Acoustic Echo Cancellation Double-Talk Detection

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing acoustic echo cancellation systems face challenges in accurately detecting double-talk conditions, especially in noisy environments like vehicles, where uncorrelated noise affects the convergence of adaptive filters, leading to misalignment and inefficient echo cancellation.

Innovation Solution

The proposed acoustic echo canceller employs a double-talk detector that calculates the energy difference of adaptive filter coefficients and adjusts the adaptation rate based on a scale factor, either maintaining the full adaptation rate or reducing it significantly, depending on the energy trend and threshold comparison, to manage filter convergence and divergence.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Speed

If the adaptation rate is increased to improve convergence speed, then the echo cancellation accuracy improves, but the system becomes unstable in double-talk conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveconvergence speedVSAvoidstability in double-talk conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
SpeedVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The adaptation rate is made dynamic by adjusting it based on the energy trend of filter coefficients. The system transitions from a fixed adaptation rate to a variable one that adapts to changing acoustic conditions, allowing fast convergence during normal operation while preventing instability during double-talk events.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system uses feedback from the energy difference calculation of filter coefficients to control the adaptation rate. By monitoring the energy trend and comparing it to a threshold, the system automatically adjusts the adaptation rate to maintain stability while preserving convergence performance.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

2Reliability

If the adaptation rate is reduced to improve stability, then the system becomes more stable in noisy environments, but the convergence speed decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability in noisy environmentsVSAvoidconvergence speed
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSSpeed

Solution Approach 1:

The adaptation rate is dynamically adjusted based on environmental conditions. During normal operation with stable acoustic conditions, a higher adaptation rate maintains fast convergence. When noise or double-talk is detected through energy trend analysis, the adaptation rate is reduced to maintain stability, thus resolving the trade-off.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The system changes the adaptation rate parameter based on the energy trend of filter coefficients. By monitoring whether the energy is increasing or decreasing and comparing against a threshold, the system selectively adjusts the adaptation rate parameter to optimize both convergence and stability under different operating conditions.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Device complexity

If a fixed adaptation rate is used to simplify the system, then the device complexity is reduced, but the system cannot adapt to varying noise conditions

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvesystem complexityVSAvoidadaptability to noise conditions
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs self-adjustment by monitoring its own filter coefficient energy trends and automatically modifying the adaptation rate accordingly. This self-service mechanism allows the system to adapt to varying noise conditions without requiring complex external control systems or manual intervention.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

A feedback loop is implemented where the energy difference of filter coefficients is calculated and used to control the adaptation rate. This feedback mechanism enables the system to automatically adapt to changing acoustic environments while maintaining relatively simple device architecture.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP3375180B1Double-talk detection for acoustic echo cancellation
Publication Date: 2020.01.15 BOSE CORP
  • EP3375180B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3375180B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP3375180B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

An acoustic echo canceller includes an adaptive filter and a double-talk detector. The adaptive filter includes a linear filter and a coefficient calculator. The linear filter has a transfer function that is controlled by a set of variable filter coefficients and that is configured to cancel an estimate of echo in a microphone signal to provide an output signal. The coefficient calculator is configured to update the set of variable filter coefficients based on a variable adaptation rate. The double-talk detector is configured to calculate changes in the energy of the variable filter coefficients (between updates of the coefficients). The acoustic echo canceller is configured to adjust the variable adaptation rate based on whether the energy of the variable filter coefficients is determined to be either oscillating or steadily changing (increasing or decreasing).