Method and apparatus for multi-sensory speech enhancement on a mobile device

Abstract

A mobile device includes an air conduction microphone and an alternative sensor that provides an alternative sensor signal indicative of speech. A communication interface permits the mobile device to communicate directly with other mobile devices.

Description

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application is a divisional of and claims priority from U.S. patent application Ser. No. 10 / 962,954, filed on Oct. 12, 2004.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] The present invention relates to mobile devices. In particular, the present invention relates to multi-sensory mobile devices. [0003] Mobile hand-held devices such as mobile phones and personal digital assistants that provide phone functions or accept speech input are often used in adverse noise environments such as busy streets, restaurants, airports, and cars. The strong ambient noise in these environments can obscure the user's speech and make it difficult to understand what the person is saying. In addition, it severely degrades speech recognition accuracy. [0004] While noise filtering systems have been developed that attempt to remove noise based on a model of the noise, these systems have not been able to remove all of the noise. In particular, many of these systems have foun...

AI Technical Summary

Problems solved by technology

The strong ambient noise in these environments can obscure the user's speech and make it difficult to understand what the person is saying.

In addition, it severely degrades speech recognition accuracy.

While noise filtering systems have been developed that attempt to remove noise based on a model of the noise, these systems have not been able to remove all of the noise.

In particular, many of these systems have found it difficult to remove noise that consists of other people speaking in the background.

One reason for this is that it is extremely difficult, if not impossible, for these systems to determine that a speech signal received by a microphone came from someone other than the person using the mobile device.

Although such systems work well for headsets, headsets have been limited to communicating along a wired connection to a phone.

As such, their use in broader communication applications is limited.

In addition, a headset is visually unattractive (big and bulky) as well as uncomfortable to wear for all day and as a result, users are unlikely to want to leave them in place during the day.

This makes headsets cumbersome to use.

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