Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for use of microphones with VSensors for wearable devices. VSensors may be used to detect and/or capture vibrations in bones. The captured bone vibrations may then be used to improve audio related operations. For example, bone vibrations may correspond to user audio input (e.g., speech), and as such the captured bone vibrations may be used in enhancing noise reduction functions in the wearable devices, by enabling distinguishing user audio input, as captured by microphone(s), from ambient noise. This may obviate the need to move the wearable device closer to the user's mouth (such that embedded microphones would be closer). The captured bone vibrations may also be analyzed to determine if they correspond to user control input (e.g., by means of finger tapping), such as by comparing them against predefined patterns.

Abstract: In a mobile device, a bone conduction or vibration sensor is used to detect the user's speech and the resulting output is used as the source for a low power Voice Trigger (VT) circuit that can activate the Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) of the host device. This invention is applicable to mobile devices such as wearable computers with head mounted displays, mobile phones and wireless headsets and headphones which use speech recognition for the entering of input commands and control. The speech sensor can be a bone conduction microphone used to detect sound vibrations in the skull, or a vibration sensor, used to detect sound pressure vibrations from the user's speech. This VT circuit can be independent of any audio components of the host device and can therefore be designed to consume ultra-low power. Hence, this VT circuit can be active when the host device is in a sleeping state and can be used to wake the host device on detection of speech from the user.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for redundancy-based decoding of video content in a wireless system are provided. A wireless receiver may determine whether a received multimedia data stream comprises video content and may select a redundancy-based decoder when video content is detected. The wireless receiver may be a wireless local area network (WLAN) receiver or a cellular receiver. Video content may be indicated by at least one flag in a preamble or a reserved field of the received multimedia data. The redundancy-based decoder may be a Viterbi decoder. The wireless receiver may enable a standard Viterbi decoder to decode portions of the multimedia data that do not comprise video content. The wireless receiver may generate at least one signal to select the redundancy-based decoder or the standard Viterbi decoder.

Abstract: A method and system for decoding control data in GSM-based systems using inherent redundancy and physical constraints are presented. At least one estimated GSM-based bit sequence may be selected by performing searches that start from trellis junctions determined by the decoding algorithm. The estimated bit sequences may be selected based on corresponding redundancy verification parameters. At least one physical constraint test may be performed on the selected estimated GSM-based bit sequences to select a decoded output GSM-based bit sequence. A multilayer decoding process may comprise a burst process and a frame process. Results from a first burst process may be utilized to generate a decoded GSM bit sequence in the frame process. The frame process may utilize redundancy information and physical constraints to improve the performance of a decoding algorithm.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for controlling bone conduction, in which a bone conduction element may be used to output acoustic signals when it is in contact with a user. A bone conduction sensor may also be made in contact with the user, and used to obtain feedback relating to the outputting of the acoustic signals via the bone conduction element. The outputting of the acoustic signals may then be adaptively controlled based on processing of the feedback. The adaptive controlling may comprise adjusting components and/or functions related to or used in the outputting of the acoustic signals. For example, the adaptive controlling may comprise adjusting gain, frequency response, and/or equalization associated with a drive amplifier driving the bone conduction element.

Abstract: A mobile communication device has a body that houses electronic components and a front panel comprising a display, said mobile communication device further comprising at least one standard microphone and a vibration sensor located in vibrational connection with the front panel of the device.

Abstract: In a mobile device, a bone conduction or vibration sensor is used to detect the user's speech and the resulting output is used as the source for a low power Voice Trigger (VT) circuit that can activate the Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) of the host device. This invention is applicable to mobile devices such as wearable computers with head mounted displays, mobile phones and wireless headsets and headphones which use speech recognition for the entering of input commands and control. The speech sensor can be a bone conduction microphone used to detect sound vibrations in the skull, or a vibration sensor, used to detect sound pressure vibrations from the user's speech. This VT circuit can be independent of any audio components of the host device and can therefore be designed to consume ultra-low power. Hence, this VT circuit can be active when the host device is in a sleeping state and can be used to wake the host device on detection of speech from the user.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for redundancy-based decoding of video content are provided. A bit sequence comprising video content may be decoded in a multilayer process based on a decoding algorithm and at least one physical constraint. The decoding algorithm may be based on the Viterbi algorithm. Whether the bit sequence comprises video content may be determined based on information provided by a portion of a packet header or by packet priority information necessary for enabling quality of service applications. The physical constraint may be based on border, DC component, and/or low frequency continuity between neighboring discrete cosine transform (DCT) blocks. The physical constraint may also be based on the consistency of video data coded by a variable length coding (VLC) operation. At least one physical constraint test may be performed on selected estimated video bit sequences to select a decoded output video bit sequence.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for an improved cellular diversity receiver are described. Aspects of the system may include circuitry that enables generation of an initially decoded output bit sequence by a first frame process for a received bit sequence for a plurality of received multipath signals. The first frame process may utilize redundancy based decoding, which imposes at least one physical constraint during the decoding, which may be performed by a decoding algorithm.

