PATENT DOCUMENT

Publication Number: US-8401178-B2
Application Number: US-24251708-A
Country: US
Kind Code: B2

Title: Multiple microphone switching and configuration

Abstract:
A mobile communications device contains at least two microphones. One microphone is designated by a selector to provide a voice dominant signal and another microphone is designated to provide a noise or echo dominant signal, for a call or a recording. The selector communicates the designations to a switch that routes the selected microphone signals to the inputs of a processor for voice signal enhancement. The selected voice dominant signal is then enhanced by suppressing ambient noise or canceling echo therein, based on the selected noise or echo dominant signal. The designation of microphones may change at any instant during the call or recording depending on various factors, e.g. based on the quality of the microphone signals. Other embodiments are also described.

Claims:
1. An apparatus comprising:
 a communications device housing having integrated therein:
 an uplink channel processor to provide an uplink voice signal for a call by enhancing a voice dominant input signal using an echo or noise dominant input signal; 
 a downlink channel processor to receive a downlink voice signal for the call; 
 a plurality of microphones; 
 a switch to couple (a) a microphone signal, that is selectable from each of the plurality of microphones, into a voice dominant input of the uplink channel processor, and (b) a further microphone signal, selectable from each of the plurality of microphones, into a noise and/or echo dominant input of the uplink channel processor; and 
 a selector to dynamically control the switch during the call to change the coupling of the microphone signals wherein the selector is to change coupling of the voice dominant input and the noise and/or echo dominant input, based on a current call handling mode of the apparatus, the current call handling mode being one of handset mode and speakerphone mode. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the switch is to couple an additional microphone signal, selectable from each of the plurality of microphones, into a supplementary input of the uplink channel processor for enhancing the voice dominant input signal. 
     
     
       3. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the selector is to change coupling of one of the voice dominant input or the noise and/or echo dominant input based on an analysis of microphone signals from the plurality of microphones. 
     
     
       4. The apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the selector is to change said coupling of one of the voice dominant input or the noise and/or echo dominant input in response to one micro hone signal having a reduced signal to noise ratio as compared to another one of the microphone signals. 
     
     
       5. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the selector is to change coupling of one of the voice dominant input or the noise and/or echo dominant input based on a position of the apparatus detected by an accelerometer. 
     
     
       6. The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein at least two microphones of the plurality of microphones are not positioned adjacent to each other. 
     
     
       7. A machine-implemented method comprising the following operations performed in a communications device during a recording session or a call:
 analyzing signals from a plurality of microphones; 
 switching a first coupling of a microphone signal between the plurality of microphones and a voice dominant input based on the analysis of the signals from the plurality of microphones; 
 switching a second coupling of a further microphone signal between the plurality of microphones and a noise or echo dominant input based on the analysis of the signals from the plurality of microphones; and 
 enhancing the microphone signal that is coupled to the voice dominant input, by suppressing ambient noise and/or canceling echo based on the microphone signal that is coupled to the noise or echo dominant input, wherein one of said switching a first coupling and a second coupling is based on a current call handling mode of operation of the communications device being one of handset mode and speakerphone mode. 
 
     
     
       8. The machine-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein said switching a first coupling is in response to one microphone having a reduced signal-to-noise ratio as compared to another microphone in the plurality of microphones. 
     
     
       9. The machine-implemented method of  claim 7 , wherein said switching a second coupling is in response to one microphone having a reduced signal-to-noise ratio as compared to another microphone in the plurality of microphones. 
     
     
       10. A telephony device comprising:
 a housing having a plurality of microphones; 
 a selector to dynamically select, during a sound recording or sound communication, one microphone of the plurality of microphones for a voice dominant input and another microphone of the plurality of microphones for a noise or echo dominant input; 
 a switch coupled to the selector and to the plurality of microphones, to route signals from the selected microphones to said voice dominant and noise or echo dominant inputs; and 
 a processing component to enhance the signal at the voice dominant input based on the signal at the noise or echo dominant input wherein the plurality of microphones are more than two microphones and wherein the selector&#39;s dynamic control of the switch is informed through a trial and error procedure that (a) applies microphone signals, other than the one coupled to the voice dominant input by the switch, to enhance the microphone signal that is coupled to the voice dominant input and (b) evaluates the applied microphone signals to select one that is most likely to enhance the microphone signal that is coupled to the voice dominant input. 
 
     
     
       11. The telephony device of  claim 10 , wherein output signals of unselected ones of the plurality of microphones are ignored by the processing component while enhancing the voice dominant input signal. 
     
