# US 12,593,169 B2 · Direction-based filtering for audio devices using two microphones > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 12,593,169 B2 - Document ID: US12593169B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 18/509,860 - Filed: 2023-11-15 - Published: 2025-05-15 - Granted: 2026-03-31 - Earliest claimed: 2023-11-15 - Assignees: Sony Group Corporation - Applicants: Sony Group Corporation - Inventors: Justin Kenefick; James R Milne; Allison Burgueno; Gregory P Carlsson - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US12593169B2 ## CPC - H04R 1/406: {microphones} - H04R 25/407: {Circuits for combining signals of a plurality of transducers} - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - H04R 25/552: {Binaural} - H04R 25/554: {using a wireless connection, e.g. between microphone and amplifier or using Tcoils} - H04R 2225/43: Signal processing in hearing aids to enhance the speech intelligibility - H04R 2225/55: Communication between hearing aids and external devices via a network for data exchange - H04R 2410/01: Noise reduction using microphones having different directional characteristics - H04S 7/302: {Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation (H04S7/301 takes precedence)} - H04S 2420/01: Enhancing the perception of the sound image or of the spatial distribution using head related transfer functions [HRTF's] or equivalents thereof, e.g. interaural time difference [ITD] or interaural level difference [ILD] - 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) - H04S: STEREOPHONIC SYSTEMS ## Abstract An electronic apparatus and method for direction-based filtering for audio devices using two microphones is provided. The electronic apparatus receives a first sound signal that corresponds to a sound that reaches a left ear of a user and a second sound signal that corresponds to the sound that reaches the right ear of the user. The electronic apparatus computes differences between the received sound signals. The difference includes at least one of an amplitude difference or a phase difference. The electronic apparatus further determines the difference to be within a threshold difference range and filters both sound signals based on the determination. The electronic device determines a frequency response of the sound signals and filters the sound signals further based on the characteristics of the frequency response. Thereafter, the electronic apparatus controls a playback of the amplified or filtered first sound signal and the amplified second sound signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electronic apparatus, comprising: circuitry configured to: receive, via a first sound input device, a first sound signal that corresponds to a sound that reaches a left ear of a user; receive, via a second sound input device, a second sound signal that corresponds to the sound that reaches a right ear of the user; compute a difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal, wherein the difference includes at least one of an amplitude difference or a phase difference; determine the computed difference is within a threshold difference range; amplify or filter each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on the determination that the computed difference is within the threshold difference range; receive, via one of the first sound input device or the second sound input device, a third sound signal; analyze the received third sound signal to determine a frequency response associated with the received third sound signal; apply a specific logic on the determined frequency response based on: frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal, and a head related transfer function; compare the determined frequency response of the third sound signal with the frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal; filter the analyzed third sound signal based on the comparison between the determined frequency response of the third sound signal and the frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal; and control, via a plurality of sound output devices, a playback of the amplified or filtered first sound signal, the amplified or filtered second sound signal, and the filtered third sound signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine a first time of the reception of the first sound signal; determine a second time of the reception of the second sound signal; and compute the phase difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on a difference between the first time and the second time, wherein the threshold difference range corresponds to a phase difference range, and the amplification or the filter of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal is based on the determination that the computed phase difference is within the phase difference range. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The electronic apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine the computed phase difference is outside the phase difference range; and attenuate or filter the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on the determination that the computed phase difference is outside the phase difference range. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: measure a first amplitude of the first sound signal; measure a second amplitude of the second sound signal; and compute the amplitude difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on a difference between the first amplitude and the second amplitude, wherein the threshold difference range corresponds to an amplitude difference range, and the amplification or the filter of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal is based on the determination that the computed amplitude difference is within the amplitude difference range. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The electronic apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the circuitry is further configured to: determine the computed amplitude difference is outside the amplitude difference range; and attenuate or filter the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on the determination that the computed amplitude difference is outside the amplitude difference range. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the circuitry is further configured to receive a user input that indicates a plurality of values for the threshold difference range, and the user input is one of a touch input, a gesture input, a voice input, or an input different from the touch input, the gesture input, and the voice input. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The electronic apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the plurality of sound output devices is in the electronic apparatus, and the electronic apparatus is a hearing-aid device. ### Claim 8 A method, comprising: in an electronic apparatus: receiving, via a first sound input device, a first sound signal that corresponds to a sound that reaches a left ear of a user; receiving, via a second sound input device, a second sound signal that corresponds to the sound that reaches a right ear of the user; computing a difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal, wherein the difference includes at least one of an amplitude difference or a phase difference; determining the computed difference is within a threshold difference range; amplifying or filtering each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on the determination that the computed difference is within the threshold difference range; receiving, via one of the first sound input device or the second sound input device, a third sound signal; analyzing the received third sound signal to determine a frequency response associated with the received third sound signal; applying a specific logic on the determined frequency response based on: frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal, and a head related transfer function; comparing the determined frequency response of the third sound signal with the frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal; filtering the analyzed third sound signal based on the comparison between the determined frequency response of the third sound signal and the frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal; and controlling, via a plurality of sound output devices, a playback of the amplified or filtered first sound signal, the amplified or filtered second sound signal, and the filtered third sound signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising: determining a first time of the reception of the first sound signal; determining a second time of the reception of the second sound signal; and computing the phase difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on a difference between the first time and the second time, wherein the threshold difference range corresponds to a phase difference range, and the amplification or the filtering of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal is based on the determination that the computed phase difference is within the phase difference range. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The method according to claim 9, further comprising: determining the computed phase difference is outside the phase difference range; and attenuating or filtering the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on the determination that the computed phase difference is outside the phase difference range. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising: measuring a first amplitude of the first sound signal; measuring a second amplitude of the second sound signal; and computing the amplitude difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on a difference between the first amplitude and the second amplitude, wherein the threshold difference range corresponds to an amplitude difference range, and the amplification or the filtering of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal is based on the determination that the computed amplitude difference is within the amplitude difference range. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method according to claim 11, further comprising: determining the computed amplitude difference is outside the amplitude difference range; and attenuating or filtering the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on the determination that the computed amplitude difference is outside the amplitude difference range. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further comprising receiving a user input that indicates a plurality of values for the threshold difference range, wherein the user input is one of a touch input, a gesture input, a voice input, or an input different from the touch input, the gesture input, and the voice input. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, wherein the plurality of sound output devices is in the electronic apparatus, and the electronic apparatus is a hearing-aid device. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable medium having stored thereon, computer-executable instructions which, when executed by a computer, cause the computer to execute operations, the operations comprising: receiving, via a first sound input device, a first sound signal that corresponds to a sound that reaches a left ear of a user; receiving, via a second sound input device, a second sound signal that corresponds to the sound that reaches a right ear of the user; computing a difference between the first sound signal and the second sound signal, wherein the difference includes at least one of an amplitude difference or a phase difference; determining the computed difference is within a threshold difference range; amplifying or filtering each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal based on the determination that the computed difference is within the threshold difference range; receiving, via one of the first sound input device or the second sound input device, a third sound signal; analyzing the received third sound signal to determine a frequency response associated with the received third sound signal; applying a specific logic on the determined frequency response based on: frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal, and a head related transfer function; comparing the determined frequency response of the third sound signal with the frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal; filtering the analyzed third sound signal based on the comparison between the determined frequency response of the third sound signal and the frequency response characteristics of the each of the first sound signal and the second sound signal; and controlling, via a plurality of sound output devices, a playback of the amplified or filtered first sound signal, the amplified or filtered second sound signal, and filtered third sound signal.