Control parameter dependent audio signal processing

• US 9,185,488 B2
• Filed: 11/30/2009
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Inventors: Karkkainen, Asta Maria, Virolainen, Jussi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tsang, Fan
• Assistant Examiner(s): McKinney, Angelica M
• Application Number:
  US13/511,645
• Publication Number:
  US 20120288126A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,171 Days
• Field of Search: 381/72, 381/56, 381/57, 381/58, 381/309, 340/552, 705/14.66
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0216 characterised by the method used for estimating noise
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 25/78 Detection of presence or absence of voice signals switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1016 Earpieces of the intra-aural type
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/403 Linear arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2203/12 Beamforming aspects for stereophonic sound reproduction with loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/01 Noise reduction using microphones having different directional characteristics
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2460/01 Hearing devices using active noise cancellation
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/033 Headphones for stereophonic communication details thereof, e.g. relating to batteries, cables or control elements H04R1/10
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 1/007 in which the audio signals are in digital form data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/13 Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in stereophonic sound systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/15 Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction

Abstract

Detection from sensors may be used to configure or modify the configuration of audio directional processing to improve user safety and/or communication by processing at least one control parameter dependent on at least one sensor input parameter, processing at least one audio signal dependent on the processed at least one control parameter, and outputting the processed at least one audio signal.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

generating at least two sensor input parameters from a plurality of sensors, where the at least two sensor input parameters are different types of sensor input parameters;

generating by a control processor at least one control parameter dependent on the at least two sensor input parameters;

selecting a control parameter modifying mode by a context processor from a plurality of control parameter modifying modes, where at least one of the modes is configured to have the at least one control parameter from the control processor modified, and where the selecting of the control parameter modifying mode by the context processor is based, at least partially, upon an input from at least one of the plurality of sensors;

processing at least one audio signal dependent on the generated at least one control parameter and the selected control parameter modifying mode, wherein processing the at least one audio signal comprises beamforming the at least one audio signal; and

outputting the processed at least one audio signal associated with the selected control parameter modifying mode.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one control parameter comprises at least one of:

a gain and delay value;

a beamforming beam gain function;

a beamforming beam width function;

a beamforming beam orientation function; and

a perceived orientation beamforming gain and beam width parameter.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein said at least two sensor input parameters comprises an indication of a direction in which a user or an apparatus is facing and a direction in which the user or the apparatus is moving, and said beamforming is additionally based, at least in part, on the direction in which the user or apparatus is moving relative to the direction in which a user or an apparatus is facing.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing at least one audio signal comprises at least one of:

mixing the at least one audio signal with at least one further audio signal;

amplifying at least one component of the at least one audio signal; and

removing at least one component of the at least one audio signal.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein the at least one audio signal comprises at least one of:

a microphone audio signal;

a received audio signal; and

a stored audio signal.

6. The method as claimed in claim 1, further comprising receiving the at least two sensor input parameters, wherein the at least two sensor input parameters comprises at least one of:

motion data;

position data;

orientation data;

chemical data;

luminosity data;

temperature data;

image data; and

air pressure.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein processing at least one control parameter dependent on at least two sensor input parameters comprises modifying the at least one control parameter on determining whether at least one of the sensor input parameters is greater or equal to at least one predetermined value.

8. The method as claimed in claim 1, wherein outputting the processed at least one output signal further comprises:

generating a binaural signal from the processed at least one audio signal;

outputting the binaural signal to at least an ear worn speaker.

9. An apparatus comprising at least one processor and at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, causes the apparatus at least to:

generate at least two sensor input parameters from a plurality of sensors, where the at least two sensor input parameters are different types of sensor input parameters;

generate by a control processor at least one control parameter dependent on the at least two sensor input parameters;

select a control parameter modifying mode by a context processor from a plurality of control parameter modifying modes, where at least one of the modes is configured to have the at least one control parameter from the control processor modified, and where the selecting of the control parameter modifying mode by the context processor is based, at least partially, upon an input from at least one of the plurality of sensors;

process at least one audio signal dependent on the generated at least one control parameter and the selected control parameter modifying mode, wherein processing the at least one audio signal comprises beamforming the at least one audio signal; and

output the processed at least one audio signal associated with the selected control parameter modifying mode.

10. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one control parameter comprises at least one of:

a gain and delay value;

a beamforming beam gain function;

a beamforming beam width function;

a beamforming beam orientation function; and

a perceived orientation beamforming gain and beam width parameter.

11. The apparatus of claim 10, wherein said at least two sensor input parameters comprises an indication of a direction in which the apparatus is facing and a direction in which the apparatus is moving, and said beamforming is additionally based, at least in part, on the direction in which the apparatus is facing relative to the direction in which the apparatus is moving.

12. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein causing the apparatus to process at least one audio signal causes the apparatus at least to mix the at least one audio signal with at least one further audio signal.

13. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least one audio signal comprises at least one of:

a microphone audio signal;

a received audio signal; and

a stored audio signal.

14. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein the at least two sensor input parameters comprises at least one of:

motion data;

position data;

orientation data;

chemical data;

luminosity data;

temperature data;

image data; and

air pressure.

15. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein causing the apparatus to process at least one control parameter dependent on at least two sensor input parameters causes the apparatus at least to modify the at least one control parameter on determining whether at least one of the sensor input parameters is greater or equal to at least one predetermined value.

16. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein causing the apparatus to output the processed at least one output signal causes the apparatus at least to:

generate a binaural signal from the processed at least one audio signal; and

output the binaural signal to at least an ear worn speaker.

17. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein causing the apparatus to process at least one audio signal causes the apparatus at least to amplify at least one component of the at least one audio signal.

18. The apparatus as claimed in claim 9, wherein causing the apparatus to process at least one audio signal causes the apparatus at least to remove at least one component of the at least one audio signal.

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

generating at least two sensor input parameters from a plurality of sensors, where the at least two sensor input parameters are different types of sensor input parameters;

generating by a control processor at least one control parameter dependent on the at least two sensor input parameters;

selecting a control parameter modifying mode by a context processor from a plurality of control parameter modifying modes, where at least one of the modes is configured to have the at least one control parameter from the control processor modified, and where the selecting of the control parameter modifying mode by the context processor is based, at least partially, upon an input from at least one of the plurality of sensors;

processing at least one audio signal dependent on the generated at least one control parameter and the selected control parameter modifying mode, wherein processing the at least one audio signal comprises beamforming the at least one audio signal; and

outputting the processed at least one audio signal associated with the selected control parameter modifying mode.