AUDIO CAPTURE WITH MULTIPLE MICROPHONES

• US 20150172811A1
• Filed: 10/15/2014
• Published: 06/18/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nokia Technologies Oy (Nokia Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Nokia Corporation
• Inventors: HUTTUNEN, Anu, NIEMISTO, Riitta, MAKINEN, Jorma, SASSI, Antti Heikki Tapio, SJOBERG, Jari Petteri, KOSKI, Ari Juhani, PARTIO, Mari, VARTIAINEN, Jukka, MYLLYLA, Ville Mikael, TAKALA, Tero
• Granted Patent: US 9,888,317 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G10L 2021/02165 Two microphones, one receiving mainly the noise signal and the other one mainly the speech signal
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6008 in the transmitter circuit
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/6041 Portable telephones adapted for handsfree use
• CPC Class Codes: H04M 1/72454 according to context-related or environment-related conditions
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2410/05 Noise reduction with a separate noise microphone
• 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 3/002 Damping circuit arrangements for transducers, e.g. motional feedback circuits
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407
• CPC Class Codes: H04S 2400/15 Aspects of sound capture and related signal processing for recording or reproduction

Abstract

An apparatus including at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code configured to: when the apparatus is in a voice phone call mode of sound capture, output a signal from a first microphone as a primary speech signal, and select one or more second microphones to output a noise reduction signal, where the apparatus comprises at least two of the second microphones, and where selection of the one or more second microphones is based at least partially upon a determined use of the apparatus being either a handportable or an integrated handsfree use; and/or when the apparatus is in a multi-media mode of sound capture select one or more of the microphones to output audio signals based upon both a determined type of sound capture feature being used by the apparatus and based upon a determined orientation of the apparatus.

Claims

1. An apparatus comprising

at least one processor;

and

at least one non-transitory memory including computer program code, the at least one memory and the computer program code configured to, with the at least one processor, cause the apparatus at least to;

when the apparatus is configured to transmit a sound source in a voice phone call mode;

output at least one signal from at least one first microphone to the at least one processor as a primary speech signal, and

output two or more signals from at least two or more second microphones to output a noise reduction signal to the at least one processor; and

/or

when the apparatus is configured to operate for sound capturing in a multi-media mode;

output at least one signal from the same one or more of the first microphones, and two or more signals from the same at least two or more second microphones to the at least one processor.

2. The apparatus as in claim 1, where when a determined use of the apparatus is a handportable use, the apparatus is configured to select a front bottom microphone, a rear bottom microphone and a rear top microphone as the selected two or more second microphones.

3. The apparatus as in claim 1, where when a determined use of the apparatus is an integrated handsfree use, selection of the two or more second microphones is based at least partially upon a determined use of the apparatus being either a handheld handsfree use or a desktop handsfree use.

4. The apparatus as in claim 3, where when the determined use of the apparatus is the handheld handsfree use, the apparatus is configured to select a front top microphone and a rear top microphone as the selected two or more second microphones.

5. The apparatus as in claim 3, where when the determined use of the apparatus is the desktop handsfree use, the apparatus is configured to select a front top microphone as the selected two or more second microphones.

6. The apparatus as in claim 1, where when the apparatus is in the multi-media mode, the apparatus is configured to select one or more of the microphones to output the signals based, at least partially, upon both a determined type of sound capture feature being used by the apparatus, where the apparatus comprises a plurality of different types of sound capture features, and based upon a determined orientation of the apparatus.

7. The apparatus as in claim 6, where the different types of sound capture features comprise two of more of:

mono audio capture, mono zoom audio capture, stereo capture, directed stereo capture, surround capture and wind noise reduction.

8. The apparatus as in claim 7, where

when the determined type of sound capture feature is mono audio capture, the apparatus is configured to select a rear top microphone as the selected one or more microphones,

when the determined type of sound capture feature is mono zoom audio capture, and when the determined orientation is a portrait orientation, the apparatus is configured to select a rear top microphone and a front top microphone, or a rear bottom microphone and a front bottom microphone, as the selected one or more microphones, and

when the determined type of sound capture feature is mono zoom audio capture, and when the determined orientation is a landscape orientation, the apparatus is configured to select a rear top microphone and a front top microphone, and/or a rear bottom microphone and a front bottom microphone, as the selected one or more microphones.

