Directional acoustic signal processor and method therefor
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A signal processing system for processing waves from a plurality of sources, said system comprising:
- a plurality of transducer means for receiving waves from said plurality of sources, including echoes and reverberation thereof and for generating a plurality of signals in response thereto, wherein each of said plurality of transducer means receives waves from said plurality of sources including echoes and reverberations thereof, and for generating one of said plurality of signals;
first processing means for receiving said plurality of signals and for generating a plurality of first processed signals in response thereto, said first processing means comprises;
a plurality of delay means, each for receiving one of said plurality of signals and for generating a delayed signal in response thereto, anda plurality of first combining means, each for receiving at least one of said plurality of signals and one of said delayed signals not associated with said one of said plurality of signals, and for combining said received delayed signal and said signal, by an active cancellation process, to produce one of said first processed signals; and
second processing means for receiving said plurality of first processed signals and for generating a plurality of second processed signals in response thereto, wherein each of said second processed signals represents waves from one different source, said second processing means including feedback means for supplying said plurality of second processed signals to said second processing means for combining each of said plurality of second processed signals with at least one of said plurality of first processed signals not associated with said each second processed signal to generate said plurality of second processed signals.
1 Assignment
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Two or more microphones are mounted in an environment that contains an equal or lesser number of distinct sound sources. Acoustic energy from each source, with its attendant echoes and reverberation, impinges on each microphone. Using direction-of-arrival information, a first module attempts to extract the original source signals as if the acoustic environment were anechoic. Any residual crosstalk between the channels, which may be caused by echoes and reverberation, is removed by a second module. The first and second modules may be implemented using existing technology.
-
Citations
24 Claims
-
1. A signal processing system for processing waves from a plurality of sources, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of transducer means for receiving waves from said plurality of sources, including echoes and reverberation thereof and for generating a plurality of signals in response thereto, wherein each of said plurality of transducer means receives waves from said plurality of sources including echoes and reverberations thereof, and for generating one of said plurality of signals; first processing means for receiving said plurality of signals and for generating a plurality of first processed signals in response thereto, said first processing means comprises; a plurality of delay means, each for receiving one of said plurality of signals and for generating a delayed signal in response thereto, and a plurality of first combining means, each for receiving at least one of said plurality of signals and one of said delayed signals not associated with said one of said plurality of signals, and for combining said received delayed signal and said signal, by an active cancellation process, to produce one of said first processed signals; and second processing means for receiving said plurality of first processed signals and for generating a plurality of second processed signals in response thereto, wherein each of said second processed signals represents waves from one different source, said second processing means including feedback means for supplying said plurality of second processed signals to said second processing means for combining each of said plurality of second processed signals with at least one of said plurality of first processed signals not associated with said each second processed signal to generate said plurality of second processed signals. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
-
-
2. A signal processing system for processing waves from a plurality of sources, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of transducer means for receiving waves from said plurality of sources, including echoes and reverberation thereof and for generating a plurality of signals in response thereto, wherein each of said plurality of transducer means receives waves from said plurality of sources including echoes and reverberations thereof, and for generating one of said plurality of signals; first processing means for receiving said plurality of signals and for generating a plurality of first processed signals in response thereto, said first processing means comprises; a plurality of multiplying means, each for receiving different ones of said plurality of signals and for generating a scaled signal in response thereto, and a plurality of first combining means, each for receiving at least one of said plurality of signals and one scaled signal not associated with said one of said plurality of signals, and for combining said received scaled signal and said signal to produce one of said first processed signals; and second processing means for receiving said plurality of first processed signals and for generating a plurality of second processed signals in response thereto, wherein each of said second processed signals represents waves from one different source, said second processing me including feedback means for supplying said plurality of second processed signals to said second processing means for combining each of said plurality of second processed signals with at least one of said plurality of first processed signals not associated with said each second processed signal to generate said plurality of second processed signals.
