Systems and methods for automatic speech recognition

A system comprising:

• a multi-directional microphone array that includes a plurality of microphones each of which corresponds to a respective one of a plurality of voice pickup areas;
• control circuitry in communication with the multi-directional microphone array;
• and
• a transceiver in communication with the control circuitry,
• wherein the control circuitry receives a first signal from a first sensor in or proximate to a first of the plurality of voice pickup areas via the transceiver, the first signal indicative of the first sensor detecting a user in the first of the plurality of voice pickup areas, and
• wherein, responsive to the first signal, the control circuitry transmits a second signal to the multi-directional microphone array with instructions to activate a first of the plurality of microphones corresponding to the first of the plurality of voice pickup areas to enhance speech recognition by the multi-directional microphone array within the first of the plurality of voice pickup areas.

A method comprising:

• associating each of a plurality of microphones of a multi-directional microphone array with a respective one of a plurality of voice pickup areas;
• communicating with the multi-directional microphone array via control circuitry that receives a first signal from a sensor in or proximate to a first of the plurality of voice pickup areas via a transceiver in communication with the control circuitry, the first signal indicative of the sensor detecting a user in the first of the plurality of voice pickup areas;
• and
• responsive to the first signal, transmitting a second signal to the multi-directional microphone array via the control circuitry, the second signal including instructions to activate a first of the plurality of microphones corresponding to the first of the plurality of voice pickup areas to enhance speech recognition by the multi-dimensional microphone array within the first of the plurality of voice pickup areas.