DVE system with normalized selection

• US 20020141601A1
• Filed: 02/21/2001
• Published: 10/03/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 02/21/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Digisonix Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Digisonix Incorporated
• Inventors: Steenhagen, Shawn K., Finn, Brian M.
• Granted Patent: US 6,549,629 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

In a DVE, digital voice enhancement, communication system, the selection decision for choosing which microphone to be active is based on a given function of the speech of a respective talker relative to his/her acoustic environment at the respective microphone. The selection decision is based on a selection technique normalizing at least one of a) different microphone sensitivities and b) different background noise levels at the respective microphones, preferably based on the ratio of how much louder a talker speaks over the background noise at his/her respective microphone.

Claims

1. A digital voice enhancement communication system comprising:

a plurality of microphones;

at least one loudspeaker;

a switch for selecting which microphone to electrically couple to said loudspeaker so that a listener at said loudspeaker can hear the speech of a talker at the selected microphone, the selection decision being based on a selection technique normalizing at least one of a) different microphone sensitivities and b) different background noise levels at the respective microphones.

2. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said selection decision is based on a selection technique normalizing different microphone sensitivities.

3. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said selection decision is based on a selection technique normalizing different background noise levels at the respective microphones.

4. The invention according to claim 1 wherein said selection decision is based on a selection technique normalizing both different microphone sensitivities and different background noise levels at the respective microphones.

5. A digital voice enhancement communication system comprising:

a plurality of microphones;

at least one loudspeaker;

a switch for selecting which microphone to electrically couple to said loudspeaker so that a listener at said loudspeaker can hear the speech of a talker at the selected microphone, the selection decision being based on a given function of the speech of a respective talker relative to his/her acoustic environment at the respective microphone.

6. The invention according to claim 5 wherein said selection decision is based on the ratio

7. The invention according to claim 6 wherein f is magnitude.

8. The invention according to claim 7 wherein f is average magnitude.

9. The invention according to claim 6 wherein f is power.

10. The invention according to claim 9 wherein f is average power.

11. The invention according to claim 6 wherein f is peak hold.

12. The invention according to claim 11 wherein f is peak hold with a given decay rate.

13. The invention according to claim 5 wherein said selection decision is based on the ratio of how much louder a talker speaks over the background noise at his/her respective microphone.

15. The method according to claim 14 comprising normalizing different microphone sensitivities.

16. The invention according to claim 14 comprising normalizing different background noise levels at the respective microphones.

17. The method according to claim 14 comprising normalizing both different microphone sensitivities and different background noise levels at the respective microphones.

19. The method according to claim 18 comprising basing the selection decision on the ratio

20. The method according to claim 19 wherein f is magnitude.

21. The method according to claim 20 wherein f is average magnitude.

22. The method according to claim 19 wherein f is power.

23. The method according to claim 22 wherein f is average power.

24. The method according to claim 19 wherein f is peak hold.

25. The method according to claim 24 wherein f is peak hold with a given decay rate.

26. The method according to claim 18 comprising basing said selection decision on the ratio of how much louder a talker speaks over the background noise at his/her respective microphone.

14. A selection method for a digital voice enhancement communication system having a plurality of microphones, and at least one loudspeaker, said method comprising normalizing at least one of a) different microphone sensitivities and b) different background noise levels at the respective microphones, selecting which microphone to electrically couple to said loudspeaker so that a listener at said loudspeaker can hear the speech of a talker at the selected microphone, and basing said selecting on said normalizing.

18. A selection method for a digital voice enhancement communication system having a plurality of microphones, and at least one loudspeaker, comprising selecting which microphone to electrically couple to said loudspeaker so that a listener at said loudspeaker can hear the speech of a talker at the selected microphone, basing the selection decision on a given function of the speech of a respective talker relative to his/her acoustic environment at the respective microphone.