Audio processing switching between audio devices

Abstract

Techniques for audio processing switching between audio devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a method of audio processing switching between audio devices includes selecting a first audio device as a primary audio input device and deactivating a second audio device; executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; it is detected that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, and in response, the second audio device is activated and the quality of the second audio signal is measured. If the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, the second audio device is selected as the main audio input device, the first audio device is deactivated, and the speech processing algorithm is executed on the second audio device. Otherwise, the second audio device is deactivated for a period of time prior to re-checking.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] Aspects of the present disclosure relate generally to mobile voice communications, and particularly to the operation and use of wireless earbuds and microphones with mobile devices. Background Art

[0002] In the context of mobile voice communications, one of the ultimate goals of any earbud functionality is to ensure that the wearer's voice is preserved and that any unwanted external sounds are suppressed as much as possible during a voice call. Conventional approaches include utilizing additional microphones, such as an ear canal microphone or a bone conduction microphone (BCM), both of which are bound to only one side of the earbud pair, i.e., an earbud with additional microphone hardware. As used herein, the term "microphone group" refers to a group of one or more microphones that operate relatively close to each other. For example, each earbud contains its own microphone group that is separate from the microphone group in the other earbud; smart glasses can have two microphone groups, one on each side of the user's head; an earbud can have a microphone group that includes an in-ear microphone and a BCM; and so on.

[0003] Furthermore, speech enhancement algorithms require non-trivial processing power, and running these processes on both earbuds is not power efficient. Therefore, in a conventional approach, one of the two earbuds runs a speech processing algorithm on the signal received on the microphone. Whichever earbud is currently running the speech processing algorithm is referred to as the primary earbud, and the earbud that is not currently running the speech processing algorithm is referred to as the secondary earbud. The primary earbud can be on either side, and the role can be switched from one earbud to the other according to specified switching rules. A common switching rule is that when the RF signal strength of the primary earbud becomes too weak or when the primary earbud is removed from the ear, processing is switched to the secondary earbud, which then assumes the role of the primary earbud.

[0004] Conventional methods involve periodically comparing the signals from each earbud and selecting the earbud with the best signal quality. However, these methods consume power unnecessarily in situations where the current primary earbud provides a signal of sufficient quality, so switching is not necessary. Summary of the invention

[0005] A simplified overview of one or more aspects disclosed herein is given below. Therefore, the following overview should not be considered as a broad overview of all expected aspects, nor should it be considered as identifying key or important elements related to all expected aspects or delineating the scope associated with any particular aspect. Therefore, the sole purpose of the following overview is to present certain concepts related to one or more aspects involving the mechanisms disclosed herein in a simplified form prior to the detailed description given below.

[0006] On the one hand, a method for switching audio processing between audio devices includes: selecting a first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and the quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of a second audio device; deactivating the second audio device; executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, and in response: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivating the second audio device for a first duration.

[0007] In one aspect, an audio system includes a first audio device and a second audio device, each audio device including a microphone, a transceiver, a memory, and at least one processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: select the first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and the quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of the second audio device; deactivate the second audio device; execute a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detect that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, and in response: activate the second audio device; measure the quality of the second audio signal; when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, select the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivate the first audio device, and execute the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivate the second audio device for a first duration.

[0008] On the one hand, an audio system includes: a component for selecting a first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and the quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of a second audio device; a component for deactivating the second audio device; a component for executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; a component for detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold and in response performing the following operations: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivating the second audio device for a first duration.

[0009] In one aspect, a non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by an audio system, causes the audio system to: select a first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of a quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and a quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of a second audio device; deactivate the second audio device; execute a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detect that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, and in response: activate the second audio device; measure the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, select the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivate the first audio device, and execute the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivate the second audio device for a first duration.

[0010] Other objects and advantages associated with the various aspects disclosed herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art based on the accompanying drawings and detailed description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0011] The accompanying drawings are presented to aid in describing various aspects of the disclosure and are provided solely for illustration of the aspects and not limitation thereof.

[0012] Figure 1 A pair of audio devices is shown in which a method of audio processing switching may be implemented according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0013] Figure 2is a flow chart illustrating a method for audio processing switching between audio devices according to aspects of the present disclosure.

[0014] Figure 3A and Figure 3B is a signaling and event diagram illustrating portions of a process for audio processing switching between audio devices in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0015] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a signaling and event diagram illustrating portions of a process for audio processing switching between audio devices in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure.

[0016] Figure 5 is a flow diagram of an example process 500 associated with audio processing switching between audio devices in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0017] Techniques for audio processing switching between audio devices are disclosed. In one aspect, a method for audio processing switching between audio devices includes: selecting a first audio device as a primary audio input device and deactivating a second audio device; executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, and in response, activating the second audio device and measuring the quality of the second audio signal. If the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device. Otherwise, deactivating the second audio device for a first duration.

[0018] Various aspects of the present disclosure are provided in the following description and related drawings for various examples provided for illustrative purposes. Alternative aspects may be designed without departing from the scope of the present disclosure. In addition, well-known elements of the present disclosure will not be described in detail or will be omitted to avoid blurring the relevant details of the present disclosure.

[0019] As used herein, the words "exemplary" and / or "example" mean "serving as an example, instance, or illustration." Any aspect described herein as "exemplary" and / or "example" is not necessarily to be construed as preferred or advantageous over other aspects. Likewise, the term "aspects of the disclosure" does not require that all aspects of the disclosure include the discussed feature, advantage, or mode of operation.

[0020] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that the information and signals described below may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be referenced throughout the following description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or magnetic particles, optical fields or optical particles, or any combination thereof, depending in part on the specific application, in part on the desired design, in part on the corresponding technology, etc.

[0021] In addition, many aspects are described in terms of a sequence of actions to be performed by, for example, elements of a computing device. It will be appreciated that the various actions described herein may be performed by a specific circuit (e.g., an application specific integrated circuit), by program instructions being executed by one or more processors, or by a combination of the two. In addition, the sequence of actions described herein may be considered to be fully embodied in any form of non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a corresponding computer instruction set stored therein, which, when executed, will cause or instruct the associated processor of the device to perform the functionality described herein. Therefore, various aspects of the present disclosure may be embodied in a variety of different forms, all of which have been contemplated to be within the scope of the claimed subject matter. In addition, for each of the various aspects described herein, the corresponding form of any such aspect may be described herein as, for example, "logic configured to perform the described actions."

[0022] In the context of mobile voice communications, one of the ultimate goals of any earbud functionality is to ensure that the wearer's voice is preserved and that any unwanted external sounds are suppressed as much as possible during a voice call. Conventional approaches involve the use of additional microphones, such as ear canal microphones or bone conduction microphones (BCMs). Since the speech enhancement algorithms using these additional microphones require a non-trivial amount of power, these processes are performed on only one, rather than both, earbuds. A so-called master earbud runs the processes based on the signals received on the microphones. This master earbud can be on either side and can switch roles according to specified switching rules, for example, when the RF signal strength becomes too weak or when one earbud is removed from the ear.

[0023] In some cases, the external sounds to be suppressed are directional, i.e., there are situations where the noise level is higher on the microphone on one side and lower on the other side (e.g., wind noise). When the primary earbud is on the side with the higher noise level, the speech signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is lower than when the primary earbud is on the opposite side, assuming the speech level is the same on both sides. Since having a high SNR on the raw microphone signal will reduce the amount of work any speech enhancement technology has to do, it would be beneficial to be able to detect the noise level on both sides of the earbud and switch the primary to ensure the best SNR in the input signal to the speech enhancement process.

