Method and apparatus for multi-sensory speech enhancement on a mobile device

Abstract

A mobile device includes an air conduction microphone and an alternative sensor that provides an alternative sensor signal indicative of speech. A communication interface permits the mobile device to communicate directly with other mobile devices.

1 . A mobile device comprising: 
 an air conduction microphone that converts acoustic waves representative of a portion of speech into an electric microphone signal;    an alternative sensor that detects information representative of the portion of speech separate from the electronic microphone signal and provides an electric alternative sensor signal comprising information representative of the portion of speech; and    a communication interface that permits the mobile device to communicate directly with other mobile devices.    
     
     
         2 . The mobile device of  claim 1  wherein the communication interface permits multiple types of communication with other mobile devices.  
     
     
         3 . The mobile device of  claim 2  wherein one of the multiple types of communication comprises one-to-one communication with one other mobile device even when more than one other mobile device is available for communication.  
     
     
         4 . The mobile device of  claim 2  wherein one of the multiple types of communication comprises one-to-many communication with a plurality of other mobile devices.  
     
     
         5 . The mobile device of  claim 2  wherein one of the multiple types of communication comprises many-to-many communication.  
     
     
         6 . The mobile device of  claim 1  wherein the communication interface further permits communication to a network.  
     
     
         7 . The mobile device of  claim 6  wherein the communication interface further permits communication with a server on the network.  
     
     
         8 . The mobile device of  claim 7  wherein the communication with the server comprises audio and video.  
     
     
         9 . The mobile device of  claim 8  wherein communication with the server further comprises data corresponding to an image of a document that is shared with another computing device.  
     
     
         10 . The mobile device of  claim 7  wherein the mobile device further comprises a global positioning satellite receiver that is capable of generating a position value indicative of the position of the mobile device.  
     
     
         11 . The mobile device of  claim 10  wherein communication with a server comprises providing the position value to the server.  
     
     
         12 . The mobile device of  claim 7  wherein the server hosts a speech recognition program and wherein communicating with the server comprises providing audio data to the server and receiving recognized text from the server.  
     
     
         13 . The mobile device of  claim 7  wherein the server hosts a translation program and wherein communicating with the server comprises providing content in one language to the server and receiving a translation in another language from the server.  
     
     
         14 . A method in a mobile device, the method comprising: 
 receiving an air conduction microphone signal that comprises information representative of a frame of speech;    receiving an alternative sensor signal that comprises information representative of the frame of speech;    estimating an enhanced clean speech value based on the air conduction microphone signal for the frame of speech and the alternative sensor signal for the frame of speech; and    providing the enhanced clean speech value directly to another mobile device.    
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein providing the enhanced clean speech value directly to another mobile device comprises providing the enhanced clean speech value during a one-to-one communication between the mobile device and the other mobile device.  
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14  wherein providing the enhanced clean speech value directly to another mobile device comprises providing the enhanced clean speech value during a one-to-many communication between the mobile device and a plurality of other mobile devices.  
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14  wherein providing the enhanced clean speech value directly to another mobile device comprises providing the enhanced clean speech value during a many-to-many communication between a plurality of mobile devices.  
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising determining a position for the mobile device and communicating the position of the mobile device from the mobile device to a server.  
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising using the position of the mobile device to generate a map and communicating the map from the server to another computing device.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 14  further comprising using a translation service on a server to translate text from one language to another language based on data sent from the mobile device to the server and returning text from the server to the mobile device, the text representing the translation of the text.