# US 2014/0153740 A1 · Beamforming pre-processing for speaker localization > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2014/0153740 A1 - Document ID: US20140153740A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 14/176,351 - Filed: 2014-02-10 - Published: 2014-06-05 - Earliest claimed: 2008-07-16 - Assignees: Nuance Communications, Inc. - Applicants: Nuance Communications, Inc. - Inventors: Tobias Wolff; Markus Buck; Gerhard Uwe Schmidt - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140153740A1 ## CPC - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - 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) - H04R 2430/23: Direction finding using a sum-delay beam-former - 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 Methods and apparatus to beamform a first plurality of microphone signals using at least one beamforming weight to obtain a first beamformed signal, beamform a second plurality of microphone signals using the at least one beamforming weight to obtain a second beamformed signal, and adjust the at least one beam forming weight so that the power density of at least one perturbation component present in the first or the second plurality of microphone signals is reduced. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method comprising: beamforming a first plurality of microphone signals using at least one beamforming weight to obtain a first beamformed signal; beamforming a second plurality of microphone signals using the at least one beamforming weight to obtain a second beamformed signal; and adjusting the at least one beamforming weight so that the power density of at least one perturbation component present in the first or the second plurality of microphone signals is reduced. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further comprising receiving the first plurality of microphone signals from a first microphone array and receiving the second plurality of microphone signals from a second microphone array, wherein the first microphone array and the second microphone array share at least one microphone. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one perturbation component comprises a noise component. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, wherein the at least one perturbation component comprises an echo component. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further including performing speaker localization from the first and/or second microphone signals. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further including determining a direction of the speaker with respect to a first microphone array providing the first microphone signals and/or a second microphone array providing the second microphone signals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The method according to claim 5, further including determining a distance of the speaker with respect to a first microphone array providing the first microphone signals and/or a second microphone array providing the second microphone signals. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method according to claim 1, further including performing calibration with no wanted signal present, wherein a wanted signal corresponds to a speech utterance. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further including performing the calibration prior to the speech utterance being present. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method according to claim 8, further including performing the calibration during speech pauses. ### Claim 11 An article, comprising: a non-transitory computer readable storage medium having stored instructions that enable a machine to: beamform a first plurality of microphone signals using at least one beamforming weight to obtain a first beamformed signal; beamform a second plurality of microphone signals using the at least one beamforming weight to obtain a second beamformed signal; and adjust the at least one beamforming weight so that the power density of at least one perturbation component present in the first or the second plurality of microphone signals is reduced. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The article according to claim 11, further comprising instructions to receive the first plurality of microphone signals from a first microphone array and receive the second plurality of microphone signals from a second microphone array, wherein the first microphone array and the second microphone array share at least one microphone. ### Claim 13 (depends on 11) The article according to claim 11, wherein the at least one perturbation component comprises a noise component. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The article according to claim 11, wherein the at least one perturbation component comprises an echo component. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The article according to claim 1, further including instructions to perform speaker localization from the first and/or second microphone signals. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The article according to claim 15, further including instructions to determine a direction of the speaker with respect to a first microphone array providing the first microphone signals and/or a second microphone array providing the second microphone signals. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The article according to claim 15, further including instructions to determine a distance of the speaker with respect to a first microphone array providing the first microphone signals and/or a second microphone array providing the second microphone signals. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The article according to claim 15, further including instructions to perform calibration with no wanted signal present, wherein a wanted signal corresponds to a speech utterance. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The article according to claim 18, further including instructions to perform the calibration prior to the speech utterance being present. ### Claim 20 A system, comprising: a first beamformer module to receive a first plurality of microphone signals using at least one beamforming weight to obtain a first beamformed signal; a second beamformer module to receive a second plurality of microphone signals using the at least one beamforming weight to obtain a second beamformed signal; and a control module, which includes a processor, to adjust the at least one beamforming weight so that the power density of at least one perturbation component present in the first or the second plurality of microphone signals is reduced.