Patent ID: 6535609
Filing Date: 2003-03-18
Classification: H04R

Abstract:
A cabin communication system for improving clarity of a voice spoken within an interior cabin having ambient noise and cabin acoustics, said cabin communication system comprising:a first microphone, positioned at a first location within the cabin, for receiving the spoken voice and for converting the spoken voice into a first audio signal; a second microphone, positioned at a second location within the cabin, for receiving the spoken voice and for converting the spoken voice into a second audio signal; a filtering device for providing first and second filtered audio signals responsive to said first and second audio signals, said first and second filtered audio signals being compensated for a difference between a first voice volume as indicated by said first audio signal and a second voice volume as indicated by said second audio signal; a summer for summing said first and second compensated audio signals to provide a resultant audio signal that is indicative of a detection location within the cabin relative to the first and second locations of said first and second microphones; an acoustic echo cancellation device for receiving said resultant audio signal and for outputting an echo-canceled audio signal; and a loudspeaker for converting said echo-canceled audio signal into an output reproduced voice within the cabin, wherein said loudspeaker and said first and second microphones are acoustically coupled so that said output reproduced voice is fed back from said loudspeaker to be received by said first and second microphones and converted as a component with the spoken voice that is additive to said first and second audio signals, and wherein said acoustic echo cancellation device removes said component from said first and second audio signals.