Device and method for supplying a reference audio signal to an acoustic processing unit

• US 9,412,378 B2
• Filed: 08/30/2013
• Issued: 08/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sagemcom Broadband SAS (Sagemcom Holding SAS)
• Original Assignee: Sagemcom Broadband SAS (Sagemcom Holding SAS)
• Inventors: Evrard, Etienne
• Primary Examiner(s): AZAD, ABUL K
• Application Number:
  US14/425,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20150228282A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,075 Days
• Field of Search: 704/226, 704/275
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 15/28 Constructional details of speech recognition systems
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 17/22 Interactive procedures; Man-machine interfaces
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02082 the noise being echo, reverberation of the speech
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/08 Mouthpieces; Microphones; Attachments therefor

Abstract

Equipment includes a first interface intended to be connected to a sound reproduction device and at least one second interface intended to be connected to at least one microphone, an acoustic processing unit adapted for delivering an audio signal filtered by attenuation or suppression of a reference audio signal from an audio signal received via the second interface. In an initialisation phase, the equipment determines a propagation latency; configures a buffer with a reading-triggering threshold defined according to the determined propagation latency. In a nominal operating phase, the equipment transmits a third audio signal via the first interface, the third audio signal being the reference signal after passing through the buffer.

Claims

1. Equipment comprising a first interface intended to be connected to a sound reproduction device and at least one second interface intended to be connected to at least one microphone, said equipment comprising an acoustic processing unit adapted for delivering an audio signal filtered by attenuation or suppression of a reference audio signal from an audio signal received via said second interface, wherein said equipment is configured for implementing an initialisation phase comprising:

determining a propagation latency between an instant of transmission of a first audio signal via said interface and an instant of reception of a second audio signal via said second interface; and

configuring a buffer with a reading-triggering threshold defined according to said determined propagation latency,

wherein said equipment is further configured for implementing a nominal operating phase comprising;

transmitting a third audio signal via said first interface, the reference signal used by the acoustic processing unit resulting from a passage of the third audio signal through said buffer.

2. The equipment according to claim 1, wherein said first audio signal consists of a predefined pattern.

3. The equipment according to claim 1, wherein determining the propagation latency comprises detecting a crossing of an amplitude threshold of said second audio signal.

4. The equipment according to claim 1, wherein determining the propagation latency comprises applying a North filter between said first audio signal and said second audio signal.

5. The equipment according to claim 1, wherein the initialisation phase is implemented in a control unit connected to an output of the acoustic processing unit for receiving said filtered audio signal, and wherein the control unit is configured for deacticating any transmission of reference audio signal to said acoustic processing unit during said initialisation phase.

6. The equipment according to claim 1, wherein a first device implements the initialisation phase and said first interface, and is configured for transmitting the third audio signal,

and wherein the acoustic processing unit and said second interface are implemented in a second device intended to be connected to said first device.

7. The equipment according to claim 1, wherein, said microphone(s) being unidirectional, the acoustic processing unit and said microphone(s) are implemented in a box comprising, for each microphone, a first slot and a second slot,

and wherein each microphone is installed in a cavity of a support in which a first slot and a second slot are also formed, and placed so as to correspond respectively to said slots in the box when said support is mounted in said box,

wherein said support is adapted so that the distances between said first slots and a face of said microphone placed in the direction of a sound signal to be favoured and the distances between said second slot and an opposite face of said microphone are substantially identical.

8. A method implemented by equipment comprising a first interface connected to a sound reproduction device and at least one second interface connected to at least one microphone, said equipment comprising an acoustic processing unit adapted for delivering an audio signal filtered by attenuation or suppression of a reference audio signal from an audio signal received via said second interface, wherein said method comprises an initialisation phase comprising:

determining a propagation latency between an instant of transmitting a first audio signal via said first interface and an instant of reception of a second audio signal via said second interface; and

configuring a buffer with a reading-triggering threshold defined according to said determined propagation latency,

wherein the method further comprises a nominal operating phase comprising;

transmitting a third audio signal via said first interface, the reference signal used by the acoustic processing unit resulting from a passage of the third audio signal through said buffer.

9. Non-transitory storage medium storing a computer program comprising instructions for implementing, by equipment, the method according to claim 8, when said program is executed by a processor of said equipment.