Multi-channel recording

• US 9,071,900 B2
• Filed: 08/20/2012
• Issued: 06/30/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Vesa, Sampo V., Tikander, Miikka, Toivanen, Timo J., Saari, Jarmo I.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Kurr, Jason R
• Application Number:
  US13/589,418
• Publication Number:
  US 20140050326A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,044 Days
• Field of Search: 381/26, 381/309, 381/310, 381/71.6, 381/74, 381/92, 381/94.7, 381/119, 381/104, 381/107, 381/109, 381/23.1, 381/71.1, 381/317, 381372-375, 37940601-40616
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/027 Spatial or constructional arrangements of microphones, e.g. in dummy heads
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/04 Circuit arrangements, e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S

Abstract

An apparatus including a microphone array and a removing system. The microphone array includes a binaural microphone system having first and second transducers, and a voice microphone system having at least one third transducer. The removing system is configured to remove, from signals created from the binaural microphone system, components corresponding to sound of a user'"'"'s voice sensed at the at least one third transducer.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a binaural microphone system comprising a first transducer and a second transducer which are configured to be located proximate left and right ears of a user and located relative to each other for binaural recording; and

a voice microphone system comprising at least one third transducer configured to sense speaking activity of the user, where the voice microphone system is located on or around a head of the user for sensing the speaking activity; and

where the apparatus is configured, based at least partially upon a voice signal from the at least one third transducer, to remove components corresponding to sound of the speaking activity of the user from signals from the first and second transducers.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising a connector for connecting an output from each of the first, second and third transducers to another member.

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising analog-to-digital converters connected to respective ones of the first, second and third transducers.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3 further comprising amplifiers connected between respective pairs of the transducers and analog-to-digital converters.

5. An apparatus as in claim 1 further where the apparatus comprises an acoustic echo cancellation system configured to remove the components corresponding to sound of the speaking activity of the user sensed by the voice microphone system from the sound of the speaking activity of the user sensed by the binaural microphone system.

6. An apparatus as in claim 5 where the acoustic echo cancellation system comprises a first acoustic echo cancellation control having a first input from the first transducer and a second input from the at least one third transducer, and a second acoustic echo cancellation control having a first input from the second transducer and a second input from the at least one third transducer.

7. An apparatus as in claim 5 further comprising an output comprising a three signal output for binaural left and right signals comprising signals created based upon sound received by the first and second transducers with sound of the speaking activity of the user removed, and a voice signal output for signals created based upon sound received by the at least one third transducer.

8. An apparatus as in claim 7 further comprising means for selectively mixing the voice signal into the left and right signals.

9. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the at least one third transducer comprises an air microphone which is configured to be located proximate a mouth of the user.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9 where the first and second transducers comprise first and second air microphones located proximate the left and right ears of the user.

11. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the at least one third transducer comprises at least:

a bone conduction transducer, or

an air microphone and a bone conduction transducer.

12. An apparatus comprising:

binaural recording inputs configured to receive left and right channel signals from first and second binaural ear transducers located proximate left and right ears of a user;

a voice input configured to receive a voice signal from at least one third transducer located on or around a head of the user; and

a system for removing from the left and right channel signals, based at least partially upon the voice signal from the at least one third transducer, components corresponding to sound of a user'"'"'s voice sensed at the at least one third transducer.

13. An apparatus as in claim 12 where the system for removing comprises an acoustic echo cancellation system.

14. An apparatus as in claim 13 where the acoustic echo cancellation system comprises a first acoustic echo cancellation control having a first input from a first one of the binaural recording inputs and a second input from the voice input, and a second acoustic echo cancellation control having a first input from a second one of the binaural recording inputs and a second input from the voice input.

15. An apparatus as in claim 14 where the apparatus comprises three outputs comprising binaural left and right outputs from the first and second acoustic echo cancellation controls, respectively, and a third output comprising the voice input.

16. An apparatus as in claim 12 further comprising a microphone system connected to the binaural recording inputs and the voice input, where the microphone system comprises:

a binaural microphone system comprising a first microphone as the first binaural ear transducer and a second microphone as the second binaural ear transducer which are located relative to each other for binaural recording; and

a voice microphone system comprising a third microphone as the at least one third transducer which is configured to be located proximate a mouth of the user to sense speaking activity of the user.

17. An apparatus comprising:

a microphone array comprising a binaural microphone system having first and second transducers configured to be located proximate left and right ears of a user, and a voice microphone system having at least one third transducer configured to be located on or around a head of the user for sensing the user'"'"'s voice;

and a system for removing from signals created from the binaural microphone system voice components corresponding to sound of the user'"'"'s voice sensed at the at least one third transducer.

18. An apparatus as in claim 17 further comprising a system for allowing the voice components to be subsequently added back into the signals.

19. An apparatus as in claim 17 where the system for removing comprises an acoustic echo cancellation system.

20. An apparatus as in claim 17 where the acoustic echo cancellation system comprises a first acoustic echo cancellation control having a first input from the first transducer and a second input from the at least one third transducer, and a second acoustic echo cancellation control having a first input from the second transducer and a second input from the at least one third transducer.

21. A method comprising:

converting sound sensed at left and right transducers located proximate left and right ears of a user of a binaural microphone into respective first and second electrical signals;

converting sound of the user'"'"'s voice sensed at one or more third transducers located on or around a head of the user into a third electrical signal; and

removing components from the first and second electrical signals which correspond to the sound of the user'"'"'s voice sensed at the one or more third transducers.

22. A method as in claim 21 further comprising subsequently adding the third electrical signal into the first and second electrical signals.

23. A non-transitory program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine, the operations comprising:

removing from a first electrical signal, created from a first transducer located proximate a left ear of a user of a binaural microphone system, voice components which correspond to sound sensed at one or more third transducers located on or around a head of the user; and

removing from a second electrical signal, created from a second transducer located proximate a right ear of a the user of the binaural microphone system, the voice components which correspond to the sound sensed at the one or more third transducers.