Apparatus and Method for Processing an Audio Signal

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The invention provides an apparatus and method for processing audio signals, primarily aimed at effectively suppressing noise while maintaining audio quality, especially in speech applications. It analyzes an audio signal across multiple frequency bands and applies adaptive noise suppression filters. The minimum amount of noise reduction applied is dynamically adjusted based on characteristics of the audio signal, such as signal level or speech presence, to avoid artifacts like speech distortion or 'musical noise.' This strategy allows for both efficient noise reduction and automatic gain control (AGC), yielding clearer, more consistent audio output.

Use CasesContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Hands-free telephony (e.g., speakerphones, conference systems) to improve speech clarity.
• Hearing aids and assistive listening devices to enhance intelligibility for the hearing impaired.
• Voice communication in noisy environments (e.g., vehicle infotainment systems, public address systems).
• Teleconferencing systems to deliver clear, artifact-free speech signals to remote participants.
• Audio recording devices (microphones, dictation recorders) requiring real-time noise suppression.
• Consumer electronics such as smart speakers or virtual assistants where robust voice capture is needed.

BenefitsContent extracted from patent full text and abstract with AI.

• Provides consistent and high-quality audio output by dynamically adjusting noise suppression based on the signal's properties.
• Reduces undesirable artifacts such as speech distortion and musical tones that can occur with overly aggressive noise reduction.
• Prevents sudden boosts or drops in background noise ('noise pumping'), ensuring a more comfortable listening experience.
• Enables joint and flexible control of both desired speech signals and unwanted noise.
• Adaptable to varying environments and input levels, making it robust across different use-case scenarios.
• Improves intelligibility and comfort, particularly valuable for the hearing impaired or in variable acoustic environments.
• Low processing delay enables use in real-time and live communication systems.

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Patent Abstract

An apparatus for processing an audio signal comprises an audio signal analyzer and a filter. The audio signal analyzer is configured to analyze an audio signal to determine a plurality of noise suppression filter values for a plurality of bands of the audio signal, wherein the analyzer is configured to determine a noise suppression filter value so that a noise suppression filter value is greater than or equal to a minimum noise suppression filter value and so that the minimum noise suppression value depends on a characteristic of the audio signal. The filter is configured for filtering the audio signal, wherein the filter is adjusted based on the noise suppression filter values.