[0024] Therefore, the present invention proposes a method and system for switching audio processing between audio devices. In some aspects, based on a comparison of the quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and the quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of a second audio device, a first audio device is selected as the primary audio input device. Subsequently, a switching decision is made based on a comparison of the quality of the audio signal from the primary audio input device and the quality of the audio signal from the auxiliary audio input device. In one method, a switching decision is made based on the noise level of the audio signals from the primary audio input device and the auxiliary audio input device. In another method, a switching decision is made based on the SNR of the audio signals from the primary audio input device and the auxiliary audio input device. In either method, an audio device that provides a better quality audio signal (e.g., lower noise, higher SNR, etc.) is selected as the primary audio input device.

[0025] Example use cases include voice communications in the presence of directional noise or wind in the background, such as when a user wears true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds with microphones or smart glasses with microphones on both sides of the user's head. In these scenarios, directional noise sources result in noise level differences between the two ears, for example, the difference in noise level of the signal from the microphone on one earbud versus the microphone on the other earbud, or the difference in noise level of the signal from the microphone on one side of the smart glasses versus the microphone on the other side of the smart glasses.

[0026] Figure 1 A pair of audio devices in which a method of audio processing switching can be implemented according to aspects of the present disclosure are shown. Figure 1 In the example shown in , each of the first audio device 100A and the second audio device 100B includes one or more microphones 102, one or more speakers 104, one or more processors 106, a memory 108, and one or more transceivers 110. In some aspects, the first audio device 100A can be part of a first wireless earbud 112A, and the second audio device 100B can be part of a second wireless earbud 112B. In some aspects, the first and second audio devices can be components of a pair of smart glasses 114 or other user wearable devices. For example, the first audio device 100A can be located on the right side of the user's head, and the second audio device 100B can be located on the left side of the user's hearing.

[0027] Figure 21 is a flow chart illustrating a method 200 for audio processing switching between audio devices according to aspects of the present disclosure. The method 200 may be performed by the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B, or by another controller in communication with the first and second audio devices. For example, any of the steps of the method 200 may be performed by the processor 106 in the first audio device 100A and the second audio device 100B.

[0028] like Figure 2 As shown, method 200 includes, at block 202, based on the quality of the first audio signal from the microphone of the first audio device (AQ1) and the quality of the second audio signal from the microphone of the second audio device (AQ2), selecting the first audio device as the main audio input device. The components for performing the operation of block 202 may include the processor 106, memory 108 and / or transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, the first audio device 100A may be selected as the main audio input device because the quality of the audio signal from its microphone is better than the quality of the audio signal from the microphone of the second audio device 100B. In some aspects, the selection can be made by one of the audio devices based on the comparison of the audio from its microphone and the audio picked up by the microphone of another audio device and sent to the first device via the transceiver 110.

[0029] like Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 further includes: at block 204, deactivating the second audio device. The components for performing the operation of block 202 may include the processor 106, the memory 108 and / or the transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, ...

[0030] like Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 also includes: at block 206, executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device. The components for executing the operation of block 206 may include the processor 106, the memory 108 and / or the transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, ...

[0031] like Figure 2As shown, the method 200 also includes: at block 208, determining whether the audio quality of the first audio signal (AQ1) meets or exceeds an audio quality threshold (QTH). The components for performing the operation of block 208 may include the processor 106, the memory 108, and / or the transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, the first audio device 100A may determine AQ1 based on the signal received by its microphone 102. If AQ1 meets or exceeds QTH, the method returns to block 206. If AQ1 fails to meet QTH, the method goes to block 210.

[0032] like Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 also includes: at block 210, activating the second audio device, and determining the quality of the second audio signal (AQ2) from one of the microphones 102 of the second audio device 100B at block 212. The components for performing the operations of blocks 210 and 212 may include the processor 106, the memory 108, and / or the transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, the first audio device 100A may use its transceiver 110 to send a message or signal to the second audio device 100B, for example, to indicate that the second audio device starts monitoring the audio signal from its microphone 102 and sends a value indicating the audio quality of the second audio signal (AQ2), and the first audio device 100A receives the value via its transceiver 110.

[0033] like Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 also includes: at block 214, determining whether the audio quality at the second audio device 100B is better than the audio quality at the first audio device 100A, for example, whether AQ1 is greater than AQ2. The components for performing the operation of block 214 may include the processor 106, the memory 108, and / or the transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, the processor 106 can compare the values ​​of AQ1 and AQ2 stored in the memory 108. If AQ2 is not better than AQ1, the method returns to block 204. If AQ2 is better than AQ1, the method goes to block 216.

[0034] like Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 further includes: at block 216, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio device. The components for performing the operation of block 216 may include the processor 106, the memory 108 and / or the transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, the first audio device 100A may use its transceiver 110 to instruct the second audio device 100B to assume the responsibility of the primary audio input device.

[0035] like Figure 2As shown, the method 200 also includes: at block 218, deactivating the first audio device. The components for performing the operation of block 218 may include the processor 106, the memory 108 and / or the transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, the processor 106 of the first audio device 100A can configure the first audio device 100A as an auxiliary audio input device, for example, to stop executing the speech processing algorithm.

[0036] like Figure 2 As shown, the method 200 also includes: at block 220, executing a speech processing algorithm on the second audio device. The components for executing the operation of block 220 may include the processor 106, the memory 108 and / or the transceiver 110 of the first audio device 100A and / or the second audio device 100B. For example, the second audio device 100B may use the processor 106, the memory 108 and the microphone 102 to execute the speech processing algorithm.

[0037] Figure 3A and Figure 3B is a signaling and event diagram illustrating portions of a process 300 for audio processing switching between audio devices in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 3A and Figure 3B The method performed by decision process 302 is shown, wherein the directional noise source is detected based on the noise level of the audio signal at two audio devices (left audio device 304 and right audio device 306). The audio device with lower noise level will be the main audio input device, and the speech processing algorithm will be executed. The audio device with higher noise level will be the auxiliary audio input device, and no speech processing algorithm will be executed, and in some aspects, its microphone will be powered off, its processor load will be reduced, other actions will be taken to reduce its power consumption or its combination. Decision process 302 can be performed by left audio device 304, right audio device 306, another component not shown, any one of the above-mentioned processors or its certain combination.

[0038] In this method, directional noise is detected by means of the difference in noise levels between two audio devices (e.g., between two earbuds), and the master is switched to the side with the lower noise level. In some aspects, a simple process will reside in each earbud to calculate a frame-based root mean square (RMS) value. In some aspects, this is limited to a specific frequency range with the help of an equalization stage. For example, human auditory perception utilizes interaural level differences (ILDs) at frequencies above about 1.5kHz.

[0039] like Figure 3A As shown, at block 308, the left audio device 304 sends the noise level (N) on the audio from the left audio device 304 to the decision process 302. L1), and at block 320, the right audio device 306 sends the noise level (N) on the audio from the right audio device 306 to the decision process 302. R1 ). At block 312, the decision process 302 determines that the noise level on the left audio device 304 is greater than the noise level on the right audio device 306 (e.g., N L1 >N R1 ). At block 314, the decision process 302 instructs the right audio device 306 to assume the primary role, and at block 316, the right audio device 306 does assume the primary role, e.g., executing a speech processing algorithm, etc. At block 318, the decision process 302 instructs the left audio device 304 to assume the secondary role, and at block 320, the left audio device 304 does assume the secondary role, e.g., by deactivating some or all processes that were previously being executed and, in some cases, powering off portions of the hardware to conserve battery power.

