WIND NOISE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM

Abstract

A system for wind noise suppression is disclosed. The system comprising a first and a second primary microphone configured to generate a first and a second primary electric signal indicative of a first and second primary audio signal, respectively. The system further comprises a secondary detector configured to generate a first secondary electric signal indicative of a secondary audio signal. The system comprises a signal processor comprising a wind strength module configured to determine a wind strength, based on the first primary electric signal and the second primary electric signal, a wind noise module configured to determine a noise estimate, based on the wind strength, and a noise reduction module configured to process the first secondary electric signal to generate a noise-suppressed secondary signal, based on the determined noise estimate.

Claims

1. A system for wind noise suppression comprising: a first primary microphone configured to generate a first primary electric signal indicative of a first primary audio signal, a second primary microphone configured to generate a second primary electric signal indicative of a second primary audio signal, a secondary detector configured to generate a first secondary electric signal indicative of a secondary audio signal; the system further comprising a signal processor configured to receive the first primary electric signal, the second primary electric signal, and the first secondary electric signal from the secondary detector, wherein the signal processor comprises: a wind strength module configured to determine a wind strength, based on the first primary electric signal and the second primary electric signal; a wind noise module configured to determine a noise estimate, based on the wind strength; and a noise reduction module configured to process the first secondary electric signal to generate a noise-suppressed secondary signal, based on the determined noise estimate wherein the signal processor further comprises a mixing module configured to control mixing of the first and/or second primary audio signals and the noise-suppressed secondary signal based on the derived wind strength.

2. (canceled)

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the system further comprises a down-sampling module configured to down-sample the first and second primary electric signals before sending the first and second primary electric signals to the wind strength module.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wind strength module is configured to correlate the first and second primary electric signals received at the first and second primary microphones to thereby derive wind strength.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the wind strength module is configured to determine a cut-off frequency, based on the first primary electric signal and the second primary electric signal.

6. The system according to claim 5, wherein the mixing module comprises an adaptive filter configured to filter the first and second primary electric signals and the noise-suppressed secondary signal based on the cut-off frequency.

7. The system according to claim 2, wherein the mixing module comprises a frequency mixer that mixes the first and/or second primary audio signals and the noise-suppressed secondary signal based on the wind strength and/or based on frequencies of the first and/or second primary audio signals and the noise-suppressed secondary signal.

8. The system according to claim 1, wherein the secondary detector comprises a voice-pick-up sensor configured to detect human speech.

9. The system according to claim 1, wherein the secondary detector is a bone-conduction sensor.

10. The system according to claim 1, wherein the noise reduction module comprises an analysis filter bank coupled to the secondary detector.

11. The system according to claim 2, wherein the mixing module is further configured to generate a voice signal, the voice signal being configured to be transmitted.

12. A method for wind noise suppression comprising: generating, by a first primary microphone, a first primary electric signal indicative of a first primary audio signal, generating, by a second primary microphone, a second primary electric signal indicative of a second primary audio signal, generating, at a secondary detector, a first secondary electric signal indicative of a secondary audio signal; receiving, at a signal processor, the first primary electric signal, the second primary electric signal, and the first secondary electric signal from the secondary detector, wherein the signal processor comprises: determining, at a wind strength module, a wind strength based on the first primary electric signal and the second primary electric signal; determining, at a wind noise module, a noise estimate based on the wind strength; and processing, at a noise reduction module, the first secondary electric signal to thereby generate a noise-suppressed secondary signal based on the determined noise estimate and controlling, at a mixing module, mixing of the first and/or second primary audio signals and the noise-suppressed secondary signal based on the derived windstrength.

13. A hearing device comprising the system according to claim 1.

14. The hearing device according to claim 13, wherein the hearing device is a headset or one or more earbuds.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0064] The above and other features and advantages will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art by the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments thereof with reference to the attached drawings, in which:

[0065] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure,

[0066] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure,

[0067] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates yet another exemplary embodiment of a system for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure,

[0068] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates yet another exemplary embodiment of a system for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure,

[0069] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates yet another exemplary embodiment of a system for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure, and

[0070] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a hearing device comprising a system for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] Various embodiments are described hereinafter with reference to the figures. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout. Like elements will, thus, not be described in detail with respect to the description of each figure. It should also be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the embodiments. They are not intended as an exhaustive description of the claimed disclosure or as a limitation on the scope of the claimed disclosure. In addition, an illustrated embodiment needs not have all the aspects or advantages shown. An aspect or an advantage described in conjunction with a particular embodiment is not necessarily limited to that embodiment and can be practiced in any other embodiments even if not so illustrated, or if not so explicitly described.

[0072] Throughout, the same reference numerals are used for identical or corresponding parts.

