Apparatus, methods and computer programs for controlling audibility of sound sources

A method comprising:

• obtaining two or more audio signals from a plurality of microphones of an electronic device;
• determining loudness of one or more sound sources based on the two or more audio signals so as to determine the loudest sound source;
• determining whether the loudest sound source is within a region of interest based on the two or more audio signals;
• and
• controlling audibility of the one or more sound sources with a combination of beamformers in accordance with whether the loudest sound source is within a region of interest such that, if the loudest sound source is not within the region of interest the loudest sound source is de-emphasized relative to one or more other sound sources within the region of interest;
• wherein at least one first beamformer of the combination of beamformers comprises a look direction that at least partially comprises the region of interest;
• and
• wherein at least one second beamformer of the combination of beamformers comprises a null direction, the null direction comprising a direction towards a sound source having a threshold loudness outside of the region of interest.

A non-transitory program storage device readable with an apparatus tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable with the apparatus for performing operations, the operations comprising:

• obtaining two or more audio signals from a plurality of microphones of an electronic device;
• determining loudness of one or more sound sources based on the two or more audio signals so as to determine the loudest sound source;
• determining whether the loudest sound source is within a region of interest based on the two or more audio signals;
• and
• controlling audibility of the one or more sound sources with a combination of beamformers in accordance with whether the loudest sound source is within a region of interest such that, if the loudest sound source is not within the region of interest the loudest sound source is de-emphasized relative to one or more other sound sources within the region of interest;
• wherein at least one first beamformer of the combination of beamformers comprises a look direction that at least partially comprises the region of interest;
• and
• wherein at least one second beamformer of the combination of beamformers comprises a null direction, the null direction comprising a direction towards a sound source having a threshold loudness outside of the region of interest.