Reduced Reference Cancellation for Acoustic Echo Processing
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Solution Overview
Problem
The complexity and computational requirements of multi-channel acoustic echo cancellation (MCAEC) increase significantly with the number of reference signals and microphone signals, making it challenging to efficiently process audio data in electronic devices.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of reduced reference cancellation processing, which separates echo cancellation into two stages: MCAEC for early reflections using multiple reference signals and one-channel acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) for late reverberations using a single reference signal, reducing the overall complexity and computational load.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If multi-channel acoustic echo cancellation (MCAEC) is performed using multiple reference signals and microphone signals, then the quality of echo cancellation is improved, but the computational complexity and processing requirements increase significantly
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the echo cancellation process into two distinct stages: MCAEC for early reflections using multiple reference signals, and single-channel AEC for late reverberations using a single composite reference signal. This segmentation allows the system to apply different processing strategies to different temporal portions of the echo, reducing overall computational complexity while maintaining cancellation quality.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent extracts and processes early reflections separately from late reverberations. By isolating the early reflection component and handling it with MCAEC, then treating the remaining late reverberations with simpler single-channel AEC, the system removes the computationally intensive portion from the continuous processing stream, reducing overall complexity.
2Measurement precision
If the number of reference signals and microphone signals increases, then the accuracy of echo cancellation is improved, but the processing time and computational load increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the audio signal processing into two time-based segments: early reflections processed with MCAEC for high accuracy, and late reverberations processed with single-channel AEC for faster processing. This temporal segmentation allows the system to achieve high accuracy where needed while maintaining fast processing for the remainder of the signal.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent applies full multi-channel processing only to the extent necessary for early reflections, then uses a simplified single-channel approach for late reverberations. This partial application of the computationally intensive MCAEC method reduces processing time while maintaining sufficient accuracy for the overall echo cancellation task.
Data Source
AI summary
A system configured to perform echo cancellation using a reduced number of reference signals. The system may perform multi-channel acoustic echo cancellation (MCAEC) processing on a first portion of a microphone audio signal that corresponds to early reflections and may perform single-channel acoustic echo cancellation (AEC) processing on a second portion of the microphone audio signal that corresponds to late reverberations. For example, the system may use MCAEC processing on a plurality of reference audio signals to generate a first echo estimate signal and may subtract the first echo estimate signal from the microphone audio signal to generate a residual audio signal. The system may delay the first echo estimate signal, perform the AEC processing to generate a second echo estimate signal, and subtract the second echo estimate signal from the residual audio signal to generate an output audio signal. This reduces an overall complexity associated with performing echo cancellation.