Camera-view acoustic fence
AssigneePlantronics, Inc.
InventorsPeter L. Chu, Stephen C. Botzko
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
Determining the angle of sound relative to the centerline of a microphone array. The angle of the centerline of a camera field-of-view (FoV) and the angle of the camera FoV is determined. Knowing the angle from the centerline of the microphone array of the particular sound and then the angle of the centerline of the camera FoV and angles of the camera FoV allows a determination if the sound is inside the FoV of the camera. If so, the microphones are unmuted. If not, the microphones are muted. As the camera zooms or pans, the changes in camera FoV and centerline angle are computed and used with the sound angle, so that the muting and unmuting occurs automatically as the camera zoom and pan angle change.
Claims17
A method for selecting audio to be transmitted in a videoconference,
- the method comprising:
- reviewing, by a processing unit, an output of a microphone for sound;
- providing, by the processing unit from a camera having a field-of-view (FoV), an image from the camera;
- determining, by the processing unit, whether or not the sound originates from within the FoV of the camera;
- muting, by the processor, the microphone when the processing unit determines that the sound does not originate from within the FoV of the camera;
- and
- unmuting, by the processor, the microphone when the processing unit determines that the sound originates from within the FoV of the camera,
- wherein the camera includes a centerline, and
- wherein determining if whether or not the sound originates within the FoV of the camera includes:
- using a microphone array and sound source localization (SSL) to determine an angle of the sound;
- and
- determining whether or not the sound originates within the FoV of the camera based on the determined SSL sound angle and the centerline and the FoV of the camera.
A videoconferencing device comprising:
- a camera to provide an image, the camera having a field-of-view (FoV) and a centerline;
- a microphone to receive sound and provide an audio signal to be transmitted in the videoconference;
- a network interface to provide videoconference streams to at least one far site;
- a processor coupled to the camera, the microphone and the network interface;
- a microphone array, coupled to the processor, and providing audio output signals to the processor;
- and
- memory coupled to the processor, the memory store programs executed by the processor,
- wherein the processor is to perform, by executing programs and operations, videoconferencing operations of:
- determining whether or not sound is present in the audio signal from the microphone;
- determining whether or not the sound originates from within the FoV of the camera;
- muting the microphone when the processor determines that the sound does not originate from within the FoV of the camera;
- and
- unmuting the microphone when the processor determines that the sound originates from within the FoV of the camera,
- wherein determining whether or not the sound originates within the FoV of the camera includes:
- using the audio output signals from the microphone array to perform sound source localization (SSL) to determine an angle of the sound;
- and
- determining when the sound originates within the FoV of the camera based on the determined SSL sound angle and the centerline and the FoV of the camera.
A non-transitory processor readable memory containing programs that when executed cause a processor to perform the following method of selecting audio to be transmitted in a videoconference,
- the method comprising:
- reviewing an output of a microphone for sound;
- providing an image from a camera, the camera having a field-of-view (FoV) and a centerline;
- determining whether or not the sound originates from within the FoV of the camera;
- muting the microphone when the processor determines that the sound does not originate from within the FoV of the camera;
- and
- unmuting the microphone when the processor determines that the sound originate from within the FoV of the camera,
- wherein determining whether or not the sound originates within the FoV of the camera includes:
- using audio signal outputs from a microphone array and sound source localization (SSL) to determine an angle of the sound;
- and
- determining whether or not the sound originates within the FoV of the camera based on the determined SSL sound angle and the centerline and the FoV of the camera.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.