Abstract: A personal audio device configured to be worn on the head or body of a user and including a plurality of microphones configured to provide a plurality of separate microphone signals capturing audio from an environment external to the personal audio device, and a processor configured to process a first subset of the plurality of separate microphone signals using a first array processing technique to provide a first array signal, compare the first array signal to a microphone signal from the plurality of separate microphone signals, and select the first array signal or the microphone signal based on the comparison.

Abstract: A personal audio device configured to be worn on the head or body of a user and including a plurality of microphones configured to provide a plurality of separate microphone signals capturing audio from an environment external to the personal audio device, and a processor configured to process a first subset of the plurality of separate microphone signals using a first array processing technique to provide a first array signal, compare the first array signal to a microphone signal from the plurality of separate microphone signals, and select the first array signal or the microphone signal based on the comparison.

Abstract: Various implementations include a wearable audio device for enhancing the acoustic response proximate a user, for example, in the direction of the user's mouth. In particular implementations, a wearable audio device includes: a head mount having: a crown portion for resting on a head of a user, and a brim extending from the crown portion in a forward-oriented direction; and a plurality of microphones coupled to the brim of the head mount.

Abstract: Various implementations include a wearable audio device for enhancing the acoustic response proximate a user, for example, in the direction of the user's mouth. In particular implementations, a wearable audio device includes: a head mount having: a crown portion for resting on a head of a user, and a brim extending from the crown portion in a forward-oriented direction; and a plurality of microphones coupled to the brim of the head mount.

Abstract: A method performed by a wearable audio output device worn by a user is provided for controlling external noise attenuated by wearable audio output device. A speech is detected from a user wearing the wearable audio output device, wherein the audio output device has active noise reduction turned on. It is determined, based on the detecting, that the user desires to speak to a subject in the vicinity of the user. In response to the determining, a level of noise reduction is reduced to enable the user to hear sounds external to the audio output device. It is determined that the user desires to speak to the subject by detecting at least one condition of a plurality of conditions.

Abstract: Various implementations include a wearable audio device that includes an array of microphones and an audio processing system for processing audio signals from the array of microphones. The audio processing system includes a system for analyzing the audio signals and generating a first set of sub-array signals that preserve signals originating from a mouth of a user using a fixed coefficient beamformer, and generating a second set of sub-array signals associated with noise sources originating from directions other than the mouth of the user, wherein each sub-array signal includes a sub-combination of signals from the array of microphones; a primary generator that generates a primary signal by combining the first set of sub-array signals; and an adaptive filter for processing the primary signal, wherein the adaptive filter utilizes the second set of sub-array signals as a set of noise reference signals to adaptively steer a null towards the noise sources to generate an enhanced primary signal.

Abstract: A headphone, headphone system, and speech enhancing method is provided to enhance speech pick-up from the user of a headphone and includes receiving a plurality of signals from a set of microphones and generating a primary signal by array processing the microphone signals to steer a beam toward the user's mouth. A noise reference signal is also derived from one or more microphones via a delay-and-sum technique, and a voice estimate signal is generated by filtering the primary signal to remove components that are correlated to the noise reference signal.

Abstract: An audio device with at least one microphone adapted to receive sound from a sound field and create an output, and a processing system that is responsive to the output of the microphone. The processing system is configured to use a signal processing algorithm to detect a wakeup word, and modify the signal processing algorithm that is used to detect the wakeup word if the sound field changes.

Abstract: A headphone system is provided that includes a first earpiece, a first front microphone coupled to the first earpiece to receive a first acoustic signal, a first rear microphone coupled to the first earpiece to receive a second acoustic signal, the second acoustic signal being toward the rear of a user's head relative to the first acoustic signal, and a detection circuit coupled to the first front and rear microphones and configured to compare a front signal derived from the first front microphone to a rear signal derived from the first rear microphone and to selectively indicate that the user is speaking based at least in part upon the comparison.

Abstract: A headphone, headphone system, and speech enhancing method is provided to enhance speech pick-up from the user of a headphone and includes receiving a plurality of signals from a set of microphones and generating a primary signal by array processing the microphone signals to steer a beam toward the user's mouth. A noise reference signal is also derived from one or more microphones, and a voice estimate signal is generated by filtering the primary signal to remove components that are correlated to the noise reference signal.