     
       12. The telephony device of  claim 10 , wherein the selector is to change a selection of the one microphone or the another microphone during the sound recording or sound communication. 
     
     
       13. The telephony device of  claim 10 , wherein the selection of the one microphone in handset mode differs from the selection of the one microphone in speakerphone mode. 
     
     
       14. The telephony device of  claim 10 , wherein the processing component is to use each of the plurality of microphones to actively track a voice of a person in the sound recording or sound communication. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 7  wherein output signals of unselected ones of the plurality of microphones are ignored while enhancing the microphone signal that is coupled to the voice dominant input. 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 7  wherein the plurality of microphones are more than two microphones and wherein said switching a second coupling is informed through a trial and error procedure that (a) applies microphone signals, from the microphones other than the one associated with the first coupling, to enhance the microphone signal that is coupled to the voice dominant input and (b) evaluates the applied microphone signals to select one that is most likely to enhance the microphone signal that is coupled to the voice dominant input. 
     
     
       17. The telephony device of  claim 10 , wherein the selector is to select the one microphone and the another microphone based on information from an accelerometer. 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 1  wherein the selector is to change the coupling of the voice dominant input in response to one microphone signal having reduced signal-to-noise ratio as compared to another. 
     
     
       19. The telephony device of  claim 10 , wherein the sound recording or sound communication is a video recording. 
     
     
       20. The telephony device of  claim 10 , wherein the sound recording or sound communication is a video conference call.

Description:
FIELD 
     An embodiment of the invention is generally related to mobile devices that have multiple microphones for enhancing an audio signal. 
     BACKGROUND 
     Portable handheld electronic devices that have a telephony function, such as the iPhone™ multifunction mobile device by Apple Inc., have a built-in or integrated microphone located at a bottom end portion of the device which is near the user&#39;s mouth when the device is being used as a telephone handset by its user. This microphone captures a voice signal of a near end user which is then transmitted to the other party or parties of a call. The microphone may also be used to record audio signals for other device features, such as for sound recordings and videoconferences. However, if ambient noise in the environment or physical blockage of the microphone interferes with the voice signal of the near end user, then the other party of the call may not hear the voice signal as clearly as he would desire. 
     SUMMARY 
     In one embodiment of the invention, a mobile device includes multiple microphones (e.g., a microphone array) that work to transmit a voice signal of a near end user to the other party or parties of a call. The device has a switching and/or configuration process running in an audio signal processor, that is monitoring the signals being picked up by the microphones. Upon comparing the signals from the various microphones with each other, the process may designate one microphone to provide a voice dominant signal and another microphone may be designated to provide a noise suppression and/or echo cancellation dominant input signal. The voice dominant signal is then enhanced by an uplink voice signal processor of the device, suppressing ambient noise and echo based on the noise suppression and/or echo cancellation dominant signal. 
     The selection of one microphone to provide the voice dominant signal and another microphone to provide the noise suppression and/or echo cancellation dominant signal may be based on one or more factors, determined, for example, by an audio signal processor, accelerometer, or user input. For example, based on the comparison of audio signals from each of the microphones, the microphone that picks up the “best” voice signal representing a particular near end user (where there may be more than one such user such as during a conference call) may be selected to provide the voice dominant signal. In another example, physical blocking of a particular microphone of the device, such as by a person&#39;s hand, may cause the audio signal processor to automatically detect such a situation and then switch to another microphone to provide the voice dominant signal (because the voice signal may be more clear as picked up by one of the other microphones of the device). In a further example, microphone selection can be commanded by manual user input that designates which microphone is to provide the voice dominant signal. It is noted that such microphone selection or switching may occur dynamically, i.e. during a call, or in the midst of a running audio application (e.g., during a voice recording), such as when the near end user shifts the device in her hand causing a microphone to be blocked, or when a near end talker moves from one side of the device to another. 
     The above summary does not include an exhaustive list of all aspects of the present invention. It is contemplated that the invention includes all systems and methods that can be practiced from all suitable combinations of the various aspects summarized above, as well as those disclosed in the Detailed Description below and particularly pointed out in the claims filed with the application. Such combinations may have particular advantages not specifically recited in the above summary. 
    
    
     
       BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS 
       The invention is illustrated by way of example and not by way of limitation in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like references indicate similar elements. It should be noted that references to “an” or “one” embodiment in this disclosure are not necessarily to the same embodiment, and such references mean at least one. 
         FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a portable handheld device with multiple microphones for enhancing a voice dominant signal. 
         FIG. 2  shows a portable handheld device having multiple microphones for enhancing a voice dominant signal. 
         FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a portable handheld device with microphone switching capabilities. 
         FIG. 4  depicts a block diagram of an example, portable handheld multifunction device in which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. 
     
