System and method of indicating and controlling sound pickup direction and location in a teleconferencing system

• US 20030118200A1
• Filed: 08/15/2002
• Published: 06/26/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Mitel Networks Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mitel Knowledge Corporation (Mitel Networks Corporation)
• Inventors: Beaucoup, Franck, Fletcher, Jodie, Moquin, Philippe, Thompson, Graham H.
• Application Number:
  US10/223,064
• Publication Number:
  US 20030118200A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/110
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/569 using the instant speaker's algorithm speech detection per se G10L25/78
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A method of identifying talker location includes picking up audio signals using a steerable microphone array and processing the picked up audio signals to determine the location of an active talker. The microphone array is then steered in the direction of the active talker and a cue is generated to identify the direction in which the microphone array has been steered.

Claims

1. A method of identifying talker location comprising the steps of:

picking up audio signals using a steerable microphone array;

processing the picked up audio signals to determine the location of an active talker;

steering the microphone array in the direction of the active talker; and

generating a cue to identify the direction in which the microphone array has been steered.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said cue is a visual cue.

3. The method of claim 2 wherein said visual cue is generated by illuminating a light source associated with the direction in which the microphone array has been steered.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein said light source is a light emitting diode.

5. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of freezing the microphone array in the direction in which the microphone array has been steered in response to an input command.

6. The method of claim 5 further comprising the step of changing the illumination of said light source to indicate visually that the microphone array has been frozen.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein during said changing said light source changes from a constant illumination and begins flashing.

8. The method of claim 3 further comprising the step of muting said microphone array in response to an input command.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein during said muting said light source changes color.

10. A method of identifying talker location comprising the steps of:

picking up audio signals;

processing the audio signals to determine the location of an active talker; and

generating a visual cue that identifies the location of said active talker.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein said visual cue is a selected one of a circular array of light sources.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein said visual cue is a selected one of a planar array of light sources.

13. A method of identifying talker location comprising the steps of:

picking up audio signals using a circular microphone array including a plurality of omni-directional microphones;

processing the picked up audio signals to determine the location of an active talker;

using the omni-directional microphones to synthesize narrow microphone beams pointing in the direction of the active talker; and

generating a cue to identify the microphone beam focus direction.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein said cue is a visual cue.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein said visual cue is generated by illuminating a selected one of a circular array of light sources, each of said light sources being associated with the direction of at least one microphone beam that can be synthesized by said microphone array.

16. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of freezing the microphone array to maintain the synthesized narrow microphone beams irrespective of changes in picked up audio signals in response to an input command and changing the illumination of the selected one light source to indicate visually that the microphone array has been frozen.

17. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of muting the microphone array in response to an input command and changing the illumination of at least the selected one light source to indicate visually that the microphone array has been muted.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein during said muting, all of the light sources in the array are illuminated in a manner to indicate visually that the microphone array has been muted.

19. A conference unit comprising:

a loudspeaker to broadcast audio signals;

a steerable microphone array to pick up audio signals;

a processor to process picked up audio signals to determine the location of an active talker and steer the microphone array in the direction of said talker; and

an indicator array responsive to said processor and including a plurality of indicators, each indicator being associated with a different microphone array steer direction, the indicator associated with the direction the microphone array has been steered being activated.

20. A conference unit according to claim 19 wherein said indicator array includes a plurality of visual indicators that illuminate when activated.

21. A conference unit according to claim 20 wherein said microphone array includes a circular array of omni-directional microphones and wherein said visual indicators are arranged in a circular array.

22. A conference unit according to claim 21 wherein said processor is responsive to at least one control unit generating messages in response to input commands.

23. A conference unit according to claim 22 wherein said processor in response to a presentation mode message generated by said at least one control unit, freezes said microphone array in its current direction and changes the manner in which the associated indicator is illuminated.

24. A conference unit according to claim 23 wherein said processor in response to a mute mode message generated by said at least one control unit mutes said microphone array and illuminates the visual indicators in a manner to signify that said microphone array has been muted.