Methods and apparatuses for adjusting a listening area for capturing sounds

• US 20060269072A1
• Filed: 05/04/2006
• Published: 11/30/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 08/27/2003
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment Incorporated (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Mao, Xiao Dong
• Granted Patent: US 8,160,269 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/005 Microphone arrays

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses adjust a listening area of a microphone includes detecting an initial listening zone; capture a captured sound through a microphone array; identify an initial sound based on the captured sound and the initial listening zone wherein the initial sound includes sounds within the initial listening zone; adjust the initial listening zone and forming the adjusted listening zone; and identify an adjusted sound based on the captured sound and the adjusted listening zone wherein the adjusted sound includes sounds within the adjusted listening zone.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting an initial listening zone;

capturing a captured sound through a microphone array;

identifying an initial sound based on the captured sound and the initial listening zone wherein the initial sound includes sounds within the initial listening zone;

adjusting the initial listening zone and forming the adjusted listening zone; and

identifying an adjusted sound based on the captured sound and the adjusted listening zone wherein the adjusted sound includes sounds within the adjusted listening zone.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising rejecting a portion of the captured sound to produce the initial sound.

3. The method according to claim 1 wherein the captured sound includes sound from outside the initial listening zone.

4. The method according to claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises enlarging an area of the initial listening zone.

5. The method according to claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises reducing an area of the initial listening zone.

6. The method according to claim 1 wherein the initial listening zone is represented by a set of filter coefficients.

7. The method according to claim 1 wherein the adjusted listening zone is represented by a set of filter coefficients.

8. The method according to claim 1 further comprising transmitting the adjusted sound.

9. The method according to claim 1 further comprising storing the adjusted sound.

10. The method according to claim 1 wherein the adjusted sound includes a sound originating within the adjusted listening zone and excludes sound from outside the adjusted listening zone.

11. The method according to claim 1 wherein adjusting further comprises enlarging the initial listening zone based on a sound detected outside the adjusted listening zone.

12. The method according to claim 11 wherein the adjusted listening zone includes a location of the sound detected outside the adjusted listening zone.

13. The method according to claim 1 wherein adjusting the initial listening zone is a based on a location of the captured sound and the initial listening zone.

14. The method according to claim 13 wherein the adjusted listening zone includes the location of the captured sound.

15. The method according to claim 1 wherein microphone array includes more than one microphone.

16. A method comprising:

detecting a sound field covered by a microphone array;

defining a plurality of listening zones wherein each listening zone represents a portion of the sound field;

designating a selected listening zone from the plurality of listening zones; and

storing the selected listening zone within a profile.

17. The method according to claim 16 wherein an area of each of the plurality of listening zones is represented by a set of filter coefficients.

18. The method according to claim 16 wherein an area representing the plurality of listening zones comprises the sound field covered by the microphone array.

19. A system, comprising:

an area detection module configured for detecting a listening zone wherein the listening zone is to be monitored for sounds by a microphone array;

a storage module configured for storing sounds from the listening zone; and

an area adjustment module configured for adjusting the listening zone; and

a sound detection module configured for detecting sounds originating from the listening zone.

20. The system according to claim 19 further comprising an area profile module configured to store a parameter associated with the listening zone.

21. The system according to claim 19 wherein the parameter is a set of filter coefficients that indicate an area covered by the listening zone.

22. A computer-readable medium having computer executable instructions for performing a method comprising:

detecting an initial listening zone;

capturing a captured sound through a microphone array;

identifying an initial sound based on the captured sound and the initial listening zone wherein the initial sound includes sounds within the initial listening zone;

adjusting the initial listening zone and forming the adjusted listening zone; and

identifying an adjusted sound based on the captured sound and the adjusted listening zone wherein the adjusted sound includes sounds within the adjusted listening zone.