CABIN COMMUNICATION SYSTEM WITHOUT ACOUSTIC ECHO CANCELLATION

A cabin communication system for improving clarity of a voice spoken within an interior cabin uses a microphone array including a first microphone, positioned at a first location within the cabin, for receiving the spoken voice primarily in a first direction and for converting the spoken voice into a first audio signal, and a second microphone, positioned at a second location within the cabin, for receiving the spoken voice primarily in the first direction and for converting the spoken voice into a second audio signal. A sound source, such as the speaker of an entertainment system, inputs sound into the cabin such that the input sound approaches the microphone array primarily in a second direction different from the first direction. A processor combines the first and second audio signals to provide a resultant audio signal, wherein the combining of the first and second audio signals defines a beampattern of the microphone array that includes a plurality of lobes and a plurality of nulls such that the spoken voice is primarily received by the microphone array along the first direction at a first one of the plurality of lobes and such that the input sound is primarily received by the microphone array along the second direction at a first one of the plurality of nulls, whereby any component in the resultant audio signals indicative of the input sound is substantially minimal. The cabin communication system further includes a loudspeaker for converting the resultant audio signal into an output reproduced voice within the cabin, and advantageously the beampattern is such that the output reproduced voice is also received at a null of the beampattern.