Abstract: Microphone arrays (MAs) are described that position and vent microphones so that performance of a noise suppression system coupled to the microphone array is enhanced. The MA includes at least two physical microphones to receive acoustic signals. The physical microphones make use of a common rear vent (actual or virtual) that samples a common pressure source. The MA includes a physical directional microphone configuration and a virtual directional microphone configuration. By making the input to the rear vents of the microphones (actual or virtual) as similar as possible, the real-world filter to be modeled becomes much simpler to model using an adaptive filter.

Abstract: A light-based skin contact detector is described, including a boot having an index of refraction less than or equal to another index of refraction associated with skin at a frequency of light, a light emitter and detector coupled to the boot and configured to measure an amount of light energy reflected by an interface of the boot, and a digital signal processor configured to detect a change in the amount of light energy reflected by the interface. Embodiments relate to methods for detecting skin contact by measuring an amount of energy reflected by an interface when a boot is not in contact with skin, measuring another amount of energy reflected by another interface when the boot is in contact with the skin, and detecting a change between the amount of energy and the another amount of energy using a digital signal processor.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for clamping a headset in a calibration system using a clamp system that includes a clamp, platform, and one or more spindles (e.g., cushion spindles) to minimize or eliminate issues associated with positioning of headsets. The clamp system comprises a mount having a receptacle. When a device is introduced to the mount the receptacle receives at least a portion of a device. The clamp system includes a clamp attached to the mount and having a first arm rotateably coupled to a second arm that controls the first arm between an open position and a closed position. A platform and at least one spindle are connected to the first arm. When the device is present in the receptacle and the first arm is in the closed position the spindle contacts the device and seats or secures the device in the receptacle.

Abstract: Techniques associated with an acoustic vibration sensor are described, including a first detector that receives a first signal and a second detector that receives a second signal and a third signal, wherein the first signal comprises a skin surface microphone signal, a static equalization filter coupled to the first detector and configured to generate an equalized first signal, a voice activity detector coupled to the first detector, and a wind detector coupled to the second detector, the wind detector configured to correlate the second signal and the third signal and to derive from the correlation a plurality of wind metrics associated with a wind noise, the wind detector is further configured to determine a magnitude associated with the wind noise, to determine whether to suspend an activity of the system, and to determine a duration of time that the magnitude associated with the wind noise exceeds a threshold.

Abstract: Communication systems are described, including both portable handset and headset devices, which use a number of microphone configurations to receive acoustic signals of an environment. The microphone configurations include, for example, a two microphone array including two unidirectional microphones, and a two-microphone array including one unidirectional microphone and one omnidirectional microphone. The communication systems also include Voice Activity Detection (VAD) devices to provide information of human voicing activity. Components of the communications systems receive the acoustic signals and voice activity signals and, in response, automatically generate control signals from data of the voice activity signals. Components of the communication systems use the control signals to automatically select a denoising method appropriate to data of frequency subbands of the acoustic signals.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described by which microphones are calibrated. Disclosed are techniques for generating a first output signal from a first input signal at a first microphone, generating a second output signal from a second input signal at a second microphone, forming a first filter as a function of the first output signal and the second output signal, the first filter being configured to substantially model the first microphone, and forming a second filter as a function of the first output signal and the second output signal, the second filter being configured to substantially model the second microphone. The second filter may be used to output a third output signal from the first output signal, and the first filter may be used to output a fourth output signal from the second output signal. The fourth output signal may be substantially similar to the third output signal.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described by which microphones are calibrated. Disclosed are techniques for generating a first output signal from a first input signal at a first microphone, generating a second output signal from a second input signal at a second microphone, forming a first filter as a function of the first output signal and the second output signal, the first filter being configured to substantially model the first microphone, and forming a second filter as a function of the first output signal and the second output signal, the second filter being configured to substantially model the second microphone. The second filter may be used to output a third output signal from the first output signal, and the first filter may be used to output a fourth output signal from the second output signal. A first virtual microphone and a second virtual microphone may be formed using the third output signal and the fourth output signal.

Abstract: A light-based skin contact detector is described, including a boot having an index of refraction less than or equal to another index of refraction associated with skin at a frequency of light, a light emitter and detector coupled to the boot and configured to measure an amount of light energy reflected by an interface of the boot, and a digital signal processor configured to detect a change in the amount of light energy reflected by the interface.

Abstract: Microphone arrays (MAs) are described that position and vent microphones so that performance of a noise suppression system coupled to the microphone array is enhanced. The MA includes at least two physical microphones to receive acoustic signals. The physical microphones make use of a common rear vent (actual or virtual) that samples a common pressure source. The MA includes a physical directional microphone configuration and a virtual directional microphone configuration. By making the input to the rear vents of the microphones (actual or virtual) as similar as possible, the real-world filter to be modeled becomes much simpler to model using an adaptive filter.