[0040] like Figure 3A As further shown in FIG. 1 , at block 322, the right audio device 306 sends the noise level (N R2 ) is a second indication. At block 324, decision process 302 determines N R2 is less than the noise threshold. Because N R2 is less than the noise threshold, so this does not trigger a potential switching process, and therefore the decision process 302 does not take any further action in this regard.

[0041] like Figure 3A As further shown in FIG. 1 , at block 326, non-directional noise (or directional noise that affects both sides substantially equally) is present on both audio devices. At block 328, the right audio device 306 sends a value (N) of the noise level on the right audio device 306 to the decision process 302. R3 ) The third indication. At block 330, decision process 302 determines N R3 Greater than the noise threshold. Figure 3A In the example shown, this condition triggers a potential switch, so at block 332, the decision process 302 activates the left audio device 304. At block 334, the left audio device 304 is activated, and at block 336, the activated left audio device 304 sets the noise level (N) on the left audio device 304. L2 ) is provided to the decision process 302. In this example, at block 338, the decision process 302 determines that the noise level on the left audio device 304 is the same as the noise level on the right audio device 306 (e.g., N L2 =N R3), and therefore there is no benefit in having the left audio device 304 take over the master role from the right audio device 306. Therefore, at block 340, the decision process 302 instructs the left audio device 304 to deactivate, and at block 342, the left audio device 304 does deactivate. Figure 3B Continue.

[0042] like Figure 3B As shown, at block 344, there is wind noise (or other directional noise) on the right audio device. At block 346, the right audio device 306 sends the noise level (N) on the right audio device 306 to the decision process 302. R4 ) is a fourth indication. At block 348, decision process 302 determines N R4 Greater than the noise threshold. Figure 3B In the example shown, this condition triggers a potential switch, so at block 350, the decision process 302 activates the left audio device 304. At block 352, the left audio device 304 is activated. At block 354, the activated left audio device 304 sets the noise level (N L3 ) is provided to the decision process 302.

[0043] In this example, at block 356, the decision process 302 determines that the noise level on the left audio device 304 is less than the noise level on the right audio device 306 (eg, N L3 <N R4 ), and therefore it is beneficial for the left audio device 304 to take over the primary role from the right audio device 306. That is, the decision process 302 determines that a switch should occur. Therefore, at block 358, the decision process 302 instructs the left audio device 304 to assume the primary role, and at block 360, the left audio device 304 assumes the primary role. At block 362, the decision process 302 instructs the right audio device 306 to change to auxiliary, and at block 364, the right audio device 306 assumes the auxiliary role, for example, it is deactivated.

[0044] exist Figure 3B In the example shown, the left audio device 304, which is the primary, periodically sends the noise level to the decision process 302. For example, at block 366, the left audio device 304 sends the noise level (N) on the left audio device 304 to the decision process 302. L4 ) is a fourth indication. At block 368, decision process 302 determines N L4 is less than the noise threshold, and therefore no switching is required. At block 370, the left audio device 304 sends the noise level (N L5 ). At block 368, decision process 302 determines N L5is less than the noise threshold and so again no switching is required.

[0045] Figure 4A and Figure 4B is a signaling and event diagram illustrating portions of a process 400 for audio processing switching between audio devices in accordance with aspects of the present disclosure. Figure 4A and Figure 4B The method performed by decision process 302 is shown, wherein the directional noise source is detected based on the SNR of the audio signal at two audio devices (left audio device 304 and right audio device 306). The audio device with higher SNR will be the main audio input device, and the speech processing algorithm will be executed. The audio device with lower SNR will be the auxiliary audio input device, and no speech processing algorithm will be executed, and in some aspects, its microphone will be powered off, its processor load will be reduced, other actions will be taken to reduce its power consumption or its combination. Decision process 302 can be performed by left audio device 304, right audio device 306, another component not shown, a processor of any one of the above or some combination thereof.

[0046] like Figure 4A As shown, at block 402, the left audio device 304 sends the SNR (SNR ) of the audio from the left audio device 304 to the decision process 302. L1 ), and at block 404, the right audio device 306 sends the SNR (SNR) of the audio from the right audio device 306 to the decision process 302. R1 ). At block 406, the decision process 302 determines that the SNR on the left audio device 304 is less than the SNR on the right audio device 306 (e.g., SNR L1 <SNR R1 ). At block 408, the decision process 302 instructs the right audio device 306 to assume the primary role, and at block 410, the right audio device 306 does assume the primary role, for example, by increasing the amount of voice processing (VP) performed by the right audio device 306. At block 412, the decision process 302 instructs the left audio device 304 to assume the secondary role, and at block 414, the left audio device 304 does assume the secondary role, for example, by reducing the amount of VP performed by the left audio device 304.

[0047] like Figure 4A As further shown in FIG. 4 , at block 416, the right audio device 306 sends the SNR (SNR R2 ). At block 418, decision process 302 determines SNR R2 is greater than the SNR threshold. R2is greater than the SNR threshold, so this does not trigger a potential handover process, and therefore the decision process 302 does not take any further action in this regard.

[0048] like Figure 4A As further shown in FIG. 4 , at block 420, non-directional noise (or directional noise that affects both sides substantially equally) is present on both audio devices. At block 422, the right audio device 306 sends the SNR (SNR R3 ). At block 424, decision process 302 determines SNR R3 Less than the SNR threshold. Figure 4A In the example shown, this condition triggers a potential switch, so at block 426, the decision process 302 activates the left audio device 304. At block 428, the left audio device 304 activates and increases the VP, and at block 430, the activated left audio device 304 increases the SNR (SNR L2 ) is provided to the decision process 302. In this example, at block 432, the decision process 302 determines that the SNR on the left audio device 304 is less than the SNR on the right audio device 306 (e.g., SNR L2 <SNR R3 ), and therefore there is no benefit in having the left audio device 304 take over the master role from the right audio device 306. Therefore, at block 434, the decision process 302 instructs the left audio device 304 to deactivate, and at block 436, the left audio device 304 does deactivate and reduces VP. Figure 4B Continue.

[0049] like Figure 4B As shown, at block 438, there is wind noise (or other directional noise) on the right audio device. At block 440, the right audio device 306 sends the SNR (SNR R4 ). At block 442, decision process 302 determines SNR R4 Less than the SNR threshold. Figure 4B In the example shown, this condition triggers a potential switch, so at block 444, the decision process 302 activates the left audio device 304. At block 446, the left audio device 304 activates and increases VP. At block 448, the activated left audio device 304 increases the SNR (SNR L3 ) is provided to the decision process 302.

[0050] In this example, at block 450, the decision process 302 determines that the SNR on the left audio device 304 is greater than the SNR on the right audio device 306 (e.g., SNRL3 >SNR R4 ), and therefore it is beneficial for the left audio device 304 to take over the master role from the right audio device 306. That is, the decision process 302 determines that a switch should occur. Therefore, at block 452, the decision process 302 instructs the left audio device 304 to assume the master role, and at block 454, the left audio device 304 assumes the master role and increases VP. At block 456, the decision process 302 instructs the right audio device 306 to change to auxiliary, and at block 458, the right audio device 306 assumes the auxiliary role and decreases VP.

