Method and apparatus for controlling multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of terminal

• US 10,148,801 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2016
• Issued: 12/04/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/20/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (Huawei Investment & Holding Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Jiang, Kaiyu
• Primary Examiner(s): Iqbal, Khawar
• Application Number:
  US15/735,895
• Publication Number:
  US 20180213073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,000 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0232 Processing in the frequency domain
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/19 Arrangements of transmitters, receivers, or complete sets to prevent eavesdropping, to attenuate local noise or to prevent undesired transmission; Mouthpieces or receivers specially adapted therefor circuit arrangements for preventing eavesdropping H04M1/68; telephone cabinets E04H1/14
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 2250/12 including a sensor for measuring a physical value, e.g. temperature or motion telephones including GPS signal receivers H04M2250/10
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/08 Two-way loud-speaking telephone systems with means for conditioning the signal, e.g. for suppressing echoes for one or both directions of traffic
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• 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

A method and an apparatus for controlling a multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of a terminal, and belongs to the field of terminal technologies, where the method includes transmitting a first non-voice signal, receiving a second non-voice signal that is obtained after the first non-voice signal is reflected by a reflecting object, determining, according to the first non-voice signal and the second non-voice signal, whether a posture with which a user holds a terminal during a call is a normal posture, and adjusting a multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal when the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not a normal posture. Hence, accuracy of adjusting a multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of a terminal can be improved. The apparatus includes a transmission module, a receiving module, a first determining module, and an adjustment module.

Claims

1. A method for controlling a multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of a terminal, comprising:

transmitting a first non-voice signal;

receiving a second non-voice signal that is obtained after the first non-voice signal is received from a reflecting object;

determining, according to the first non-voice signal and the second non-voice signal, whether a posture with which a user holds the terminal during a call is a normal posture; and

adjusting the multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal when the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture, the first non-voice signal comprising a first infrared signal, the second non-voice signal comprising a second infrared signal, and determining whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture comprising;

obtaining first light intensity of the first infrared signal transmitted by a first optical proximity sensor on the terminal and second light intensity of the second infrared signal received by the first optical proximity sensor;

calculating a first intensity difference between the second light intensity and the first light intensity;

determining, according to the first intensity difference, whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture;

obtaining third light intensity of a third infrared signal transmitted by a second optical proximity sensor on the terminal and fourth light intensity of a fourth infrared signal that is obtained after the third infrared signal is received from the reflecting object and that is received by the second optical proximity sensor;

calculating a second intensity difference between the fourth light intensity and the third light intensity;

calculating a first distance between the first optical proximity sensor and the reflecting object and a second distance between the second optical proximity sensor and the reflecting object respectively according to the first intensity difference and the second intensity difference;

calculating an included angle between the terminal and the reflecting object according to the first distance, the second distance, and a third distance between the first optical proximity sensor and the second optical proximity sensor; and

determining that the included angle comprises a valgus angle at which the user holds the terminal.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein determining whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture further comprises:

determining that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the first intensity difference is greater than first preset intensity;

calculating a first distance between the first optical proximity sensor and the reflecting object according to the first intensity difference; and

determining that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the first distance is greater than a first preset distance.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein before determining whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal is the normal posture, the method further comprises:

determining that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the second intensity difference is greater than second preset intensity; and

determining that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture when the second intensity difference is not greater than the second preset intensity.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first non-voice signal further comprises a first high-frequency ultrasonic signal, the second non-voice signal further comprises a second high-frequency ultrasonic signal, and determining whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture comprising:

obtaining a first transfer function for the first high-frequency ultrasonic signal from an earpiece of the terminal to a first microphone according to the first high-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second high-frequency ultrasonic signal; and

determining, according to the first transfer function, whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture further comprises:

calculating a first similarity between the first transfer function and a transfer function corresponding to the normal posture; and

determining that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the first similarity is less than a first preset similarity.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein determining whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture further comprises:

obtaining at least one second transfer function for the first high-frequency ultrasonic signal from the earpiece of the terminal to at least one second microphone according to the first high-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second high-frequency ultrasonic signal;

calculating a first similarity between the first transfer function and a transfer function corresponding to the normal posture, and a second similarity between each of the at least one second transfer function and the transfer function corresponding to the normal posture to obtain at least one second similarity;

calculating a comprehensive similarity according to the first similarity and the at least one second similarity; and

determining that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the comprehensive similarity is less than a second preset similarity.

