Dual-stage beam selection for adaptive noise cancellation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing beamforming systems in speech processing devices often select beams based on audio data quality metrics like SNR, which can break down under noisy conditions, leading to poor wakeword detection and speech processing performance due to inadequate noise cancellation and signal suppression.
Innovation Solution
A dual beam selection approach is implemented, where a first beam selection component selects beams before adaptive noise cancellation, and a second component selects after cancellation, reducing complexity and ensuring signal quality is maintained, thereby increasing the likelihood of selecting the desired beam.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If adaptive noise cancellation is applied to all beams, then noise cancellation performance is improved, but computational complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the beam selection process into two distinct stages: a first beam selection component that performs initial beam selection based on signal quality metrics before adaptive noise cancellation, and a second beam selection component that performs final beam selection after adaptive noise cancellation. This segmentation allows the system to apply adaptive noise cancellation selectively to only those beams that pass the first selection stage, thereby reducing computational complexity while maintaining noise cancellation performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies adaptive noise cancellation partially rather than to all beams. The first beam selection component filters beams based on signal quality metrics, and adaptive noise cancellation is applied only to the subset of beams that meet the selection criteria. This partial action reduces the computational burden while ensuring that the most promising beams receive the full benefit of noise cancellation.
2Ease of operation
If beam selection is based on SNR metrics, then signal quality assessment is simplified, but performance deteriorates under noisy conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary beam selection based on signal quality metrics (such as SNR) before applying adaptive noise cancellation. The first beam selection component uses these simple metrics to filter beams, and then adaptive noise cancellation is applied to improve the reliability of the selected beams. This preliminary action maintains the simplicity of initial assessment while compensating for its limitations through subsequent noise cancellation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the output of the first beam selection component feeds into the adaptive noise cancellation stage, and the output of the second beam selection component provides information about the effectiveness of the overall process. This feedback loop allows the system to adjust and improve beam selection accuracy under noisy conditions while maintaining operational simplicity.
3Reliability
If adaptive noise cancellation is applied to all beams, then noise cancellation is comprehensive, but signal degradation increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies adaptive noise cancellation partially to only those beams selected by the first beam selection component, rather than to all beams. This partial application reduces the cumulative signal degradation that would result from applying noise cancellation to every beam, while still achieving comprehensive noise cancellation for the selected beams that are most likely to contain the desired signal.
Data Source
AI summary
A device that includes a first beam selection component that selects a portion of the multiple beams prior to performing adaptive noise cancellation, in addition to a second beam selection component that selects a beam after adaptive noise cancellation is performed. The device only performs adaptive noise cancellation on the portion of the multiple beams that are selected, reducing a complexity of performing adaptive noise cancellation. In addition, as the first beam selection component selects from the multiple beams before adaptive noise cancellation, the quality of the signals are not reduced and/or desired signals are not suppressed, resulting in the first beam selection component increasing a likelihood that the second beam selection component selects the desired beam. The first beam selection component may use a different algorithm and/or selection criteria than the second beam selection component in order to select beams associated with desired signals such as speech.