[0051] exist Figure 4B In the example shown, the left audio device 304, which is the primary, periodically sends the SNR to the decision process 302. For example, at block 460, the left audio device 304 sends the SNR on the left audio device 304 (SNR L4 ). At block 462, decision process 302 determines SNR L4 is greater than the SNR threshold, and therefore no switching is required. At block 464, the left audio device 304 sends the SNR on the left audio device 304 (SNR L5 ). At block 466, decision process 302 determines SNR L5 is greater than the SNR threshold, and so again no switching is required.

[0052] Figure 5 is a flow chart of an example process 500 associated with audio processing switching between audio devices according to aspects of the present disclosure. In some implementations, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of may be performed by an audio device (e.g., audio devices 112A, 112B, 304, 306, etc.). In some implementations, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of may be performed by another device or a group of devices separate from or including the device. Additionally or alternatively, Figure 5 One or more process blocks of process 500 may be performed by one or more components of a device, such as a processor, a memory, or a transceiver, any or all of which may be means for performing the operations of process 500.

[0053] like Figure 5As shown, process 500 may include, at block 510, selecting the first audio device as the primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and the quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of the second audio device. The components for performing the operation of block 510 may include a processor, a memory, or a transceiver of any device described herein. For example, processor 106 may select the first audio device as the primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of a first audio signal from microphone 102 of the first audio device and the quality of a second audio signal from microphone 102 of the second audio device.

[0054] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include, at block 520, deactivating the second audio device. The means for performing the operation of block 520 may include a processor, a memory, or a transceiver of any device described herein. For example, processor 106 may deactivate the second audio device by sending a message via transceiver 110.

[0055] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include: at block 530, executing a speech processing algorithm on a first audio device. The means for performing the operations of block 530 may include a processor, a memory, or a transceiver of any device described herein. For example, processor 106 may use data received from microphone 102 and optionally stored in memory 108 to execute a speech processing algorithm on a first audio device.

[0056] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include: at block 540, detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold. The means for performing the operations of block 540 may include a processor, a memory, or a transceiver of any device described herein. For example, processor 106 may determine that the audio signal from microphone 102 has a noise level that exceeds a threshold stored in memory 108; processor 106 may determine that the SNR of the audio signal from microphone 102 does not meet a minimum SNR threshold level stored in memory 108; processor 106 may determine that the result of the speech processing algorithm does not meet a certain threshold requirement; or a combination of the above.

[0057] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include: at block 550, activating a second audio device. The means for performing the operations of block 550 may include a processor, a memory, or a transceiver of any device described herein. For example, processor 106 may send a message to the other audio device via transceiver 110.

[0058] like Figure 5As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include, at block 560, measuring the quality of the second audio signal. The means for performing the operation of block 560 may include a processor, a memory, or a transceiver of any apparatus described herein. For example, the processor 106 on the primary audio device may receive an indication of the quality of the audio signal at the secondary audio device via the transceiver 110 from the secondary audio device.

[0059] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include, at block 570, determining whether the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal. The means for performing the operations of block 570 may include a processor, a memory, or a transceiver of any device described herein. For example, processor 106 may perform a comparison of the quality of the first audio signal with the quality of the second audio signal. Figure 5 In the example shown, if the quality of the second audio signal is better than the first audio signal, the process moves to block 580 , and if the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the first audio signal, the process moves to block 590 .

[0060] like Figure 5 As further shown in, process 500 may include, at block 580, selecting a second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing a speech processing algorithm on the second audio device. The components for executing the operation of block 580 may include a processor, memory, or transceiver of any device described herein. For example, the processor 106 on the first audio device may use the transceiver 110 to send instructions to the second audio device, and then deactivate itself or reduce its processing or speech processing task load. Similarly, the second audio device can receive instructions via its transceiver 110 to assume the role of the primary audio device, and its processor 106 can execute the commands required to assume the main role, including starting a task, calling a process, activating microphone hardware, etc.

[0061] like Figure 5 As further shown in FIG. 5 , process 500 may include, at block 590, deactivating the second audio device for a first duration. The means for performing the operations of block 590 may include a processor, a memory, or a transceiver of any apparatus described herein. For example, the processor 106 of the first audio device may use the transceiver 1100 to instruct the second audio device to maintain its role as an auxiliary, which may include deactivating a portion of the second audio device.

[0062] In some aspects, selecting the first audio device as the primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of the first audio signal to the quality of the second audio signal includes selecting the first audio device based on a comparison of a signal level of the first audio signal to a signal level of the second audio signal, a comparison of a signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio signal to a signal-to-noise ratio of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

[0063] In some aspects, deactivating the first audio device or the second audio device includes disabling execution of a speech processing algorithm by the first audio device or the second audio device, disabling transmission of a second audio signal from the first audio device or the second audio device, reducing power consumption of the first audio device or the second audio device, or a combination thereof.

[0064] In some aspects, executing the speech processing algorithm includes executing a voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm, a speech enhancement algorithm, or a combination thereof.

[0065] In some aspects, detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not satisfy a quality threshold includes: detecting that the audio signal level of the first audio signal does not satisfy an audio signal level threshold, detecting that the audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first audio signal does not satisfy an audio SNR threshold, detecting that a microphone quality parameter provided by the first audio device does not satisfy a microphone quality parameter threshold, detecting that wind noise on the first audio signal exceeds a maximum wind noise threshold, detecting that a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the first audio signal does not satisfy an RF signal level threshold, detecting that the RF SNR of the first audio signal does not satisfy an RF SNR threshold, or a combination thereof.

[0066] In some aspects, measuring the quality of the second audio signal includes measuring an audio signal level of the second audio signal, an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second audio signal, wind noise on the second audio signal, a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the second audio signal, an RF SNR of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

[0067] In some aspects, the second audio device further includes a bone conduction microphone (BCM), and wherein an audio signal from the BCM is not considered when measuring the quality of the second audio signal.

[0068] In some aspects, the first duration is selected based on a quality of the second audio signal.

[0069] In some aspects, process 500 includes, after a first duration, checking the quality of the first audio signal, upon detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, activating a second audio device, measuring the quality of the second audio signal, upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as a primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing a speech processing algorithm on the second audio device, and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivating the second audio device for the first duration.

[0070] In some aspects, the first audio device is located in the first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the second housing.

[0071] In some aspects, the first housing includes a first earbud and the second housing includes a second earbud.

[0072] In some aspects, the first audio device is located in the first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the first housing.

[0073] In some aspects, the first housing comprises a head mounted device.

[0074] Process 500 may include additional implementations, such as any single implementation or any combination of implementations described below and / or in conjunction with one or more other processes described elsewhere herein. Figure 5 Example blocks of process 500 are shown, but in some implementations, process 500 may include Figure 5 Additional blocks, fewer blocks, different blocks, or differently arranged blocks than those depicted in process 500. Additionally or alternatively, two or more of the blocks of process 500 may be performed in parallel.

[0075] Use Cases

[0076] In an example implementation, QUALCOMM's application development kit (ADK) includes a handover decision making algorithm (HDMA) that monitors various conditions from both earbuds to decide on the primary handover, including determining that the primary earbud has been removed from the ear, the battery level has become low, or the RF signal has become too weak. Some of the parameters used by HDMA are listed in the following table:

[0077]

[0078] If the earbud has an in-ear sensor, it can distinguish the out-of-ear state from the in-ear state. If the earbud does not have an in-ear sensor, it is assumed that it is in the ear when it is not in this state. HDMA receives input from both the primary and secondary earbuds and recommends a switch with the following information when necessary: ​​switch reason, switch urgency (critical, high or low) and timestamp.

