Abstract: Systems and methods of providing improved directional noise suppression in an electronic device implement a technique that specifies a direction or speaker of interest, determines the directions corresponding to speakers not lying in the direction of interest, beam forms the reception pattern of the device microphone array to focus in the direction of interest and suppresses signals from the other directions, creating beam formed reception data. A spatial mask is generated as a function of direction relative to the direction of interest. The spatial mask emphasizes audio reception in the direction of interest and attenuates audio reception in the other directions. The beam formed reception data is then multiplied by the spatial mask to generate an audio signal with directional noise suppression.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, an induction hub is disclosed for use in powering components in a vehicle. The induction hub includes a source coil; first and second receiver coils having first and second conductive portions, respectively; and at least one isolation member that is positioned between the first and second conductive portions. The receiver coils are separated from the source coil such that, upon being energized by a power source, the source coil creates an induced electromagnetic field (EMF) and an electrical current in the receiver coils, which are in electrical communication with at least one component in the vehicle to thereby deliver power from the receiver coils to the at least one component. The at least one isolation member includes a material that is electrically nonconductive and electromagnetically permeable so as to physically and electrically separate the receiver coils without impacting the induced EMF.

Abstract: Systems and methods of providing improved directional noise suppression in an electronic device implement a technique that specifies a direction or speaker of interest, determines the directions corresponding to speakers not lying in the direction of interest, beam forms the reception pattern of the device microphone array to focus in the direction of interest and suppresses signals from the other directions, creating beam formed reception data. A spatial mask is generated as a function of direction relative to the direction of interest. The spatial mask emphasizes audio reception in the direction of interest and attenuates audio reception in the other directions. The beam formed reception data is then multiplied by the spatial mask to generate an audio signal with directional noise suppression.

Abstract: In one aspect of the present disclosure, an induction hub is disclosed for use in powering components in a vehicle. The induction hub includes a source coil; first and second receiver coils having first and second conductive portions, respectively; and at least one isolation member that is positioned between the first and second conductive portions. The receiver coils are separated from the source coil such that, upon being energized by a power source, the source coil creates an induced electromagnetic field (EMF) and an electrical current in the receiver coils, which are in electrical communication with at least one component in the vehicle to thereby deliver power from the receiver coils to the at least one component. The at least one isolation member includes a material that is electrically nonconductive and electromagnetically permeable so as to physically and electrically separate the receiver coils without impacting the induced EMF.

Abstract: A method, a system, and a computer program product reducing noise in audio received by at least one microphone. The method includes determining, from an audio signal received by at least one primary microphone of an electronic device, whether a user that is proximate to the electronic device is currently speaking. The method further includes, in response to determining that a user is not currently speaking, receiving a first audio using a first microphone subset from among a plurality of microphones and receiving at least one second audio using at least one second microphone subset from among the plurality of microphones. The method further includes generating a composite signal from the first audio and the second audio. The method further includes collectively processing the audio signal and the composite signal to generate a modified audio signal having a reduced level of noise.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, by a processor, an audio echo signal and an audio desired signal from an acoustic echo correction stage of an electronic device, and converting the echo signal and the desired signal to the frequency domain. The method further includes grouping, by the processor, frequency bin results of respective frequency domain converted echo and desired signals into respective echo and desired sub-bands. A sub-band suppressor gain is estimated based on an estimated sub-band energy for the echo and desired sub-bands. The method further includes modulating the frequency domain converted desired signal to compensate for residual echo, the modulating based, at least in part, on the estimated sub-band suppressor gain, and the modulating producing a compensated frequency domain converted echo signal. The method also includes converting the compensated frequency domain converted desired signal into time domain converted audio output signal.

Abstract: A method includes obtaining, by a processor, an audio echo signal and an audio desired signal from an acoustic echo correction stage of an electronic device, and converting the echo signal and the desired signal to the frequency domain. The method further includes grouping, by the processor, frequency bin results of respective frequency domain converted echo and desired signals into respective echo and desired sub-bands. A sub-band suppressor gain is estimated based on an estimated sub-band energy for the echo and desired sub-bands. The method further includes modulating the frequency domain converted desired signal to compensate for residual echo, the modulating based, at least in part, on the estimated sub-band suppressor gain, and the modulating producing a compensated frequency domain converted echo signal. The method also includes converting the compensated frequency domain converted desired signal into time domain converted audio output signal.

