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US 12,389,160 B2Granted
Microphone apparatus
AssigneeGn Audio A/S
InventorsClément Laroche, Pejman Mowlaee, Rasmus Kongsgaard Olsson, Michael Sødal Schwartz
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to a microphone apparatus and an associated computer implemented method. The microphone apparatus comprising a main microphone array, an adaptive beamformer, a fixed beamformer, and an analyzer. The analyzer is configured to determine a first relative score based on the output of the fixed beamformer and the adaptive beamformer. The first relative score indicating a difference between the adaptive beamformer and the fixed beamformer.
Claims16
A microphone apparatus, comprising:
- a main microphone array;
- an adaptive beamformer;
- a fixed beamformer;
- an analyzer;
- and
- a signal path selector,
- wherein the main microphone array comprises:
- a first microphone adapted to provide a first input audio signal representing sound at a first microphone inlet,
- a second microphone adapted to provide a second input audio signal representing sound at a second microphone inlet,
- wherein the first microphone inlet is spatially separated from the second microphone inlet, and
- wherein the main microphone array is configured to:
- provide a main input vector comprising the first and the second input audio signal as components,
- wherein the adaptive beamformer is configured to:
- based on the main input vector, provide a first directional audio signal,
- wherein the directional sensitivity of the first directional audio signal is chosen to
- optimize a speech quality,
- wherein the fixed beamformer is configured to:
- based on the main input vector, provide a second directional audio signal,
- wherein the directional sensitivity of the second directional audio signal is predetermined, and
- wherein the analyzer is configured to:
- based on the first directional audio signal and the second directional audio signal, determine a first relative score indicating a difference between the first directional audio signal and the second directional audio signal,
- wherein the first relative score gives information regarding misalignment in directional sensitivity between the adaptive beamformer and the fixed beamformer,
- output the first relative score for controlling further processing of the first and the second input audio signal or for determining a mispositioning of the microphone apparatus,
- compare the first relative score to a first threshold, and
- provide a first pass signal if the first relative score exceeds a first threshold, and
- wherein the signal path selector is configured to, in response to the first pass signal being provided:
- pass on the first directional audio signal for further processing to provide an audio signal to be transmitted, and
- stop the second directional audio signal from being further processed.
25 more elements
A microphone apparatus, comprising:
- a main microphone array;
- an adaptive beamformer;
- a fixed beamformer;
- an analyzer;
- and
- a signal path selector,
- wherein the main microphone array comprises:
- a first microphone adapted to provide a first input audio signal representing sound at a first microphone inlet,
- a second microphone adapted to provide a second input audio signal representing sound at a second microphone inlet,
- wherein the first microphone inlet is spatially separated from the second microphone inlet, and
- wherein the main microphone array is configured to:
- provide a main input vector comprising the first and the second input audio signal as components,
- wherein the adaptive beamformer is configured to:
- based on the main input vector, provide a first directional audio signal,
- wherein the directional sensitivity of the first directional audio signal is chosen to optimize a speech quality,
- wherein the fixed beamformer is configured to:
- based on the main input vector, provide a second directional audio signal,
- wherein the directional sensitivity of the second directional audio signal is predetermined, and
- wherein the analyzer is configured to:
- based on the first directional audio signal and the second directional audio signal, determine a first relative score indicating a difference between the first directional audio signal and the second directional audio signal,
- wherein the first relative score gives information regarding misalignment in directional sensitivity between the adaptive beamformer and the fixed beamformer,
- output the first relative score for controlling further processing of the first and the second input audio signal or for determining a mispositioning of the microphone apparatus
- wherein the analyzer is further configured to:
- compare the first relative score to a first threshold, and
- provide a second pass signal if the first relative score does not exceed a first threshold, and
- wherein the signal path selector is configured to, in response to the second pass signal being provided:
- pass on the second directional audio signal for further processing to provide an audio signal to be transmitted, and
- stop the first directional audio signal from being further processed.
25 more elements
A microphone apparatus, comprising:
- a main microphone array;
- an adaptive beamformer;
- a fixed beamformer;
- and
- an analyzer,
- wherein the main microphone array comprises:
- a first microphone adapted to provide a first input audio signal representing sound at a first microphone inlet,
- a second microphone adapted to provide a second input audio signal representing sound at a second microphone inlet,
- wherein the first microphone inlet is spatially separated from the second microphone inlet, and
- wherein the main microphone array is configured to:
- provide a main input vector comprising the first and the second input audio signal as components,
- wherein the adaptive beamformer is configured to:
- based on the main input vector, provide a first directional audio signal,
- wherein the directional sensitivity of the first directional audio signal is chosen to optimize a speech quality,
- wherein the fixed beamformer is configured to:
- based on the main input vector, provide a second directional audio signal,
- wherein the directional sensitivity of the second directional audio signal is predetermined, and
- wherein the analyzer is configured to:
- based on the first directional audio signal and the second directional audio signal, determine a first relative score indicating a difference between the first directional audio signal and the second directional audio signal,
- wherein the first relative score gives information regarding misalignment in directional sensitivity between the adaptive beamformer and the fixed beamformer,
- output the first relative score for controlling further processing of the first and the second input audio signal or for determining a mispositioning of the microphone apparatus,
- compare the first relative score to a first threshold,
- provide a misposition signal if the first relative score exceeds the first threshold, and
- output the misposition signal as a user notification for notifying the user regarding a misposition of the first microphone inlet and/or the second microphone inlet.
21 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.