Remote Noise Detector for VoIP Speech Enhancement
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current noise reduction technologies fail to effectively suppress highly varying background noise and interference, such as music, in environments like VoIP communications, especially when dedicated hardware like microphone arrays are not feasible or practical.
Innovation Solution
A noise reduction system utilizing remote wireless microphones placed near noise sources to transmit noise information to a primary device for noise reduction, which combines with the primary microphone's signal using a beamformer and speech model-based processing to compensate for level differences and estimate acoustic paths, allowing for efficient noise cancellation without the need for dedicated hardware.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a microphone array is used to reduce non-stationary interference, then noise reduction performance is improved, but device complexity and hardware requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the noise reduction function into two parts: a primary microphone for speech capture and a separate remote wireless microphone placed near the noise source for noise estimation. This segmentation allows noise reduction without requiring a complex microphone array at the primary device
Solution Approach 2:
A remote wireless microphone acts as an intermediary device placed near the noise source (e.g., TV or music player) to capture noise signals. This intermediary transmits noise estimates to the primary device, enabling noise reduction without direct physical proximity between the primary microphone and noise source
2Measurement precision
If a remote noise detector is placed near the noise source, then noise estimation accuracy is improved, but transmission power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts only the essential noise estimation information (power spectral density) from the remote microphone signal rather than transmitting the entire audio signal. This extraction approach maintains noise estimation accuracy while significantly reducing transmission data volume and power consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system transmits power spectral density (PSD) parameters instead of raw audio waveforms. By changing the representation from time-domain signals to frequency-domain parameters, the system reduces transmission bandwidth requirements while preserving the essential noise characteristics needed for accurate estimation
3Reliability
If beamforming is used to combine noise estimation signals, then noise reduction performance is improved, but clock synchronization requirements increase system complexity
Solution Approach 1:
The remote wireless microphone captures and transmits a copy of the noise signal characteristics (PSD) to the primary device. This copied noise estimation information can be directly used for spectral subtraction without requiring complex spatial processing or clock synchronization between multiple microphones
Data Source
AI summary
Noise reduction system with remote noise detector The present invention relates to a noise reduction system with at least one remote noise detector placed close to at least one noise source, which transmits relevant information to a primary device where it is used for noise reduction. Thereby, acoustic signal enhancement can be achieved via the at least one remote noise detector in that a noise estimate is transmitted to controller for noise reduction in the signal obtained from a primary source.