USER-SPECIFIC NOISE SUPPRESSION FOR VOICE QUALITY IMPROVEMENTS

• US 20110300806A1
• Filed: 06/04/2010
• Published: 12/08/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lindahl, Aram, Paquier, Baptiste Pierre
• Granted Patent: US 8,639,516 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 455/63.1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering

Abstract

Systems, methods, and devices for user-specific noise suppression are provided. For example, when a voice-related feature of an electronic device is in use, the electronic device may receive an audio signal that includes a user voice. Since noise, such as ambient sounds, also may be received by the electronic device at this time, the electronic device may suppress such noise in the audio signal. In particular, the electronic device may suppress the noise in the audio signal while substantially preserving the user voice via user-specific noise suppression parameters. These user-specific noise suppression parameters may be based at least in part on a user noise suppression preference or a user voice profile, or a combination thereof.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving an audio signal that includes a user voice in an electronic device when a voice-related feature of the electronic device is in use; and

suppressing noise in the audio signal while substantially preserving the user voice based at least in part on user-specific noise suppression parameters using the electronic device, wherein the user-specific noise suppression parameters are based at least in part on a user noise suppression preference or a user voice profile, or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the user noise suppression preference is based at least in part on a user noise suppression training sequence.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user noise suppression training sequence comprises receiving in the electronic device a user selection of preferred noise parameters after noise suppression parameters have been tested on a test audio signal and played back to the user.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the user noise suppression training sequence comprises testing noise suppression parameters as applied to a test audio signal that includes a user voice sample and at least one distractor.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the user noise suppression preference is based at least in part on a user-selected noise suppression setting.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein the user-selected noise suppression setting comprises a noise suppression strength setting.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the user-selected noise suppression setting is user-selectable in real time while the voice-related feature of the electronic device is in use.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific noise suppression parameters suppress noise in the audio signal while substantially preserving the user voice at least in part by amplifying frequencies associated with the user voice profile.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the user-specific noise suppression parameters suppress noise in the audio signal while substantially preserving the user voice at least in part by suppressing frequencies not associated with the user voice profile.

10. An article of manufacture comprising:

one or more tangible, machine-readable storage media having instructions encoded thereon for execution by a processor, the instructions comprising;

instructions to determine a test audio signal that includes a user voice sample and at least one distractor;

instructions to apply noise suppression to the test audio signal based at least in part on first noise suppression parameters to obtain a first noise-suppressed audio signal;

instructions to cause the first noise-suppressed audio signal to be output to a speaker;

instructions to apply noise suppression to the test audio signal based at least in part on second noise suppression parameters to obtain a second noise-suppressed audio signal;

instructions to cause the second noise-suppressed audio signal to be output to the speaker;

instructions to obtain an indication of a user preference of the first noise-suppressed audio signal or the second noise suppressed audio signal; and

instructions to determine user-specific noise suppression parameters based at least in part on the first noise suppression parameters or the second noise suppression parameters, or a combination thereof, depending on the indication of the user preference of the first noise-suppressed signal or the second noise-suppressed signal, wherein the user-specific noise suppression parameters are configured to suppress noise when a voice-related feature of the electronic device is in use.

11. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the instructions to determine the test audio signal comprise instructions to record the user voice sample using a microphone while the distractor is playing aloud on the speaker.

12. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the instructions to determine the test audio signal comprise instructions to record the user voice sample using a microphone while the distractor is playing aloud on another device.

13. The article of manufacture of claim 10, wherein the instructions to determine the test audio signal comprise instructions to record the user voice sample using a microphone and to electronically mix the user voice sample with the distractor.

14. The article of manufacture of claim 10, comprising:

instructions to apply noise suppression to the test audio signal based at least in part on third noise suppression parameters to obtain a third noise-suppressed audio signal;

instructions to cause the third noise-suppressed audio signal to be output to the speaker;

instructions to apply noise suppression to the test audio signal based at least in part on fourth noise suppression parameters to obtain a fourth noise-suppressed audio signal;

instructions to cause the fourth noise-suppressed audio signal to be output to the speaker;

instructions to obtain an indication of a user preference of the third noise-suppressed audio signal or the fourth noise-suppressed audio signal; and

instructions to determine the user-specific noise suppression parameters based at least in part on the first noise suppression parameters, the second noise suppression parameters, the third noise suppression parameters, or the fourth noise suppression parameters, or a combination thereof, depending on the indication of the user preference of the third noise-suppressed audio signal or the fourth noise-suppressed audio signal.

