Patent ID: 11869481
Assignee: ALIBABA GROUP HOLDING LIMITED
Field: Computer technology (Electrical engineering)
Classification: CPC G  H | IPC G  H

Claim 10:
11. An apparatus, comprising,
one or more processors,
memory, coupled to the one or more processors, the memory storing thereon computer-executable instructions that, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform acts including:
obtaining a spatial audio signal including a plurality of original audio signals collected by a plurality of audio signal collection devices comprising at least one audio signal collection device placed at each of a driver's seat, a front passenger seat, and a back seat of a vehicle, each audio signal collection device being placed to collect a different speech signal;
separating a continuous speech signal and a corresponding directivity flag signal for each of a plurality of sound source directions from the spatial audio signal, including at least separating a continuous speech signal and a directivity flag signal for the driver's seat and separating a continuous speech signal and a directivity flag signal for the front passenger seat, each directivity flag signal indicating, at a time point, whether there is a speech signal in a respective sound source direction at the time point; and
combining each continuous speech signal with the corresponding directivity flag signal for the respective sound source direction at times indicated by the corresponding directivity flag signal without combining the continuous speech signal with directivity flag signals for any other sound source direction, to generate at least a speech activation detection signal for the driver's seat and a speech activation detection signal for the front passenger seat such that each speech activation detection signal has directivity;
wherein separating the continuous speech signal and the corresponding directivity flag signal for a sound source direction from the spatial audio signal comprises:
estimating a signal arrival direction for a sound source direction;
according to the signal arrival direction for the preset sound source direction, generating the directivity flag signal for the preset sound source direction; and
performing a beamforming processing on the plurality of original audio signals to generate the continuous speech signal for the sound source direction;

wherein performing the beamforming processing on the plurality of original audio signals to generate the continuous speech signal for the sound source direction comprises:
determining a delay difference between every two signals in the plurality of original audio signals; performing a delay compensation on the plurality of original audio signals according to the delay difference between every two signals in the plurality of original audio signals to generate a plurality of synchronized audio signals; and
performing a weighted summation on the plurality of synchronized audio signals to generate the continuous speech signal for the sound source direction; and

wherein combining the continuous speech signal with the corresponding directivity flag signal for the sound source direction to generate a speech activation detection signal for the sound source direction comprises:
determining the directivity flag signal corresponding to respective frame of the continuous speech signal in a frame-by-frame manner;
obtaining a determination result by determining respective frame of the continuous speech signal as a speech signal or a non-speech signal in a frame-by-frame manner;
according to both a determination result of the respective frame as a speech signal and the corresponding directivity flag signal of the respective frame indicating that there is a speech signal at a time of the respective frame, setting respective frame of the continuous speech signal as the speech signal or the non-speech signal; and
determining a signal in respective frame of the continuous speech signal that is set to be the speech signal as a speech activation detection signal.