Multi-Microphone Noise-Canceling Sound Pickup Range Control

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Solution Overview

Problem

Ambient noise affects the accuracy of estimating a user's hand posture, leading to low accuracy in controlling the multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range in mobile devices.

Innovation Solution

A method and apparatus that use high-frequency ultrasonic signals to determine the user's posture by calculating transfer functions and similarities, adjusting the noise-canceling sound pickup range based on whether the posture is normal or abnormal, thereby improving the accuracy of noise cancellation.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If voice frequency-band signal is used to estimate user's hand posture, then the sound pickup range can be adjusted according to posture, but ambient noise easily affects the estimation accuracy leading to low control accuracy

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability of user's hand postureVSAvoidaccuracy of estimating user's hand posture
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSMeasurement precision

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces an intermediary measurement approach by using ultrasonic signals as a mediator to detect hand posture. Instead of directly using voice signals which are contaminated by ambient noise, the system uses ultrasonic signals as an intermediate carrier to accurately measure the distance between the user's face and the terminal, thereby indirectly obtaining hand posture information with high precision without being affected by ambient noise.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent replaces the acoustic measurement system (voice frequency-band signal) with an ultrasonic measurement system. By substituting the mechanical/acoustic field measurement with ultrasonic field measurement, the system achieves more precise hand posture estimation that is not susceptible to ambient noise interference, thereby resolving the contradiction between adaptability and measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #28Mechanics substitution (Replace mechanical system)

2Adaptability or versatility

If a relatively large sound pickup range is set, then adaptability of user's hand posture is improved, but the effect of filtering ambient noise is lessened

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveadaptability of user's hand postureVSAvoidambient noise filtering effect
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements dynamic adjustment of the sound pickup range based on real-time hand posture detection. Instead of using a fixed large sound pickup range, the system dynamically adapts the range size according to the detected hand posture. When the user holds the terminal close to the face, a smaller range is used for better noise filtering; when held farther away, a larger range is used to maintain adaptability, thus resolving the contradiction between adaptability and noise filtering effect.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

3Reliability

If a fixed sound pickup range is used, then the noise-canceling effect is stable, but uplink silence or poor quality occurs when user's hand posture deviates from normal

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvestability of noise-canceling effectVSAvoidadaptability of user's hand posture
Core Design Contradiction:
ReliabilityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent transforms the fixed sound pickup range into a dynamic one that automatically adjusts according to detected hand posture. The system continuously monitors hand posture using ultrasonic signals and adjusts the sound pickup range in real-time, ensuring that the noise-canceling effect remains stable across various hand postures while maintaining adaptability to user behavior.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #15Dynamics

Solution Approach 2:

The patent establishes a feedback loop where hand posture is continuously detected using ultrasonic signals, and the sound pickup range is adjusted based on this feedback. This closed-loop control ensures that the system maintains optimal performance across different hand postures, resolving the contradiction between stability and adaptability by using feedback to dynamically balance both requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

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

The method effectively adjusts the noise-canceling sound pickup range to maintain clear voice quality even when the user's posture deviates from normal, reducing the impact of ambient noise and enhancing the accuracy of noise cancellation.

Implementation Method 1

transmitting a first non-voice signal, and receiving a second non-voice signal that is obtained after the first non-voice signal is reflected by a reflecting object

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectUltrasonic reflection: Reflection

Data Source

PatentEP3253034B1Method and apparatus for controlling sound collection range of multi-microphone de-noising of terminal
Publication Date: 2021.05.05 HUAWEI TECH CO LTD
  • EP3253034B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP3253034B1 patent drawingFigure 2-1
  • EP3253034B1 patent drawingFigure 2-2

AI summary

The present invention discloses a method and an apparatus for controlling a multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of a terminal, and belongs to the field of terminal technologies. The method includes: transmitting a first non-voice signal, and receiving a second non-voice signal that is obtained after the first non-voice signal is reflected by a reflecting object; determining, according to the first non-voice signal and the second non-voice signal, whether a posture with which a user holds a terminal during a call is a normal posture; and if the posture with which the user holds the terminal during the call is not a normal posture, adjusting a multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of the terminal. The apparatus includes a transmission module, a receiving module, a first determining module, and an adjustment module. In the present invention, accuracy of adjusting a multi-microphone noise-canceling sound pickup range of a terminal can be improved.