-
-
10. A signal processing system for processing waves from a plurality of sources, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of transducer means for receiving waves from said plurality of sources, including echoes and reverberations thereof and for generating a plurality of signals in response thereto, wherein each of said plurality of transducer means receives waves from said plurality of sources including echoes and reverberations thereof, and for generating one of said plurality of signals; first processing means for receiving said plurality of signals and for generating a plurality of first processed signals in response thereto, wherein in the absence of echoes and reverberations of said waves from said plurality of sources, each of said first processed signals represents waves from only one different source;
said first processing means comprising;a plurality of delay means, each for receiving one of said plurality of signals and for generating a delayed signal in response thereto, and a plurality of first combining means, for receiving said plurality of signals and for feedforward combining said plurality of signals in an active cancellation process to produce said plurality of processed signals, wherein each of said plurality of first combining means receives at least one of said plurality of signals and one of said delayed signals not associated with said one of said plurality of signals, and for combining said received delayed signal and said one signal to produce one of said first processed signals; and second processing means for receiving said plurality of first processed signals and for generating a plurality of second processed signals in response thereto, wherein in the presence of echoes and reverberations of said waves from said plurality of sources, each of said second processed signals represents waves from one different source;
said second processing means including feedback means for supplying said plurality of second processed signals to said second processing means for combining each of said plurality of second processed signals with at least one of said plurality of first processed signals not associated with said each second processed signal to generate said plurality of second processed signals. - View Dependent Claims (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
-
-
11. A signal processing system for processing waves from a plurality of sources, said system comprising:
-
a plurality of transducer means for receiving waves from said plurality of sources, including echoes and reverberations thereof and for generating a plurality of signals in response thereto, wherein each of said plurality of transducer means receives waves from said plurality of sources including echoes and reverberations thereof, and for generating one of said plurality of signals; first processing means for receiving said plurality of signals and for generating a plurality of first processed signals in response thereto, wherein in the absence of echoes and reverberations of said waves from said plurality of sources, each of said first processed signals represents waves from only one different source;
said first processing means comprising;a plurality of first combining means, for receiving said plurality of signals and for feedforward combining said plurality of signals in an active cancellation process to produce said plurality of processed signals, a plurality of multiplying means, each for receiving different ones of said plurality of signals and for generating a scaled signal in response thereto; and wherein each of said plurality of first combining means receives at least one scaled signal and one of said plurality of signals not associated with said one scaled signal, and for combining said received scaled signal and said signal to produce one of said first processed signals; second processing means for receiving said plurality of first processed signals and for generating a plurality of second processed signals in response thereto, wherein in the presence of echoes and reverberations of said waves from said plurality of sources, each of said second processed signals represents waves from one different source;
said second processing means including feedback means for supplying said plurality of second processed signals to said second processing means for combining each of said plurality of second processed signals with at least one of said plurality of first processed signals not associated with said each second processed signal to generate said plurality of second processed signals.
-
-
20. A method of processing waves from a plurality of sources, comprising:
-
receiving said waves, including echoes and reverberations thereof, by a plurality of transducer means; converting said waves, including echoes and reverberations thereof from said plurality of sources, by each of said plurality of transducer means into an electrical signal, thereby generating a plurality of electrical signals; first processing said plurality of electrical signals, by an active cancellation process, to generate a plurality of first processed signals, wherein in the absence of echoes and reverberations of said waves from said plurality of sources, each of said first processed signals represents waves from one source, and a reduced amount of waves from other sources, said first processing step including; delaying each one of said plurality of electrical signals and generating a delayed signal in response thereto, and combining each one of said plurality of electrical signals with one of said delayed signals not associated with said one of said plurality of signals to generate one of said first processed signals; and
thensecondly processing said plurality of first processed signals to generate a plurality of second processed signals, including combining each of said plurality of second processed signals with at least one of said plurality of first processed signals not associated with said each second processed signal to generate said plurality of second processed signals, wherein in the presence of echoes and reverberations of said waves from said plurality of sources, each of said second processed signals represents waves from only one different source. - View Dependent Claims (21, 22, 23)
-
-
24. A signal processing system for processing waves from a plurality of sources, said system comprising:
-
at least a first and second transducer for receiving waves from said plurality of sources, including echoes and reverberation thereof and for generating at least a first and a second signal in response thereto, wherein each of said transducers receives waves from said plurality of sources including echoes and reverberations thereof, and for generating one of said first and second signals; first processing means for receiving said first and second signals and for generating a first and a second processed signals in response thereto, said first processing means comprises; first delay means for receiving said first signal and for generating a first delayed signal in response thereto, second delay means for receiving said second signal and for generating a second delayed signal in response thereto, first combining means for receiving said first signal and said second delayed signal, and for combining said received first signal and said second delay signal, by an active cancellation process, to produce said first processed signal, and second combining means for receiving said second signal and said first delayed signal, and for combining said received second signal and said first delayed signal, by an active cancellation process, to produce said second processed signal; and second processing means for receiving said first and second processed signals and for generating a third and a fourth processed signals in response thereto, said second processing means comprises; third combining means for receiving the first processed signal to produce the third processed signal in response thereto; fourth combining means for receiving the second processed signal to produce the fourth processed signal in response thereto; first adaptive filter means for receiving said third processed signal, for generating a first adaptive signal in response thereto, and for supplying said first adaptive signal to said fourth combining means; second adaptive filter means for receiving said fourth processed signal, for generating a second adaptive signal in response thereto, and for supplying said second adaptive signal to said third combining means; wherein the third combining means combines the first processed signal and the second adaptive signal to produce the third processed signal so that the third processed signal is a difference between the first processed signal and the second adaptive signal; and wherein the fourth combining means combines the second processed signal and the first adaptive signal to produce the fourth processed signal so that the fourth processed signal is a difference between the second processed signal and the first adaptive signal.
-
Specification