Audio Noise Cancellation for Keyboard and Input Control Sounds
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Solution Overview
Problem
During teleconferences and videoconferences, the noise from keyboard keystrokes and other input device activations is often picked up by microphones, causing distractions for other participants, and existing noise-cancellation methods struggle to accurately isolate and remove these noises without affecting the audio signal.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that senses key actuations both electrically and through sound, correlates the data to identify noise contributions, and uses a sound model to selectively cancel these noises from the audio signal, allowing for effective noise reduction without additional hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a microphone is placed near the computer device to capture audio, then audio quality is improved, but noise from keyboard keystrokes is amplified
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and removes the harmful noise component from the audio signal by identifying keystroke noise patterns and selectively canceling them while preserving the speaker's voice. The system separates the audio signal into noise components and speech components, then removes only the noise portion.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary noise cancellation system that includes a noise model generator and a noise canceller. This intermediary system processes the audio signal by comparing it with modeled keystroke noise patterns and generating an inverted noise signal to cancel the harmful noise while maintaining audio quality.
2Object-generated harmful factors
If noise cancellation is applied to remove keystroke noise, then noise is reduced, but meaningful audio parts may be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by treating different parts of the audio signal differently. It identifies specific time windows and frequency ranges corresponding to keystroke noise and applies noise cancellation only to those specific regions, while leaving the speech portions of the audio signal unchanged.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses partial action by applying noise cancellation only to the extent necessary to remove keystroke noise. The system calculates the noise component based on the difference between the actual audio and a modeled keystroke noise pattern, then applies cancellation only to that calculated noise portion, avoiding over-cancellation of legitimate speech.
3Measurement precision
If additional hardware is added to improve noise cancellation, then noise removal accuracy is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical hardware solutions with a software-based noise cancellation system. Instead of using additional physical microphones or acoustic filters, the system uses computational algorithms to model keystroke noise and generate cancellation signals, achieving noise removal through software processing rather than hardware additions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent creates a digital copy or model of keystroke noise patterns and uses this copied information to generate cancellation signals. The system captures noise characteristics during calibration and stores them as a reference model, then uses this copied noise profile to accurately cancel future keystroke noise without requiring additional physical sensors.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach allows users to interact with input devices during conferences without distracting others, providing a software-based solution that reduces noise from input controls, enhancing the clarity of audio signals transmitted to other participants.
Implementation Method 1
applying, from the audio model, a representation of a noise for the identified activation to the associated portion of the audio signal so as to cancel at least part of the noise from the audio signal
Data Source
AI summary
The subject matter of this specification can be embodied in, among other things, a computer-implemented method for removing noise from audio that includes building a sound model that represents noises which result from activations of input controls of a computer device. The method further includes receiving an audio signal produced from a microphone substantially near the computer device. The method further includes identifying, without using the microphone, an activation of at least one input control from among the input controls. The method further includes associating a portion of the audio signal as corresponding to the identified activation. The method further includes applying, from the audio model, a representation of a noise for the identified activation to the associated portion of the audio signal so as to cancel at least part of the noise from the audio signal.