Removing noise generated from a non-audio component

• US 9,204,065 B2
• Filed: 10/28/2013
• Issued: 12/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/28/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: WSOU Investments, LLC (WSOU Holdings, LLC)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Backman, Juha R., Vilermo, Miikka T., Jarske, Petri
• Primary Examiner(s): Jerabek, Kelly L
• Application Number:
  US14/064,699
• Publication Number:
  US 20150116519A1
• Time in Patent Office: 764 Days
• Field of Search: 348/374, 348/375, 381/94.1, 381/95, 381/71.1, 381/71.11, 381/71.12, 381/122
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/51 Housings
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/67 Focus control based on electronic image sensor signals
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/685 performed by mechanical compensation
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 23/687 by shifting the lens or sensor position
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 25/60 Noise processing, e.g. detecting, correcting, reducing or removing noise

Abstract

An apparatus including 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, cause the apparatus to generate a signal from at least one sound transducer of an apparatus, where the signal is generated based upon sound received at the at least one sound transducer, where the sound includes acoustic noise generated by a component of the apparatus; and remove a noise component from the signal, where the noise component at least partially corresponds to the acoustic noise generated by the component.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising:

a camera that is at least partially internal in the apparatus;

a contact microphone configured to sense object vibrations;

an air microphone for generating a signal from sound received at the air microphone, the sound including acoustic noise generated by the camera;

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, cause the apparatus to;

utilize the sensed object vibrations to determine a noise component of the signal that at least partially corresponds to the acoustic noise generated by the camera and to remove the noise component from the signal.

2. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the acoustic noise is generated from camera operations comprising at least one of Auto Focus (AF) and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).

3. An apparatus as in claim 1 wherein the contact microphone comprises an accelerometer.

4. An apparatus as in claim 3 where the apparatus is configured to remove the noise component by subtracting at least one output of the accelerometer from the signal generated by the air microphone.

5. An apparatus as in claim 3 where the accelerometer is located on the apparatus relative to the camera substantially equal in distance relative to one another versus a distance between the air microphone and the camera.

6. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the noise component of the signal is further determined from a drive signal which drives the camera.

7. An apparatus as in claim 1 where the air microphone comprises two or more air microphones, where the apparatus is configured to sum signals from the air microphones together with delays that maximize the acoustic noise in the generated signal.

8. An apparatus as in claim 1 further comprising:

a housing;

an electronic display connected to the housing;

electronic circuitry located at least partially in the housing, where the electronic circuitry comprises the at least one processor, the at least one non-transitory memory, a flash, a receiver and a transmitter; and

a battery connected to the housing.

9. An apparatus comprising:

a camera that is at least partially internal in the apparatus;

an air microphone for generating a signal from sound received at the air microphone, the sound including acoustic noise generated by the camera;

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, cause the apparatus to;

select a noise removal algorithm model stored in the at least one memory for removing a noise component from the generated signal that at least partially corresponds to the acoustic noise generated by the camera, where the model is selected based upon at least one drive signal which indicates use of one or more operations of the camera.

10. An apparatus as in claim 9, the apparatus is a hand-held portable apparatus.

11. A method comprising:

using a contact microphone of an apparatus to sense object vibrations;

generating a signal from at least one air microphone of the apparatus, where the signal is generated based upon sound received at the at least one air microphone, where the sound includes acoustic noise generated by a camera of the apparatus; and

utilizing the sensed vibrations to determine a noise component of the signal that at least partially corresponds to the acoustic noise generated by the camera of the apparatus, and removing the noise component from the signal.

12. A method as in claim 11 where the acoustic noise arises from at least one operation of the camera.

13. A method as in claim 12 where the at least one operation the camera comprises at least one of Auto Focus (AF) and Optical Image Stabilization (OIS).

14. A method as in claim 12 where the noise component is removed by subtracting a signal of the accelerometer from the signal generated by the at least one air microphone.

15. A method as in claim 12 where the accelerometer is located on the apparatus relative to the camera such that the acoustic sound from the camera reaches the at least one air microphone at substantially a same time as the accelerometer senses mechanical vibration arising from movement of the camera.

16. A method as in claim 11 wherein the contact microphone comprises an accelerometer.

17. A method as in claim 11 further comprising using a drive signal, which drives the camera to generate the acoustic noise, to determine the noise component of the signal.

18. A method as in claim 11 where the at least one air microphone comprises two or more air microphones, where the method comprises summing signals from the air microphones together with delays that maximize the acoustic noise in the generated 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:

selecting a noise removal algorithm model, for removing a noise component from a signal output from an air microphone, said signal comprising acoustic noise generated by a camera and the noise component at least partially corresponding to the acoustic noise, where the selecting is based upon at least one drive signal which indicates use of one or more operations of the camera.

20. 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:

from inputs of object vibrations sensed at a contact microphone and a signal output from an air microphone, said signal output comprising acoustic noise generated by a camera of an apparatus, utilizing the sensed object vibrations to determine a noise component of the signal that at least partially corresponds to the acoustic noise generated by the camera of the apparatus, and

removing the determined noise component from the signal.