Short Description

Mobile devices can make use of multiple microphones for speech processing. Unfortunately, unwanted coupling between the microphones through the housing structure can occur. Those unknown interferences can disturb possible beamforming algorithms that make use of know properties of the incoming signals, i.e. due to different angles of arrivals.

The initial work of the student will be to review relevant literature (e.g. [1]) that deals with the effects of acoustically coupled microphones. Based on the results from the literature, an approach to model the microphone coupling should be proposed. As a final outcome, the thesis should present approaches to reduce the unwanted coupling between the microphones. This could be achieved, either by changing the mechanical properties of the housing or by using signal processing approaches to suppress unwanted signals.

Your Tasks

• Review of literature
• Model of the acoustic coupling
• Proposal to reduce coupling

Your Profile

• Speech Communication 1
• Technical Acoustics

References

[1] J. S. Lee, Y. J. Kang, and Y. Y. Kim, “Unified multiphase modeling for evolving, acoustically coupled systems consisting of acoustic, elastic, poroelastic media and septa,” Journal of Sound and Vibration, vol. 331, no. 25, pp. 5518 – 5536, 2012. [Online]. Available: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022460X12005536