Methods for processing audio input received at an input device

• US 7,995,773 B2
• Filed: 09/18/2009
• Issued: 08/09/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mao, Xiadong
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): KURR, JASON RICHARD
• Application Number:
  US12/563,089
• Publication Number:
  US 20100008518A1
• Time in Patent Office: 690 Days
• Field of Search: 381 941- 943, 381/94.7, 381/92, 381/122, 704/233, 704/226, 367/118, 367/119, 463 36- 38, 463/47
• US Class Current: 381/94.7
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A method for processing an audio signal received through a microphone array coupled to an interfacing device is provided. The method is processing at least in part by a computing device that communicates with the interfacing device. The method includes receiving a signal at the microphone array and applying adaptive beam-forming to the signal to yield an enhanced source component of the signal. Also, an inverse beam-forming is applied to the signal to yield an enhanced noise component of the signal. The method combines the enhanced source component and the enhanced noise component to produce a noise reduced signal, where the noise reduced signal is a target voice signal. Then, monitoring an acoustic set-up associated with the audio signal as a background process using the adaptive beam-forming inverse beam-forming to track the target signal component, and periodically setting a calibration of the monitored acoustic set-up. The calibration implements blind source separation that uses second order statistics to separate the enhanced source component from the enhanced noise component, and the calibration remains fixed between the periodic setting. By executing this method, the target signal is able to freely move around relative to the microphone array of the interface device.

Claims

1. A method for processing an audio signal received through a microphone array integrated into a game controller, the method processing being conducted at least in part by a computing device that interfaces with the game controller, the method processing comprising:

receiving a signal;

applying adaptive beam-forming to the signal to yield an enhanced source component of the signal;

applying inverse beam-forming to the signal to yield an enhanced noise component of the signal;

combining the enhanced source component and the enhanced noise component to produce a noise reduced signal, the noise reduced signal being a target signal;

monitoring an acoustic set-up associated with the audio signal as a background process using the adaptive beam-forming inverse beam-forming to track the target signal component; and

periodically setting a calibration of the monitored acoustic set-up, the calibration implements blind source separation that uses second order statistics to separate the enhanced source component from the enhanced noise component, wherein the calibration remains fixed between the periodic setting and

wherein the target signal is able to freely move around in 3-dimensional space relative to the microphone array of the game controller.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the method operation of combining the enhanced source component and the enhanced noise component to produce a noise reduced signal includes,

aligning the enhanced noise component of the signal through an adaptive filter.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

canceling acoustic echoes from the signal.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the method operation of applying adaptive beam-forming to the signal to yield an enhanced source component of the signal includes,

enhancing a broadside noise signal;

calculating a calibration coefficient;

applying the calibration coefficient to the enhanced broadside noise signal; and

adjusting a listening direction based upon the calibration coefficient.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the method operation of applying adaptive beam-forming to the signal to yield an enhanced source component of the signal includes,

analyzing the signal;

and

separating the signal into a noise component signal and a source signal.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the adaptive beam-forming implements a first filter and the inverse beam-forming implements a second filter, and the setting of the calibration adjusts the first and second filters.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein periodically setting of the calibration actively steer the first filter and the second filter toward the target signal during game play with the game controller.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the second order statistics separate the target signal component from the noise signal component based on a frequency basis.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the acoustic set-up refers to relative position of the target signal of a user and the microphone array.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the periodically setting the calibrating occurs after a set number of milliseconds, and is conducted as a background operation.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the computing device is in communication with a network.

12. A method for processing an audio signal received through a microphone array coupled to an interfacing device, the method processing being conducted at least in part by a computing device that communicates with the interfacing device, the method processing comprising:

receiving a signal at the microphone array;

applying adaptive beam-forming to the signal to yield an enhanced source component of the signal;

applying inverse beam-forming to the signal to yield an enhanced noise component of the signal;

combining the enhanced source component and the enhanced noise component to produce a noise reduced signal, the noise reduced signal being a target voice signal;

monitoring an acoustic set-up associated with the audio signal as a background process using the adaptive beam-forming inverse beam-forming to track the target signal component; and

periodically setting a calibration of the monitored acoustic set-up, the calibration implements blind source separation that uses second order statistics to separate the enhanced source component from the enhanced noise component, wherein the calibration remains fixed between the periodic setting and

wherein the target signal is able to freely move around relative to the microphone array of the interface device.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the interface device is a computer input device or a game controller.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the computing device is a video game console.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the adaptive beam-forming implements a first filter and the inverse beam-forming implements a second filter, and the setting of the calibration adjusts the first and second filters.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein periodically setting of the calibration actively steer the first filter and the second filter toward the target voice signal during interfacing.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the second order statistics separate the target signal component from the noise signal component based on a frequency basis.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the acoustic set-up refers to relative position of the target signal of a user and the microphone array.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the periodically setting the calibrating occurs after a set number of milliseconds, and is conducted as a background operation.

20. The method of claim 12, wherein the computing device is in communication with a network.