METHOD FOR VOICE RECORDING AND ELECTRONIC DEVICE THEREOF

• US 20150055798A1
• Filed: 08/25/2014
• Published: 02/26/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 08/26/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: MOON, Joo-Hyun, KIM, Eung-Ha, KIM, Tai-Hyung
• Granted Patent: US 9,947,363 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 3/8006 Multi-channel systems specially adapted for direction-finding, i.e. having a single aerial system capable of giving simultaneous indications of the directions of different signals
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 20/10527 Audio or video recording; Data buffering arrangements G11B20/12 - G11B20/18 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G11B 2020/10537 Audio or video recording
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/656 for recording conversations
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72403 with means for local support of applications that increase the functionality
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 1/406 microphones
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/401 2D or 3D arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2499/11 Transducers incorporated or for use in hand-held devices, e.g. mobile phones, PDA's, camera's
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A method for voice recording and an electronic device thereof are provided. The method includes determining a voice recording mode from among a plurality of voice recording modes, determining a voice beamforming direction according to the determined voice recording mode, and recording voice signals based on the determined voice beamforming direction.

Claims

1. A method in an electronic device including a plurality of microphones, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a voice recording mode;

determining a voice beamforming direction according to the selection; and

recording voice signals based on the determined voice beamforming direction.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice recording modes respectively correspond to a plurality of voice beamforming directions determined by a microphone array that includes the plurality of microphones.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction is displayed during recording of the voice signals or before recording of the voice signals.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction is displayed to respectively correspond to each of the voice beamforming modes.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the voice recording mode is one of a general mode for recording voice signals incoming from all directions, an interview mode for recording voice signals incoming from a front direction of a user, a dialog mode for recording voice signals incoming from front and rear directions, and a voice memo mode for converting voice signals into a text and displaying the text.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a speaking person direction in which a speaking person is disposed;

selecting a speaker corresponding to the determined speaking person direction from among a plurality of speakers of the electronic device; and

outputting the voice signals during recording through the selected speaker.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling a phase of the microphone array according to the voice beamforming direction.

9. An electronic device comprising:

a plurality of microphones;

a mode selection unit configured to receive a selection of a voice recording mode;

a sound beamforming setting unit configured to determine a voice beamforming direction according to the selection; and

a control unit configured to record voice signals based on the determined voice beamforming direction.

10. The device of claim 9, wherein the voice recording modes respectively correspond to a plurality of voice beamforming directions determined by a microphone array that includes the plurality of microphones.

11. The device of claim 9, further comprising a display unit configured to display a visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction.

12. The device of claim 11, wherein the display unit is configured to display the visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction during recording of the voice signals or before recording of the voice signals.

13. The device of claim 11, wherein the display unit is configured to display the visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction to respectively correspond to each of the voice beamforming modes.

14. The device of claim 9, wherein each of the plurality of voice recording modes is one of a general mode for recording voice signals incoming from all directions, an interview mode for recording voice signals incoming from a front direction of a user, a dialog mode for recording voice signals incoming from front and rear directions, and a voice memo mode for converting voice signals into a text and displaying the text.

15. The device of claim 9, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a direction in which a speaking person exists, to select a speaker corresponding to the determined speaking person direction among a plurality of speakers of the electronic device, and to output the voice signals during recording through the selected speaker.

16. The device of claim 9, wherein the sound beamforming setting unit is configured to control a phase of the microphone array according to the voice beamforming direction.

17. An electronic device including a plurality of microphones, the electronic device comprising:

at least one processor configured to execute at least one program; and

a memory configured to store the at least one program;

wherein the at least one program comprises instructions for;

receiving a selection of a voice recording mode;

determining a voice beamforming direction according to the selection; and

recording voice signals based on the determined voice beamforming direction, and

wherein the voice recording modes respectively correspond to a plurality of voice beamforming directions determined by a microphone array that includes the plurality of microphones.

18. The device of claim 17, further comprising a display unit configured to display a visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the display unit is configured to display the visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction during recording of the voice signals or before recording of the voice signals, and

wherein the display unit is configured to display the visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction is displayed with respect to each of the voice beamforming modes.

20. The device of claim 17, wherein the voice recording mode is one of a general mode for recording voice signals incoming from all directions, an interview mode for recording voice signals incoming from a front direction of a user, a dialog mode for recording voice signals incoming from front and rear directions, and a voice memo mode for converting voice signals into a text and displaying the text.

21. The device of claim 17, wherein the at least one program further comprises an instruction for:

performing sound beamforming on one speaking person on which at least one other electronic device performs sound beamforming and acquiring a plurality of pieces of voice recording data for the one speaking person; and

selecting and storing voice recording data having high voice quality from among the plurality of pieces of voice recording data for the one speaking person.

22. An electronic device for recording sound, the electronic device comprising:

a microphone array including a plurality of microphones;

a controller configured to determine a voice recording mode from among a plurality of voice recording modes, to determine a voice beamforming direction to apply to the microphone array according to the determined voice recording mode, and to record voice signals based on the determined voice beamforming direction; and

a display unit configured to display information corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction,

wherein the plurality of voice recording modes respectively correspond to a plurality of voice beamforming directions determined by a microphone array that includes the plurality of microphones.

23. The device of claim 22, wherein the display unit is configured to display the visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction during the recording of the voice signals or before the recording of the voice signals, and

wherein the display unit is configured to display the visual effect corresponding to the determined voice beamforming direction to respectively correspond to each of the voice beamforming modes.

24. The device of claim 22, wherein each of the plurality of the voice recording modes is one of a general mode for recording voice signals incoming from all directions, an interview mode for recording voice signals incoming from a front direction of a user, a dialog mode for recording voice signals incoming from front and rear directions, and a voice memo mode for converting voice signals into a text and displaying the text.

25. The device of claim 22, wherein the control unit is configured to determine a direction in which a speaking person exists, to select a speaker corresponding to the determined speaking person direction among a plurality of speakers of the electronic device, to output the voice signals during recording through the selected speaker, and to control a phase of the microphone array according to the voice beamforming direction.