Signature noise removal

• US 8,612,222 B2
• Filed: 08/31/2012
• Issued: 12/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Malikie Innovations Limited (Key Patent Innovations Limited)
• Original Assignee: QNX Software Systems Limited (Canada) (Blackberry Limited)
• Inventors: Hetherington, Phillip A., Paranjpe, Shreyas A.
• Primary Examiner(s): He, Jialong
• Application Number:
  US13/601,314
• Publication Number:
  US 20120321095A1
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 704/233, 704/226
• US Class Current: 704/233
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02085 Periodic noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0216 characterised by the method used for estimating noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0232 Processing in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/45 characterised by the type of analysis window

Abstract

A speech enhancement system improves the perceptual quality of a processed voice signal. The system improves the perceptual quality of a voice signal by removing unwanted noise components from a voice signal. The system removes undesirable signals that may result in the loss of information. The system receives and analyzes signals to determine whether an undesired random or persistent signal corresponds to one or more modeled noises. When one or more noise components are detected, the noise components are substantially removed or dampened from the signal to provide a less noisy voice signal.

Claims

1. A noise detection system, comprising:

a computer memory that stores a noise model that includes spectral and temporal shape characteristics of a noise; and

a processor coupled with the computer memory;

where the processor is configured to access the noise model from the computer memory and analyze a signal to determine whether characteristics of the signal correspond to characteristics of the noise model;

where the processor is configured to fit the noise model to the signal in a time-frequency domain to evaluate spectral and temporal shape characteristics of a sound event in the signal;

where the processor is configured to identify the sound event as a noise event based on a correlation between the noise model and a signal envelope of the sound event; and

where the processor is configured to model individual sound events that make up the noise of the noise model, and model a temporal space between the individual sound events.

2. The noise detection system of claim 1, where the processor is configured to attenuate the sound event of the signal in response to the processor identifying the sound event as the noise event.

3. The noise detection system of claim 2, where the processor is configured to add the noise model to a recorded or modeled continuous noise for use to attenuate the sound event.

4. The noise detection system of claim 1, where the processor is configured to model temporal and spectral noise characteristics in response to detecting noise.

5. The noise detection system of claim 1, where the noise model comprises a dynamic model, and where the processor is configured to change the dynamic model in response to detection of changing conditions in the signal.

6. The noise detection system of claim 1, where the computer memory stores a plurality of noise models, and where the processor is configured to combine the plurality of noise models to detect or attenuate a noise in the signal.

7. A noise detection method, comprising:

accessing, by a processor, a computer memory that stores a noise model that includes spectral and temporal shape characteristics of a noise;

analyzing a signal to determine whether characteristics of the signal correspond to characteristics of the noise model;

fitting, by the processor, the noise model to the signal in a time-frequency domain to evaluate spectral and temporal shape characteristics of a sound event in the signal;

identifying, by the processor, the sound event as a noise event based on a correlation between the noise model and a signal envelope of the sound event; and

modeling individual sound events that make up the noise of the noise model; and

modeling a temporal space between the individual sound events.

8. The noise detection method of claim 7, further comprising attenuating the sound event of the signal in response to the processor identifying the sound event as the noise event.

9. The noise detection method of claim 7, further comprising adding the noise model to a recorded or modeled continuous noise for use to attenuate the sound event.

10. The noise detection method of claim 7, further comprising modeling temporal and spectral noise characteristics in response to detecting noise.

11. The noise detection method of claim 7, where the noise model comprises a dynamic model, the method further comprising changing the dynamic model in response to detection of changing conditions in the signal.

12. The noise detection method of claim 7, where the computer memory stores a plurality of noise models, the method further comprising combining the plurality of noise models to detect or attenuate a noise in the signal.

13. A non-transitory computer-readable medium with instructions stored thereon, where the instructions are executable by a processor to cause the processor to perform the steps of:

accessing a noise model that includes spectral and temporal shape characteristics of a noise;

analyzing a signal to determine whether characteristics of the signal correspond to characteristics of the noise model;

fitting the noise model to the signal in a time-frequency domain to evaluate spectral and temporal shape characteristics of a sound event in the signal;

identifying the sound event as a noise event based on a correlation between the noise model and a signal envelope of the sound event;

modeling individual sound events that make up the noise of the noise model; and

modeling a temporal space between the individual sound events.

14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the step of attenuating the sound event of the signal in response to the processor identifying the sound event as the noise event.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the step of modeling temporal and spectral noise characteristics in response to detecting noise.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the noise model comprises a dynamic model, where the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the step of changing the dynamic model in response to detection of changing conditions in the signal.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 13, where the instructions are executable by the processor to cause the processor to perform the step of combining a plurality of noise models to detect or attenuate a noise in the signal.