Methods and apparatuses for capturing an audio signal based on a location of the signal

• US 20060269073A1
• 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 8,233,642 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/56
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02166 Microphone arrays; Beamforming
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 21/0208 Noise filtering
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/005 Microphone arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

In one embodiment, the methods and apparatuses detect an initial listening zone wherein the initial listening zone represents an initial area monitored for sounds; detect an initial sound within the initial listening zone; and adjust the initial listening zone and forming the adjusted listening zone having an adjusted area based wherein the initial sound emanates from within the adjusted listening zone.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

detecting an initial listening zone wherein the initial listening zone represents an initial area monitored for sounds;

detecting an initial sound within the initial listening zone; and

adjusting the initial listening zone and forming the adjusted listening zone having an adjusted area based wherein the initial sound emanates from within the adjusted listening zone.

2. The method according to claim 1 further comprising capturing sounds emanating from the adjusted area.

3. The method according to claim 1 further comprising capturing sounds emanating from the initial area.

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

5. The method according to claim 1 further comprising detecting an initial sound level of the initial sound.

6. The method according to claim 5 further comprising comparing the initial sound level with a threshold level.

7. The method according to claim 6 wherein the threshold level is predetermined to decrease detection of background sounds.

8. The method according to claim 6 wherein adjusting the initial listening zone occurs when the initial sound level exceeds the threshold level.

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

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

11. The method according to claim 1 further comprising capturing an adjusted sound from the adjusted listening zone via a microphone array.

12. The method according to claim 11 further comprising transmitting the adjusted sound.

13. The method according to claim 11 further comprising storing the adjusted sound.

14. The method according to claim 11 wherein microphone array includes more than one microphone.

15. The method according to claim 11 further comprising detecting an adjusted sound level of the adjusted sound.

16. The method according to claim 15 further comprising comparing the adjusted sound level with a threshold level.

17. The method according to claim 16 further comprising returning the adjusted listening zone to the initial listening zone when the threshold level exceeds the adjusted sound level.

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

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

20. A system, comprising:

an area detection module configured for detecting an initial listening zone wherein the initial listening zone is to be monitored for sounds;

a sound detection module configured for detecting a sound emanating from the initial listening zone and for detecting a location of the sound; and

an area adjustment module configured for adjusting the initial listening zone based on the location of the sound and forming an adjusted listening zone wherein the adjusted listening zone includes the location of the sound.

21. The system according to claim 20 wherein the adjusted listening zone is described by a set of filter coefficients.

22. The system according to claim 20 wherein the sound detection module is configured to detect a sound level of the sound emanating from the initial listening zone.

23. The system according to claim 22 wherein the area adjustment module is configured to adjust the initial listening zone based on the sound level exceeding a threshold level.

24. The system according to claim 20 further comprising a microphone coupled to the sound detection module.

25. The system according to claim 20 further comprising a microphone array coupled to the sound detection module.

26. The system of claim 25 wherein the microphone array includes a plurality of microphones arranged in a one-dimensional array.

27. The system of claim 25 wherein the microphone array includes more than two microphones arranged in a two-dimensional array.

28. The system of claim 25 wherein the microphone array includes more than three microphones arranged in a three-dimensional array.

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

detecting an initial listening zone wherein the initial listening zone represents an initial area monitored for sounds;

detecting an initial sound within the initial listening zone; and

adjusting the initial listening zone and forming the adjusted listening zone having an adjusted area based wherein the initial sound emanates from within the adjusted listening zone.