Processing signals

• US 8,981,994 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2011
• Issued: 03/17/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Skype S.Ã R.L. (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Sorenson, Karsten Vandborg
• Primary Examiner(s): Phan, Dao
• Application Number:
  US13/307,852
• Publication Number:
  US 20130082875A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,203 Days
• Field of Search: 342/81, 342/368, 342/372, 342/373, 381/92
• US Class Current: 342/368
• CPC Class Codes: G10K 11/34 using electrical steering of transducer arrays, e.g. beam steering constructional aspects B06B1/0607, B06B1/085
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2015/225 Feedback of the input speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02082 the noise being echo, reverberation of the speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02161 Number of inputs available containing the signal or the noise to be suppressed
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/23 Direction finding using a sum-delay beam-former
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

Mobile device, method and computer program product for processing signals at the mobile device. The signals are received at a plurality of signal sensors of the mobile device. Motion of the mobile device is sensed and the received signals are processed using beamforming means at the mobile device, in dependence upon their direction of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors and in dependence upon the sensed motion of the mobile device.

Claims

1. A mobile device comprising:

a plurality of signal sensors for receiving signals;

a beamformer configured to process the received signals in dependence upon their direction of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors;

a motion sensor configured to sense motion of the mobile device and to provide an indication of the sensed motion of the mobile device to the beamformer,

wherein the beamformer is configured to process the received signals in dependence upon the indication of the sensed motion of the mobile device,

wherein the signals comprise;

(i) at least one primary signal having a respective at least one principal direction of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors, and (ii) interfering signals having respective interfering directions of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors,

wherein the beamformer is configured to apply beamformer coefficients to the received signals to thereby apply greater levels of suppression to signals received with the interfering directions of arrival than to signals received with the at least one principal direction of arrival.

2. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the beamformer is configured to track the interfering directions of arrival using the indication of the sensed motion of the mobile device, and to adapt the beamformer coefficients accordingly to thereby suppress the interfering signals received at the signal sensors with the interfering directions of arrival.

3. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the beamformer is configured to track the at least one principal direction of arrival using the indication of the sensed motion of the mobile device, and to adapt the beamformer coefficients accordingly to thereby enhance the at least one primary signal received at the signal sensors with the respective at least one principal direction of arrival.

4. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the motion sensor comprises at least one of a gyroscope or an accelerometer for sensing the motion of the mobile device.

5. The mobile device of claim 1 wherein the signals are audio signals and the signal sensors are microphones for receiving the audio signals.

11. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the signals are audio signals.

12. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the signals are general broadband signals.

13. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the signals are general narrowband signals.

14. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the signals are radar signals.

15. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the signals are radio waves.

16. The mobile device of claim 1, wherein the signals are antenna signals.

6. A method of processing signals at a mobile device, the method comprising:

receiving the signals at a plurality of signal sensors of the mobile device;

sensing motion of the mobile device; and

processing the received signals, using a beamformer at the mobile device, in dependence upon their direction of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors and in dependence upon the sensed motion of the mobile device,

wherein the signals comprise;

(i) at least one primary signal having a respective at least one principal direction of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors, and (ii) interfering signals having respective interfering directions of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors,

wherein the processing the received signals comprises the beamformer applying beamformer coefficients to the received signals such that greater levels of suppression are applied to signals received with the interfering directions of arrival than to signals received with the at least one principal direction of arrival.

7. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

tracking the interfering directions of arrival using the sensed motion of the mobile device; and

adapting the beamformer coefficients according to said tracking to thereby suppress the interfering signals received at the signal sensors with the interfering directions of arrival.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

tracking the at least one principal direction of arrival using the sensed motion of the mobile device; and

adapting the beamformer coefficients according to said tracking to thereby enhance the at least one primary signal received at the signal sensors with the respective at least one principal direction of arrival.

9. The method of claim 6 wherein said sensing the motion of the mobile device comprises at least one of:

(i) sensing rotational motion of the mobile device using a gyroscope, or (ii) sensing acceleration of the mobile device using an accelerometer.

10. The method of claim 6 wherein the signals are one of:

(i) audio signals, (ii) general broadband signals, (iii) general narrowband signals, (iv) radar signals, (v) sonar signals, (vi) antenna signals, (vii) radio waves or (viii) microwaves.

17. A beamformer for processing signals received at a plurality of signal sensors, the beamformer configured to perform operations comprising:

receiving an indication of a sensed motion from a motion sensor;

processing the received signals in dependence upon their direction of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors and in dependence upon the indication of the sensed motion, wherein the signals comprise;

(i) at least one primary signal having a respective at least one principal direction of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors, and (ii) interfering signals having respective interfering directions of arrival at the plurality of signal sensors; and

applying beamformer coefficients to the received signals to thereby apply greater levels of suppression to signals received with the interfering directions of arrival than to signals received with the at least one principal direction of arrival.

18. The beamformer of claim 17, further configured to perform operations comprising:

tracking the interfering directions of arrival using the indication of the sensed motion; and

adapting the beamformer coefficients accordingly to thereby suppress the interfering signals received at the signal sensors with the interfering directions of arrival.

19. The beamformer of claim 17, further configured to perform operations comprising:

tracking the at least one principal direction of arrival using the indication of the sensed motion; and

adapting the beamformer coefficients accordingly to thereby enhance the at least one primary signal received at the signal sensors with the respective at least one principal direction of arrival.

20. The beamformer of claim 17 wherein the motion sensor comprises at least one of a gyroscope or an accelerometer for sensing the motion.

21. The beamformer of claim 17, wherein the signals are audio signals and the signal sensors are microphones for receiving the audio signals.