Method for selectively picking up a sound signal

• US 20060104454A1
• Filed: 11/17/2005
• Published: 05/18/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2004
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Siemens AG
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Lukas, Klaus, Hoffmann, Gerhard, Guitarte Perez, Jesus Fernando
• Application Number:
  US11/280,226
• Publication Number:
  US 20060104454A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/71.600
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/167 Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback
• CPC Class Codes: G06V 40/165 using facial parts and geometric relationships
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/02 Speech enhancement, e.g. noise reduction or echo cancellation reducing echo effects in line transmission systems H04B3/20; echo suppression in hands-free telephones H04M9/08

Abstract

A system for selectively picking up a speech signal focuses on a speaker within a group of speakers who wishes to communicate something to the system using an image analysis algorithm to identify, based on a recognition feature, a position of at least one person who wishes to give the system voice commands. The detected position is then used to adapt a directional microphone to the at least one person.

Claims

1. A method for selectively picking up a sound signal, comprising:

recording images of people, located at least partly within range of a directional microphone, on a recording medium;

detecting a position of at least one person based on a predetermined recognition feature using an image analysis algorithm; and

adapting the directional microphone based on the position of the at least one person.

2. A method in accordance with claim 1, wherein the image analysis algorithm is a face localization method.

3. A method in accordance with claim 2, wherein a person at least partially facing towards the recording medium is used as the recognition feature.

4. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein when the person has a face at least partly covered by a covering formed by at least one of a face mask and a mouth protector, a direction the person is facing is recognized by the image analysis algorithm based on detection of edges of the covering.

5. A method in accordance with claim 3, wherein when the person has a face at least partly covered by a covering formed by at least one of a face mask and a mouth protector, a direction the person is facing is detected by the image analysis algorithm based on an optical feature on the covering.

6. A method in accordance claim 5, wherein the optical feature is at least one of a color and a texture.

7. A method in accordance with claim 6, wherein the directional microphone is a microphone array.

8. A method in accordance with claim 7, wherein the directional microphone is adapted to the person using a beam forming algorithm.

9. A device for selectively picking up a sound signal, comprising:

a recording mechanism recording pictures of at least one person located at least partly within range of a directional microphone, using an image analysis algorithm to detect a position of the at least one person based on a predeterminable recognition feature; and

a directional microphone adapting to the position of the at least one person, with a position of the directional microphone relative to the recording mechanism being known.

10. A device in accordance with claim 9, wherein the directional microphone is substantially co-located with the recording mechanism.

11. At least one computer readable medium storing instructions to control a processor to perform a method comprising:

recording images of people, located at least partly within range of a directional microphone, on a recording medium;

detecting a position of at least one person based on a predetermined recognition feature using an image analysis algorithm; and

adapting the directional microphone based on the position of the at least one person.