7. The method of claim 4, further comprising:

separately calculating a third similarity between the first transfer function and each transfer function in a transfer function set according to the first transfer function, wherein the transfer function set stores a transfer function corresponding to each valgus angle at which the user holds the terminal during the call;

selecting a transfer function that has a largest third similarity with the first transfer function; and

determining that a valgus angle corresponding to the selected transfer function comprises a valgus angle at which the user holds the terminal during the call.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal comprises:

increasing the multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal;

or

obtaining a sound pickup range matching the valgus angle, and adjusting the multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal to the sound pickup range matching the valgus angle.

9. An apparatus for controlling a multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of a terminal, comprising:

a transmitter configured to transmit a first non-voice signal;

a receiver configured to receive a second non-voice signal that is obtained after the first non-voice signal is received from a reflecting object; and

a processor coupled to the transmitter and the receiver and configured to;

determine, according to the first non-voice signal and the second non-voice signal, whether a posture with which a user holds the terminal during a call is a normal posture;

adjust the multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal when the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture, the first non-voice signal comprising a first infrared signal, and the second non-voice signal comprises a second infrared signal;

obtain first light intensity of the first infrared signal transmitted by a first optical proximity sensor on the terminal and second light intensity of the second infrared signal received by the first optical proximity sensor;

calculate a first intensity difference between the second light intensity and the first light intensity;

determine, according to the first intensity difference, whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture;

obtain third light intensity of a third infrared signal transmitted by a second optical proximity sensor on the terminal and fourth light intensity of a fourth infrared signal that is obtained after the third infrared signal is received from the reflecting object and that is received by the second optical proximity sensor;

calculate a second intensity difference between the fourth light intensity and the third light intensity;

calculate a first distance between the first optical proximity sensor and the reflecting object and a second distance between the second optical proximity sensor and the reflecting object respectively according to the first intensity difference and the second intensity difference;

calculate an included angle between the terminal and the reflecting object according to the first distance, the second distance, and a third distance between the first optical proximity sensor and the second optical proximity sensor; and

determine that the included angle is a valgus angle at which the user holds the terminal.

10. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the first intensity difference is greater than first preset intensity;

calculate a first distance between the first optical proximity sensor and the reflecting object according to the first intensity difference; and

determine that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the first distance is greater than a first preset distance.

11. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

determine that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the second intensity difference is greater than second preset intensity; and

determine that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture when the second intensity difference is not greater than the second preset intensity.

12. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the apparatus further comprises a first microphone, the first non-voice signal further comprising first high-frequency ultrasonic signal, the second non-voice signal further comprising a second high-frequency ultrasonic signal, and the processor being further configured to:

obtain a first transfer function for the first high-frequency ultrasonic signal from an earpiece of the terminal to the first microphone according to the first high-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second high-frequency ultrasonic signal; and

determine, according to the first transfer function, whether the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is the normal posture.

13. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

calculate a first similarity between the first transfer function and a transfer function corresponding to the normal posture; and

determine that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the first similarity is less than a first preset similarity.

14. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the apparatus further comprises at least one second microphone, and the processor being further configured to:

obtain at least one second transfer function for the first high-frequency ultrasonic signal from the earpiece of the terminal to the at least one second microphone according to the first high-frequency ultrasonic signal and the second high-frequency ultrasonic signal;

calculate a first similarity between the first transfer function and a transfer function corresponding to the normal posture, and a second similarity between each of the at least one second transfer function and the transfer function corresponding to the normal posture to obtain at least one second similarity;

calculate a comprehensive similarity according to the first similarity and the at least one second similarity; and

determine that the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not the normal posture when the comprehensive similarity is less than a second preset similarity.

15. The apparatus of claim 12, wherein the processor is further configured to:

separately calculate a third similarity between the first transfer function and each transfer function in a transfer function set according to the first transfer function, the transfer function set storing a transfer function corresponding to each valgus angle at which the user holds the terminal during the call;

select a transfer function that has a largest third similarity with the first transfer function; and

determine that a valgus angle corresponding to the selected transfer function comprises a valgus angle at which the user holds the terminal.

16. The apparatus of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

increase the multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal;

or

obtain a sound pickup range matching the valgus angle, and adjust the multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal to the sound pickup range matching the valgus angle.