Abstract: This document describes a method that includes receiving an input signal representing audio captured by a sensor disposed in an active noise reduction (ANR) device, determining, by one or more processing devices, that the ANR device is operating in a first operational mode, and in response, applying a first gain to the input signal to generate a first amplified input signal. The method also includes determining, by the one or more processing devices, that the ANR device is operating in a second operational mode different from the first operational mode, and in response, applying a second gain to the input signal to generate a second amplified input signal, wherein the second gain is different from the first gain. The method further includes processing the first or second amplified input signal to generate an output signal, and generating, by an acoustic transducer, an audio output based on the output signal.

Abstract: A method performed by a wearable audio output device worn by a user is provided for controlling external noise attenuated by wearable audio output device. A speech is detected from a user wearing the wearable audio output device, wherein the audio output device has active noise reduction turned on. It is determined, based on the detecting, that the user desires to speak to a subject in the vicinity of the user. In response to the determining, a level of noise reduction is reduced to enable the user to hear sounds external to the audio output device. It is determined that the user desires to speak to the subject by detecting at least one condition of a plurality of conditions.

Abstract: Audio pickup systems and methods are provided to enhance an audio signal by removing noise components related to an acoustic environment. The systems and methods receive a primary signal and one or more reference signals from various microphones. Adaptive filtering and combining minimizes an energy content of a resulting output signal, e.g., to form a substantially null output when the system is in a static acoustic environment. When the system is a playback sound source, one or more echo cancellers may contribute to removing content from the output signal. A change in the acoustic environment, such as a new sound source, causes content in the output signal until the adaptive filtering adapts to the new environment. In some examples, a desired content such as a wake-up word is detected and adaptation is stopped.

Abstract: An audio device with at least one microphone adapted to receive sound from a sound field and create an output, and a processing system that is responsive to the output of the microphone. The processing system is configured to use a signal processing algorithm to detect speech in the output, detect a predefined trigger event indicating a possible change in the sound field, and modify the signal processing algorithm upon the detection of the predefined trigger event.

Abstract: An audio device with at least one microphone adapted to receive sound from a sound field and create an output, and a processing system that is responsive to the output of the microphone. The processing system is configured to use a signal processing algorithm to detect speech in the output, detect a predefined trigger event indicating a possible change in the sound field, and modify the signal processing algorithm upon the detection of the predefined trigger event.

Abstract: Audio device systems and methods are provided to enhance speech pick-up from a user. The systems and methods receive signals from a plurality of microphones coupled to one or more earpieces. The signals are processed using a first array processing technique to enhance their acoustic response from a selected direction, such as a direction of the user's mouth, to provide a primary signal. The signals are also processed using a second array processing technique to enhance response from the selected direction, to provide a secondary signal. The primary signal and the secondary signal are compared, and a selected signal is provided based upon the primary signal, the secondary signal, and the comparison.

Abstract: An audio device with at least one microphone adapted to receive sound from a sound field and create an output, and a processing system that is responsive to the output of the microphone. The processing system is configured to use a signal processing algorithm to detect a wakeup word, and modify the signal processing algorithm that is used to detect the wakeup word if the sound field changes.

Abstract: A headphone, headphone system, and method is provided to enhance speech pick-up from a user of a headphone, by removing noise and echo components. A primary signal is derived from at least one microphone associated with the headphone. The primary signal is configured to include a component of speech from the user. A noise reference signal is representative of acoustic noise in the environment of the headphone. A playback signal is provided by an audio source to be rendered by an acoustic driver associated with the headphone, and an echo reference signal is representative of the playback signal. The systems and methods filter the primary signal to reduce noise and echo components, based on the noise reference signal and the echo reference signal, respectively, to provide a voice estimate signal.

Abstract: A headphone system is provided that includes a first earpiece, a first front microphone coupled to the first earpiece to receive a first acoustic signal, a first rear microphone coupled to the first earpiece to receive a second acoustic signal, the second acoustic signal being toward the rear of a user's head relative to the first acoustic signal, and a detection circuit coupled to the first front and rear microphones and configured to compare a front signal derived from the first front microphone to a rear signal derived from the first rear microphone and to selectively indicate that the user is speaking based at least in part upon the comparison.

Abstract: Audio pickup systems and methods are provided to enhance an audio signal by removing noise components related to an acoustic environment. The systems and methods receive a primary signal and a reference signal. The reference signal is adaptively filtered and subtracted from the primary signal to minimize an energy content of a resulting output signal.