System for determining the position of sound sources

• US 8,170,260 B2
• Filed: 12/20/2007
• Issued: 05/01/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 06/23/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: AKG Acoustics GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: AKG Acoustics GmbH (Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.)
• Inventors: Reining, Friedrich, Pribyl, Richard
• Primary Examiner(s): Cao, Phat X
• Application Number:
  US11/961,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20080144876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,594 Days
• Field of Search: 381/369, 381/92, 381/122
• US Class Current: 381/369
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/083 Special constructions of mouthpieces
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 5/027 Spatial or constructional arrangements of microphones, e.g. in dummy heads

Abstract

A system determines the position of a sound source with a microphone in a fixed coordinate system. The microphone measures audio signals that are analyzed and processed to determine the position of the sound source in the fixed coordinate system. The system may adjust the direction of the microphone in the fixed coordinate system based on the processed audio signals and the position of the sound source. The microphone direction may be identified through an optical source that may be adjusted based on the processed audio signals and the position of the sound source.

Claims

1. A method for receiving audio at a microphone comprising:

determining a fixed coordinate system

identifying a position of the microphone relative to the fixed coordinate system, where the microphone includes a plurality capsules;

receiving audio signals representative of at least one sound source, where each of the capsules generates an audio signal;

analyzing the audio signals based on the known positions of the microphone and capsules in the fixed coordinate system;

adjusting a direction of at least one of the capsules based on the analysis of the analyzed audio signals received at that at least one capsule;

providing an identification of a principal direction of the microphone, where the principal direction of the microphone is known relative to the fixed coordinate system; and

adjusting the identification of the principal direction of the microphone based on the analysis of the analyzed audio signals, where the identification comprises a light source that illuminates a direction of the microphone.

2. The method of claim 1 where the principal direction of the microphone is adjusted towards one of the at least one sound sources.

3. The method of claim 1 where the microphone comprises a soundfield microphone or an array microphone.

4. A system for determining a position of a sound source comprising:

a microphone including a plurality of capsules, where each capsule measures an audio value where the microphone includes a deflector and a measuring stick;

a sound analyzer in communication with the microphone that receives an audio signal representative of the audio value for the capsules; and

an identification generator in communication with the sound analyzer that comprises a light source;

where the sound analyzer identifies a location of the sound source with respect to a fixed coordinate system based on the audio signals and the identification generator marks the location of the sound source with respect to the fixed coordinate system and where the measuring stick adjusts an output of the light source and the deflector reflects and directs the light source.

5. The system of claim 4 where the microphone is located near a center of the fixed coordinate system.

6. The system of claim 4 where the identified location is identified based on coordinates in the fixed coordinate system.

7. The system of claim 4 where the identification generator marks the location by pointing the light source at the location.

8. The system of claim 4 where the light source comprises a laser.

9. The system of claim 4 where the deflector comprises a mirror, a lens, or a prism, further where one of the deflector or the light source is rotatable to adjust a direction of a light beam from the light source.

10. A method of determining a position of a sound source comprising:

measuring audio from the sound source with microphone capsules that generate audio signals representative of the audio from the sound source, where each audio signal is representative of the audio from a respective one of the microphone capsules;

generating an identification of a direction of the microphone capsules;

processing the audio signals to determine the position of the sound source; and

modifying the direction of the microphone capsules based on the determined position of the sound source, where the identification of the direction of the microphone capsules is in the modified direction of the microphone capsules and where the identification of a direction of the microphone capsules comprises a light beam that is shined in the direction of the microphone capsules.

11. The method of claim 10 where the direction of the microphone capsules is modified in near real-time as the audio signals are processed.

12. The method of claim 10 where the position of the sound source is identified with respect to a fixed coordinate system.

13. The method of claim 12 where a microphone comprises the microphone capsules and the microphone is located near a center of the fixed coordinate system and the position is determined by coordinates from the fixed coordinate system.