Method and apparatus for providing sidetone feedback notification to a user of a communication device with multiple microphones

• US 8,630,685 B2
• Filed: 07/15/2009
• Issued: 01/14/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 07/16/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Schrage, Jeremy
• Primary Examiner(s): Nguyen, Duc M
• Application Number:
  US12/503,788
• Publication Number:
  US 20100022280A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,644 Days
• Field of Search: 455/567, 455/569.1, 455/570, 455/90.2, 455/232.1, 455/355, 455/295, 381/92, 381/93, 381/95, 381/355, 381/357, 381/359
• US Class Current: 455/570
• CPC Class Codes: H04B 1/109 by improving strong signal performance of the receiver when strong unwanted signals are present at the receiver input
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/03 Constructional features of telephone transmitters or receivers, e.g. telephone hand-sets
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/58 Anti-side-tone circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6016 in the receiver circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6033 for providing handsfree use or a loudspeaker mode in telephone sets arrangements for preventing acoustic echo H04M9/08
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72448 with means for adapting the functionality of the device according to specific conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 9/082 using echo cancellers echo cancellers per se H04B3/23

Abstract

A communication device including multiple microphones is provided. The communication device includes at least two microphones. The communication device further includes a sidetone feedback notifier for producing a notification signal. The sidetone feedback notifier is coupled to the microphones. The notification signal is based on the combination of, a first input audio signal provided for by a first microphone, and a second input audio signal provided for by a second microphone. The sidetone feedback notifier is coupled to a notification device for providing a feedback signal to a user based on the notification signal.

Claims

1. A communication device for providing a sidetone signal that is based on a signal produced by a primary microphone, said device comprising:

a first microphone for producing a first input audio signal from a user;

a second microphone for producing a second input audio signal from the user;

a signal combiner that comprises a first gain adjuster arranged to apply a first gain to a first audio signal to produce a first combiner signal and a second gain adjuster arranged to apply a second gain to a second audio signal to produce a second combiner signal and is configured to combine the first and second combiner signals to produce a combined signal; and

a source separator that is separate from said signal combiner and is configured to produce a separated speech signal that is based on the first and second audio signals,

wherein the first audio signal is based on the first input audio signal, the second audio signal is based on the second input audio signal, and the sidetone signal is based on the combined signal, and

wherein at least one of said first and second gains is based on an indication of which between said first and second microphones is the primary microphone.

2. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the communication device includes a speaker arranged to produce, to the user, an audible feedback signal that is based on the sidetone signal.

3. The communication device of claim 1, wherein the sidetone signal comprises the user'"'"'s voice.

4. The communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is configurable by the user.

5. The communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is based on a level of an echo return loss enhancement signal.

6. The communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain of the combined signal is based on an indication that wind noise is detected and that a level of an automatic volume control signal is not greater than a threshold value.

7. The communication device of claim 1, wherein, when said indication indicates that the first microphone is the primary microphone, the first gain has a first value and the second gain has a second value, and wherein, in response to said indication indicating that the second microphone is the primary microphone, the first gain has the second value and the second gain has the first value.

8. The communication device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first input audio signal and the second input audio signal exceeds a threshold.

9. The communication device of claim 8, wherein the threshold is either pre-determined or configurable.

10. The communication device of claim 9, wherein the threshold is configurable by the user.

11. The communication device of claim 1, wherein an amplitude level of the first combiner signal is related to an amplitude level of the first audio signal by a first positive factor, and wherein an amplitude level of the second combiner signal is related to an amplitude level of the second audio signal by a second positive factor.

12. The communication device of claim 1, wherein said signal combiner comprises an adder arranged to add the first and second combiner signals to produce the combined signal.

13. The communication device of claim 1, wherein said signal combiner is configured not to subtract the first and second combiner signals.

14. A method of generating a sidetone signal to a communication device user that is based on a signal produced by a primary microphone, said method comprising:

obtaining a first audio signal coupled to an output from a first microphone from the user;

obtaining a second audio signal coupled to an output from a second microphone from the user;

performing a signal combining operation that includes applying a first gain to a first audio signal to produce a first combiner signal, applying a second gain to a second audio signal to produce a second combiner signal, and combining the first and second combiner signals to produce a combined signal; and

performing a source separation operation that is separate from said signal combining operation to produce a separated speech signal that is based on the first and second audio signals,

wherein the sidetone signal is based on the combined signal, and

wherein at least one of said first and second gains is based on an indication of which between said first and second microphones is the primary microphone.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein said method comprises adding the sidetone signal and an output of a vocoder decoder module.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein the sidetone signal comprises the user'"'"'s voice.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein any of the first audio signal, the second audio signal, and the combined signal are adjusted by a configurable gain.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the configurable gain is configured by the user.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is based on a level of an echo return loss enhancement signal.

20. The method of claim 14, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is based on an indication that wind noise is detected and that a level of an automatic volume control signal is not greater than a threshold value.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein, when said indication indicates that the first microphone is the primary microphone, the first gain has a first value and the second gain has a second value, and wherein, in response to said indication indicating that the second microphone is the primary microphone, the first gain has the second value and the second gain has the first value.

