An apparatus includes an interface for microphones, a separated source processor configured to analyze channels from the microphones, and a voice activity detector (VAD) circuit. The VAD circuit is configured to generate a voice estimate (VE) value. The VE value is to indicate a likelihood of human speech received by the microphones. Generating the VE value includes adjusting the VE value based upon a delay between two of the microphones. The VAD circuit is configured to provide the VE value to the separated source processor.

An audio system is described for calibrating one or more transducers for a user using the auditory steady state response (ASSR) of the user. The audio system presents an audio calibration signal to the user via a transducer array in the headset. The system measures electrical signals that are generated in the auditory cortex of the brain of the user in response to the presented audio calibration signal. The audio system determines an ASSR of the user based on the measured electrical signals. The audio system determines a value for one or more sound filter parameter based on the determined ASSR and a model. The audio system calibrates the transducer array using the determined sound filter parameters. The calibrated transducer array is used to present audio content to the user.

An image capturing apparatus comprising: an image capturing unit; a sound collecting unit; a detecting unit for detecting sound pressure level of a voice sound collected by the sound collecting unit, a recognizing unit for recognizing that a voice sound collected by the sound collecting unit is an instruction for shooting by the image capturing unit; and a control unit, wherein the control unit controls the image capturing unit to shoot in response that the detecting unit detects sound pressure level of a voice sound collected by the sound collecting unit is larger than a predetermined sound pressure level, and that the recognizing unit recognizes the voice sound as an instruction for shooting by the image capturing unit.

An appliance can include a microphone transducer, a processor, and a memory storing instructions. The appliance is configured to receive an audio signal at the microphone transducer and to detect an utterance in the audio signal. The appliance is further configured to classify a speech mode based on the utterance. The appliance is further configured to determine conditions of an environment of the appliance. The appliance is further configured to select at least one of a playback volume or a speech output mode from a plurality of speech output modes based on the classification, and the conditions of the environment of the appliance. The appliance is further configured to adapt the playback volume and/or mode of played-back speech according to the speech output mode. The appliance may be configured to synthesize speech according to the speech output mode, or to modify synthesized speech according to the speech output mode.

A device includes one or more processors configured to execute instructions to determine a first phase based on a first audio signal of first audio signals and to determine a second phase based on a second audio signal of second audio signals. The one or more processors are also configured to execute the instructions to apply spatial filtering to selected audio signals of the first audio signals and the second audio signals to generate an enhanced audio signal. The one or more processors are further configured to execute the instructions to generate a first output signal including combining a magnitude of the enhanced audio signal with the first phase and to generate a second output signal including combining the magnitude of the enhanced audio signal with the second phase. The first output signal and the second output signal correspond to an audio zoomed signal.

An apparatus, electronic device, method and computer program wherein the apparatus includes: processing circuitry; and memory circuitry including computer program code, the memory circuitry and the computer program code configured to, with the processing circuitry, enable the apparatus to perform: obtaining spatial information relating to a captured sound field from a first set of microphones; obtaining one or more signals from a second set of microphones where the one or more signals relate to the captured sound field; and using the obtained spatial information from the first set of microphones to process the one or more signals obtained from the second set of microphones; wherein the first set of microphones is provided within an electronic device and the second set of microphones is provided external to the electronic device.

The sound source position determination device includes a first microphone that is disposed at a position at which sound arriving from inside the closed space is likely to be picked up, a second microphone that is disposed at a position at which sound arriving from outside the closed space is likely to be picked up, a power ratio calculation unit that calculates a power ratio of an acoustic signal picked up by the first microphone during a predetermined time section to an acoustic signal picked up by the second microphone during the time section, and a determination unit that determines whether sound picked up during the time section came from inside or outside the closed space, based on the power ratio.

Audio device and method for operating an audio device is disclosed, the audio device comprising an interface, memory, and a processor, wherein the processor is configured to: obtain a first microphone input signal and a second microphone input signal; process the first microphone input signal and the second microphone input signal for provision of an output signal; and output the output signal. To obtain the first microphone input signal and the second microphone input signal comprises to: obtain a first microphone signal and a second microphone signal; determine a gain compensation scheme based on the first microphone signal and the second microphone signal; and compensate a gain of one or both of the first microphone signal and the second microphone signal in accordance with the gain compensation scheme for provision of the first microphone input signal and the second microphone input signal; wherein to determine the gain compensation scheme comprises to: apply a plurality of test compensation schemes to the first microphone signal and the second microphone signal; determine a performance parameter for each of the test compensation schemes; and select the gain compensation scheme based on the performance parameters.

An audio device is disclosed, the audio device comprising an interface, memory, and a processor, wherein the processor is configured according to any of the following: obtain a first microphone input signal and a second microphone input signal; process the first microphone input signal and the second microphone input signal for provision of an output audio signal; and output the output audio signal. Processing of the input signals includes determine a first set of covariance parameters and a second set of covariance parameters; determine a first beamforming; apply the first beamforming to the first microphone input signal and the second microphone input signal; determine a second beamforming; apply the second beamforming to the first microphone input signal and the second microphone input signal; and provide the output audio signal based on first beamforming output signal and/or second beamforming output signal.

Disclosed herein, among other things, are systems and methods for spatially differentiated noise reduction for hearing device applications. A method includes sensing sound signals with a hearing device. A front-facing directional beam and a rear-facing directional beam are produced using the sensed sound signals, and the front-facing directional beam and the rear-facing directional beam are combined to obtain an output directional beam. The front-facing directional beam or the output directional beam is compared to the rear-facing directional beam to determine a front-rear differential. Responsive to a determination that the front-rear differential indicates that the rear-facing directional beam is dominant, the amount of noise reduction of the output directional beam is increased. Responsive to a determination that the front-rear differential indicates that the rear-facing directional beam is not dominant, an amount of noise reduction of the output directional beam is reduced.