Abstract: Various implementations include approaches for sound enhancement in far-field pickup. Certain implementations include a method of sound enhancement for a system including microphones for far-field pick up. The method can include: generating, using at least two microphones, a primary beam focused on a previously unknown desired signal look direction, the primary beam producing a primary signal configured to enhance the desired signal; generating, using at least two microphones, a reference beam focused on the desired signal look direction, the reference beam producing a reference signal configured to reject the desired signal; and removing, using at least one processor, components that correlate to the reference signal from the primary signal.

Abstract: Various implementations include systems for processing inner microphone audio signals. In particular implementations, a system includes an external microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment outside an ear canal of a user; an inner microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment inside the ear canal of the user; and an adaptive noise cancelation system configured to process an internal signal captured by the inner microphone and generate a noise reduced internal signal, wherein the noise reduced internal signal is adaptively generated in response to an external signal captured by the external microphone.

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: A system and method for selecting audio capture sensors of wearable devices in obtaining voice data. The method provides obtaining signals associated with the user's voice at first and second wearable devices, comparing energy levels of the first and second signals, and selecting one or more audio capture sensors based on the energy levels of each signal. Due to the symmetry of the acoustic energy produced by the user's voice to a first and second wearable device, any difference in energy level between the total energy obtained by the first wearable device and the total energy obtained by the second wearable device can be attributed solely to ambient noise. Thus, the device with the higher total energy has a lower signal-to-noise ratio and selection of an audio capture sensor of the other wearable device with a higher signal-to-noise ratio is provided to obtain voice data moving forward.

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: A system and method for selecting audio capture sensors of wearable devices in obtaining voice data. The method provides obtaining signals associated with the user's voice at first and second wearable devices, comparing energy levels of the first and second signals, and selecting one or more audio capture sensors based on the energy levels of each signal. Due to the symmetry of the acoustic energy produced by the user's voice to a first and second wearable device, any difference in energy level between the total energy obtained by the first wearable device and the total energy obtained by the second wearable device can be attributed solely to ambient noise. Thus, the device with the higher total energy has a lower signal-to-noise ratio and selection of an audio capture sensor of the other wearable device with a higher signal-to-noise ratio is provided to obtain voice data moving forward.

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 approaches for sound enhancement in far-field pickup. Certain implementations include a method of sound enhancement for a system including microphones for far-field pick up. The method can include: generating, using at least two microphones, a primary beam focused on a previously unknown desired signal look direction, the primary beam producing a primary signal configured to enhance the desired signal; generating, using at least two microphones, a reference beam focused on the desired signal look direction, the reference beam producing a reference signal configured to reject the desired signal; and removing, using at least one processor, components that correlate to the reference signal from the 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: Various implementations include systems for processing microphone audio signals for a wearable audio device. In particular implementations, a method for processing signals includes: capturing an internal signal with an inner microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment inside an ear canal of a user; extracting a low frequency audio signal from the internal signal; capturing an external signal with an external microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment outside the ear canal of the user; extracting a high frequency audio signal from the external signal; and mixing the high frequency audio signal with the low frequency audio signal.

Abstract: Various implementations include systems for processing microphone audio signals for a wearable audio device. In particular implementations, a method for processing signals includes: capturing an internal signal with an inner microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment inside an ear canal of a user; extracting a low frequency audio signal from the internal signal; capturing an external signal with an external microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment outside the ear canal of the user; extracting a high frequency audio signal from the external signal; and mixing the high frequency audio signal with the low frequency audio signal.

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: Various implementations include systems for processing inner microphone audio signals. In particular implementations, a system includes an external microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment outside an car canal of a user; an inner microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment inside the ear canal of the user; and an adaptive noise cancelation system configured to process an internal signal captured by the inner microphone and generate a noise reduced internal signal, wherein the noise reduced internal signal is adaptively generated in response to an external signal captured by the external microphone.

Abstract: A system and method for selecting audio capture sensors of wearable devices in obtaining voice data. The method provides obtaining signals associated with the user's voice at first and second wearable devices, comparing energy levels of the first and second signals, and selecting one or more audio capture sensors based on the energy levels of each signal. Due to the symmetry of the acoustic energy produced by the user's voice to a first and second wearable device, any difference in energy level between the total energy obtained by the first wearable device and the total energy obtained by the second wearable device can be attributed solely to ambient noise. Thus, the device with the higher total energy has a lower signal-to-noise ratio and selection of an audio capture sensor of the other wearable device with a higher signal-to-noise ratio is provided to obtain voice data moving forward.

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 systems for processing inner microphone audio signals. In particular implementations, a system includes an external microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment outside an ear canal of a user; an inner microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment inside the ear canal of the user; and an adaptive noise cancelation system configured to process an internal signal captured by the inner microphone and generate a noise reduced internal signal, wherein the noise reduced internal signal is adaptively generated in response to an external signal captured by the external microphone.

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: Various implementations include systems for processing inner microphone audio signals. In particular implementations, a system includes an external microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment outside an ear canal of a user; an inner microphone configured to be acoustically coupled to an environment inside the ear canal of the user; and an adaptive noise cancelation system configured to process an internal signal captured by the inner microphone and generate a noise reduced internal signal, wherein the noise reduced internal signal is adaptively generated in response to an external signal captured by the external microphone.

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 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.