[0079] Switching based on noise comparison. In some aspects, the mic quality parameter is used as the basis for detecting potential switching conditions, for example, switching the primary role to the side with the lower noise level on the microphone. This parameter, which ranges from 0 to 15, is received by the HDMA twice per second from one or both earbuds. Using this information along with preset thresholds and time history, the HDMA can recommend a switch of the primary role. In some aspects, this "voice quality" parameter becomes a frame-based microphone RMS value.

[0080] For example, in one implementation, noise level information is streamed to the HDMA as a mic quality parameter (but if desired, in a slightly modified format with better resolution). The HDMA can then track the microphone signal level in terms of a weighted moving average to prevent fluctuations that would cause too fast a switch. If the left and right microphone level difference crosses a previously tuned threshold, the HDMA can recommend switching to the side with the lower microphone signal level in addition to all other existing switching conditions.

[0081] In a typical use case where the user is wearing both earbuds correctly without large fit differences, this method of monitoring the external microphone levels will ensure optimal SNR because the user's speech level will be the same on both sides. An advantage of this technique is that all higher level signal processing towards speech enhancement can follow this decision, and once the side with the lower noise level is identified, more complex speech enhancement algorithms can be turned off on the opposite earbud until the HDMA requires another switch.

[0082] By leveraging an existing communication channel with very light additional computational steps, processing power can be saved to run speech enhancement algorithms on both sides. An added benefit of this technique is that if BCM is also available, the user's voice can be extracted to support voice activity detection (VAD). BCM is known to suppress external noise at frequencies up to 1kHz. When BCM is used in addition to a typical external microphone, the BCM signal below 1kHz can be considered to contain the wanted speech signal on both sides, while the external microphone will contain a mixture of speech and noise, which will show greater left-right differences in the presence of directional noise. Likewise, a simple comparison of these two signals in the time domain can help more complex algorithms that need to run VAD and accurately calculate SNR information, such as Qualcomm's Clear Voice Capture (cVc).

[0083] Switching based on SNR calculation. This method utilizes SNR as information shared across earbuds. Qualcomm's cVc system has an internal algorithm that calculates the SNR from the microphone signal, which is used to control the algorithm itself, for example, the hybrid speech enhancement technology described earlier. Until now, the SNR information was only used on each side. However, using the existing HDMA channels, it is now possible to compare the SNR between the two earbuds. Recent internal evaluations of noise suppression speech enhancement algorithms have shown that Qualcomm's cVc performs better than other internal competitors in high SNR conditions because they use more sophisticated techniques.

[0084] HDMA can recommend switching by comparing the SNR from both sides. This way, the cVc algorithm can give the best possible output from the side with the higher SNR. The other side can then relax the processing to save power, for example, the 3-mic mode can be switched to 2-mic mode, or even the cVc transmit part can be turned off completely. So this is not only beneficial for enhancing cVc performance, but also for power saving. HDMA can guide the cVc 3mic mode running on the noisy side to the cVc2mic mode running on the less noisy side, which can reduce the power consumption of cVc by about 40%.

[0085] This approach utilizes the actual SNR as the final KPI required for cVc operation, rather than the raw microphone signal level which is related to SNR. With the help of additional calculations (running cVc modules on both sides), this can provide a more robust switching determination in some specific cases where there is a left-right difference in noise level but there is also an SNR difference in the user's voice that causes an SNR difference in the opposite direction. In some aspects, the voice quality parameter is derived based on the SNR and the wind strength estimate from cVc.

[0086] The techniques provided herein provide a number of technical advantages, including but not limited to the following. They provide a smaller processing overhead (e.g., disabling the non-primary audio device and checking whether the non-primary audio device will actually provide a better audio signal only when the primary microphone audio signal fails to pass a certain quality threshold) to avoid having to perform larger processing steps (e.g., continuously monitoring the non-primary audio device). For example, instead of running a cVc algorithm on both sides during a voice call, a simple time-domain RMS step can help shut down one side or the other, or reduce the amount of cVc processing performed by the non-primary audio device.

[0087] In the above specific implementation, it can be seen that different features are grouped together in the examples. This disclosure should not be understood as an intention that the example clauses have more features than the features explicitly mentioned in each clause. On the contrary, various aspects of the present disclosure may include less than all the features of the disclosed individual example clauses. Therefore, the following clauses should be considered to be incorporated into the specification, where each clause itself can be used as a separate example. Although each dependent clause may refer to a specific combination with one of the other clauses in a clause, the aspects of the dependent clause are not limited to the specific combination. It should be understood that other example clauses may also include a combination of dependent clause aspects with the subject matter of any other dependent clause or independent clause, or any combination of features with other dependent and independent clauses. Various aspects disclosed herein explicitly include these combinations, unless it is explicitly expressed or it can be easily inferred that a specific combination is not intended (for example, contradictory aspects, such as defining an element as an electrical insulator and an electrical conductor). In addition, it is also intended that various aspects of the clause can be included in any other independent clause, even if the clause does not directly depend on the independent clause.

[0088] Examples of implementations are described in the following numbered clauses:

[0089] Item 1. A method for switching audio processing between audio devices, the method comprising: selecting a first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and the quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of a second audio device; deactivating the second audio device; executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, and in response: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivating the second audio device for a first duration.

[0090] Clause 2. A method according to Clause 1, wherein selecting the first audio device as the main audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of the first audio signal with the quality of the second audio signal includes: selecting the first audio device based on a comparison of the signal level of the first audio signal with the signal level of the second audio signal, a comparison of the signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio signal with the signal-to-noise ratio of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

[0091] Clause 3. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 2, wherein deactivating the first audio device or the second audio device comprises: preventing the speech processing algorithm from being executed by the first audio device or the second audio device; preventing the second audio signal from being transmitted from the first audio device or the second audio device; reducing the power consumption of the first audio device or the second audio device; or a combination thereof.

[0092] Clause 4. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 3, wherein executing the speech processing algorithm comprises executing a voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm, a speech enhancement algorithm, or a combination thereof.

[0093] Clause 5. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 4, wherein detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold includes: detecting that the audio signal level of the first audio signal does not meet the audio signal level threshold; detecting that the audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first audio signal does not meet the audio SNR threshold; detecting that the microphone quality parameter provided by the first audio device does not meet the microphone quality parameter threshold; detecting that the wind noise on the first audio signal exceeds the maximum wind noise threshold; detecting that the radio frequency (RF) signal level of the first audio signal does not meet the RF signal level threshold; detecting that the RF SNR of the first audio signal does not meet the RF SNR threshold; or a combination thereof.

[0094] Clause 6. A method according to any one of clauses 1 to 5, wherein measuring the quality of the second audio signal comprises measuring: an audio signal level of the second audio signal; an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second audio signal; wind noise on the second audio signal; a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the second audio signal; the RF SNR of the second audio signal; or a combination thereof.

[0095] Clause 7. The method of Clause 6, wherein the second audio device further comprises a bone conduction microphone (BCM), and wherein an audio signal from the BCM is not considered when measuring the quality of the second audio signal.

[0096] Clause 8. The method of any of clauses 1 to 7, wherein the first duration is selected based on a quality of the second audio signal.

