# US 10,372,407 B2 · Pairwise audio capture device selection > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,372,407 B2 - Document ID: US10372407B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/970,178 - Filed: 2013-08-19 - Published: 2015-02-19 - Granted: 2019-08-06 - Earliest claimed: 2013-08-19 - Assignees: Avaya Inc. - Applicants: Avaya Inc. - Inventors: Nils Oestlund - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10372407B2 ## CPC - G06F 3/165: {Management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path} - H04R 27/00: Public address systems (circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; {monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007}; amplifiers H03F) - H04R 3/005: {for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407)} - G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N) - H04R: LOUDSPEAKERS, MICROPHONES, GRAMOPHONE PICK-UPS OR LIKE ACOUSTIC ELECTROMECHANICAL TRANSDUCERS; ELECTRIC HEARING AIDS; PUBLIC ADDRESS SYSTEMS (producing sounds with frequency not determined by supply frequency G10K) ## Abstract Embodiments disclosed herein provide systems and methods for pairwise audio capture device selection. In a particular embodiment, a method provides capturing audio information via a plurality of audio capture device pairs, wherein each audio capture device pair comprises a first audio capture device and a second audio capture device. Based on the audio information, the method provides determining a difference in audio energy between audio captured by the first and second audio capture devices for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs. The method further provides selecting an audio capture device pair of the plurality of audio capture device pairs based on the audio capture device pair having the largest difference in audio energy. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method of operating a microphone selection system, comprising: capturing audio information via a plurality of audio capture device pairs, wherein each audio capture device pair comprises a first audio capture device and a second audio capture device, wherein neither the first audio capture device nor the second audio capture device is included in any of the other audio capture device pairs of the plurality of audio capture device pairs, and wherein a first axis along which at least a first pair of the audio capture device pairs are positioned crosses a second axis along which a second pair of the audio capture device pairs are positioned; based on the audio information, determining a difference in audio energy between audio captured by the first and second audio capture devices for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs; and selecting an audio capture device pair of the plurality of audio capture device pairs having the largest difference in audio energy. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: selecting an audio capture device from the audio capture device pair having the greater amount of audio energy. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The method of claim 2, further comprising: if a ratio of audio energy captured by the first audio capture device to audio energy captured by the second audio capture device is within a threshold of 1, also selecting an audio capture device from the audio capture device pair having the lesser or equal amount of audio energy. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein determining the difference in audio energy between the audio captured by the first and second audio capture devices for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs comprises: for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs, determining a difference in audio energy between the first and second audio capture devices at each frequency of a plurality of frequencies; and wherein the difference in audio energy for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs comprises the difference in audio energy at a frequency in which the difference in audio energy is maximized. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein the plurality of frequencies comprise frequencies audible to human ears. ### Claim 6 (depends on 4) The method of claim 4, wherein a frequency selection function is used to select each frequency. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining captured audio energy for each of the first and second audio capture devices for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the first and second audio capture devices comprise first and second unidirectional microphones. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, wherein the first and second unidirectional microphones capture audio in opposite directions along an axis. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, wherein the audio energy comprises an amplitude of a captured audio signal. ### Claim 11 A microphone selection system, comprising: an interface configured to receive audio information captured via a plurality of audio capture device pairs, wherein each audio capture device pair comprises a first audio capture device and a second audio capture device, wherein neither the first audio capture device nor the second audio capture device is included in any of the other audio capture device pairs of the plurality of audio capture device pairs, and wherein a first axis along which at least a first pair of the audio capture device pairs are positioned crosses a second axis along which a second pair of the audio capture device pairs are positioned; a processing system configured to, based on the audio information, determine a difference in audio energy between audio captured by the first and second audio capture devices for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs and select an audio capture device pair of the plurality of audio capture device pairs having the largest difference in audio energy. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The microphone selection system of claim 11, further comprising: the processing system configured to select an audio capture device from the audio capture device pair having the greater amount of audio energy. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The microphone selection system of claim 12, further comprising: the processing system configured to, if a ratio of audio energy captured by the first audio capture device to audio energy captured by the second audio capture device is within a threshold of 1, also select an audio capture device from the audio capture device pair having the lesser or equal amount of audio energy. ### Claim 14 (depends on 11) The microphone selection system of claim 11, wherein the processing system configured to determine the difference in audio energy between the audio captured by the first and second audio capture devices for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs comprises: the processing system configured to, for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs, determine a difference in audio energy between the first and second audio capture devices at each frequency of a plurality of frequencies; and wherein the difference in audio energy for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs comprises the difference in audio energy at a frequency in which the difference in audio energy is maximized. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) The microphone selection system of claim 14, wherein the plurality of frequencies comprise frequencies audible to human ears. ### Claim 16 (depends on 14) The microphone selection system of claim 14, wherein a frequency selection function is used to select each frequency. ### Claim 17 (depends on 11) The microphone selection system of claim 11, further comprising: the processing system configured to determine captured audio energy for each of the first and second audio capture devices for each of the plurality of audio capture device pairs. ### Claim 18 (depends on 11) The microphone selection system of claim 11, wherein the first and second audio capture devices comprise first and second unidirectional microphones. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The microphone selection system of claim 18, wherein the first and second unidirectional microphones capture audio in opposite directions along an axis. ### Claim 20 (depends on 11) The microphone selection system of claim 11, wherein the audio energy comprises an amplitude of a captured audio signal.