Microphone directivity control apparatus

A portable device, comprising:

• a directivity-controllable microphone;
• a sensor to detect a motion of the portable device;
• a processor to execute:
• acquiring tilt information indicating a tilt angle of the portable device from the motion of the portable device detected by the sensor;
• calculating sound source direction information indicating a direction to a sound source of a target sound based on sound information acquired by the microphone;
• updating, on basis of the sound source direction information and the tilt information, stored mapping data indicating a relationship between the tilt angle of the casing and the direction to the sound source with respect to the microphone, if determined that the acquired sound information indicates a target sound;
• upon determining that the sound information does not indicate a target sound, estimating on basis of a plurality of mapping data a direction to the sound source responsive to the tilt information;
• and
• adjusting on basis of sound source direction information a directivity of the microphone.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium for recording a program allowing a computer to execute:

• acquiring tilt information indicating a tilt angle of a casing of a computer from a sensor measuring the tilt angle of the casing of the computer;
• acquiring sound source direction information indicating a direction to a sound source, based on sound information picked up by a microphone arranged on the casing;
• determining whether the sound information indicates a target sound;
• correcting mapping data by accessing a recorder recording the mapping data indicating a relationship between the tilt angle of the casing and the direction to the sound source with respect to the microphone if the sound information is determined as indicating the target sound;
• upon determining that the sound information does not indicate a target sound, estimating on basis of a plurality of mapping data a direction to the sound source responsive to the tilt information acquired;
• and
• controlling a directivity of the microphone on basis of sound source direction information.

A method of controlling a directivity of a microphone executed by a computer, comprising:

• acquiring tilt information indicating a tilt angle of a casing of a computer from a sensor measuring the tilt angle of the casing of the computer;
• acquiring sound source direction information indicating a direction to a sound source, based on sound information picked up by a microphone arranged on the casing;
• correcting mapping data by accessing a recorder recording the mapping data indicating a relationship between the tilt angle of the casing and the direction to the sound source with respect to the microphone if the sound information is determined as indicating a target sound;
• upon determining that the sound information does not indicate a target sound, estimating on basis of a plurality of mapping data estimating a direction to the sound source responsive to the tilt information acquired;
• and
• controlling a directivity of the microphone on basis of sound source direction information.

A portable device, comprising:

• a directivity-controllable microphone;
• a sensor to detect a motion of the portable device;
• a computer processor capable of executing:
• acquiring tilt information indicating a tilt angle of the portable device from the motion of the portable device detected by the sensor;
• calculating sound source direction information indicating a direction to a sound source for determining a target sound based on sound information acquired by the microphone;
• maintaining mapping data indicating a relationship between the tilt angle of the portable device and the direction to the sound source with respect to the microphone;
• estimating based on a plurality of mapping data a direction to the sound source responsive to the tilt information, if the acquired sound information does not indicate a target sound, and adjusting a directivity of the microphone based on the estimated direction to the sound source.