9. The apparatus as in claim 7 where,

when the determined type of sound capture feature is stereo capture, and when the determined orientation is a landscape orientation, the apparatus is configured to select a rear top microphone and a rear bottom microphone as the selected one or more microphones.

10. The apparatus as in claim 9, where

when the determined type of sound capture feature is directional stereo capture, and when the determined orientation is the landscape orientation, the apparatus is configured to select the rear top microphone, a front top microphone, the rear bottom microphone and a front bottom microphone as the selected one or more microphones.

11. The apparatus as in claim 7, where when the determined type of sound capture feature is surround capture, and when the determined orientation is the landscape orientation, the apparatus is configured to select:

a rear top microphone, a front top microphone and a rear bottom microphone as the selected one or more microphones, and/or

the rear top microphone, the rear bottom microphone and a front bottom microphone as the selected one or more microphones.

12. The apparatus as in claim 7, where when the determined type of sound capture feature is wind noise reduction, and when the determined orientation is the landscape orientation, the apparatus is configured to select a rear top microphone, a rear bottom microphone and a front top microphone or a front bottom microphone as the selected one or more microphones.

13. The apparatus as in claim 1, comprising means for selectively using microphones based upon:

a determined type of sound capture feature being used by an apparatus, where the apparatus comprises a plurality of different types of sound capture features, and based upon a determined orientation of the apparatus; and

/or

a determined mode of use of the apparatus while the apparatus is in a voice phone call mode of sound capture.

14. The apparatus as in claim 1, further comprising:

a housing;

at least one printed circuit board in the housing, where the at least one printed circuit board comprises the at least one processor and the at least one memory;

at least one transmitter and at least one receiver connected to the at least one printed circuit board;

an electronic display connected to the housing; and

a battery connect to the at least one printed circuit board.

15. A method comprising:

when an apparatus is in a voice phone call mode;

outputting a signal from at least one first microphone to the at least one processor as a primary speech signal, and

outputting two or more signals from at least two or more second microphones of the apparatus to output a noise reduction signal to the at least one processor; and

/or

when the apparatus is in a multi-media mode;

outputting at least one signal from the same one or more first microphones, and two or more signals from the same at least two or more second microphones to the at least one processor.

16. The method as in claim 15, where

when the apparatus is in a voice phone call mode the apparatus selects the two or more second microphones of the apparatus to output a noise reduction signal, where selection of the two or more second microphones is based at least partially upon a determined use of the apparatus being either a handportable use or an integrated handsfree use;

and/or

when the apparatus is in a multi-media mode the apparatus selects one or more of the microphones to output audio signals based, at least partially, upon both a determined type of sound capture feature being used by the apparatus, where the apparatus comprises a plurality of different types of sound capture features, and based upon a determined orientation of the apparatus.

17. The method as in claim 16, where when the determined use of the apparatus is the handportable use, selecting a front bottom microphone, a rear bottom microphone and a rear top microphone as the selected one or more second microphones.

18. The method as in claim 16, where when the determined use of the apparatus is the integrated handsfree use, selecting the one or more second microphones based at least partially upon a determined use of the apparatus being either a handheld handsfree use or a desktop handsfree use.

19. The method as in claim 18, where

when the determined use of the apparatus is the handheld handsfree use, the apparatus selects a front top microphone and a rear top microphone as the selected one or more second microphones;

and

when the determined use of the apparatus is the desktop handsfree use, the apparatus selects a front top microphone as the selected one or more second microphones.

20. The method as in claim 16, where the determined orientations of the apparatus comprise a portrait orientation and a landscape orientation, and the different types of sound capture features comprise two of more of:

mono audio capture, mono zoom audio capture, stereo capture, directed stereo capture, surround capture and wind noise reduction.