Abstract: A dual omnidirectional microphone array noise suppression is described. Compared to conventional arrays and algorithms, which seek to reduce noise by nulling out noise sources, the array of an embodiment is used to form two distinct virtual directional microphones which are configured to have very similar noise responses and very dissimilar speech responses. The only null formed is one used to remove the speech of the user from V2. The two virtual microphones may be paired with an adaptive filter algorithm and VAD algorithm to significantly reduce the noise without distorting the speech, significantly improving the SNR of the desired speech over conventional noise suppression systems.

Abstract: A wireless conference call telephone system uses body-worn wired or wireless audio endpoints comprising microphone arrays and, optionally, speakers. These audio-endpoints, which include headsets, pendants, and clip-on microphones to name a few, are used to capture the user's voice and the resulting data may be used to remove echo and environmental acoustic noise. Each audio-endpoint transmits its audio to the telephony gateway, where noise and echo suppression can take place if not already performed on the audio-endpoint, and where each audio-endpoint's output can be labeled, integrated with the output of other audio-endpoints, and transmitted over one or more telephony channels of a telephone network. The noise and echo suppression can also be done on the audio-endpoint. The labeling of each user's output can be used by the outside caller's phone to spatially locate each user in space, increasing intelligibility.

Abstract: A microphone array is described for use in ultra-high acoustical noise environments. The microphone array includes two directional close-talk microphones. The two microphones are separated by a short distance so that one microphone picks up more speech than the other. The microphone array can be used along with an adaptive noise removal program to remove a significant portion of noise from a speech signal of interest.

Abstract: A dual omnidirectional microphone array noise suppression is described. Compared to conventional arrays and algorithms, which seek to reduce noise by nulling out noise sources, the array of an embodiment is used to form two distinct virtual directional microphones which are configured to have very similar noise responses and very dissimilar speech responses. The only null formed is one used to remove the speech of the user from V2. The two virtual microphones may be paired with an adaptive filter algorithm and VAD algorithm to significantly reduce the noise without distorting the speech, significantly improving the SNR of the desired speech over conventional noise suppression systems.

Abstract: A dual omnidirectional microphone array noise suppression is described. Compared to conventional arrays and algorithms, which seek to reduce noise by nulling out noise sources, the array of an embodiment is used to form two distinct virtual directional microphones which are configured to have very similar noise responses and very dissimilar speech responses. The only null formed is one used to remove the speech of the user from V2. The two virtual microphones may be paired with an adaptive filter algorithm and VAD algorithm to significantly reduce the noise without distorting the speech, significantly improving the SNR of the desired speech over conventional noise suppression systems.

Abstract: A voice activity detector (VAD) combines the use of an acoustic VAD and a vibration sensor VAD as appropriate to the conditions a host device is operated. The VAD includes a first detector receiving a first signal and a second detector receiving a second signal. The VAD includes a first VAD component coupled to the first and second detectors. The first VAD component determines that the first signal corresponds to voiced speech when energy resulting from at least one operation on the first signal exceeds a first threshold. The VAD includes a second VAD component coupled to the second detector. The second VAD component determines that the second signal corresponds to voiced speech when a ratio of a second parameter corresponding to the second signal and a first parameter corresponding to the first signal exceeds a second threshold.

Abstract: A dual omnidirectional microphone array noise suppression is described. Compared to conventional arrays and algorithms, which seek to reduce noise by nulling out noise sources, the array of an embodiment is used to form two distinct virtual directional microphones which are configured to have very similar noise responses and very dissimilar speech responses. The only null formed is one used to remove the speech of the user from V2. The two virtual microphones may be paired with an adaptive filter algorithm and VAD algorithm to significantly reduce the noise without distorting the speech, significantly improving the SNR of the desired speech over conventional noise suppression systems.

Abstract: Microphone arrays (MAs) are described that position and vent microphones so that performance of a noise suppression system coupled to the microphone array is enhanced. The MA includes at least two physical microphones to receive acoustic signals. The physical microphones make use of a common rear vent (actual or virtual) that samples a common pressure source. The MA includes a physical directional microphone configuration and a virtual directional microphone configuration. By making the input to the rear vents of the microphones (actual or virtual) as similar as possible, the real-world filter to be modeled becomes much simpler to model using an adaptive filter.

Abstract: Systems and methods to reduce the negative impact of wind on an electronic system include use of a first detector that receives a first signal and a second detector that receives a second signal. A voice activity detector (VAD) coupled to the first detector generates a VAD signal when the first signal corresponds to voiced speech. A wind detector coupled to the second detector correlates signals received at the second detector correlates signals received at the second detector and derives from the correlation wind metrics that characterize wind noise that is acoustic disturbance corresponding to at least one of air flow and air pressure in the second detector. The wind detector controls a configuration of the second detector according to the wind metrics. The wind detector uses the wind metrics to dynamically control mixing of the first signal and the second signal to generate an output signal for transmission.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described by which microphones comprising a mechanical filter can be accurately calibrated to each other in both amplitude and phase.

Abstract: A new type of headset that employs adaptive noise suppression, multiple microphones, a voice activity detection (VAD) device, and unique mechanisms to position it correctly on either ear for use with phones, computers, and wired or wireless connections of any kind is described. In various embodiments, the headset employs combinations of new technologies and mechanisms to provide the user a unique communications experience.