[0097] Clause 9. The method according to any one of clauses 1 to 8 further includes, when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal and the second audio device is deactivated for the first duration: after the first duration, checking the quality of the first audio signal; when it is detected that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the main audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivating the second audio device for the first duration.

[0098] Clause 10. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 9, wherein the first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in a second housing.

[0099] Clause 11. The method of clause 10, wherein the first housing comprises a first earbud and the second housing comprises a second earbud.

[0100] Clause 12. The method of any one of clauses 1 to 11, wherein the first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the first housing.

[0101] Clause 13. The method of clause 12, wherein the first housing comprises a head mounted device.

[0102] Item 14. An audio system comprising: a first audio device and a second audio device, each audio device comprising a microphone, a transceiver, a memory, and at least one processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: select the first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of a quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and a quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of the second audio device; deactivate the second audio device; execute a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detect that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, and in response: activate the second audio device; measure the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, select the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivate the first audio device, and execute the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivate the second audio device for a first duration.

[0103] Clause 15. An audio system according to Clause 14, wherein, in order to select the first audio device as the main audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of the first audio signal with the quality of the second audio signal, the at least one processor is configured to select the first audio device based on a comparison of the signal level of the first audio signal with the signal level of the second audio signal, a comparison of the signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio signal with the signal-to-noise ratio of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

[0104] Clause 16. An audio system according to any one of clauses 14 to 15, wherein, in order to deactivate the first audio device or the second audio device, the at least one processor is configured to: disable the speech processing algorithm from being executed by the first audio device or the second audio device; disable the second audio signal from being transmitted from the first audio device or the second audio device; reduce the power consumption of the first audio device or the second audio device; or a combination thereof.

[0105] Clause 17. An audio system according to any one of clauses 14 to 16, wherein, in order to execute the speech processing algorithm, the at least one processor is configured to execute a voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm, a speech enhancement algorithm, or a combination thereof.

[0106] Clause 18. An audio system according to any one of clauses 14 to 17, wherein, in order to detect that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold, the at least one processor is configured to: detect that the audio signal level of the first audio signal does not meet the audio signal level threshold; detect that the audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first audio signal does not meet the audio SNR threshold; detect that the microphone quality parameter provided by the first audio device does not meet the microphone quality parameter threshold; detect that the wind noise on the first audio signal exceeds the maximum wind noise threshold; detect that the radio frequency (RF) signal level of the first audio signal does not meet the RF signal level threshold; detect that the RFSNR of the first audio signal does not meet the RF SNR threshold; or a combination thereof.

[0107] Clause 19. An audio system according to any one of clauses 14 to 18, wherein, in order to measure the quality of the second audio signal, the at least one processor is configured to measure: an audio signal level of the second audio signal; an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second audio signal; wind noise on the second audio signal; a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the second audio signal; the RF SNR of the second audio signal; or a combination thereof.

[0108] Clause 20. The audio system of Clause 19, wherein the second audio device further comprises a bone conduction microphone (BCM), and wherein an audio signal from the BCM is not considered when measuring the quality of the second audio signal.

[0109] Clause 21. An audio system as recited in any one of clauses 14 to 20, wherein the first duration is selected based on a quality of the second audio signal.

[0110] Clause 22. An audio system according to any one of clauses 14 to 21, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal and deactivating the second audio device for the first duration: after the first duration, check the quality of the first audio signal; upon detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold: activate the second audio device; measure the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, select the second audio device as the main audio input device, deactivate the first audio device, and execute the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivate the second audio device for the first duration.

[0111] Clause 23. The audio system of any of clauses 14 to 22, wherein the first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in a second housing.

[0112] Clause 24. The audio system of Clause 23, wherein the first housing comprises a first earbud and the second housing comprises a second earbud.

[0113] Clause 25. The audio system of any of Clauses 14 to 24, wherein the first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the first housing.

[0114] Clause 26. The audio system of clause 25, wherein the first housing comprises a head mounted device.

[0115] Item 27. An audio system comprising: a component for selecting the first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and the quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of a second audio device; a component for deactivating the second audio device; a component for executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; a component for detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold and in response: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivating the second audio device for a first duration.

[0116] Clause 28. An audio system according to Clause 27, wherein the component for selecting the first audio device as the main audio input device based on the comparison of the quality of the first audio signal with the quality of the second audio signal includes: a component for selecting the first audio device based on a comparison of the signal level of the first audio signal with the signal level of the second audio signal, a comparison of the signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio signal with the signal-to-noise ratio of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

[0117] Clause 29. An audio system according to any one of clauses 27 to 28, wherein the component for deactivating the first audio device or the second audio device comprises: a component for preventing the speech processing algorithm from being executed by the first audio device or the second audio device; a component for preventing the second audio signal from being transmitted from the first audio device or the second audio device; a component for reducing the power consumption of the first audio device or the second audio device; or a combination thereof.

[0118] Clause 30. An audio system as described in any of Clauses 27 to 29, wherein the means for executing a speech processing algorithm comprises means for executing a voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm, a speech enhancement algorithm, or a combination thereof.

[0119] Clause 31. An audio system according to any one of clauses 27 to 30, wherein the component for detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold includes: a component for detecting that the audio signal level of the first audio signal does not meet the audio signal level threshold; a component for detecting that the audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first audio signal does not meet the audio SNR threshold; a component for detecting that the microphone quality parameter provided by the first audio device does not meet the microphone quality parameter threshold; a component for detecting that the wind noise on the first audio signal exceeds the maximum wind noise threshold; a component for detecting that the radio frequency (RF) signal level of the first audio signal does not meet the RF signal level threshold; a component for detecting that the RF SNR of the first audio signal does not meet the RF SNR threshold; or a combination thereof.

[0120] Clause 32. An audio system according to any one of clauses 27 to 31, wherein the component for measuring the quality of the second audio signal includes a component for measuring: an audio signal level of the second audio signal; an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second audio signal; wind noise on the second audio signal; a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the second audio signal; the RF SNR of the second audio signal; or a combination thereof.

[0121] Clause 33. The audio system of Clause 32, wherein the second audio device further comprises a bone conduction microphone (BCM), and wherein an audio signal from the BCM is not considered when measuring the quality of the second audio signal.

[0122] Clause 34. An audio system as recited in any one of clauses 27 to 33, wherein the first duration is selected based on a quality of the second audio signal.

[0123] Clause 35. An audio system according to any one of clauses 27 to 34, further comprising a device for, when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal and the second audio device is deactivated for the first duration: after the first duration, checking the quality of the first audio signal; when it is detected that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the main audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivating the second audio device for the first duration.

[0124] Clause 36. The audio system of any of clauses 27 to 35, wherein the first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in a second housing.

[0125] Clause 37. The audio system of Clause 36, wherein the first housing comprises a first earbud and the second housing comprises a second earbud.

[0126] Clause 38. The audio system of any of Clauses 27 to 37, wherein the first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the first housing.

[0127] Clause 39. An audio system according to clause 38, wherein the first shell includes a head-mounted device.

[0128] Item 40. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions which, when executed by an audio system, cause the audio system to: select the first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of a quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and a quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of a second audio device; deactivate the second audio device; execute a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detect that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet a quality threshold, and in response: activate the second audio device; measure the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, select the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivate the first audio device, and execute the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivate the second audio device for a first duration.