Abstract: A mobile communication system comprises a mobile communication device provided with a touch screen; and a speech activity analyzer suitable to receive from said touch screen data indicative of pressure applied to an area of said touch screen, and of changes thereto with time.

Abstract: A system for background sound removal, the system may include: a noise reduction circuit arranged to apply a background sound reduction process on multiple samples of background sound and speech to provide first signals that comprise residual background sound; a background cancellation circuit arranged to remove the residual background sound from the first signals to provide second signals; and an output circuit arranged to output a mixture of the second signals and at least zero selected signals to a sound generating circuit that is arranged to output audio signals representative of the mixture.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enhanced stereo audio recordings in electronic devices. Stereophonic recording performance in an electronic device, using a first microphone and a second microphone in the electronic device, may be assessed; and processing of signals generated by the first microphone and the second microphone may be configured based on the assessed stereophonic recording performance. The configuring may comprises adaptively modifying the processing to enhance stereophonic recording performance, to match or approximate an ideal performance. The assessing of the stereophonic recording in the electronic device may be based on a type of each of the first microphone and the second microphone, and/or based on a spacing therebetween. The processing may be adaptively modified to simulate directional reception of signals by the first microphone and the second microphone when the microphones are omnidirectional.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adaptively managing a plurality of microphones and speakers in an electronic device. A mode of operation of the electronic device may be determined, and operation of at least one speaker may be managed, based on the determined mode of operation. The managing may comprise adaptively switching or modifying functions of the at least one speaker. For example, the at least one speaker may be configured to act as microphone or as vibration detector. Input obtained using the at least one speaker may be utilized in optimizing audio related functions, such as noise reduction and/or acoustic echo canceling.

Abstract: A sound system, the sound system including: (a) a signal processor that is adapted to generate a first sound signal and a second sound signal, to provide the first sound signal to a loudspeaker; and to provide the second sound signal to a bone conduction speaker; and (b) the bone conduction speaker that is adapted to transduce the second signal to a bone conductible sound signal that is carried in a bone of a user.

Abstract: Aspects of a method and system for an improved cellular diversity receiver are described. Aspects of the system may include circuitry that enables generation of an initially decoded output bit sequence by a first frame process for a received bit sequence for a plurality of received multipath signals. The first frame process may utilize redundancy based decoding, which imposes at least one physical constraint during the decoding, which may be performed by a decoding algorithm.

Abstract: Methods and systems for decoding control channels using repetition redundancy may include generating enhanced soft bits by combining soft bits generated from the two GSM SACCH blocks. Combining may comprise averaging soft bits in one GSM SACCH block and corresponding soft bits from the other GSM SACCH block. Information in one GSM SACCH block may be repeated in the other GSM SACCH block. If repetition is detected, the enhanced soft bits may comprise enhanced soft bits for at least a portion of level 1 region and level 3 region of the GSM SACCH block. Otherwise, the generated enhanced soft bits may comprise enhanced soft bits for at least a portion of level 3 region of the GSM SACCH block.

Abstract: An input device to a headpiece includes a bone conduction microphone and an instruction generator. The bone conduction microphone detects vibrations. The instruction generator detects a pattern in the vibrations caused by a user's patterned contact with either the headpiece or the user's head and translates the pattern into a set of instructions to the headpiece according to a pre-determined look up table.

Abstract: A system for processing sound, the system including: (a) a processor, configured to process a first input signal that is detected by a first microphone at a detection moment, a second input signal that is detected by a second microphone at the detection moment, and a third input signal that is detected by a bone-conduction microphone at the detection moment, to generate a corrected signal that is responsive to the first, second, and third input signals; and (b) a communication interface, configured to provide the corrected signal to an external system.

Abstract: A system that may include a mechanical element that is movable by a user; a microphone that is arranged to receive sound signals that comprise (a) sound signals of interest and (b) a mechanical noise resulting from a movement of the mechanical element; a mechanical noise reduction module that is arranged to receive or to generate a noise indication that is indicative of an actual or an expected generation of the mechanical noise and to attenuate the mechanical noise in response to the noise indication to provide an attenuated mechanical noise; and a communication module that is arranged to transmit output signals that are representative of the sound signals of interest and the attenuated mechanical noise.

Abstract: A mobile communication device that may include a vibration sensor that is arranged to detect vibrations; an instruction generator that is coupled to the vibration sensor and is arranged to: detect a pattern in said vibrations caused by a user contact with either the mobile communication device or a head of the user, and translate said pattern into a set of instructions that is associated with the pattern and is to be executed by the mobile communication device.