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US 8,559,656 B2Granted
System and method for automatic microphone volume setting
AssigneeAdacel Systems, Inc.
InventorsChang-Qing Shu, Dezhi Liao
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Optimal microphone volumes are automatically set for computer applications based on determination of peak volume levels and noise levels from one or more digital audio captures. The peak volume levels and noise levels can be advantageously determined based on distribution curves of sample volume levels in the digital audio captures. Clipping can be automatically compensated for by estimating peak unclipped capture volume levels from the distribution curves.
Claims17
A method of automatically setting microphone volume, the method comprising:
- checking a first audio capture for clipping;
- if clipping is detected, analyzing the first audio capture to estimate a clipping magnitude;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the estimated clipping magnitude to eliminate the clipping;
- analyzing at least one clipping-free audio capture to determine a peak capture volume level and a noise level;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the peak capture volume level and the noise level;
- wherein analyzing the at least one clipping-free audio capture to determine the peak capture volume level and the noise level includes:
- analyzing the first clipping-free audio capture to determine the peak capture volume level of the first clipping-free audio capture;
- estimating the noise level from the first clipping-free audio capture, unless the peak capture volume of the first clipping-free audio capture is outside a predetermined margin of a clipping threshold;
- if the peak capture volume of the first clipping-free audio capture is outside of the predetermined margin, adjusting the microphone volume setting to bring the peak capture volume within the predetermined margin of the clipping threshold;
- obtaining a second clipping-free audio capture at the adjusted microphone volume setting;
- and
- determining the noise level from the second clipping-free audio capture.
11 more elements
A method of automatically setting microphone volume, the method comprising:
- checking a first audio capture for clipping;
- if clipping is detected, analyzing the first audio capture to estimate a clipping magnitude;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the estimated clipping magnitude to eliminate the clipping;
- analyzing at least one clipping-free audio capture to determine a peak capture volume level and a noise level;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the peak capture volume level and the noise level;
- wherein, if clipping is detected, analyzing the first audio capture to estimate the clipping magnitude includes:
- analyzing a distribution curve of sample volumes of the first audio capture to estimate a clipping-affected portion of the distribution curve;
- and
- estimating a peak, unclipped sample volume level based on the estimated clipping-affected portion.
8 more elements
A method of automatically setting microphone volume, the method comprising:
- checking a first audio capture for clipping;
- if clipping is detected, analyzing the first audio capture to estimate a clipping magnitude;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the estimated clipping magnitude to eliminate the clipping;
- analyzing at least one clipping-free audio capture to determine a peak capture volume level and a noise level;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the peak capture volume level and the noise level;
- wherein analyzing the at least one clipping-free audio sample to determine the noise level includes:
- analyzing a distribution curve of the least one clipping-free audio sample to determine a standard deviation thereof;
- and
- estimating the noise level as a function of the standard deviation.
8 more elements
A method of automatically setting microphone volume, the method comprising:
- checking a first audio capture for clipping;
- if clipping is detected, analyzing the first audio capture to estimate a clipping magnitude;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the estimated clipping magnitude to eliminate the clipping;
- analyzing at least one clipping-free audio capture to determine a peak capture volume level and a noise level;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the peak capture volume level and the noise level;
- wherein adjusting the microphone volume setting based on the peak capture volume level and the noise level includes:
- identifying a noise level threshold for an application using the microphone;
- and
- adjusting the microphone volume setting to achieve a highest peak capture volume level possible without exceeding the noise level threshold.
8 more elements
A method of automatically setting microphone volume, the method comprising:
- obtaining at least one digital audio capture;
- generating, for the at least one digital audio capture, a distribution curve of capture sample absolute volume levels;
- analyzing the distribution curve to determine at least one peak unclipped capture volume level and at least one noise level;
- and
- selecting a microphone volume setting based on the peak unclipped capture volume and noise levels;
- wherein, if clipping is detected in the at least one digital audio capture, the at least one peak unclipped capture volume level is estimated from characteristics of an unclipped portion of the distribution curve for the at least one digital audio capture.
3 more elements
A method of automatically setting microphone volume, the method comprising:
- obtaining at least one digital audio capture;
- generating, for the at least one digital audio capture, a distribution curve of capture sample absolute volume levels;
- analyzing the distribution curve to determine at least one peak unclipped capture volume level and at least one noise level;
- and
- selecting a microphone volume setting based on the peak unclipped capture volume and noise levels;
- wherein, if the at least one peak unclipped capture volume level is below a predetermined margin from a clipping threshold, at least a second digital audio capture is obtained at a microphone volume setting selected to bring the peak unclipped capture volume level with the predetermined margin.
3 more elements
A method for adjusting a microphone volume setting to eliminate clipping, the method comprising:
- generating a distribution curve of sample volume levels for a digital audio capture having clipping;
- estimating a peak unclipped sample volume level based on an unclipped portion of the distribution curve;
- and
- generating a microphone volume setting to bring the peak unclipped sample volume level below a clipping threshold.
1 more element
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.