Voice Control With Microphone Array Echo Cancellation
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current voice interaction technologies face low recognition accuracy and poor user experience due to echo interference and environmental noise in remote usage scenarios, particularly in audio playing states, leading to ineffective voice command recognition and delayed responses.
Innovation Solution
A method and device with a microphone array that analyze interference sounds before and after detecting a wake-up word to adjust voice enhancement modes, employing beamforming and adaptive cancellation to eliminate echo and noise, and processing voice commands in two stages to enhance recognition accuracy and user experience.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If voice recognition is performed during audio playing state, then user can issue commands while audio plays, but echo interference from audio playback reduces voice command recognition accuracy
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the audio playing process into distinct states: before wake-up word detection and after wake-up word detection. In the first state, voice enhancement focuses on echo cancellation to enable command recognition. In the second state, voice enhancement focuses on noise and reverberation cancellation. This segmentation allows different voice enhancement strategies to be applied at different times, resolving the contradiction between maintaining audio playback and achieving accurate voice recognition.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically adjusts the voice enhancement mode based on the current state. The system transitions from an audio-playing-state voice enhancement mode (optimized for echo cancellation) to a non-audio-playing-state voice enhancement mode (optimized for noise and reverberation cancellation) when a wake-up word is detected. This dynamic adaptation allows the system to optimize voice recognition accuracy for each specific operating condition.
2Duration of action of stationary object
If audio playing continues during voice command detection, then uninterrupted audio experience is maintained, but environmental noise and reverberation interfere with command recognition
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary voice enhancement processing on the user's voice signal before it reaches the voice recognition system. By pre-processing the voice signal to remove echo, noise, and reverberation interference, the system ensures that the voice command can be accurately recognized even while audio continues to play. This preliminary action resolves the contradiction by preparing the voice signal in advance to withstand the interfering environment.
3Device complexity
If single voice enhancement mode is used, then system complexity is reduced, but voice enhancement effect varies poorly across different sound environments
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the parameters of the voice enhancement system by switching between different enhancement modes based on the audio playing state. The system uses two distinct voice enhancement modes: one optimized for audio-playing state (echo cancellation focused) and another for non-audio-playing state (noise and reverberation cancellation focused). This parameter change approach allows the system to adapt to different sound environments without requiring a completely complex reconfiguration, resolving the contradiction between simplicity and adaptability.
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
Improves voice command recognition accuracy and user experience by adapting voice enhancement modes to specific sound environments, ensuring timely and accurate detection of user commands, and aligning with user habits by stopping audio playback upon wake-up word detection.
Implementation Method 1
echo interference and environmental noise and reverberant interference
Implementation Method 2
echo interference and environmental noise and reverberant interference
Implementation Method 3
employing beamforming and adaptive cancellation to eliminate echo and noise
Implementation Method 4
employing beamforming and adaptive cancellation to eliminate echo and noise
Data Source
AI summary
A method and device for performing voice control on a device with a microphone array are disclosed. The method includes the following steps. It is confirmed that the device is in an audio playing state. An interference sound interfering the device in the audio playing state is analyzed. A voice enhancement mode adopted by the device is selected according to a feature of the interference sound. A user's voice is detected in real time for a wake-up word, and when the wake-up word is detected, the device is controlled to stop audio playing. An interference sound interfering the device after playing audios is stopped is analyzed, and the voice enhancement mode adopted by the device is adjusted according to a feature of the interference sound. A command word from a user is acquired to control the device to execute a corresponding function, to respond to the user.