# US 12,112,733 B2 · Communication support system

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- Number: US 12,112,733 B2
- Document ID: US12112733B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 18/113,225
- Filed: 2023-02-23
- Published: 2023-08-31
- Granted: 2024-10-08
- Earliest claimed: 2022-02-25
- Assignees: Alps Alpine Co., Ltd.
- Applicants: Alps Alpine Co., LTD.
- Inventors: Ryosuke Tachi
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12112733B2

## CPC

- G10K 11/17817: {between the output signals and the error signals, i.e. secondary path}
- H04M 9/082: {using echo cancellers (echo cancellers per se H04B3/23)}
- B60N 2/005: Arrangement or mounting of seats in vehicles {, e.g. dismountable auxiliary seats}(B60N2/02 takes precedence {; for railway vehicles B61D1/04})
- B60N 2/90: Details or parts not otherwise provided for
- G10K 11/17815: {between the reference signals and the error signals, i.e. primary path}
- G10K 11/17823: {Reference signals, e.g. ambient acoustic environment}
- G10K 11/17825: {Error signals}
- G10K 11/17881: {the reference signal being an acoustic signal, e.g. recorded with a microphone}
- G10K 2210/1282: Automobiles
- G10K 2210/3022: Error paths
- G10K 2210/3026: Feedback
- G10K 2210/3027: Feedforward
- G10K 2210/3028: Filtering, e.g. Kalman filters or special analogue or digital filters
- G10K 2210/3044: Phase shift, e.g. complex envelope processing
- G10K 2210/3046: Multiple acoustic inputs, multiple acoustic outputs
- G10K 2210/3055: Transfer function of the acoustic system
- G10K 2210/505: Echo cancellation, e.g. multipath-, ghost- or reverberation-cancellation
- G10K: SOUND-PRODUCING DEVICES; METHODS OR DEVICES FOR PROTECTING AGAINST, OR FOR DAMPING, NOISE OR OTHER ACOUSTIC WAVES IN GENERAL; ACOUSTICS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- H04M: TELEPHONIC COMMUNICATION (circuits for controlling other apparatus via a telephone cable and not involving telephone switching apparatus G08)
- B60N: SEATS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR VEHICLES; VEHICLE PASSENGER ACCOMMODATION NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR

## Abstract

A noise canceling adaptive filter outputs, from a front seat speaker, a noise canceling sound generated by applying a transfer function X(z) adapted by an adaptive operation using an output of a front seat microphone as an error to an output sound of a sound source apparatus. An output of the front seat microphone is added to an output of an audio feedback canceling filter by a second adder, added to an output sound of the sound source apparatus by a third adder, and output from a rear seat speaker. The audio feedback canceling filter applies a transfer function X′(z) and a transfer function C{circumflex over ( )}(z) on an output of the second adder and outputs a resultant. The transfer function C{circumflex over ( )}(z) corresponds to a transfer function C(z) from the front seat speaker to the front seat microphone. In synchronization control, the transfer function X(z) is set as the transfer function X′(z).