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION 
     In this section, several preferred embodiments of this invention are explained with reference to the appended drawings. Whenever the shapes, relative positions and other aspects of the parts described in the embodiments are not clearly defined, the scope of the invention is not limited only to the parts shown, which are meant merely for the purpose of illustration. 
       FIG. 1  is a block diagram of an example embodiment of a portable handheld device with multiple microphones for enhancing a voice dominant signal. The device may be an iPhone™ device by Apple Inc. of Cupertino, Calif. Alternatively, it could be another portable handheld multi-function mobile electronic device or smart phone that has audio recording and/or voice telephony capacities. The device may have a fixed, single piece housing like the iPhone™ device, or it may have a movable, multi-piece housing such as a clamshell design or sliding keypad. The device may also have a display screen which can be used to display typical smart phone features such as visual voicemail, web browsing, email, digital camera photos, and others. 
     The device includes an antenna  105  that receives and transmits signals in conjunction with a radio frequency transceiver  110  for a wireless call between a near end user of the device and another party, the far end user. Two main channels may be implemented for the processing of audio signals associated with a call, namely an uplink channel processor and a downlink channel processor, both of which may be implemented in part by a coder/decoder integrated circuit device, CODEC  175 . The downlink channel processor may be responsible for demodulating and enhancing the audio signals received from the far end user over a wireless communications network  100 . For example, when the far end user speaks, his voice signal is received from the network  100  by the RF transceiver  110  and antenna  105 , and then demodulated and processed by the downlink channel processor for listening by the near end user of the device through any one of several ways. During a call, the device may operate in one of at least three modes: handset mode, speaker mode, and headset mode (including both wired and wireless, e.g. Bluetooth, headset implementations). A switch  170  thus routes the downlink audio signal to a loudspeaker  165 , earpiece speaker  145 , or a headset  155  (a wired or wireless headset) based on the mode of the call. 
     The uplink channel processor supports the transmission of audio signals originating from the near end user of the device acquired by one or more of microphones  120 ,  121 ,  122 ,  123  and sent to the far end user over a wireless communications network. In other words, when the near end user speaks, his voice signal is processed by the uplink channel processor for enhancing quality and then modulated onto a carrier signal for transmission by the antenna  105  to the other party. 
     In the example shown in  FIG. 1 , the device has four microphones, all of which may be integrated in a device housing (together with most of the other components depicted). In general, however, the concepts here are applicable to devices that have two or more microphones. An audio digital signal processor  132  monitors (to compare or analyze) the available microphone signals and provides the results of its analysis to a selector  129 . The latter on that basis configures a switch  130  to in effect select one of the four microphones  120 ,  121 ,  122 ,  123  to act as the “primary” microphone, to provide a voice dominant signal (based on the audio signal picked up by each of the four microphones  120 ,  121 ,  122 ,  123 ). The switch  130  may route the selected microphone signals to a voice dominant signal input of the CODEC  175  and a noise and/or echo dominant signal input of a controller  180 . The selector  129  makes the decision to select one or more of the remaining microphones to act as the “secondary” microphone(s) (or “tertiary,” etc.) to also provide a noise suppression and/or echo cancellation dominant signal, which is used to enhance the voice dominant signal of the primary microphone through noise suppression and/or echo cancellation. Using separate microphones to provide the voice dominant signal and to provide the noise/echo cancellation dominant signal may be superior to using a single microphone to derive both signals, because the separate microphones, by virtue of being located at different places in the device housing, may provide a better representation of the sound waves that are incident on the device housing. A combination of the factors described below may assist the selector  129  in determining which microphones to select for providing and enhancing the voice dominant signal. 
     To continue with an example, one scenario that would influence the quality of a microphone signal is when a user inadvertently blocks the associated microphone with his hand, e.g. see  FIG. 2 , where mic  2  and mic  3  are physically blocked. In this case, an analysis of the signals from these physically blocked microphones may indicate that they are not ideal selections for providing a voice dominant signal. However, it should be noted that the microphone that picks up the highest powered or loudest signal is not necessarily the appropriate choice for providing the voice dominant signal. Various factors involving signal-to-noise ratio, total harmonic distortion, crosstalk, and side tone may be taken into consideration when evaluating which microphone&#39;s signal should be used as the voice dominant signal. 
     Another instance of automatic microphone switching may occur when changing from handset mode to speakerphone mode, and vice-versa. Thus, in addition to the analysis and comparison of the microphone signals between each other, the decision to select a different microphone during a call may also be influenced by the mere fact of a change between handset and speakerphone modes. 