[0073] FIG. 1 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a system 2 for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure. The system 2 for wind noise suppression comprises a first primary microphone 4 configured to generate a first primary electric signal 6 indicative of a first primary audio signal. The system 2 comprises a second primary microphone 8 configured to generate a second primary electric signal 10 indicative of a second primary audio signal. The system 2 comprises a secondary detector 12 configured to generate a first secondary electric signal 14 indicative of a secondary audio signal. The system 2 further comprises a signal processor 16 configured to receive the first primary electric signal 6, the second primary electric signal 10, and the first secondary electric signal 14 from the secondary detector 12. The signal processor 16 comprises a wind strength module 18, a wind noise module 20, and a noise reduction module 22. The wind strength module 18 is configured to determine a wind strength 24, based on the first primary electric signal 6 and the second primary electric signal 10. The wind noise module 20 is configured to determine a noise estimate 26, based on the wind strength 24. The noise reduction module 22 is configured to process the first secondary electric signal 14 to generate a noise-suppressed secondary signal 28, based on the determined noise estimate 26.

[0074] FIG. 2 schematically illustrates another exemplary embodiment of a system 200 for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure. The system 200 in addition to the components of the system 2, further comprises down-sampling modules 204 and 208 configured to down-sample the first primary electric signal 6 and the second primary electric signal 10.

[0075] FIG. 3 schematically illustrates yet another exemplary embodiment of a system 300 for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure. The system 300 in addition to the components of the system 200, further comprises a mixing module 302 configured to control mixing of a primary signal sum 48 (a sum of the first 4 and/or second 8 primary audio signals) and the noise-suppressed secondary signal 28 based on the derived wind strength 24. The mixing module 302 may dynamically control the contribution of the noise-suppressed secondary signal 28 in a resulting output signal 304 depending on the derived wind strength 24, i.e., the mixing module 302 may apply the derived wind strength 24 on a mixed signal and thereby generate the resulting output signal 304 which dynamically and continuously change as the wind dynamically and continuously changes. By providing the mixing module 302 it is possible to obtain the resulting signal 304 which combines the noise-suppressed secondary signal 28 and yet another signal, 48, possibly comprising both the wind noise and the sounds of interest.

[0076] FIG. 4 schematically illustrates yet another exemplary embodiment of a system 300 for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure In comparison to the system shown in FIG. 3, the system 300 shown in FIG. 4 may further comprise a component generating a second secondary signal 306. The mixing module 302 may be configured to control mixing of the second secondary signal 306 with the noise-suppressed secondary signal 28 based on the derived wind strength 24, instead of mixing the primary signal sum 48 and the noise-suppressed secondary signal 28, shown in FIG. 3. The second secondary signal 306 may stem from yet another microphone and/or a detector configured to pick up both the wind noise and the sound of interest. The second secondary signal 306 may be pre-processed before being mixed at the mixing module 302. The mixing module 302 may dynamically control the contribution of the noise-suppressed secondary signal 28 in a resulting output signal 304 depending on the derived wind strength 24, i.e., the mixing module 302 may apply the derived wind strength 24 on a mixed signal and thereby generate the resulting output signal 304 which dynamically and continuously change as the wind dynamically and continuously changes. By providing the mixing module 302 it is possible to obtain the resulting signal 304 which combines the noise-suppressed secondary signal 28 and the second secondary signal 306, possibly comprising both the wind noise and the sounds of interest.

[0077] FIG. 5 schematically illustrates yet another exemplary embodiment of a system 300 for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure. The system 300 shown in FIG. 5 combines the mixing of the second secondary signal 306, the primary signal sum 48 and the noise-suppressed secondary signal 28 in the mixing module 302 based on the derived wind strength 24.

[0078] FIG. 6 schematically illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a hearing device 600 comprising the system for wind noise suppression according to the present disclosure and which can be in accordance with any of the systems shown in FIGS. 1-5.

[0079] Although particular features have been shown and described, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the claimed disclosure, and it will be made obvious to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications may be made without departing from the scope of the claimed disclosure. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than restrictive sense. The claimed disclosure is intended to cover all alternatives, modifications, and equivalents.

TABLE-US-00001 LIST OF REFERENCES 2 system for wind noise suppression 4 first primary microphone 6 first primary electric signal 8 second primary microphone 10 second primary electric signal 12 secondary detector 14 first secondary electric signal 16 signal processor 18 wind strength module 20 wind noise module 22 noise reduction module 24 wind strength 26 noise estimate 28 noise-suppressed secondary signal 48 primary signal sum 200 system for wind noise suppression 204 down-sampling module 208 down-sampling module 300 system for wind noise suppression 302 mixing module 304 resulting output signal 306 second secondary signal 600 hearing device