Electronic apparatus for generating beamformed audio signals with steerable nulls

An apparatus for recording one or more subjects by a camera operator, the apparatus having a front side oriented towards the one or more subjects and a rear side oriented towards the camera operator, the front side and the rear side being oriented in opposite directions along a first axis, and a right side and a left side oriented in opposite directions along a second axis that is perpendicular to the first axis, the apparatus comprising:

• a first microphone, located near the right side, that generates a first signal;
• a second microphone, located near the left side, that generates a second signal;
• an automated null controller that generates a null control signal based on an imaging signal;
• a rear-side proximity sensor, coupled to the automated null controller, that generates a rear-side proximity sensor signal that corresponds to a distance between the camera operator and the apparatus;
• a beamforming module, coupled to the first microphone, the second microphone, and the automated null controller, that processes the first signal and the second signal based on the null control signal to generate:
• a right beamformed audio signal having a first directional pattern having at least one first null, and
• a left beamformed audio signal having a second directional pattern having at least one second null,
• wherein the first angular location (α) of the at least one first null and the second angular location (β) of the at least one second null is steered based on the null control signal such that the first null and the second null are oriented to cancel sound that originates from the rear side at the distance.