Methods, systems, computer-readable media, and apparatuses for audio signal processing are presented. Some configurations include determining that first audio activity in at least one microphone signal is voice activity; determining whether the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in an application session active on a device; based at least on a result of the determining whether the voice activity is voice activity of a participant in the application session, generating an antinoise signal to cancel the first audio activity; and by a loudspeaker, producing an acoustic signal that is based on the antinoise signal. Applications relating to shared virtual spaces are described.

With respect to a noise reduction device using a speaker and a microphone corresponding to each seat in a vehicle to reduce a noise in each seat, the noise reduction device includes, a signal processing unit configured to generate a canceling sound that reduces a noise at an ear of an occupant in a predetermined seat by using an auxiliary filter, an operation setting unit configured to disable operations of a speaker and a microphone corresponding to each empty seat in the vehicle, and an auxiliary filter setting unit configured to change a setting value of the auxiliary filter used by the signal processing unit to generate the canceling sound in accordance with the number of occupants in seats other than the predetermined seat, the seats affecting the noise in the predetermined seat.

A method and a system for creating a plurality of sound zones within an acoustic cavity is provided. The method comprises: providing a plurality of actuators within the acoustic cavity, each for generating a respective acoustic output in response to a respective drive signal, providing, for each of the plurality of actuators, an adaptive filter for receiving a respective input signal, and generating a respective output signal, providing, for each of the adaptive filters, at least one filter coefficient, providing a plurality of error sensors within the acoustic cavity, each for generating a respective error signal e, representing a respective sound detected by the respective error sensor, providing an audio data signal x(n) for generating a desired sound in a desired sound zone of the plurality of sound zones, determining, for the desired sound zone, a set of actuator generation coefficients kg.sub.k, a set of actuator exclusion coefficients ke.sub.k, wherein k refers to a k.sub.th actuator, k=1, 2, 3 . . . , and a set of sensor weighting coefficients me.sub.m wherein m refers to a m.sub.th error sensor, m=1, 2, 3 . . . .

A method for eliminating a specific object voice and an ear-wearing audio device using the same are provided. The ear-wearing audio device includes a plurality of voice receiving units, a voice direction tracking unit, a direction enhancement unit, a window cutting unit, a voiceprint recognition unit, a voice cancellation unit and two speakers. The voice receiving units are arranged in an array to obtain a sound signal. The voice direction tracking unit is configured to track a plurality of sound sources to obtain a plurality of sound source directions. The voiceprint recognition unit determines whether the sound signal contains a specific object voice in each of the sound source directions. If the sound signal contains the specific object voice in one of the sound source directions, the voice cancellation adjusts a field pattern using a beamforming technique to eliminate the specific object voice.

Communication apparatus and devices for surgical robotic systems are described. The communication apparatus can include a user console in communication with a communication device having a surgical tool. The communication device can include a microphone to convert a sound input into an acoustic input signal. The communication device can transmit the acoustic input signal to the user console for reproduction as a sound output for a remote operator. The surgical tool can include an endoscope having several microphones mounted on a housing. The surgical tool can be a sterile barrier having a microphone and a drape. The microphone(s) of the surgical tools can face a surrounding environment such that a tableside staff is a source of the sound input that causes the sound output, and a surgeon and the tableside staff can communicate in a noisy environment. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

An unmanned air vehicle is provided. The unmanned air vehicle includes one or more generators, each of which generates a force that drives the unmanned air vehicle to fly and also generates an airflow. Each of one or more first microphones is located in an external region that is not included in any of one or more first airflow regions. Each of the one or more first airflow regions corresponds to the airflow generated by one of the one or more generators. Each of one or more second microphones is located in the external region between at least one of the one or more generators and the one or more first microphones. A processor performs processing on one or more first signals output from the one or more first microphones and one or more second signals output from the one or more second microphones.

An acoustic noise reduction (ANR) headphone described herein has current detection circuitry that detects current consumed by an acoustic driver amplifier as a result of pressure changes due to a tapping of the headphone. Tapping may be performed to change an audio feature or operating mode of the audio system for the headphone. The current detection circuitry senses a characteristic of the current consumed by the acoustic driver amplifier that can be used to determine an occurrence of a tap event. Examples of a characteristic include an amplitude, waveform or duration of the sensed current. Advantageously, the ANR headphones avoid the need for control buttons to initiate the desired changes to the audio feature or operating mode.

A method for eliminating a specific object voice and an ear-wearing audio device using the same are provided. The ear-wearing audio device includes a plurality of voice receiving units, a voice direction tracking unit, a direction enhancement unit, a window cutting unit, a voiceprint recognition unit, a voice cancellation unit and two speakers. The voice receiving units are arranged in an array to obtain a sound signal. The voice direction tracking unit is configured to track a plurality of sound sources to obtain a plurality of sound source directions. The voiceprint recognition unit determines whether the sound signal contains a specific object voice in each of the sound source directions. If the sound signal contains the specific object voice in one of the sound source directions, the voice cancellation adjusts a field pattern using a beamforming technique to eliminate the specific object voice.

Two subsystems, each including a microphone, a speaker, a canceling sound-generating adder, an error-computing adder, and two adaptive filters and two auxiliary filters that accept two noises as input, are provided in correspondence with two cancellation positions. Each canceling sound-generating adder adds together the outputs from the adaptive filters and outputs the result to the speaker of each subsystem. Each error-computing adder adds together the output from the microphone of the subsystem and the output from the auxiliary filter of the subsystem, and the result is treated as the error of the adaptive filters of each subsystem. A transfer function is learned in advance and set in each auxiliary filter such that each error computed by each error-computing adder becomes zero (0) when a transfer function in which each noise is canceled at each cancellation position in a predetermined standard acoustic environment is set in each adaptive filter.

A refrigerator includes a noise reduction device. The noise reduction device measures noise generated from a machine room of the refrigerator and outputs a sound signal having a frequency canceling or reducing the noise.