Patent · US Expired

Small array microphone for acoustic echo cancellation and noise suppression

US7003099B1 · kind B1 · utility

351Cited by
11References
23Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateFeb 21, 2003
Grant dateFeb 21, 2006
Priority date
Expiry dateJun 17, 2024

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC H)Electricity
  • CPC primaryH04M9/082
  • WIPO fieldTelecommunications
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

Techniques for canceling echo and suppressing noise using an array microphone and signal processing. In one system, at least two microphones form an array microphone and provide at least two microphone input signals. Each input signal may be processed by an echo canceller unit to provide a corresponding intermediate signal having some echo removed. An echo cancellation control unit receives the intermediate signals and derives a first gain used for echo cancellation. A noise suppression control unit provides at least one control signal used for noise suppression based on background noise detected in the intermediate signals. An echo cancellation and noise suppression unit derives a second gain based on the control signal(s), cancels echo in a designated intermediate signal based on the first gain, and suppresses noise in this intermediate signal based on the second gain. The signal processing may be performed in the frequency domain.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.