15. The article of manufacture of claim 14, comprising instructions to determine the third noise suppression parameters and the fourth noise suppression parameters based at least in part on the user preference of the first noise-suppressed audio signal or the second noise-suppressed audio signal.

16. An electronic device comprising:

a microphone configured to obtain an audio signal that includes a user voice and ambient sounds;

noise suppression circuitry configured to apply noise suppression to the audio signal based at least in part on user- and context-specific noise suppression parameters to suppress the ambient sounds of the audio signal;

memory configured to store a plurality of noise suppression parameters determined based at least in part on tests of noise suppression parameters applied to a user voice sample and a plurality of distractors; and

data processing circuitry configured to provide the user- and context-specific noise suppression parameters to the noise suppression circuitry by determining a current context of use of the electronic device and selecting at least one of the plurality of noise suppression parameters, wherein the at least one of the plurality of noise suppression parameters was determined based at least in part on a test of noise suppression parameters applied to the user voice sample and at least one of the plurality of distractors, wherein the at least one of the plurality of distractors is associated with the current context of use.

17. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to determine the current context of use of the electronic device by analyzing the ambient sounds of the audio signal and to determine the at least one of the plurality of distractors associated with the current context of use by determining which of the plurality of distractors are similar to the ambient sounds.

18. The electronic device of claim 16, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to determine the current context of use of the electronic device based at least in part on a date or time, or a combination thereof, from an internal clock of the electronic device;

a location from location-sensing circuitry of the electronic device;

an amount of ambient light from image-capture circuitry of the electronic device;

a motion of the electronic device from motion-sensing circuitry of the electronic device;

a connection to another electronic device;

or a volume of the ambient sounds from the microphone;

or any combination thereof; and

wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to determine the at least one of the plurality of distractors associated with the current context of use by determining which of the plurality of distractors are similar to expected ambient sounds in the determined context of use.

19. An electronic device comprising:

a microphone configured to obtain an audio signal that includes a user voice and ambient sounds;

noise suppression circuitry configured to apply noise suppression to the audio signal based at least in part on user-specific noise suppression parameters to suppress the ambient sounds of the audio signal; and

data processing circuitry configured to provide the user-specific noise suppression parameters, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to determine the user-specific noise suppression parameters based at least in part on a user voice profile associated with the user voice.

20. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to determine the user voice profile based at least in part on a user voice sample, wherein the microphone is configured to obtain the user voice sample during an activation period of the electronic device.

21. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to determine the user voice profile based at least in part on a user voice sample, wherein the microphone is configured to obtain the user voice sample by monitoring a signal-to-noise ratio of another audio signal obtained while a voice-related feature of the electronic device is in use and recording the other audio signal when the signal-to-noise ratio of the other audio signal exceeds a threshold.

22. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to determine whether the user voice corresponds to a known user and, when the user voice corresponds to the known user, recalling the user voice profile associated with the user voice.

23. The electronic device of claim 19, wherein the data processing circuitry is configured to determine whether the user voice corresponds to a known user and, when the user voice does not correspond to the known user, determining the user voice profile associated with the user voice by obtaining a user voice sample and determining the user voice profile based at least in part on the user voice sample.

24. A system comprising:

a first electronic device configured to obtain a first user voice signal from a microphone associated with the first electronic device, to provide the first user voice signal to a second electronic device, and to receive second user noise suppression parameters from the second electronic device, wherein the first electronic device is configured to apply noise suppression to the first user voice signal based at least in part on the second user noise suppression parameters before providing the first user voice signal to the second electronic device.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the first electronic device is configured to provide first user noise suppression parameters to the second electronic device and to receive a second user voice signal from the second electronic device, wherein the second user voice signal has had noise suppression applied thereto based at least in part on the first user noise suppression parameters before being received by the first electronic device.