Abstract: A portable device performs echo cancellation and echo suppression. An audio echo signal and an audio desired signal are obtained from an acoustic echo correction stage of the portable device. The echo and desired signals are converted to the frequency domain. Frequency bin results of the respective frequency domain converted echo and desired signals are grouped into echo and desired sub-bands. A sub-band suppressor gain is estimated based on the estimated sub-band energy for the echo and desired sub-bands. The frequency domain converted echo signal is modulated based at least in part on the estimated sub-band suppressor gain to compensate for residual echo. The compensated frequency domain converted echo signal is time domain converted into an audio output signal. The audio output signal is processed by a selected one of a voice recognition engine and a communication module transmitter.

Abstract: The present invention describes a speech enhancement method using microphone arrays and a new iterative technique for enhancing noisy speech signals under low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) environments. A first embodiment involves the processing of the observed noisy speech both in the spatial- and the temporal-domains to enhance the desired signal component speech and an iterative technique to compute the generalized eigenvectors of the multichannel data derived from the microphone array. The entire processing is done on the spatio-temporal correlation coefficient sequence of the observed data in order to avoid large matrix-vector multiplications. A further embodiment relates to a speech enhancement system that is composed of two stages. In the first stage, the noise component of the observed signal is whitened, and in the second stage a spatio-temporal power method is used to extract the most dominant speech component.

Abstract: A vehicle wiper system includes a plurality of first sensor elements, an adjustable wiper, and a second sensor. The plurality of first sensor elements is configured to be disposed at a periphery of a vehicle window to form a boundary. The adjustable wiper has a distal end and a proximal end, and an adjustment mechanism that enables a distance between the distal end and the proximal end to change. The adjustable wiper is configured to travel along a windshield to define a wiper path. The second sensor element is disposed adjacent the distal end, and is configured to operate in conjunction with the first sensor element to adjust the adjustable wiper such that a distance between the distal end and the proximal end changes, and a distance between the distal end of the wiper and the boundary remains substantially consistent as the adjustable wiper travels along the wiper path.

Abstract: A vehicle wiper system includes a plurality of first sensor elements, an adjustable wiper, and a second sensor. The plurality of first sensor elements is configured to be disposed at a periphery of a vehicle window to form a boundary. The adjustable wiper has a distal end and a proximal end, and an adjustment mechanism that enables a distance between the distal end and the proximal end to change. The adjustable wiper is configured to travel along a windshield to define a wiper path. The second sensor element is disposed adjacent the distal end, and is configured to operate in conjunction with the first sensor element to adjust the adjustable wiper such that a distance between the distal end and the proximal end changes, and a distance between the distal end of the wiper and the boundary remains substantially consistent as the adjustable wiper travels along the wiper path.

Abstract: A vehicle keyfob locator system includes a keyfob locator control panel, a display, a plurality of keyfob locator antennas and a controller. The keyfob locator control panel and the display are located within a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The plurality of keyfob locator antennas are installed at predetermined positions of a vehicle body structure of the vehicle. The controller is operably connected to the keyfob locator control panel and each of the keyfob locator antennas. The controller is configured to operate the keyfob locator antennas and determine a location of a keyfob within the vehicle body structure in response to activation of the keyfob locator control panel and further configured to display an approximate location of the keyfob on the display in response to determining the location of the keyfob within the vehicle body structure.

Abstract: The present invention describes a speech enhancement method using microphone arrays and a new iterative technique for enhancing noisy speech signals under low signal-to-noise-ratio (SNR) environments. A first embodiment involves the processing of the observed noisy speech both in the spatial- and the temporal-domains to enhance the desired signal component speech and an iterative technique to compute the generalized eigenvectors of the multichannel data derived from the microphone array. The entire processing is done on the spatio-temporal correlation coefficient sequence of the observed data in order to avoid large matrix-vector multiplications. A further embodiment relates to a speech enhancement system that is composed of two stages. In the first stage, the noise component of the observed signal is whitened, and in the second stage a spatio-temporal power method is used to extract the most dominant speech component.

