Zoom Noise Cancellation in Multi-Microphone Audio Systems

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electronic devices with zoom lenses experience degraded audio quality due to zoom noise introduced into microphones during video capture, affecting the Quality of Service (QoS) by contaminating the audio signal with mechanical vibrations.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a method in electronic devices with multiple microphones that cancels zoom noise by copying audio signals from one microphone to another during zoom operations, effectively inactivating the first microphone during noise generation intervals to prevent noise interference.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Manufacturing precision

If a zoom lens is driven to improve camera service quality, then imaging quality is improved, but audio quality is degraded due to zoom noise introduced into the microphone

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveimaging qualityVSAvoidaudio quality
Core Design Contradiction:
Manufacturing precisionVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts and isolates the harmful zoom noise component from the audio signal captured by the microphone. By identifying and separating the noise generated during zoom lens operation, the system can process and remove this specific harmful factor while preserving the useful audio content, thus resolving the contradiction between imaging quality improvement and audio quality degradation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent converts the harmful zoom noise into a beneficial element by using it as a reference signal for noise cancellation. The zoom noise, which initially degrades audio quality, is utilized to generate a cancellation signal that when subtracted from the original audio signal, eliminates the noise and improves overall audio quality, turning the harmful factor into a solution

Inventive Principle:
Principle #22Blessing in disguise (Convert harm into benefit)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If noise cancellation is implemented to improve audio quality, then audio fidelity is improved, but device complexity increases due to additional signal processing requirements

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveaudio qualityVSAvoidsignal processing complexity
Core Design Contradiction:
Object-affected harmful factorsVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent performs preliminary action by capturing and storing the zoom noise signal during zoom operations for later use. By pre-acquiring the noise characteristics and storing them as reference data, the system eliminates the need for complex real-time noise analysis during playback, simplifying the signal processing requirements while maintaining effective noise cancellation

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates a copy of the zoom noise signal captured during zoom operations and uses this copied signal as a reference for noise cancellation. By copying and storing the noise characteristics, the system avoids the complexity of real-time noise generation and analysis, using the copied reference signal to subtract noise from audio recordings efficiently

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

Data Source

PatentEP3008728B1Method for cancelling noise and electronic device thereof
Publication Date: 2019.07.03 SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO LTD
  • EP3008728B1 patent drawingFigure 1a
  • EP3008728B1 patent drawingFigure 1b
  • EP3008728B1 patent drawingFigure 2

AI summary

An apparatus and method for cancelling a noise of an audio signal in an electronic device is provided. The method includes recording audio signals using a plurality of microphones and changing an audio signal which is introduced into a first microphone during a noise generation interval to an audio signal which is introduced into a second microphone, wherein the first microphone includes one or more microphones which are influenced by the noise among the plurality of microphones.