     In another embodiment, a touchscreen  230 , see  FIG. 2  (or other mechanism for receiving manual input from the near end user), may influence which microphones are selected by the switch  130  to provide the voice dominant signal and echo/noise dominant signal. A user of the device may actuate a virtual button on the touchscreen (or a physical button on the device) to provide a direct indication of which microphone the user would like to use to pick up the voice dominant signal. For example, if the user is holding the device up to video record a subject in a recorded interview session, the user may press a predetermined button that is associated with mic  2  (se  FIG. 2 ) which may be the one that is most directly facing the interviewee. The near end user may then switch to another microphone that is facing himself (the interviewer) when he is speaking. 
     In yet another embodiment, the device implements audio tracking or audio beam forming capability using its microphones, to identify the particular “theta” (angle) at which a target speaker is located, by measuring for the maximum audio signal picked up for the target speaker. Thus, as a target speaker is moving around while talking, the tracking/beam forming capability may actively track the strongest signal by switching amongst multiple microphones situated in a microphone array so as to always select the “best” of the available microphone signals as the voice dominant signal. 
     In a multi-party audio session such as a conference call or a group recording, multiple microphones and multiple cameras can be used to visually and audibly record or send an uplink voice call signal of two near end speakers to a third (far end) party. Here, both near end users may be speaking at the same time, which may require double the microphone selection aspects (e.g., two microphones may be selected to pick up voice dominant signals of two users) and the audio signals may be either mixed in a full duplex manner or separated in a half-duplex mode where the signals take turns. 
     In a further embodiment, an accelerometer  134  may influence which microphones are selected to provide the voice dominant signal and which are used to enhance the voice dominant signal. For example, movement or re-positioning of the device can be detected using the accelerometer  134 , to indicate that certain microphones positioned at certain parts of the device are more appropriate to use in a particular situation. 
     Although the switch  130  is symbolized by a rotary-type switch symbol, its practical implementation may be entirely digital. In other words, the switch  130  may provide the microphone signals as digital streams, through several digital outputs. The switch may be a software and hardware implementation that performs “software” routing by, for example, providing different pointers to the different microphone streams that are retrieved from memory. The digital outputs may be mapped to several digital inputs of the uplink voice processor as shown in  FIG. 1  that selects multiple microphones based on the above factors and/or commands. For example, these selected signals may be input to the CODEC  175 , which refers to a coder-decoder that processes (e.g., decodes or decompresses) an input, coded, voice dominant stream. An echo/noise cancellation controller  180  refines the voice dominant signal received from the CODEC  175  by suppressing noise and canceling echo with the assistance of one or more signals from the other selected microphones. The echo/noise cancellation controller  180  may also operate on a downlink voice signal. Accordingly, the echo/noise cancellation controller  180  may be relevant to both near end echo and the far end echo. Near end echo refers to the far end user hearing his own echo because the near end user is operating the device in speaker mode. Far end echo refers to echo from the network or line echo. The output of the echo/noise cancellation controller  180  provides an, enhanced voice signal that is sent to the radio frequency transceiver  110 . The controller  180  also has an output that provides control information or feedback to the selector  129  regarding the enhancement of the voice dominant signal. 
     Turning now to  FIG. 2 , this figure depicts an example embodiment of a portable handheld device  200  having multiple microphones  120 ,  121 ,  122 ,  123  for enhancing a voice dominant signal of a near end user. In this illustration, the near end user is holding the device  200  in her hand. 
     The device  200  includes various capabilities to enable the user to access features involving, for example, calls, text messages, voicemail, e-mail, the Internet, scheduling, photos, and music as shown on the display screen  230 . This figure depicts a first microphone  120  located away from the earpiece receiver speaker  145  so that the voice signal of the near end user may be more easily received when holding the device  200  to the user&#39;s ear. Three additional microphones  121 ,  122 ,  123  are located at the side of the device  200 , but it should be recognized that there may be a greater or fewer number of microphones located anywhere on the device  200 . 
     For applications that involve a microphone, such as a telephone call, audio recording, or videoconference, each of the four microphones  120 ,  121 ,  122 ,  123  may pick up a near end audio signal. One microphone may be selected as the primary microphone to provide a voice dominant signal and another microphone may be selected as the secondary microphone to provide a noise suppression and/or echo cancellation dominant signal. This selection may change dynamically or switch during a call or audio recording, depending on one or more factors, including a comparison of the signals from these four microphones  120 ,  121 ,  122 ,  123  made by the audio digital signal processor  132  (see  FIG. 1 ), a current call handling mode of the device  200  (e.g., handset mode or speakerphone mode), and user input received via the touch screen  230 . In one example, based on the comparison of audio signals from each of