Method and Apparatus for Processing Audio Signals

• US 20120163606A1
• Filed: 06/23/2009
• Published: 06/28/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: Eronen, Antti, Ojala, Pasi
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,335 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/22
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2227/003 Digital PA systems using, e.g. LAN or internet
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• 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 5/027 Spatial or constructional arrangements of microphones, e.g. in dummy heads
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2420/03 Application of parametric coding in stereophonic audio systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 3/008 in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence

Abstract

An apparatus (300) comprises—one or more inputs (IN₁, IN₂) to receive two or more different audio signals (S₁, S₂),—an input (IN_—VDI1) to receive a direction signal (S_VDI1) and—a signal processing unit (100) arranged to generate a processed audio signal (S_AUDIOI) from said two or more different audio signals (S₁, S₂), said processed audio signal (S_AUDIO1) comprising an enhanced audio signal (S_ENC1) corresponding to a sound (SND₂) originating from a location (x₂y₂) indicated by said direction signal (S_VDI1).

Claims

1-23. -23. (canceled)

24. An apparatus comprising:

one or more inputs to receive two or more different audio signals,

an input to receive a direction signal, and

a signal processing unit, comprising an encoder, arranged to generate a processed audio signal from said two or more different audio signals, said processed audio signal comprising an enhanced audio signal corresponding to a sound originating from a location indicated by said direction signal, said signal processing unit being further arranged to provide one or more spatial audio parameters for controlling audio source locations in subsequent decoding of said processed audio signal, and wherein the encoder comprises a parameter modifying unit arranged to adjust the values of said spatial parameters based on said direction signal.

25. The apparatus according to claim 24 comprising a direction selecting unit to provide said direction signal.

26. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said direction selecting unit is a gaze direction detecting device.

27. The apparatus according to claim 25 wherein said direction selecting unit is an electronic compass, an accelerometer, or a gyroscope.

28. The apparatus according to claim 25 comprising an interface for receiving said direction signal sent via a transmission path.

29. The apparatus according to claim 24 comprising a damping unit to reduce fluctuations in said direction information.

30. The apparatus according to claim 24 comprising two or more more microphones arranged to operate as a directional microphone array, wherein the direction of maximum sensitivity of said directional microphone array is arranged to be adjusted based on said direction signal.

31. The apparatus according to claim 24 comprising a position detecting unit to determine the location of said direction selecting unit.

32. The apparatus according to claim 31 wherein said position detecting unit is based on a satellite navigation system.

33. The apparatus according to claim 24, wherein said processed audio signal is binaural cue coded, and wherein said spatial parameters comprise interchannel time difference parameters and/or interchannel level difference parameters.

34. The apparatus according to claim 24 wherein said spatial parameters comprise parameters describing a direction of arrival of a sound.

35. A method, comprising:

receiving two or more audio signals from two or more microphones,

receiving a direction signal,

generating a processed audio signal from said two or more different audio signals, said processed audio signal comprising an enhanced audio signal corresponding to a sound originating from a location indicated by said direction signal,

providing one or more spatial audio parameters for controlling audio source locations in subsequent decoding of said processed audio signal, and

modifying the values of said spatial parameters based on said direction signal.

36. The method according to claim 35 comprising sending said direction signal from a direction selecting unit.

37. The method according to claim 36 wherein said direction selecting unit is a gaze direction detecting device.

38. The method according to claim 36 wherein said direction selecting unit is an electronic compass, an accelerometer, or a gyroscope.

39. The method according to claim 35 comprising receiving said direction signal sent via said transmission path.

40. A computer program product comprising at least one computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable program code instructions stored therein, the computer-executable program code instructions including program code instructions for:

receiving two or more audio signals from two or more microphones,

receiving a direction signal,

generating a processed audio signal from said two or more different audio signals, said processed audio signal comprising an enhanced audio signal corresponding to a sound originating from a location indicated by said direction signal,

providing one or more spatial audio parameters for controlling audio source locations in subsequent decoding of said processed audio signal, and

modifying the values of said spatial parameters based on said direction signal.

41. The computer program product according to claim 40, including program code instructions for:

sending said direction signal from a direction selecting unit.

42. The computer program product according to claim 41, wherein said direction selecting unit is a gaze direction detecting device.

43. The computer program product according to claim 40, including program code instructions for:

receiving said direction signal sent via said transmission path.