Abstract: A vehicle keyfob locator system includes a keyfob locator control panel, a display, a plurality of keyfob locator antennas and a controller. The keyfob locator control panel and the display are located within a passenger compartment of a vehicle. The plurality of keyfob locator antennas are installed at predetermined positions of a vehicle body structure of the vehicle. The controller is operably connected to the keyfob locator control panel and each of the keyfob locator antennas. The controller is configured to operate the keyfob locator antennas and determine a location of a keyfob within the vehicle body structure in response to activation of the keyfob locator control panel and further configured to display an approximate location of the keyfob on the display in response to determining the location of the keyfob within the vehicle body structure.

Abstract: A system for activating a vehicle function includes a vehicle and at least one remote controller. The least one remote controller is configured to receive, prior to a user approaching their vehicle, a request from the user to have a vehicle function activated when the user approaches their vehicle, and to periodically transmit request signals indicating the request. The vehicle defines a first communication range with the at least one remote controller for communication of the request signals. The vehicle is vehicle configured to receive at least one of the request signals upon the at least one remote controller's entry into the first communication range, and generate an instruction to activate the vehicle function in accordance with the request.

Abstract: Techniques for use in improving audio quality with use of an acoustic leak compensation (ALC) system in a mobile device are described. The mobile device includes a receiver and a microphone which is acoustically coupled to the receiver. A change in a signal power of signals received at the microphone is detected. In response to the detecting, a probe signal is enabled, and a frequency response between the receiver and the microphone is estimated using the probe signal as an input. Filter coefficients of a filter are calculated based on the estimated frequency response, and the calculated filter coefficients are applied to the filter. The filter type may be selected from a plurality of filter types based on an estimated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of the microphone signal.

Abstract: Audio input may be received at one or more microphones of a mobile device. Based on the audio input, a change in an acoustic environment of the device, such as a change in a direction of arrival of the audio input or a degradation in a quality of acoustic echo cancellation being performed upon the audio input, may be detected. A determination may be made that the detected change coincides with a non-acoustic physical event detected using an auxiliary sensor at the mobile device. The event may for example be device motion, a new proximate object, a change in a proximity of an object, a new heat source or a change in a heat level from a known heat source. Based on the determining, a signal processor, possibly comprising an audio beamformer or echo canceller, may be recalibrated, e.g. the audio beamformer or echo canceller may be caused to reconverge.

Abstract: A system for activating a vehicle function includes a vehicle and at least one remote controller. The least one remote controller is configured to receive, prior to a user approaching their vehicle, a request from the user to have a vehicle function activated when the user approaches their vehicle, and to periodically transmit request signals indicating the request. The vehicle defines a first communication range with the at least one remote controller for communication of the request signals. The vehicle is vehicle configured to receive at least one of the request signals upon the at least one remote controller's entry into the first communication range, and generate an instruction to activate the vehicle function in accordance with the request.

Abstract: A telephonic device having a speakerphone function has a loudspeaker and a plurality of microphones. The plurality of microphones are coupled to a plurality of beamformers which produce a first beamform having a spatial null in the direction of the loudspeaker and a second beamform having a spatial null in the direction of near-end signals. The two beamforms are then processed to facilitate echo reduction. By comparing the beamform powers, a state of double-talk can be determined and the determination can be used to enhance echo reduction associated with speakerphone functionality.

Abstract: A vehicle headlight detection system includes a vehicle sensor, a light sensor, and a controller. The vehicle sensor is configured to detect a remote vehicle approaching the vehicle sensor. The light sensor is configured to detect a light output of the remote vehicle. The controller is programmed to determine, based on the light output detected by the light sensor, whether the light output of the remote vehicle meets a predetermined minimum condition when the vehicle sensor detects the remote vehicle, and programmed to communicate with an indicator to notify a driver of the remote vehicle when the light output of the remote vehicle does not meet the predetermined minimum condition.