the microphones, the microphone that picks up the most optimal voice signal may be selected to provide that signal. In another example, a physical blocking of a particular microphone of the device, such as by a person&#39;s hand, may cause the device not to select that microphone to provide the voice dominant signal because the voice signal may be clearer as read by one of the other microphones of the device. In addition, microphone selection can be commanded by user input that designates which microphone provides the voice dominant signal. Furthermore, microphones can be selected based on a mode of the device, e.g., to select the first microphone  120  as the primary microphone or voice dominant signal provider when in handset mode and one of the other microphones  121 ,  122 ,  123  as the primary microphone or voice dominant signal provider when in speakerphone mode. In the case that more than two microphones are provided on a device, the remaining microphones may either be ignored or turned off with respect to enhancing the voice dominant signal or they may be used to further assist in enhancing the voice dominant signal. 
     It is noted that such microphone selection may dynamically change during the call or in the midst of a running application (e.g., during a voice recording). For instance, if a near end user is speaking on the phone and shifts his hand over the phone to hold it in a different position, he may inadvertently block the microphone selected as the primary microphone that provides the voice dominant signal with his hand. In this situation, the device may sense that this microphone no longer provides the most optimal voice dominant signal as compared to another microphone and therefore dynamically switches its selection to the other microphone, as the primary microphone to provide the voice dominant signal during the call. 
     Proceeding to the next figure,  FIG. 3  is a flow diagram of a portable handheld device with microphone switching capabilities. The device uses multiple microphones to enhance a voice dominant signal by suppressing ambient noise and/or echo. 
     In this example embodiment, the device initially receives audio signals from all microphones of the device (operation  310 ). The device has at least two microphones located at various locations on the device. Each of the signals is then compared with each other to determine which microphone provides the most optimal voice dominant signal (operation  320 ). One of the microphones is then selected as the primary microphone to provide the voice dominant signal (operation  330 ). In the case of two microphones on the device, the remaining microphone is, by default, the secondary microphone to provide the noise suppression and/or echo cancellation dominant signal (operation  340 ). If there are more than two microphones on the device, then one or more of the other remaining microphones may be selected as the secondary, tertiary, etc. microphone to assist with ambient noise and echo cancellation to enhance the voice dominant signal (operation  350 ). This selection may be informed by feedback from the noise/echo cancellation controller  180  (see  FIG. 1 ), through, for example, a trial and error procedure that applies signals from the remaining microphones to enhance the voice dominant signal and evaluates them to select the one that is likely to result in the “best” enhancement to the voice dominant signal. The voice dominant signal of the primary microphone is then enhanced by performing noise suppression and/or echo cancellation with the assistance of the selected one or more of the other microphones (operation  360 ). 
     It is noted that other embodiments of selecting a microphone for the voice dominant signal exist. For example, in the case of user input switching, the device need not receive and compare audio signals of all microphones before selecting a microphone as the primary microphone. Rather, microphone selection would occur according to user command from a physical button, a virtual button on a touch screen, etc. 
       FIG. 4  depicts a block diagram of an example, portable handheld multifunction device  200  in which an embodiment of the invention may be implemented. The device  200  has a processor  704  that executes instructions to carry out operations associated with the device  200 . The instructions may be retrieved from memory  720  and, when executed, control the reception and manipulation of input and output data between various components of device  200 . Although not shown, the memory  720  may store an operating system program that is executed by the processor  704 , and one or more application programs are said to run on top of the operating system to perform different functions described below. The accelerometer  134  provides an indication of the position or movement of the device. The screen  230  displays a graphical user interface (GUI) that allows a user of the device  200  to interact with various application programs running in the device  200 . The GUI displays icons or graphical images that represent application programs, files, and their associated commands on the screen  230 . These may include windows, fields, dialog boxes, menus, buttons, cursors, scrollbars, etc. The user can select from these graphical images or objects to initiate the functions associated therewith. 
     In one embodiment, the screen  230  is a touch screen that also acts as an input device, to transfer data from the outside world into the device  200 . This input is received via, for example, the user&#39;s finger touching the surface of the screen  230 , but it may also be received via physical buttons on the device  200 . When the screen is powered on, touch inputs may be received and when the screen is powered off, touch inputs may not be received. 
