Method and apparatus for calibrating multiple microphones

• US 9,742,573 B2
• Filed: 10/29/2013
• Issued: 08/22/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/29/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Cisco Technology, Inc. (Cisco Systems, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, Wei (Wilson), Wu, Hui (Alina), Oden, Mark Thomas
• Primary Examiner(s): Gauthier, Gerald
• Application Number:
  US14/066,611
• Publication Number:
  US 20150117671A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,393 Days
• Field of Search: 381 92, 381 26, 381 711, 375285, 37920201, 379430, 455416, 704226, 704231, 704233, 704275, 715716
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1813 for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms instant messaging H04L51/04; protocols for multimedia communication H04L65/1101; arrangements for multi-party communication H04L65/403; telephonic conference arrangements H04M3/56; television conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 12/1827 Network arrangements for conference optimisation or adaptation
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/56 Arrangements for connecting several subscribers to a common circuit, i.e. affording conference facilities video conference systems H04N7/15
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 3/568 audio processing specific to telephonic conferencing, e.g. spatial distribution, mixing of participants echo suppression in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/02; sound field processing per se H04S7/30
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/00 Microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 27/00 Public address systems circuits for preventing acoustic reaction H04R3/02; circuits for distributing signals to loudspeakers H04R3/12; monitoring or testing arrangements for public address systems H04R29/007; amplifiers H03F
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/00 Circuits for transducers , loudspeakers or microphones

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes capturing sound using a plurality of microphones, wherein the plurality of microphones is associated with a computing system. The method also includes determining energy levels for the plurality of microphones, and determining signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for the plurality of microphones. Finally, the method includes selecting a particular microphone of the plurality of microphones based on the energy levels and the SNRs, wherein selecting the particular microphone includes providing audio signals obtained by the particular microphone to the computing system for use.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

capturing sound using a plurality of microphones, wherein the plurality of microphones is associated with a computing system;

determining energy levels for the plurality of microphones;

determining signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for the plurality of microphones; and

selecting a particular microphone of the plurality of microphones based on the energy levels and the SNRs, wherein selecting the particular microphone includes providing audio signals obtained by the particular microphone to the computing system for use.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the plurality of microphones includes at least a first microphone and a second microphone, and wherein determining the energy levels for the plurality of microphones includes determining a first energy level associated with the first microphone using the captured sound and determining a second energy level associated with the second microphone using the captured sound.

3. The method of claim 2 further including:

determining whether the first energy level exceeds a threshold energy level; and

determining whether the second energy level exceeds the threshold energy level, wherein when it is determined that the first energy level exceeds the threshold energy level and when it is determined that the second energy level does not exceed the threshold energy level, the first microphone is selected as the particular microphone.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein determining the SNRs for the plurality of microphones includes determining a first SNR associated with the first microphone using the captured sound, and determining a second SNR associated with the second microphone using the captured sound.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein when it is determined that the first energy level exceeds the threshold level and when it is determined that the second energy level exceeds the threshold level, the method further includes:

determining when the first SNR is greater than the second SNR, wherein the first microphone is automatically selected as the particular microphone when it is determined that the first SNR is greater than the second SNR, and wherein the second microphone is selected as the particular microphone when it is determined that the first SNR is not greater than the second SNR.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein capturing the sound using the plurality of microphones includes calibrating the plurality of microphones, the plurality of microphones including a first microphone and a second microphone, wherein selecting the particular microphone includes selecting the first microphone as the particular microphone when the first microphone has more than a threshold energy level and the first microphone has a higher SNR than the second microphone.

7. The method of claim 1 further including:

initiating an application, the application being a conferencing application, the application being arranged to execute on the computing system, wherein initiating the application includes capturing the sound using the plurality of microphones.

8. The method of claim 1 further including:

activating the plurality of microphones.

9. A tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code, the computer program code, when executed, configured to:

capture sound using a plurality of microphones, wherein the plurality of microphones is associated with a computing system;

determine energy levels for the plurality of microphones;

determine signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) for the plurality of microphones; and

select a particular microphone of the plurality of microphones based on the energy levels and the SNRs, wherein the computer program code configured to select the particular microphone includes computer code configured to provide audio signals obtained by the particular microphone to the computing system for use.

10. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 9 wherein the plurality of microphones includes at least a first microphone and a second microphone, and wherein the computer program code configured to determine the energy levels for the plurality of microphones includes computer program code configured to determine a first energy level associated with the first microphone using the captured sound and computer program code configured to determine a second energy level associated with the second microphone using the captured sound.

11. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 10, wherein the computer program code is further configured to:

determine whether the first energy level exceeds a threshold energy level; and

determine whether the second energy level exceeds the threshold energy level, wherein when it is determined that the first energy level exceeds the threshold energy level and when it is determined that the second energy level does not exceed the threshold energy level, the first microphone is automatically selected as the particular microphone.

12. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 11 wherein the computer program code configured to determine the SNRs for the plurality of microphones includes computer program code configured to determine a first SNR associated with the first microphone using the captured sound, and computer program code configured to determine a second SNR associated with the second microphone using the captured sound.

13. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 12 wherein when it is determined that the first energy level exceeds the threshold level and when it is determined that the second energy level exceeds the threshold level, the computer program code is further configured to:

determine when the first SNR is greater than the second SNR, wherein the first microphone is selected as the particular microphone and the second microphone is deactivated when it is determined that the first SNR is greater than the second SNR, and wherein the second microphone is selected as the particular microphone and the first microphone is deactivated when it is determined that the first SNR is not greater than the second SNR.

14. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 9 wherein the computer program code configured to capture the sound using the plurality of microphones includes computer program code configured to calibrate the plurality of microphones.

15. The tangible, non-transitory computer-readable medium comprising computer program code of claim 9, wherein the computer program code is further configured to:

initiate an application, the application being arranged to execute on the computing system, wherein the computer program code configured to initiate the application includes the computer program code to capture the sound using the plurality of microphones.

16. An apparatus comprising:

a plurality of microphones, the plurality of microphones being arranged to capture sound; and

a system, the system being in communication with the plurality of microphones, the system being configured to determine energy levels associated with the sound captured by the plurality of microphones and signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) associated with the sound captured by the plurality of microphones, wherein the system is further configured to automatically select a particular microphone from the plurality of microphones based on the energy levels and the SNRs for use in providing audio signals to the system.

17. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the plurality of microphones includes a first microphone and a second microphone, the first microphone having a first energy level and a first SNR, the second microphone having a second energy level and a second SNR, and wherein the system is configured to automatically select the first microphone as the particular microphone when the first energy level is higher than a threshold energy level, the second energy level is higher than the threshold energy level, and the first SNR that is greater than the second SNR.

18. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the plurality of microphones includes a first microphone and a second microphone, the first microphone having a first SNR, the second microphone having a second SNR, and wherein the system is configured to automatically select the first microphone as the particular microphone when the first SNR that is greater than the second SNR and to deactivate the second microphone when the first microphone is automatically selected as a first microphone.

19. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the system is further configured to calibrate the plurality of microphones substantially simultaneously, wherein the plurality of microphones is arranged to capture the sound substantially simultaneously.

20. The apparatus of claim 16 wherein the system is arranged to initiate an application that is arranged to use the audio signals, and wherein the system is further configured to activate the plurality of microphones when the application is initiated.