least one sensor comprises at least one of a microphone and a plurality of Micro-Electro-Mechanical Sensors.

18. The infotainment system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to segregate the acoustic signal received from the individual from the other acoustic signals in the closed environment.

19. The infotainment system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the physiological event is indicative of a condition of discomfort to the at least one individual.

20. The infotainment system as claimed in claim 15, wherein the physiological event comprises one of an utterance of a pre-defined keyword and an occurrence of a pre-defined frequency range in the acoustic signal corresponding to the at least one individual.