Method and apparatus for voice communication using wireless earbuds

• US 9,905,241 B2
• Filed: 06/03/2016
• Issued: 02/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/03/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Original Assignee: NXP B.V. (NXP Semiconductors NV)
• Inventors: Thoen, Steven Mark
• Primary Examiner(s): Saunders, Jr., Joseph
• Assistant Examiner(s): MOONEY, JAMES K
• Application Number:
  US15/173,138
• Publication Number:
  US 20170352360A1
• Time in Patent Office: 634 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/02 Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6066 including a wireless connection
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/1083 Reduction of ambient noise active noise reduction per se G10K11/175; protective devices for the ear, e.g. providing acoustic protection A61F11/06
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/326 for microphones H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/107 Monophonic and stereophonic headphones with microphone for two-way hands free communication
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2420/07 Applications of wireless loudspeakers or wireless microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/005 Microphone arrays
• 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 3/04 for correcting frequency response

Abstract

One example discloses an apparatus for voice communication, including: a first wireless device including a first pressure sensor having a first acoustical profile and configured to capture a first set of acoustic energy within a time window; wherein the first wireless device includes a near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) signal input; wherein the first wireless device includes a processing element configured to: receive, through the NFMI signal input, a second set of acoustic energy captured by a second pressure sensor, having a second acoustical profile, within a second wireless device and within the time window; apply a signal enhancement technique to the first and second sets of acoustic energy based on the first and second acoustical profiles; and output an enhanced voice signal based on applying the signal enhancement.

Claims

1. Apparatus for voice communication, comprising:

a first wireless device including a first pressure sensor having a first acoustical profile and configured to capture a first set of acoustic energy within a time window;

wherein the first wireless device includes a near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) signal input;

wherein the first wireless device includes a processing element configured to;

receive, through the NFMI signal input, a second set of acoustic energy captured by a second pressure sensor, having a second acoustical profile, within a second wireless device and within the time window;

apply a signal enhancement technique to the first and second sets of acoustic energy based on the first and second acoustical profiles; and

output an enhanced voice signal based on applying the signal enhancement,

wherein the second set of acoustic energy is not received by the first wireless device until the first wireless device requests transfer of the second set of acoustic energy from the second wireless device.

2. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the signal enhancement technique is a beamforming technique.

3. The apparatus of claim 2:

wherein the signal enhancement technique includes multiple beamforming operations targeted to individually isolate a set of voice signals; and

wherein multiple enhanced voice signals are output based on the isolated set of different voice signals.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the processing element is further configured to:

search for an un-enhanced voice signal in the first set of acoustic energy; and

inactivate the receive, apply and output elements until the un-enhanced voice signal is detected in the first set of acoustic energy.

5. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the first wireless device is configured to request transfer of the second set of acoustic energy in response to the processing element detecting an un-enhanced voice signal in the first set of acoustic energy.

6. The apparatus of claim 5, wherein the processing element is configured to:

calculate a probability that the first set of acoustic energy received within the time window includes the un-enhanced voice signal and only request transfer of the second set of acoustic energy if the calculated probability is above a predetermined threshold probability.

7. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein a voice activity algorithm enables the search for the un-enhanced voice signal.

8. The apparatus of claim 1:

further comprising the second wireless device; and

wherein the second wireless device is configured to be separated from the first wireless device by a predetermined distance.

9. The apparatus of claim 8:

wherein the set of wireless devices are configured to be separated by the predetermined distance within at least one of;

an indoor environment, a home, an office, a subway, a vehicle, a car, a train, a plane, or an outdoor environment.

10. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the wireless devices include at least one of;

a microphone, a earbud, a hearable, a smartphone, a smartwatch, a wearable device, a tablet or a computer.

11. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the processing element is configured to initiate a set of voice communication actions configured to analyze the enhanced voice signal for at least one of;

a voice command, a set of words, or a voice signature.

12. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the processing element is configured to initiate a set of voice communication actions configured to use the enhanced voice signal to perform at least one of;

natural language processing, isolating a set of voice signals from within a larger set of voice signals, or improving a voice signal quality.

13. The apparatus of claim 12:

wherein the processing element is configured to initiate a wireless connection to a voice signal processing server; and

wherein the server performs the set of voice communication actions.

14. The apparatus of claim 1:

wherein the first pressure sensor is configured to receive the acoustic energy via a passage coupling an internal portion of the wireless device to an external ambient environment.

15. An article of manufacture including at least one non-transitory, tangible machine readable storage medium containing executable machine instructions for voice communication:

wherein the article includes,

a wireless device including a pressure sensor, having a first acoustical profile, and configured to capture a first set of acoustic energy within a time window, and a processing element configured to execute the instructions; and

wherein the instructions include,

receiving, through an near-field magnetic induction (NFMI) signal input, a second set of acoustic energy captured by a second pressure sensor, having a second acoustical profile, within a second wireless device and within the time window;

applying a signal enhancement technique to the first and second sets of acoustic energy based on the first and second acoustical profiles; and

outputting an enhanced voice signal based on applying the signal enhancement,

wherein the second set of acoustic energy is not received by the first wireless device until the first wireless device requests transfer of the second set of acoustic energy from the second wireless device.