[0129] Clause 41. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 27 to 40, wherein the computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to select the first audio device as the primary audio input device based on a comparison of the quality of the first audio signal with the quality of the second audio signal include: computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to select the first audio device based on a comparison of the signal level of the first audio signal with the signal level of the second audio signal, a comparison of the signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio signal with the signal-to-noise ratio of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

[0130] Clause 42. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 27 to 41, wherein the computer executable instructions that when executed by the audio system cause the audio system to deactivate the first audio device or the second audio device include: computer executable instructions that when executed by the audio system cause the audio system to perform the following operations: preventing the speech processing algorithm from being executed by the first audio device or the second audio device; preventing the second audio signal from being transmitted from the first audio device or the second audio device; reducing the power consumption of the first audio device or the second audio device; or a combination thereof.

[0131] Clause 43. A non-transitory computer-readable medium as described in any one of clauses 27 to 42, wherein the computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to perform the speech processing algorithm include computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to perform a voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm, a speech enhancement algorithm, or a combination thereof.

[0132] Clause 44. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 27 to 43, wherein the computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to detect that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold include: computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to perform the following operations: detecting that the audio signal level of the first audio signal does not meet the audio signal level threshold; detecting that the audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first audio signal does not meet the audio SNR threshold; detecting that the microphone quality parameter provided by the first audio device does not meet the microphone quality parameter threshold; detecting that the wind noise on the first audio signal exceeds the maximum wind noise threshold; detecting that the radio frequency (RF) signal level of the first audio signal does not meet the RF signal level threshold; detecting that the RF SNR of the first audio signal does not meet the RF SNR threshold; or a combination thereof.

[0133] Clause 45. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 27 to 44, wherein the computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to measure the quality of the second audio signal include computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to measure: an audio signal level of the second audio signal; an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second audio signal; wind noise on the second audio signal; a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the second audio signal; the RF SNR of the second audio signal; or a combination thereof.

[0134] Clause 46. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 32 to 45, wherein the second audio device further comprises a bone conduction microphone (BCM), and wherein an audio signal from the BCM is not considered when measuring the quality of the second audio signal.

[0135] Clause 47. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 27 to 46, wherein the first duration is selected based on a quality of the second audio signal.

[0136] Clause 48. A non-transitory computer-readable medium according to any one of clauses 27 to 47, wherein the computer executable instructions that, when executed by the audio system, cause the audio system to determine that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal and deactivate the second audio device for the first duration also include the following computer executable instructions: after the first duration, check the quality of the first audio signal; when it is detected that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold: activate the second audio device; measure the quality of the second audio signal; when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, select the second audio device as the main audio input device, deactivate the first audio device, and execute the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; and when it is determined that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, deactivate the second audio device for the first duration.

[0137] Clause 49. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of Clauses 27 to 48, wherein the first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in a second housing.

[0138] Clause 50. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 36 to 49, wherein the first housing comprises a first earbud and the second housing comprises a second earbud.

[0139] Clause 51. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 27 to 50, wherein the first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the first housing.

[0140] Clause 52. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of any one of clauses 38 to 51, wherein the first housing comprises a head mounted device.

[0141] Clause 53. An apparatus comprising a memory, a transceiver, and a processor communicatively coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the memory, the transceiver, and the processor configured to perform the method of any of clauses 1 to 13.

[0142] Clause 54. An apparatus comprising means for performing the method of any one of clauses 1 to 13.

[0143] Clause 55. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing computer-executable instructions, the computer-executable instructions comprising at least one instruction for causing a computer or a processor to perform the method of any one of clauses 1 to 13.

[0144] Those skilled in the art will appreciate that information and signals may be represented using any of a variety of different technologies and techniques. For example, data, instructions, commands, information, signals, bits, symbols, and chips that may be mentioned throughout the above description may be represented by voltage, current, electromagnetic waves, magnetic fields or particles, optical fields or particles, or any combination thereof.

[0145] In addition, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and algorithm steps described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be implemented as electronic hardware, computer software, or a combination of both. To clearly illustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, various illustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have been generally described above in terms of their functionality. Whether such functionality is implemented as hardware or software depends on the specific application and the design constraints imposed on the entire system. Those skilled in the art may implement the described functionality in different ways for each specific application, but such implementation decisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from the scope of the present invention.

[0146] The various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and circuits described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be implemented or executed with a general purpose processor, a DSP, an ASIC, an FPGA, or other programmable logic device, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components, or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions described herein. A general purpose processor may be a microprocessor, but in an alternative, the processor may be any conventional processor, controller, microcontroller, or state machine. The processor may also be implemented as a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of a DSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, a combination of one or more microprocessors and a DSP core, or any other such configuration.

[0147] The methods, sequences and / or algorithms described in conjunction with the various aspects disclosed herein may be embodied directly in hardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in a combination of the two. The software module may reside in a random access memory (RAM), a flash memory, a read-only memory (ROM), an erasable programmable ROM (EPROM), an electrically erasable programmable ROM (EEPROM), a register, a hard disk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage medium known in the art. An example storage medium is coupled to a processor so that the processor can read information from the storage medium and write information to the storage medium. In an alternative, the storage medium may be integrated into the processor. The processor and the storage medium may reside in an ASIC. The ASIC may reside in a user terminal (e.g., a UE). In an alternative, the processor and the storage medium may reside in a user terminal as discrete components.

[0148] In one or more example aspects, the functions described can be implemented in hardware, software, firmware, or any combination thereof. If implemented in software, the functions can be stored on a computer-readable medium or transmitted via a computer-readable medium as one or more instructions or codes. Computer-readable media include both computer storage media and communication media, and communication media include any media that helps to transfer a computer program from one place to another. Storage media can be any available media that can be accessed by a computer. By way of example and not limitation, such computer-readable media may include RAM, ROM, EEPROM, CD-ROM or other optical disk storage devices, magnetic disk storage devices or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media that can be used to carry or store the desired program code in the form of an instruction or data structure and can be accessed by a computer. In addition, any connection is appropriately referred to as a computer-readable medium. For example, if software is sent from a website, server or other remote source using a coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, digital subscriber line (DSL), or wireless technology (such as infrared, radio, and microwave), coaxial cable, fiber optic cable, twisted pair, DSL, or wireless technology (such as infrared, radio, and microwave) are included in the definition of the medium. As used herein, disk and disc include compact disc (CD), laser disc, optical disc, digital versatile disc (DVD), floppy disk and Blu-ray disc, where disks usually reproduce data magnetically, while discs reproduce data optically with lasers. Combinations of the above should also be included within the scope of computer-readable media.

[0149] Although the foregoing disclosure shows the illustrative aspects of the present disclosure, it should be noted that various changes and modifications may be made herein without departing from the scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims. The functions, steps and / or actions of the method claims according to the various aspects of the present disclosure described herein do not need to be performed in any particular order. In addition, although the elements of the present disclosure may be described or claimed in singular form, plural forms are contemplated unless explicitly stated to be limited to the singular form.

Claims

1. A method for switching audio processing between audio devices, the method comprising: selecting the first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of a quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and a quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of the second audio device; deactivating the second audio device; executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not satisfy a quality threshold, and in response: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; as well as Upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, the second audio device is deactivated for a first duration.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein selecting the first audio device as the primary audio input device based on the comparison of the quality of the first audio signal and the quality of the second audio signal comprises: The first audio device is selected based on a comparison of a signal level of the first audio signal to a signal level of the second audio signal, a comparison of a signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio signal to a signal-to-noise ratio of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Deactivating the first audio device or the second audio device includes: disabling execution of the speech processing algorithm by the first audio device or the second audio device; preventing the second audio signal from being transmitted from the first audio device or the second audio device; reducing power consumption of the first audio device or the second audio device; or A combination of them.

4. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Executing the speech processing algorithm includes executing a voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm, a speech enhancement algorithm, or a combination thereof.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold includes: detecting that an audio signal level of the first audio signal does not satisfy an audio signal level threshold; detecting that an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first audio signal does not satisfy an audio SNR threshold; detecting that a microphone quality parameter provided by the first audio device does not satisfy a microphone quality parameter threshold; detecting that wind noise on the first audio signal exceeds a maximum wind noise threshold; detecting that a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the first audio signal does not satisfy an RF signal level threshold; detecting that the RF SNR of the first audio signal does not satisfy an RF SNR threshold; or A combination of them.

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein: Measuring the quality of the second audio signal comprises measuring: an audio signal level of the second audio signal; an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second audio signal; wind noise on the second audio signal; a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the second audio signal; an RF SNR of the second audio signal; or They combine.

7. The method according to claim 6, wherein: The second audio device further comprises a bone conduction microphone (BCM), and wherein an audio signal from the BCM is not considered when measuring the quality of the second audio signal.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first duration is selected based on the quality of the second audio signal.

9. The method according to claim 1, further comprising: Upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal and deactivating the second audio device for the first duration: After the first duration, checking the quality of the first audio signal; When it is detected that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; as well as Upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, the second audio device is deactivated for the first duration.

10. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in a second housing.

11. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the first housing.

12. The method according to claim 11, wherein: The first shell includes a head-mounted device.

13. An audio system comprising: a first audio device and a second audio device, each audio device comprising a microphone, a transceiver, a memory, and at least one processor coupled to the memory and the transceiver, the at least one processor being configured to: selecting the first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of a quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and a quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of the second audio device; deactivating the second audio device; executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not satisfy a quality threshold, and in response: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; as well as Upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, the second audio device is deactivated for a first duration.

14. The audio system of claim 13, wherein: In order to select the first audio device as the main audio input device based on the comparison of the quality of the first audio signal and the quality of the second audio signal, the at least one processor is configured to select the first audio device based on a comparison of a signal level of the first audio signal and a signal level of the second audio signal, a comparison of a signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio signal and a signal-to-noise ratio of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

15. The audio system of claim 13, wherein: To deactivate the first audio device or the second audio device, the at least one processor is configured to: disabling execution of the speech processing algorithm by the first audio device or the second audio device; preventing the second audio signal from being transmitted from the first audio device or the second audio device; reducing power consumption of the first audio device or the second audio device; or A combination of them.

16. The audio system of claim 13, wherein: To execute the speech processing algorithm, the at least one processor is configured to execute a voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm, a speech enhancement algorithm, or a combination thereof.

17. The audio system of claim 13, wherein: To detect that the quality of the first audio signal does not satisfy the quality threshold, the at least one processor is configured to: detecting that an audio signal level of the first audio signal does not satisfy an audio signal level threshold; detecting that an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first audio signal does not satisfy an audio SNR threshold; detecting that a microphone quality parameter provided by the first audio device does not satisfy a microphone quality parameter threshold; detecting that wind noise on the first audio signal exceeds a maximum wind noise threshold; detecting that a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the first audio signal does not satisfy an RF signal level threshold; detecting that the RF SNR of the first audio signal does not satisfy an RF SNR threshold; or A combination of them.

18. The audio system of claim 13, wherein: In order to measure the quality of the second audio signal, the at least one processor is configured to measure: an audio signal level of the second audio signal; an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second audio signal; wind noise on the second audio signal; a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the second audio signal; an RF SNR of the second audio signal; or A combination of them.

19. The audio system of claim 18, wherein: The second audio device further comprises a bone conduction microphone (BCM), and wherein an audio signal from the BCM is not considered when measuring the quality of the second audio signal.

20. The audio system of claim 13, wherein: The first duration is selected based on the quality of the second audio signal.

21. The audio system of claim 13, wherein the at least one processor is further configured to, upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal and deactivating the second audio device for the first duration: After the first duration, checking the quality of the first audio signal; When it is detected that the quality of the first audio signal does not meet the quality threshold: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; as well as Upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, the second audio device is deactivated for the first duration.

22. The audio system of claim 13, wherein: The first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in a second housing.

23. The audio system of claim 13, wherein: The first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the first housing.

24. The audio system of claim 23, wherein: The first shell includes a head-mounted device.

25. An audio system comprising: means for selecting the first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of a quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and a quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of the second audio device; means for deactivating the second audio device; means for executing a speech processing algorithm on said first audio device; means for detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not satisfy a quality threshold and in response: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; as well as Upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, the second audio device is deactivated for a first duration.

26. The audio system of claim 25, wherein: The component for selecting the first audio device as the main audio input device based on the comparison of the quality of the first audio signal and the quality of the second audio signal includes: a component for selecting the first audio device based on a comparison of a signal level of the first audio signal and a signal level of the second audio signal, a comparison of a signal-to-noise ratio of the first audio signal and a signal-to-noise ratio of the second audio signal, or a combination thereof.

27. The audio system of claim 25, wherein: The means for deactivating the first audio device or the second audio device comprises: means for disabling execution of the speech processing algorithm by the first audio device or the second audio device; means for disabling transmission of the second audio signal from the first audio device or the second audio device; means for reducing power consumption of the first audio device or the second audio device; or A combination of them.

28. The audio system of claim 25, wherein: The means for executing the speech processing algorithm may include means for executing a voice activity detection (VAD) algorithm, a speech enhancement algorithm, or a combination thereof.

29. The audio system of claim 25, wherein: The means for detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not satisfy the quality threshold comprises: means for detecting that an audio signal level of the first audio signal does not satisfy an audio signal level threshold; means for detecting that an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the first audio signal does not satisfy an audio SNR threshold; means for detecting that a microphone quality parameter provided by the first audio device does not satisfy a microphone quality parameter threshold; means for detecting that wind noise on the first audio signal exceeds a maximum wind noise threshold; means for detecting that a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the first audio signal does not satisfy an RF signal level threshold; means for detecting that the RF SNR of the first audio signal does not satisfy an RF SNR threshold; or A combination of them.

30. The audio system of claim 25, wherein: The means for measuring the quality of the second audio signal comprises means for measuring: an audio signal level of the second audio signal; an audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the second audio signal; wind noise on the second audio signal; a radio frequency (RF) signal level of the second audio signal; an RF SNR of the second audio signal; or A combination of them.

31. The audio system of claim 25, wherein: The first audio device is located in a first housing, and wherein the second audio device is located in the first housing.

32. The audio system of claim 31 , wherein the first housing comprises a head mounted device.

33. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by an audio system, cause the audio system to: selecting the first audio device as a primary audio input device based on a comparison of a quality of a first audio signal from a microphone of the first audio device and a quality of a second audio signal from a microphone of the second audio device; deactivating the second audio device; executing a speech processing algorithm on the first audio device; detecting that the quality of the first audio signal does not satisfy a quality threshold, and in response: activating the second audio device; measuring the quality of the second audio signal; upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is better than the quality of the first audio signal, selecting the second audio device as the primary audio input device, deactivating the first audio device, and executing the speech processing algorithm on the second audio device; as well as Upon determining that the quality of the second audio signal is not better than the quality of the first audio signal, the second audio device is deactivated for a first duration.

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