Patent ID: 8891778

Claim:
A method for enhancing speech, the method being performed by one or more computing devices, the method comprising: extracting a center channel of an audio signal with multiple channels including a first channel and a second channel to produce an extracted center channel, wherein the extracting is performed by the one or more computing devices and comprises: obtaining an assumed center channel from a sum of the first channel and the second channel; calculating a product by multiplying the first channel, less a proportion of the assumed center channel, with a conjugate of the second channel, less the proportion of the assumed center channel; obtaining an extraction coefficient from a value of the proportion of the assumed center channel that makes the product approximate to zero; and obtaining the extracted center channel by multiplying the assumed center channel by the extraction coefficient; generating a confidence in detecting speech in the extracted center channel; flattening a spectrum of the extracted center channel to produce a flattened center channel; and mixing the flattened center channel with the audio signal proportionate to the confidence of having detected speech, thereby enhancing speech in an output audio signal.