# US 12,114,147 B2 · Multi-channel speech compression system and method > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,114,147 B2 - Document ID: US12114147B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 17/669,567 - Filed: 2022-02-11 - Published: 2022-08-11 - Granted: 2024-10-08 - Earliest claimed: 2021-02-11 - Assignees: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Applicants: Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC - Inventors: Dushyant Sharma; Patrick A. Naylor; Uwe Helmut Jost - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12114147B2 ## CPC - H04S 7/30: {Control circuits for electronic adaptation of the sound field} - G01S 3/802: Systems for determining direction or deviation from predetermined direction - G01S 5/18: using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - G01S 5/30: Determining absolute distances from a plurality of spaced points of known location - G01S 11/14: using ultrasonic, sonic or infrasonic waves - G06T 7/70: Determining position or orientation of objects or cameras (camera calibration G06T7/80) - G10L 15/063: {Training} - G10L 15/22: Procedures used during a speech recognition process, e.g. man-machine dialogue - G10L 19/008: Multichannel audio signal coding or decoding using interchannel correlation to reduce redundancy, e.g. joint-stereo, intensity-coding or matrixing - G10L 19/167: {Audio streaming, i.e. formatting and decoding of an encoded audio signal representation into a data stream for transmission or storage purposes} - G10L 21/0208: Noise filtering - H04R 1/406: {microphones} - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 5/027: Spatial or constructional arrangements of microphones, e.g. in dummy heads - H04S 3/008: {in which the audio signals are in digital form, i.e. employing more than two discrete digital channels (data reduction aspects thereof based on psychoacoustics G10L19/02)} - H04S 7/305: {Electronic adaptation of stereophonic audio signals to reverberation of the listening space (H04S7/301 takes precedence)} - G10L 15/00: Speech recognition (G10L17/00 takes precedence) - G10L 2019/0001: {Codebooks} - G10L 2019/0002: {Codebook adaptations} - G10L 2021/02082: {the noise being echo, reverberation of the speech} - G10L 2021/02166: {Microphone arrays; Beamforming} - H04R 2201/401: 2D or 3D arrays of transducers - H04R 2430/20: Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic (H04R2203/12 takes precedence) - H04S 2400/01: Multi-channel, i.e. more than two input channels, sound reproduction with two speakers wherein the multi-channel information is substantially preserved - H04S 2400/11: Positioning of individual sound objects, e.g. moving airplane, within a sound field (H04S2420/13 takes precedence) - H04S 2400/15: Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS - G01S: RADIO DIRECTION-FINDING; RADIO NAVIGATION; DETERMINING DISTANCE OR VELOCITY BY USE OF RADIO WAVES; LOCATING OR PRESENCE-DETECTING BY USE OF THE REFLECTION OR RERADIATION OF RADIO WAVES; ANALOGOUS ARRANGEMENTS USING OTHER WAVES - G06T: IMAGE DATA PROCESSING OR GENERATION, IN GENERAL - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract A method, computer program product, and computing system for generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment. An acoustic relative transfer function codebook may be generated using the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions. One or more channels from the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system may be encoded using the acoustic relative transfer function codebook. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A computer-implemented method, executed on a computing device, comprising: generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment; generating an acoustic relative transfer function codebook using the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions; and encoding selected one or more acoustic relative transfer functions of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions into a vector of acoustic relative transfer functions and transmitting the vector of acoustic relative transfer functions and a vector of acoustic relative transfer function codebook entries for the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system using the acoustic relative transfer function codebook known to both a front-end speech processing system and a back-end speech processing system. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system are positioned within a fixed geometry relative to each other. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the predefined speech processing application includes automated speech recognition. ### Claim 4 (depends on 3) The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, reverberation characteristics of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, noise characteristics of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, based upon, at least in part, one or more room impulse responses associated with the predefined acoustic environment. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, based upon, at least in part, one or more predefined acoustic source locations within the predefined acoustic environment. ### Claim 8 A computer program product residing on a non-transitory computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising: generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment; generating an acoustic relative transfer function codebook using the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions; and encoding selected one or more acoustic relative transfer functions of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions into a vector of acoustic relative transfer functions and transmitting the vector of acoustic relative transfer functions and a vector of acoustic relative transfer function codebook entries for the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system using the acoustic relative transfer function codebook known to both a front-end speech processing system and a back-end speech processing system. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system are positioned within a fixed geometry relative to each other. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein the predefined speech processing application includes automated speech recognition. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, reverberation characteristics of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions. ### Claim 12 (depends on 10) The computer program product of claim 10, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, noise characteristics of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, based upon, at least in part, one or more room impulse responses associated with the predefined acoustic environment. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The computer program product of claim 8, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, based upon, at least in part, one or more predefined acoustic source locations within the predefined acoustic environment. ### Claim 15 A computing system comprising: a memory; and a processor configured to generate a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment, wherein the processor is further configured to generate an acoustic relative transfer function codebook using the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions, and wherein the processor is further configured to encode selected one or more acoustic relative transfer functions of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions into a vector of acoustic relative transfer functions and transmit the vector of acoustic relative transfer functions and a vector of acoustic relative transfer function codebook entries for the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system using the acoustic relative transfer function codebook known to both a front-end speech processing system and a back-end speech processing system. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The computing system of claim 15, wherein the plurality of audio acquisition devices of the audio recording system are positioned within a fixed geometry relative to each other. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The computing system of claim 15, wherein the predefined speech processing application includes automated speech recognition. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) The computing system of claim 17, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, reverberation characteristics of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions. ### Claim 19 (depends on 17) The computing system of claim 17, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, noise characteristics of the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions. ### Claim 20 (depends on 15) The computing system of claim 15, wherein generating a plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions between a plurality of audio acquisition devices of an audio recording system based upon, at least in part, one or more of a predefined speech processing application and a predefined acoustic environment includes generating the plurality of acoustic relative transfer functions based upon, at least in part, based upon, at least in part, one or more room impulse responses associated with the predefined acoustic environment.