Vehicular microphone system and method for post processing optimization of a microphone signal

• US 9,106,312 B2
• Filed: 12/14/2009
• Issued: 08/11/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Original Assignee: Gentex Corporation
• Inventors: Watson, Alan R., Bryson, Michael A., Turnbull, Robert R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr., Joseph
• Application Number:
  US13/128,315
• Publication Number:
  US 20110222706A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,066 Days
• Field of Search: 381/71.4, 381/86, 381/57
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 1/12 Mirror assemblies combined with other articles, e.g. clocks
• CPC Class Codes: B60R 11/0247 for microphones or earphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/3822 specially adapted for use in vehicles H04B1/3827 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A vehicular microphone system (200) for post processing optimization of a microphone signal includes a first transducer (201) and second transducer (203) separated by a predetermined distance within an automotive mirror. A first high pass filter network (205) is connected to the first transducer (201) while a second high pass filter network (207) connected to the second transducer (203). A low frequency shelving filter (209) is used for receiving the output from the second high pass filter (207). A first all pass filter (211) is connected to the low frequency shelving filter (209) and a second all pass filter (213) is used in connection with the first all pass filter (211) for tailoring audio characteristics. A summing amplifier (215) is used for summing the output of the first high pass filter network (201, 205) and the second all pass filter network (203, 207, 209, 211, 213) such that the first transducer (201) and second transducer (203) operate with improved directivity resulting in enhanced signal-to-noise performance in a substantially noisy vehicular environment.

Claims

1. A method for post processing optimization of a microphone signal used in a vehicle mirror comprising the steps of:

generating a signal containing both voice and noise from at least one microphone located in a vehicle;

estimating a level of the noise present within the signal;

determining if the level of the noise is above a predetermined threshold;

modifying the signal to increase the magnitude of both the voice and the noise for those frequency bands in the signal having a level of noise above the predetermined threshold;

modifying the signal to decrease the magnitude of both the voice and noise for those frequency bands in the signal having a level of noise below the predetermined threshold; and

submitting the modified signal to a post processing network.

2. A method for post processing optimization as in claim 1, further comprising the step of:

converting the generated signal into the frequency domain before estimating the level of noise.

3. A method for post processing optimization as in claim 1, wherein the posting processing network is an inverse fast Fourier transform (FFT) for converting the modified signal into the time domain.

4. A vehicular microphone system for post processing optimization of a microphone system comprising:

at least one microphone configured to receive a voice and a noise from inside the vehicle and generate a signal;

a digital signal processor configured to;

determine a noise level present within the signal;

determine if the noise level is above or below a predetermined threshold;

modify the signal to increase a magnitude of both the voice and noise for those frequency bands in the signal having a level of noise above the predetermined threshold;

modify the signal to decrease the magnitude of both the voice and noise for those frequency bands in the signal having a level of noise below the predetermined threshold; and

submit the modified signal to a post processing network.

5. A vehicle microphone system as in claim 4, wherein the at least one microphone comprises a first transducer and a second transducer separated by a predetermined distance.

6. A vehicle microphone system as in claim 5 further comprising a first and second high pass filter network, wherein the first high pass filter network is operably connected to the first transducer and the second high pass filter network is operably connected to the second transducer.

7. A vehicle microphone system as in claim 6 further comprising a low frequency shelving filter configured to receive the output from the second high pass filter.

8. A vehicle microphone system as in claim 7 further comprising a first all pass filter operably connected to the low frequency shelving filter.

9. A vehicle microphone system as in claim 8 further comprising a second all pass filter operably connected to the first all pass filter.

10. A vehicle microphone system as in claim 9 further comprising a summing amplifier configured to receive the output of the first high pass filter network and the second all pass filter.

11. A vehicle microphone system as in claim 10, wherein the first transducer and second transducer are configured to operate with improved directivity resulting in enhanced signal-to-noise performance in a substantially noisy vehicular environment.