Arrangement and method for audio source tracking
First Claim
1. A method of localizing a position of an audio source relative to a camera, comprising steps of:
- determining a position of the audio source relative to at least one of a microphone and array of microphone elements;
geometrically deriving, by a control unit, a second distance and direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements; and
geometrically deriving, by the control unit through a mathematical analysis, a first distance and direction between the camera and the audio source, for a system wherein a distance between the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements and the camera is greater than a distance between the audio source and the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, from the position of the audio source relative to one of the at least one the microphone and array of microphone elements and said second distance and direction,wherein said step of geometrically deriving said second distance or direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, further comprises;
transmitting a sound signal generated by a machine from a known or detectable position relative to the camera;
respectively receiving the sound signal in at least two of the microphones and arrays of microphone elements; and
processing the received sound signals for calculating said second distance or direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements,wherein the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements is remote from the camera.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An arrangement and a method of localizing active speakers in a video conference includes a localization device that locates at least one microphone relative to the camera, while the at least one microphone in turn localizes the relative positions of audio sources. As the microphones are usually positioned close to the audio source in a video conference, the ratio of the distance between microphones relative to the distance between table microphone and audio source is reduced. Thus, the microphones are able to determine the positions of the audio sources with a higher resolution than if placed close to the camera. When the respective positions of the microphones relative to the camera and the audio source are known, the position of the audio source relative to the camera is then determined by means of geometrical calculations.
39 Citations
16 Claims
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1. A method of localizing a position of an audio source relative to a camera, comprising steps of:
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determining a position of the audio source relative to at least one of a microphone and array of microphone elements; geometrically deriving, by a control unit, a second distance and direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements; and geometrically deriving, by the control unit through a mathematical analysis, a first distance and direction between the camera and the audio source, for a system wherein a distance between the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements and the camera is greater than a distance between the audio source and the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, from the position of the audio source relative to one of the at least one the microphone and array of microphone elements and said second distance and direction, wherein said step of geometrically deriving said second distance or direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, further comprises; transmitting a sound signal generated by a machine from a known or detectable position relative to the camera; respectively receiving the sound signal in at least two of the microphones and arrays of microphone elements; and processing the received sound signals for calculating said second distance or direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, wherein the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements is remote from the camera. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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7. A method of localizing a position of an audio source relative to a camera, comprising steps of:
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determining a position of the audio source relative to at least one of a microphone and array of microphone e1ements; geometrically deriving, by a control unit, a second distance and direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements; and geometrically deriving, by the control unit through a mathematical analysis, a first distance and direction between the camera and the audio source, for a system wherein a distance between the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements and the camera is greater than a distance between the audio source and the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, from the position of the audio source relative to one of the at least one the microphone and array of microphone elements and said second distance and direction, wherein said step of geometrically deriving said second distance and direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, further comprises; providing said one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements with a recognizable pattern; identifying the recognizable pattern within the view captured by the camera; and determining said second distance and direction based on a size or a position of the recognizable pattern within the view. - View Dependent Claims (8)
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9. A system comprising:
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an apparatus configured to determine a position of an audio source relative to a camera that determines a position of the audio source relative to at least one of a microphone and an array of microphone elements, said apparatus including; a control unit configured to determine a position of the audio source relative to at least one of a microphone and array of microphone elements, geometrically derive a second distance and direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, and geometrically derive, through use of a mathematical analysis, a first distance and direction between the camera and the audio source, for a system wherein a distance between the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements and the camera is greater than a distance between the audio source and the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, from the position of the audio source relative to one of the at least one the microphone and array of microphone elements and said second distance and direction; a sound signal transmitter device positioned in a known or detectable position relative to said camera and configured to transmit a sound signal; and a sound signal transceiver that receives the sound signal in at least two of the microphones and arrays of microphone elements and transmits the received sound signals to the control unit, which is configured to process the received sound signals to calculate said second distance or direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, wherein the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements is remote from the camera. - View Dependent Claims (10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A system comprising:
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an apparatus configured to determine a position of an audio source relative to a camera that determines a position of the audio source relative to at least one of a microphone and an array of microphone elements, said apparatus including; a control unit configured to determine a position of the audio source relative to at least one of a microphone and array of microphone elements, geometrically derive a second distance and direction between the camera and one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, and geometrically derive, through use of a mathematical analysis, a first distance and direction between the camera and the audio source, for a system wherein a distance between the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements and the camera is greater than a distance between the audio source and the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements, from the position of the audio source relative to one of the at least one the microphone and array of microphone elements and said second distance and direction; the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements; and the camera, wherein said one of the at least one of the microphone and array of microphone elements is provided with a recognizable pattern, the camera or the control unit is configured to identify the recognizable pattern within the view captured by the camera, and the control unit is configured to determine said second distance or direction based on a size or a position of the recognizable pattern within the view. - View Dependent Claims (16)
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Specification