Acoustic talker localization
AssigneeMitel Corporation
InventorsMaziar Amiri, Dieter Schulz, Michael Tetelbaum
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Abstract
An apparatus for locating a talker, comprising a microphone array for receiving multiple audio signals, wherein the microphone array is characterized by a predetermined beampattern, a spectral conditioner for filtering the audio signals to optimize the beampattern for talker localization, a localization estimator for calculating a localization estimate based on the filtered audio signals, an activity detector for detecting periods of speech activity, and decision logic for verifying the localization estimate during the periods of speech activity.
Claims16
A method of locating a talker, comprising the steps of:
- receiving multiple audio signals from a microphone array characterized by a predetermined beampattern;
- filtering said audio signals to optimize said predetermined beampattern for talker localization;
- calculating a localization estimate based on the filtered audio signals;
- detecting periods of speech activity;
- and
- verifying said localization estimate during said periods of speech activity.
An apparatus for locating a talker, comprising:
- a microphone array for receiving multiple audio signals, said microphone array being characterized by a predetermined beampattern;
- a spectral conditioner for filtering said audio signals to optimize said predetermined beampattern for talker localization;
- a localization estimator for calculating a localization estimate based on the filtered audio signals;
- an activity detector for detecting periods of speech activity;
- and
- decision logic for verifying said localization estimate during said periods of speech activity.
For use with a talker localization estimator which receives multiple audio signals from a microphone array characterized by a predetermined beampattern and in response generates a location estimate of a talker relative to said array, the improvement comprising a bandpass filter for filtering said audio signals to optimize said predetermined beampattern for talker localization.
A method of verifying the location of a talker from a plurality of localization estimates generated by a localization estimator, comprising the steps of:
- storing a succession of localization estimates;
- counting occurrences of said localization estimates within a predetermined sample window;
- and
- selecting any one of said occurrences which is repeated more than a predetermined threshold number of times within said window.
A method of restricting the operation of a location estimator comprising the step of:
- bandpass filtering audio signals to enhance the beampattern thereof for talker localization prior to conveying the audio signals to said location estimator.
A method of generating talker location estimates comprising the steps of:
- bandpass filtering audio signals to enhance the beampattern thereof for talker localization prior to conveying the audio signals to a location estimator;
- and
- generating a first order position estimates in response to the filtered audio signals.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.