# US 2019/0320261 A1 · Adaptive beamforming > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 2019/0320261 A1 - Document ID: US20190320261A1 - Status: Published application - Kind: A1 - Application number: 16/462,348 - Filed: 2017-11-17 - Published: 2019-10-17 - Earliest claimed: 2016-11-21 - Assignees: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH - Applicants: Harman Becker Automotive Systems GmbH - Inventors: Markus Christoph - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20190320261A1 ## CPC - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - G10L 21/0216: characterised by the method used for estimating noise - G10L 25/18: the extracted parameters being spectral information of each sub-band - G10L 25/84: for discriminating voice from noise - H04R 1/222: {for microphones (H04R1/24, H04R1/26 take precedence)} - H04R 1/406: {microphones} - G10L 2021/02166: {Microphone arrays; Beamforming} - H04R 2430/25: Array processing for suppression of unwanted side-lobes in directivity characteristics, e.g. a blocking matrix - 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) - G10L: SPEECH ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES OR SPEECH SYNTHESIS; SPEECH RECOGNITION; SPEECH OR VOICE PROCESSING TECHNIQUES; SPEECH OR AUDIO CODING OR DECODING ## Abstract A system and method for adaptive beamforming, which is configured to process at least two input signals and to provide an output signal, wherein a first input signal of the at least two input signals includes a desired signal as a main component and a second input signal of the at least two input signals, include an undesired signal as main component, includes adaptive error processing the second input signal and at least one of the first input signal and the output signal to provide an estimated undesired signal representative of an estimate of undesired signal components included in the first input signal, and taking the difference between the estimated undesired signal and the first input signal to provide the output signal. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An adaptive beamforming system configured to process at least two input signals to provide an output signal, wherein a first input signal of the at least two input signals includes a desired signal as a main component and a second input signal of the at least two input signals includes an undesired signal as a main component; the system comprising: an error extraction block configured to adaptively process the second input signal and at least one of the first input signal and the output signal to provide an estimated undesired signal representative of an estimate of undesired signal components included in the first input signal; and a subtractor configured to take difference between the estimated undesired signal and the first input signal to provide the output signal. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the error extraction block employs a magnitude transfer function and further comprises a constraint that is configured to limit the magnitude transfer function to a predetermined maximum magnitude. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising a delay block configured to timely delay the first input signal before determining the difference with the estimated undesired signal. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, wherein the error extraction block comprises at least one of an adaptive blocking filter and an adaptive interference canceller block, the adaptive blocking filter being configured to block desired signal components contained in the second input signal and the adaptive interference canceller block being configured to eliminate desired signal components from the second input signal. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The system of claim 1, further comprising: a beamforming block configured to process two or more microphone signals to provide one or more beam signals; and a beamsteering block configured to process the one or more beam signals, wherein processing the one or more beam signals comprises detecting the desired signal and the undesired signal from the one or more beam signals, the desired signal representative of a beam of sound waves pointing towards a desired source, and the undesired signal representative of a beam of sound waves pointing towards a noise source. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein processing the one or more input signals further comprises evaluating signal-to-noise ratios of the one or more beam signals, and detecting the desired signal as that having the highest signal-to-noise ratio and the undesired signal as that having the lowest signal-to-noise ratio from the one or more beam signals. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) The system of claim 5, wherein the beamforming block is a fix beamformer. ### Claim 8 An adaptive beamforming method configured to process at least two input signals to provide an output signal, wherein a first input signal of the at least two input signals includes a desired signal as a main component and a second input signal of the at least two input signals includes an undesired signal as a main component; the method carried out by a processor having a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium capable of executing instructions, the method comprising the steps of: adaptive error processing the second input signal and at least one of the first input signal and the output signal to provide an estimated undesired signal representative of an estimate of undesired signal components included in the first input signal; and taking a difference between the estimated undesired signal and the first input signal to provide the output signal. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein adaptive error processing employs a magnitude transfer function and further comprises a constraint that is configured to limit the magnitude transfer function to a predetermined maximum magnitude. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising timely delaying the first input signal before determining the difference with the estimated undesired signal. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein adaptive error processing further comprises at least one of an adaptive blocking filtering and an adaptive interference cancelling, the adaptive blocking filtering configured to block desired signal components contained in the second input signal and the adaptive interference cancelling configured to eliminate desired signal components from the second input signal. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, further comprising: beamforming processing two or more microphone signals to provide one or more beam signals; and beamsteering processing the one or more beam signals, wherein processing the one or more beam signals further comprises detecting the desired signal and the undesired signal from the one or more beam signals, the desired signal representing a beam of sound wave pointing towards a desired source, and the undesired signal representing a beam of sound wave pointing towards a noise source. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein processing the one or more beam signals further comprises evaluating signal-to-noise ratios of the one or more beam signals, and detecting the desired signal as that having the highest signal-to-noise ratio and the undesired signal as that having the lowest signal-to-noise ratio from the one or more beam signals. ### Claim 14 (depends on 12) The method of claim 12, wherein processing the one or more beam signals by beamforming further comprises fix beamforming. ### Claim 15 A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a computer, performs an operation for adaptive beamforming configured to process at least two input signals to provide an output signal, the first input signal of the at least two input signals includes a desired signal as a main component and a second input signal of the at least two input signals includes an undesired signal as a main component, the operation comprising: adaptive error processing the second input signal and at least one of the first input signal and the output signal to provide an estimated undesired signal representative of an estimate of undesired signal components included in the first input signal; taking a difference between the estimated undesired signal and the first input signal to provide the output signal; beamforming processing two or more microphone signals to provide one or more beam signals; and beamsteering processing the one or more beam signals, wherein processing the one or more beam signals comprises detecting the desired signal and the undesired signal from the one or more beam signals, the desired signal representing a beam of sound wave pointing towards a desired source, and the undesired signal representing a beam of sound wave pointing towards a noise source. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein adaptive error processing employs a magnitude transfer function and further comprises a constraint that is configured to limit the magnitude transfer function to a predetermined maximum magnitude. ### Claim 17 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 15, further comprising timely delaying the first input signal before determining the difference with the estimated undesired signal. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium instructions as claimed in claim 15, wherein adaptive error processing comprises at least one of an adaptive blocking filtering and an adaptive interference cancelling, the adaptive blocking filtering configured to block desired signal components contained in the second input signal and the adaptive interference cancelling configured to eliminate desired signal components from the second input signal. ### Claim 19 (depends on 15) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium as claimed in claim 15, wherein processing the one or more beam signals further comprises evaluating signal-to-noise ratios of the one or more beam signals, and detecting the desired signal as that having the highest signal-to-noise ratio and the undesired signal as that having the lowest signal-to-noise ratio from the one or more beam signals. ### Claim 20 (depends on 12) The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein processing the one or more beam signals by beamforming comprises fix beamforming.