US 12,069,431 B2
Joint processing of optical and acoustic microphone signals
Jonathan D. Sheaffer, San Jose, CA (US)
Assigned to Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed by Apple Inc., Cupertino, CA (US)
Filed on May 19, 2022, as Appl. No. 17/749,068.
Prior Publication US 2023/0379636 A1, Nov. 23, 2023
Int. Cl. H04R 23/00 (2006.01); G01H 9/00 (2006.01); G06F 3/16 (2006.01); H04R 3/00 (2006.01)
CPC H04R 23/008 (2013.01) [G01H 9/002 (2013.01); G06F 3/165 (2013.01); H04R 3/005 (2013.01)] 19 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
obtaining a first microphone signal from an acoustic microphone;
obtaining a second microphone signal from a light-based microphone;
generating a mask based at least in part on the second microphone signal from the light-based microphone; and
detecting a sound from a source by selecting a portion of the first microphone signal that is representative of the sound based on the second microphone signal by applying the mask to at least the first microphone signal.