## Claims

### Claim 1

A communication support system for supporting communication by speech between a user in a first area and a user in a second area, the communication support system comprising:
a sound source apparatus;
a first area speaker that is installed in the first area and that is configured to receive a sound source output sound signal corresponding to sound output from the sound source apparatus;
a second area speaker installed in the second area;
a second area microphone installed in the second area; and
a signal processing apparatus, comprising:
a noise canceling adaptive filter configured to generate a noise canceling sound signal that is applied to the second area speaker,
an audio feedback canceling section configured to generate a second area speech sound signal that is added to the sound source output sound signal and that is applied to the first area speaker, and
a transfer function update processing section,
wherein the noise canceling adaptive filter is configured to generate the noise canceling sound signal by applying a transfer function X(z) adapted by an adaptive operation using a second area sound signal picked up by the second area microphone, as an error, to the sound source output sound signal to generate the noise canceling sound signal,
wherein the audio feedback canceling section includes a first filter, a second filter that is configured to use an output of the first filter as an input, and an adder that that is configured to add the second area sound signal to an output of the second filter and to output a result of the addition as the second area speech sound signal,
wherein the first filter is configured to receive an output of the adder as an input,
wherein the second filter has a transfer function equivalent to a transfer function C(z) from the second area speaker to the second area microphone, and
wherein the transfer function update processing section is configured to update a transfer function of the first filter to a transfer function that is the same as the transfer function X(z) adapted by the adaptive operation performed by the noise canceling adaptive filter.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The communication support system according to claim 1, further comprising:
a first area microphone installed in the first area,
wherein a first area sound signal picked up by the first area microphone is applied to the second area speaker after being added to the noise canceling sound signal.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The communication support system according to claim 1, wherein:
the noise canceling adaptive filter is configured to adapt the transfer function X(z) by an adaptive operation in accordance with a Filtered-X LMS algorithm using a signal obtained by applying a transfer function equivalent to the transfer function C(z) to the sound source output sound signal as a reference signal and the second area sound signal as an error.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The communication support system according to claim 3, wherein:
a seat in the first area and a seat in the second area in a vehicle are different from each other.

### Claim 5

A communication support system for supporting communication by speech between a user in a first area and a user in a second area, the communication support system comprising:
a sound source apparatus;
a first area speaker that is installed in the first area and that is configured to receive a sound source output sound signal corresponding to sound output from the sound source apparatus;
a first area microphone installed in the first area;
a second area speaker that is installed in the second area and that is configured to receive a first area sound signal picked up by the first area microphone;
a second area microphone installed in the second area; and
a signal processing apparatus, comprising:
a noise canceling adaptive filter configured to generate a noise canceling sound signal that is applied to the second area speaker after being added to the first area sound signal,
an echo canceling section,
an audio feedback canceling section configured to generate a second area speech sound signal that is added to the sound source output sound signal that is applied to the first area speaker,
a reference signal generation filter configured to receive the sound source output sound signal as an input, and
a transfer function update processing section,
wherein the echo canceling section includes an echo canceling adaptive filter configured to receive the first area sound signal as an input and an echo canceling adder configured to add an output of a second area sound signal picked up by the second area microphone to an echo canceling sound signal that is an output of the echo canceling adaptive filter and to output a result of the addition,
wherein the echo canceling adaptive filter is configured to generate the echo canceling sound signal by applying a transfer function Q(z) adapted by an adaptive operation using an output of the echo canceling adder as an error to the first area sound signal,
wherein the reference signal generation filter is configured to share the transfer function Q(z) of the echo canceling adaptive filter as the transfer function of the reference signal generation filter,
wherein the noise canceling adaptive filter is configured to generate the noise canceling sound signal by applying, to the sound source output sound signal, a transfer function X(z) adapted by an adaptive operation in accordance with the Filtered-X LMS algorithm using an output of the echo canceling adder as an error and an output of the reference signal generation filter as a reference signal,
wherein the audio feedback canceling section includes a first filter, a second filter configured to use an output of the first filter as an input, and an audio feedback canceling adder configured to add an output of the echo canceling adder to an output of the second filter and to output a result of the addition as the second area speech sound signal,
wherein the first filter is configured to receive an output of the audio feedback canceling adder as an input, and
wherein the transfer function update processing section is configured to update a transfer function of the first filter to a transfer function the same as the transfer function X(z) adapted by the adaptive operation performed by the noise canceling adaptive filter and to update a transfer function of the second filter to a transfer function that is the same as the transfer function Q(z) adapted by the adaptive operation performed by the echo canceling adaptive filter.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The communication support system according to claim 5, wherein:
the echo canceling adaptive filter is configured to adapt the transfer function Q(z) by an adaptive operation in accordance with the LMS algorithm using the first area sound signal as a reference signal and an output of the echo canceling adder as an error.

### Claim 7 (depends on 6)

The communication support system according to claim 6, wherein:
a seat in the first area and a seat in the second area in a vehicle are different from each other.