Dynamic Echo Canceler Tap Adjustment for Vehicle Noise
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle interiors often experience poor listening experiences due to echoes from exterior sounds, which existing echo cancellation systems struggle to address efficiently, consuming significant processing power and resources.
Innovation Solution
Implementing a dynamic echo canceler that reduces the number of taps in the echo cancellation algorithm based on detected noise levels, such as urban or suburban noise, to conserve computational resources and improve occupant comfort by masking echoes with noise.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If traditional echo cancellation systems are used to eliminate echoes from exterior sounds, then echo suppression is improved, but processing power and computing resources are excessively consumed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent dynamically adjusts the number of taps in the echo canceller based on detected noise levels. When noise is detected (e.g., urban or suburban noise), the system reduces the number of taps from a full complement (e.g., 128 or 256) to a reduced number (e.g., 32 or 64), thereby reducing computational complexity and processing power consumption while maintaining adequate echo suppression performance.
Solution Approach 2:
The echo canceller transitions from a static configuration with fixed number of taps to a dynamic configuration where the number of taps is adjusted in real-time based on environmental noise conditions. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize between echo suppression performance and computational resource usage depending on the operating environment.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If the number of taps in the echo canceller is increased to improve echo cancellation performance, then echo suppression is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically changes the parameter of number of taps based on noise detection. In high-noise environments, fewer taps are used, reducing device complexity. In low-noise environments, more taps can be used to improve echo cancellation performance when needed, thus optimizing the balance between performance and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies partial echo cancellation by using fewer taps than the maximum possible when noise is present. Since noise naturally masks echoes, full echo cancellation is not always necessary, and partial cancellation with reduced complexity achieves sufficient performance while lowering device complexity.
3Use of energy by moving object
If noise masking is used to suppress echoes in noisy environments, then processing resources are conserved, but echo suppression effectiveness may be reduced in quiet environments
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adapts the echo canceller configuration based on real-time noise level detection. In noisy environments, it uses fewer taps relying on noise masking, conserving processing resources. In quiet environments, it can increase the number of taps to maintain effective echo suppression, thus balancing resource consumption with effectiveness across different operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements a feedback mechanism where the system continuously monitors environmental noise levels and adjusts the echo canceller parameters accordingly. This closed-loop control ensures that the echo suppression effectiveness is maintained appropriate to the current acoustic environment while optimizing processing resource usage.
Data Source
AI summary
A system for dynamically controlling an echo canceler includes a processor programmed to receive audio data from an audio sensor, to determine a present type of noise in the received audio data, based on the present type of noise, to determine a number of taps to be removed from an echo canceler, and to execute the echo canceler with a reduced number of taps based on the number of taps to be removed.