     Still referring to  FIG. 4 , the device  200  may operate in a mobile telephone mode. This is enabled by the following components of the device  200 . An integrated antenna  105  that is driven and sensed by RF circuitry  110  is used to transmit and receive cellular network communication signals from a nearby base station, or wireless local area network signals from a wireless access point or router (e.g., to enable wireless voice over Internet Protocol, VOIP, calls) (not shown). A mobile phone application  724  executed by the processor  704  presents mobile telephony options on the screen  230  for the user, such as a virtual telephone keypad with call and end buttons. The mobile phone application  724  also controls at a high level the two-way conversation in a typical mobile telephone call, by directing a speech signal from one or more built-in microphones  120 ,  121 ,  122 ,  123  to the uplink voice signal processor which then feeds the RF circuitry, while at the same time directs a speech signal from the other side of the conversation to the downlink voice signal processor an then through the receiver or ear speaker  145  in handset mode, and the loudspeaker  165  in speaker mode. The mobile phone application  724  also responds to the user&#39;s selection of the receiver volume, by detecting actuation of the physical volume button  716 . Although not shown, the processor  704  may include a cellular base band processor that is responsible for much of the downlink and uplink digital audio signal processing functions and cellular network protocol signaling associated with a cellular phone call, including encoding and decoding the voice signals of the participants to the conversation. 
     The device  200  may be placed in either handset mode or speaker mode for telephone calls, in response to, for example, the user actuating a physical menu button  707  and then selecting an appropriate icon on the display device of the screen  230 . In either telephone mode, the mobile phone application  724  may control loudness of the downlink signal, based on a detected actuation or position of the physical volume button  716 . 
     Some of the elements described in  FIGS. 1 and 2  may be implemented as instructions stored in memory  720  that program the processor  704 . The microphone switching control logic that is responsible for the decision that selects the microphones used for the voice dominant signal and for the noise suppression and/or echo cancellation dominant signal may be implemented in a microphone selector and switch module  732 . The audio DSP  132 , which compares the audio signals picked up by each of the microphones may be implemented in a signal processing module  728 . A CODEC module  726  may perform the purely digital aspects of the downlink and uplink voice signal processing functions of the CODEC  175 , and the noise/echo cancellation controller  180  may be implemented in a noise/echo cancellation module  730 . Other combinations of hardware and software that can perform the functions of these elements in a mobile device are possible. 
     An embodiment of the invention may be a machine-readable medium having stored thereon instructions which program a processor to perform some of the operations described above. In other embodiments, some of these operations might be performed by specific hardware components that contain hardwired logic. Those operations might alternatively be performed by any combination of programmed computer components and custom hardware components. 
     A machine-readable medium may include any mechanism for storing or transmitting information in a form readable by a machine (e.g., a computer), not limited to Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD-ROM), Read-Only Memory (ROM), Random Access Memory (RAM), and Erasable Programmable Read-Only Memory (EPROM). 
     In the foregoing specification, the invention has been described with reference to specific embodiments thereof. It will, however, be evident that various modifications and changes can be made thereto without departing from the broader spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims. For example, the microphone switching capabilities described above, used to enhance a voice dominant signal by application of noise suppression and/or echo cancellation, may also be applied in applications such as audio or video recordings, rather than ongoing telephone calls. In that case, referring now to  FIG. 4 , a digital media player application module may be added that is stored in the memory  720  for enabling the user of the device  200  to manage the recording. The specification and drawings are, accordingly, to be regarded in an illustrative rather than a restrictive sense.

Metadata:
Filing Date: 20080930
Publication Date: 20130319
Grant Date: 20130319
Priority Date: 20080930
Inventors: CHEN SHAOHAI
LI XINGQUN
Assignee: APPLE INC
CPC Classifications: [{"code": "G10L21/0208", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L2021/02166", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L2021/02165", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/035", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R3/005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M9/082", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R3/00", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/6008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/035", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/605", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2410/05", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L2021/02166", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/605", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L2021/02165", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M1/6008", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "G10L21/0208", "inventive": true, "first": true, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R2410/05", "inventive": false, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04R3/005", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B3/23", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04M9/082", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}, {"code": "H04B3/23", "inventive": true, "first": false, "tree": "[]"}]
Family ID: 41278304