22. A communication device for providing a sidetone signal that is based on a signal produced by a primary microphone, said device comprising:

means for obtaining a first audio signal coupled to an output from a first microphone from a user;

means for obtaining a second audio signal coupled to an output from a second microphone from the user;

means for performing a signal combining operation that includes applying a first gain to the first audio signal to produce a first combiner signal, applying a second gain to the second audio signal to produce a second combiner signal, and combining the first and second combiner signals to produce a combined signal; and

means for performing a source separation operation that is separate from said signal combining operation to produce a separated speech signal that is based on the first and second audio signals,

wherein the sidetone signal is based on the combined signal, and

wherein at least one of said first and second gains is based on an indication of which between said first and second microphones is the primary microphone.

23. The communication device of claim 22, wherein the notification said communication device comprises a speaker arranged to produce, to the user, an audible feedback signal that is based on the sidetone signal.

24. The communication device of claim 22, wherein the sidetone signal comprises the user'"'"'s voice.

25. The communication device of claim 22, wherein any of the first audio signal, the second audio signal, and the combined signal are adjusted by a configurable gain.

26. The communication device of claim 25, wherein the configurable gain is configured by the user.

27. The communication device of claim 22, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is based on a level of an echo return loss enhancement signal.

28. The communication device of claim 22, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is based on an indication that wind noise is detected and that a level of an automatic volume control signal is not greater than a threshold value.

29. The communication device of claim 22, wherein, when said indication indicates that the first microphone is the primary microphone, the first gain has a first value and the second gain has a second value, and wherein, in response to said indication indicating that the second microphone is the primary microphone, the first gain has the second value and the second gain has the first value.

30. A non-transitory computer-readable medium embodying a set of instructions, executable by one or more processors, for generating a sidetone signal that is based on a signal produced by a primary microphone, comprising:

code for obtaining a first audio signal coupled to an output from a first microphone from a user;

code for obtaining a second audio signal coupled to an output from a second microphone from the user;

code for performing a signal combining operation on the first and second audio signals; and

code for performing a source separation operation that is separate from said signal combining operation to produce a separated speech signal that is based on the first and second audio signals,

wherein said signal combining operation comprises;

applying a first gain to the first audio signal to produce a first combiner signal;

applying a second gain to the second audio signal to produce a second combiner signal; and

combining the first and second combiner signals to produce a combined signal, and

wherein the sidetone signal is based on the combined signal, and

wherein at least one of said first and second gains is based on an indication of which between said first and second microphones is the primary microphone.

31. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the said medium further comprising code for adding the sidetone signal and an output of a vocoder decoder module.

32. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein the sidetone signal comprises the user'"'"'s voice.

33. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein any of the first audio signal, the second audio signal, and the combined signal are adjusted by a configurable gain.

34. The computer-readable medium of claim 33, wherein the configurable gain is configured by the user.

35. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is based on a level of an echo return loss enhancement signal.

36. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is based on an indication that wind noise is detected and that a level of an automatic volume control signal is not greater than a threshold value.

37. The computer-readable medium of claim 30, wherein, when said indication indicates that the first microphone is the primary microphone, the first gain has a first value and the second gain has a second value, and wherein, in response to said indication indicating that the second microphone is the primary microphone, the first gain has the second value and the second gain has the first value.

38. A communication device for generating a sidetone signal, said device comprising:

a first microphone for producing a first input audio signal from a user;

a second microphone for producing a second input audio signal from the user;

a signal combiner that comprises a first gain adjuster arranged to apply a first gain to a first audio signal to produce a first combiner signal and a second gain adjuster arranged to apply a second gain to a second audio signal to produce a second combiner signal and is configured to combine the first and second combiner signals to produce a combined signal; and

an echo canceller configured to reduce an echo in a signal that is based on the first input audio signal and to produce an echo return loss enhancement signal,

wherein the first audio signal is based on the first input audio signal, the second audio signal is based on the second input audio signal, and the sidetone signal is based on the combined signal, and

wherein at least one among the first gain, the second gain, and a gain applied to the combined signal is based on a level of the echo return loss enhancement signal.

39. The communication device of claim 38, wherein the sidetone signal comprises the user'"'"'s voice.

40. The communication device of claim 38, wherein at least one between the first audio signal and the second audio signal is adjustable by a configurable gain.

41. The communication device of claim 40, wherein the configurable gain is configured by the user.

42. The communication device of claim 40, wherein the configurable gain is configured by a mode controller output.

43. The communication device of claim 38, wherein the signal combiner produces the combined signal prior to a blind source separation process.

44. A communication device for generating a sidetone signal, said device comprising:

means for obtaining a first audio signal coupled to an output from a first microphone from a user;

means for obtaining a second audio signal coupled to an output from a second microphone from the user;

means for performing a signal combining operation that includes varying an amplitude level of the first audio signal to produce a first combiner signal, varying an amplitude level of the second audio signal to produce a second combiner signal, and combining the first and second combiner signals to produce a combined signal; and

means for reducing an echo in a signal that is based on the first input audio signal and producing an echo return loss enhancement signal,

wherein the sidetone signal is based on the combined signal, and

wherein an amplitude level of at least one among the first combiner signal, the second combiner signal, and the combined signal is based on a level of the echo return loss enhancement signal.

45. The communication device of claim 44, wherein said communication device comprises a speaker arranged to produce, to the user, an audible feedback signal that is based on the sidetone signal.

46. The communication device of claim 44, wherein the sidetone signal comprises the user'"'"'s voice.

47. The communication device of claim 44, wherein at least one between the first audio signal and the second audio signal is adjustable by a configurable gain.

48. The communication device of claim 47, wherein the configurable gain is configured by the user.