Processing sound in an enhanced reality environment

    公开(公告)号:US11956623B2

    公开(公告)日:2024-04-09

    申请号:US17360823

    申请日:2021-06-28

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    CPC classification number: H04S7/305 H04S2420/01

    Abstract: Processing sound in an enhanced reality environment can include generating, based on an image of a physical environment, an acoustic model of the physical environment. Audio signals captured by a microphone array, can capture a sound in the physical environment. Based on these audio signals, one or more measured acoustic parameters of the physical environment can be generated. A target audio signal can be processed using the model of the physical environment and the measured acoustic parameters, resulting in a plurality of output audio channels having a virtual sound source with a virtual location. The output audio channels can be used to drive a plurality of speakers. Other aspects are also described and claimed.

    Detecting a trigger of a digital assistant

    公开(公告)号:US11532306B2

    公开(公告)日:2022-12-20

    申请号:US17111132

    申请日:2020-12-03

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Systems and processes for operating an intelligent automated assistant are provided. In accordance with one example, a method includes, at an electronic device with one or more processors, memory, and a plurality of microphones, sampling, at each of the plurality of microphones of the electronic device, an audio signal to obtain a plurality of audio signals; processing the plurality of audio signals to obtain a plurality of audio streams; and determining, based on the plurality of audio streams, whether any of the plurality of audio signals corresponds to a spoken trigger. The method further includes, in accordance with a determination that the plurality of audio signals corresponds to the spoken trigger, initiating a session of the digital assistant; and in accordance with a determination that the plurality of audio signals does not correspond to the spoken trigger, foregoing initiating a session of the digital assistant.

    Spatial headphone transparency
    35.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US11503409B1

    公开(公告)日:2022-11-15

    申请号:US17200337

    申请日:2021-03-12

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Digital audio signal processing techniques used to provide an acoustic transparency function in a pair of headphones. A number of transparency filters can be computed at once, using optimization techniques or using a closed form solution, that are based on multiple re-seatings of the headphones and that are as a result robust for a population of wearers. In another embodiment, a transparency hearing filter of a headphone is computed by an adaptive system that takes into consideration the changing acoustic to electrical path between an earpiece speaker and an interior microphone of that headphone while worn by a user. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

    Hybrid learning-based and statistical processing techniques for voice activity detection

    公开(公告)号:US11341988B1

    公开(公告)日:2022-05-24

    申请号:US16578802

    申请日:2019-09-23

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A hybrid machine learning-based and DSP statistical post-processing technique is disclosed for voice activity detection. The hybrid technique may use a DNN model with a small context window to estimate the probability of speech by frames. The DSP statistical post-processing stage operates on the frame-based speech probabilities from the DNN model to smooth the probabilities and to reduce transitions between speech and non-speech states. The hybrid technique may estimate the soft decision on detected speech in each frame based on the smoothed probabilities, generate a hard decision using a threshold, detect a complete utterance that may include brief pauses, and estimate the end point of the utterance. The hybrid voice activity detection technique may incorporate a target directional probability estimator to estimate the direction of the speech source. The DSP statistical post-processing module may use the direction of the speech source to inform the estimates of the voice activity.

    Spatial headphone transparency
    37.
    发明授权

    公开(公告)号:US10951990B2

    公开(公告)日:2021-03-16

    申请号:US16029314

    申请日:2018-07-06

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Digital audio signal processing techniques used to provide an acoustic transparency function in a pair of headphones. A number of transparency filters can be computed at once, using optimization techniques or using a closed form solution, that are based on multiple re-seatings of the headphones and that are as a result robust for a population of wearers. In another embodiment, a transparency hearing filter of a headphone is computed by an adaptive system that takes into consideration the changing acoustic to electrical path between an earpiece speaker and an interior microphone of that headphone while worn by a user. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

    Learning-Based Distance Estimation
    38.
    发明申请

    公开(公告)号:US20210020189A1

    公开(公告)日:2021-01-21

    申请号:US16516780

    申请日:2019-07-19

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: A learning based system such as a deep neural network (DNN) is disclosed to estimate a distance from a device to a speech source. The deep learning system may estimate the distance of the speech source at each time frame based on speech signals received by a compact microphone array. Supervised deep learning may be used to learn the effect of the acoustic environment on the non-linear mapping between the speech signals and the distance using multi-channel training data. The deep learning system may estimate the direct speech component that contains information about the direct signal propagation from the speech source to the microphone array and the reverberant speech signal that contains the reverberation effect and noise. The deep learning system may extract signal characteristics of the direct signal component and the reverberant signal component and estimate the distance based on the extracted signal characteristics using the learned mapping.

    Intelligent Audio Rendering for Video Recording

    公开(公告)号:US20190007780A1

    公开(公告)日:2019-01-03

    申请号:US15639191

    申请日:2017-06-30

    Applicant: Apple Inc.

    Abstract: Image analysis of a video signal is performed to produce first metadata, and audio analysis of a multi-channel sound track associated with the video signal is performed to produce second metadata. A number of time segments of the sound track are processed, wherein each time segment is processed by either (i) spatial filtering of the audio signals or (ii) spatial rendering of the audio signals, not both, wherein for each time segment a decision was made to select between the spatial filtering or the spatial rendering, in accordance with the first and second metadata. A mix of the processed sound track and the video signal is generated. Other embodiments are also described and claimed.

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