Patent ID: 7206421

Claim:
A method of combining multiple sound signals to provide an enhanced sound output, each of the multiple sound signals having a target signal portion and a noise signal portion, comprising: determining respective noise power levels of all or part of each of the multiple sound signals, in which the multiple sound signals comprise a right sound signal and left sound signal; weighting the sound signals by applying a lesser weight to a sound signal having a higher noise power level and a greater weight to a sound signal having a lower noise power level to obtain weighted sound signals, wherein the right sound signal is weighted as a function of a ratio of noise power for the left sound signal divided by a sum of noise powers for the right and left sound signals, and the left sound signal is weighted as a function of a ratio of noise power for the right sound signal divided by a sum of noise powers for the right and left sound signals, wherein the ratio of the noise power for the left sound signal divided by the sum of noise powers for the right and left sound signals does not have a right sound signal in its numerator, and wherein the ratio of the noise power for the right sound signal divided by the sum of noise powers for the right and left sound signals does not have a left sound signal in its numerator; and combining the weighted sound signals to produce an output signal.