Variable beamforming with a mobile platform

A mobile platform comprising:

• a microphone array;
• orientation sensors;
• a processor connected to the microphone array and the orientation sensors;
• memory connected to the processor;
• and
• software held in the memory and run in the processor to cause the processor to identify a direction of a sound source based on the mobile platform being pointed in the direction of the sound source, to select the direction of the sound source for amplification or suppression of audio information from the direction of the sound source based on a gesture in the form of movement of the mobile platform detected by the orientation sensors, to implement beamforming to amplify or suppress audio information received by the microphone array in the direction of the sound source, to determine movement of the mobile platform using data provided by the orientation sensors, and to use the determined movement to adjust the beamforming to continue to implement beamforming in the direction of the sound source after the mobile platform has moved with respect to the sound source.

A system comprising:

• means for identifying a direction of a sound source with respect to a mobile platform based on the mobile platform being pointed in the direction of the sound source;
• means for using a gesture to select the direction of the sound source for amplification or suppression of audio information from the direction of the sound source;
• means for implementing beamforming with the mobile platform in the direction of the sound source to amplify or suppress audio information from the sound source;
• means for determining movement of the mobile platform with respect to the sound source;
• and
• means for using the determined movement to adjust the beamforming to continue to implement beamforming in the direction of the sound source after the mobile platform has moved with respect to the sound source.

A computer-readable medium including program code stored thereon, comprising:

• program code to identify a direction of a sound source based on a microphone array being pointed in the direction of the sound source;
• program code to select the direction of the sound source for amplification or suppression of audio information from the direction of the sound source based on a gesture in the form of movement of the mobile platform detected by the orientation sensors;
• program code to implement beamforming to amplify or suppress audio information received by the microphone array in the direction of the sound source;
• program code to determine movement of the microphone array;
• and
• program code to use the determined movement to adjust the beamforming to continue to implement beamforming in the direction of the sound source after the microphone array has moved with respect to the sound source.