US 11,778,373 B2Granted

Microphone array and selecting optimal pickup pattern

AssigneeTymphany Worldwide Enterprises Limited

InventorRyan Meng-Wei Lu

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Abstract

A microphone array is configured to select an optimal pickup pattern of a microphone array including at least two microphones each associated with a predefined microphone pickup pattern. The optimal pickup pattern is selected from a list of predefined pickup patterns including the predefined microphone pickup patterns and predefined mixed pickup patterns. A method of selecting an optimal pickup pattern includes receiving microphone audio signals from the microphones to establish a plurality of microphone audio signals and mixing them in accordance with the plurality of predefined mixed pickup patterns to establish a plurality of mixed audio signals. Individual level characteristics of respective individual microphone audio signals and of respective individual mixed audio signals are determined, and an optimal pickup pattern is selected from the list of predefined pickup patterns based on the individual level characteristics.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A method of selecting an optimal pickup pattern of a microphone array comprising at least two microphones, including a first microphone and a second microphone, wherein said first microphone is associated with a first predefined microphone pickup pattern and said second microphone is associated with a second predefined microphone pickup pattern, and said optimal pickup pattern is selected from a list of predefined pickup patterns comprising said first and second predefined microphone pickup patterns and predefined mixed pickup patterns including at least a first predefined mixed pickup pattern and a second predefined mixed pickup pattern, and wherein said method comprises the steps of:

receiving a microphone audio signal from each of said at least two microphones to establish a plurality of microphone audio signals which at least respectively correspond to a first microphone audio signal and a second microphone audio signal;
mixing said plurality of microphone audio signals in accordance with said first predefined mixed pickup pattern to establish a first mixed audio signal, and mixing said plurality of microphone audio signals in accordance with said second predefined mixed pickup pattern to establish a second mixed audio signal;
determining individual level characteristics of respective said first microphone audio signal, said second microphone audio signal, said first mixed audio signal and said second mixed audio signal, and based on each said individual level characteristics to select one audio signal with the highest level characteristic from a group of said first microphone audio signal, said second microphone audio signal, said first mixed audio signal and said second mixed audio signal;
selecting said optimal pickup pattern which is associated with said one audio signal with the highest level characteristic from said list of predefined pickup.

1 more element

A microphone array configured to select an optimal pickup pattern from a list of predefined pickup patterns comprising predefined microphone pickup patterns including a first predefined microphone pickup pattern and a second predefined microphone pickup pattern, and predefined mixed pickup patterns including a first predefined mixed pickup pattern and a second predefined mixed pickup pattern, wherein said microphone array comprises:

at least two microphones, including a first microphone and a second microphone, wherein said first microphone is associated with a first predefined microphone pickup pattern and said second microphone is associated with a second predefined microphone pickup pattern;
an audio mixer block communicatively coupled to said at least two microphones, and configured to receive a microphone audio signal from each of said at least two microphones, to establish a plurality of microphone audio signals which at least respectively correspond to a first microphone audio signal and a second microphone audio signal, and further configured to mix said plurality of microphone audio signals in accordance with said first predefined mixed pickup pattern to establish a first mixed audio signal and to mix said plurality of microphone audio signals in accordance with said second predefined mixed pickup pattern to establish a second mixed audio signal;
an audio analyzer block communicatively coupled to said audio mixing block and configured to receive said first and second microphone audio signals and said first and second mixed audio signals;
wherein said audio analyzer block is configured to determine individual level characteristics of respective individual said first microphone audio signal, said second microphone audio signal, said first mixed audio signal and said second mixed audio signal, and based on each said individual level characteristics to select one audio signal with the highest level characteristic from a group of said first microphone audio signal, said second microphone audio signal, said first mixed audio signal and said second mixed audio signal;
and
wherein said audio analyzer block is further configured to select said optimal pickup pattern which is associated with said one audio signal with the highest level characteristic from said list of predefined pickup patterns.

3 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/647,328Filed 6 Jan 2022
Published: US 2023/0217164 A16 Jul 2023
Granted: 3 Oct 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

H04R 3/005
Circuits for transducers: for combining the signals of two or more microphones
G06F 3/165
Sound input; Sound output: management of the audio stream, e.g. setting of volume, audio stream path
G10L 25/78
Speech or voice analysis techniques not restricted to a single one of groups G10L15/00 - G10L21/00: detection of presence or absence of voice signals
H04R 1/406
By combining a number of identical transducers: microphones