Automated user/sensor location recognition to customize audio performance in a distributed multi-sensor environment

• US 10,492,015 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2016
• Issued: 11/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Qualcomm, Inc.
• Inventors: Kim, Lae-Hoon, Xiang, Pei, Visser, Erik
• Primary Examiner(s): Blair, Kile O
• Application Number:
  US15/195,780
• Publication Number:
  US 20160309279A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,246 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/808 using transducers spaced apart and measuring phase or time difference between signals therefrom, i.e. path-difference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/323 for loudspeakers H04R1/34 and H04R1/40 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2430/20 Processing of the output signals of the acoustic transducers of an array for obtaining a desired directivity characteristic H04R2203/12 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/13 Acoustic transducers and sound field adaptation in vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/002 Loudspeaker arrays
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/12 for distributing signals to two or more loudspeakers specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/301 Automatic calibration of stereophonic sound system, e.g. with test microphone
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/302 Electronic adaptation of stereophonic sound system to listener position or orientation H04S7/301 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 7/303 Tracking of listener position or orientation

Abstract

A wireless device is described. The wireless device includes at least two microphones on the wireless device. The microphones are configured to capture sound from a target user. The wireless device also includes processing circuitry. The processing circuitry is coupled to the microphones. The processing circuitry is configured to locate the target user. The wireless device further includes a communication interface. The communication interface is coupled to the processing circuitry. The communication interface is configured to receive external device microphone audio from at least one external device microphone to assist the processing circuitry in the wireless device to locate the target user.

Claims

1. A wireless device, comprising:

at least two microphones, on the wireless device, configured to capture sound from a target user;

processing circuitry, coupled to the at least two microphones, configured to locate the target user; and

a communication interface, coupled to the processing circuitry, configured to receive external device microphone audio from at least one external device microphone to assist the processing circuitry in the wireless device to locate the target user in response to a first determination that the at least one external device microphone is available and a second determination that a location of the at least one external device microphone is useful to locate the target user.

2. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is a processor.

3. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to track a location of the target user.

4. The wireless device of claim 1, further comprising a time synchronization module to synchronize, a clock or a timestamp of the wireless device with a received clock or a timestamp of the external device, initiated based on a certain activation verbal code from the target user.

5. The wireless device of claim 1, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to perform speech recognition, using an automatic speech recognition engine to detect the target user.

6. A method, comprising:

capturing, by at least two microphones on a wireless device, sound from a target user;

locating, by processing circuitry, the target user; and

receiving, by a communication interface, external device microphone audio from at least one external device microphone to assist the processing circuitry in the wireless device in locating the target user in response to a first determination that the at least one external device microphone is available and a second determination that a location of the at least one external device microphone is useful to locate the target user.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising tracking, by the processing circuitry, a location of the target user.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising synchronizing, by a time synchronization module, a clock or a timestamp of the wireless device with a received clock or a timestamp of the external device, initiated based on a certain activation verbal code from the target user.

9. The method of claim 6, further comprising performing, by the processing circuitry, speech recognition using an automatic speech recognition engine to detect the target user.

10. A car, comprising:

at least two microphones, on the car, configured to capture sound from a target user;

processing circuitry, coupled to the at least two microphones, configured to locate the target user; and

a communication interface, coupled to the processing circuitry, configured to receive mobile phone microphone audio from at least one mobile phone microphone to assist the processing circuitry in the car to locate the target user in response to a first determination that the at least one mobile phone microphone is available and a second determination that a location of the at least one mobile phone microphone is useful to locate the target user.

11. The car of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is a processor.

12. The car of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to track a location of the target user.

13. The car of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to enhance audio capture quality of the target user based on the at least two microphones on the car and the reception, by the communication interface, of the mobile phone microphone audio from the at least one mobile phone microphone.

14. The car of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to locate the target user based on a first estimated direction of arrival (DOA) using the at least two microphones of the car, and wherein the communication interface is configured to receive mobile phone microphone audio from the at least one mobile phone microphone to assist the car in locating the target user based on a second estimated direction of arrival (DOA) using the at least one mobile phone microphone audio.

15. The car of claim 10, further comprising a time synchronization module configured to synchronize a clock or a timestamp of the car with a received clock or a timestamp of the mobile phone, initiated based on a certain activation verbal code from the target user.

16. The car of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to create a focused sound pick up region for the target user.

17. The car of claim 10, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to utilize the mobile phone microphone audio from the at least one mobile phone microphone to increase spatial diversity and allow triangulation of the target user.

18. A mobile phone, comprising:

at least two microphones, on the mobile phone, configured to capture sound from a target user;

processing circuitry, coupled to the at least two microphones, configured to locate the target user; and

a communication interface, coupled to the processing circuitry, configured to receive car microphone audio from at least one car microphone to assist the processing circuitry in the mobile phone to locate the target user in response to a first determination that the at least one car microphone is available and a second determination that a location of the at least one car microphone is useful to locate the target user.

19. The mobile phone of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is a processor.

20. The mobile phone of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is further configured to track a location of the target user.

21. The mobile phone of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to enhance audio capture quality of the target user based on the at least two microphones on the mobile phone and the reception, by the communication interface, of the car microphone audio from the at least one car microphone.

22. The mobile phone of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to locate the target user based on a first estimated direction of arrival (DOA) using the at least two microphones of the mobile phone, and wherein the communication interface is configured to receive car microphone audio from the at least one car microphone to assist the mobile phone in locating the target user based on a second estimated direction of arrival (DOA) using the at least one car microphone audio.

23. The mobile phone of claim 18, further comprising a time synchronization module configured to synchronize a clock or a timestamp of the mobile phone with a received clock or a timestamp of the car, initiated based on a certain activation verbal code from the target user.

24. The mobile phone of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to create a focused sound pick up region for the target user.

25. The mobile phone of claim 18, wherein the processing circuitry is configured to utilize the car microphone audio from the at least one car microphone to increase spatial diversity and allow triangulation of the target user.