Hearing Echo Canceller Adaptation Under Near-End Voice Interference
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing acoustic echo cancellers in hearing devices suffer from reduced performance due to noise or own voice from the near-end user affecting the adaptation of the adaptive filter, leading to poorer echo cancellation.
Innovation Solution
A hearing device with processors that filter input signals using multiple filters to estimate and attenuate echo and near-end sound, updating filter coefficients based on a signal that minimizes noise from the near-end user, thereby improving echo cancellation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the adaptive filter is updated using the error signal containing near-end user voice and noise, then the filter adapts to track transfer function changes, but the noise and own voice degrade the adaptation quality and echo cancellation performance
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the error signal into two components: one containing the echo path information and another containing near-end user voice and noise. This is achieved by using multiple microphones to capture different signal components and processing them separately through different filter branches, allowing the adaptive filter to update using only the clean echo path component without contamination from near-end speech.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary signal processing path that separates the near-end speech component from the error signal before it reaches the adaptive filter update mechanism. By using additional microphones and separate filter processing, the system creates an intermediary representation that isolates the useful echo path information from the harmful near-end speech interference.
2Stability of the object's composition
If timing-based constraints are placed on the echo canceller adaptation to reduce near-end speech interference, then the adaptation stability improves, but the ability to track rapid changes in the transfer function deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic adaptation by removing rigid timing-based constraints on the adaptive filter updates. Instead of uniformly limiting updates during near-end speech periods, the system dynamically determines when updates are beneficial by analyzing the error signal composition, allowing rapid tracking of transfer function changes while maintaining stability through intelligent update timing based on actual signal conditions rather than fixed temporal constraints.
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed herein are embodiments of a hearing device. The hearing device can filter a first filter input signal to provide a first filtered signal, where filtering is performed to estimate an echo in a first input signal. The hearing device can combine a first filtered output signal with the first input signal to provide a first output signal, the first filtered output signal is based on the first filtered signal. The hearing device can filter a second filter input signal to provide a second filtered signal, where the filtering is performed to attenuate a near-end sound. The hearing device can combine the second filtered output signal with the first filtered output signal to provide an update signal, where the second filtered output signal is based on the second filtered signal. The hearing device can update one or more filter coefficients based on the update signal.