SIGNAL TO NOISE RATIO USING DECENTRALIZED DYNAMIC LASER MICROPHONES

• US 20170257709A1
• Filed: 03/04/2016
• Published: 09/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Avaya Incorporated
• Inventors: Cohen, Azaria, Barzuza, Tamar
• Granted Patent: US 9,992,580 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/012 Head tracking input arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/013 Eye tracking input arrangements G06F3/015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/147 Communication arrangements, e.g. identifying the communication as a video-communication, intermediate storage of the signals selecting H04Q
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 23/008 using optical signals for detecting or generating sound
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 29/004 for microphones H04R29/007 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A communication system includes a processor and a computer readable medium, coupled with the processor, comprising instructions that program the processor to: cause an electromagnetic emitter to irradiate a location on a selected object in proximity to a speaker; determine, from radiation reflected by the selected object at the irradiated location, an audio characteristic of the irradiated location; and when the audio characteristic is acceptable, assigning an electromagnetic microphone to collect audio information from radiation reflected by the selected object at the irradiated location.

Claims

1. A communication system, comprising:

a processor; and

a computer readable medium, coupled with the processor, comprising instructions that program the processor to;

cause an electromagnetic emitter to irradiate a location on a selected object in proximity to a speaker;

determine, from radiation reflected by the selected object at the irradiated location, an audio characteristic of the irradiated location; and

when the audio characteristic is acceptable, assigning an electromagnetic microphone to collect audio information from radiation reflected by the selected object at the irradiated location.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor causes plural locations to be irradiated, determines a respective audio characteristic for each of the irradiated locations, compares the respective audio characteristics with one another, and assigns the electromagnetic microphone to the location having the superior respective audio characteristic for collection of audio information.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor selects the location to be irradiated for audio information collection based on one or more of lip movement of a participant and gaze direction of a participant.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor determines, during irradiation of the location, whether a line-of-sight between the electromagnetic emitter and the location is at least partially blocked and, when the line-of-sight is at least partially blocked, selects a different location for irradiation having line-of-sight with the electromagnetic emitter.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the selected object is one or more of a wall, mirror, window, screen, picture, item of furniture, ceiling, vase, drinking utensil, window cover, and floor, wherein the radiation is one of light outside of the visible spectrum and microwave radiation, wherein the electromagnetic microphone comprises an electromagnetic emitter and a detector to detect reflected radiation, and wherein the processor controls the pan and tilt of the electromagnetic microphone to direct the electromagnetic microphone to the irradiated location to collect audio information.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic microphone comprises an electromagnetic emitter and a detector to detect reflected radiation, wherein the electromagnetic emitter is part of the electromagnetic microphone, wherein the audio characteristic is a signal-to-noise ratio of a signal output by the detector describing a sound pressure wave contacting the irradiated location, and wherein the processor controls the pan and tilt of the electromagnetic microphone to direct the electromagnetic microphone to the location to irradiate the location to determine the audio characteristic.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the electromagnetic emitter is separate from an electromagnetic emitter in the electromagnetic microphone, wherein the radiation emitted by the electromagnetic emitter has a wavelength different from a wavelength of the radiation output by the electromagnetic microphone, and wherein the audio characteristic is an irradiated spot size or radiation intensity at the location.

8. A communication system, comprising:

a processor;

plural electromagnetic microphones, each electromagnetic microphone comprising a radiation emitter and a radiation detector;

a media input to collect video of participants to a communication session during the communication session; and

a computer readable medium, coupled with the processor, comprising instructions that program the processor to;

cause an electromagnetic emitter to irradiate a location on a selected object in proximity to a speaker;

determine, from radiation reflected by the object at the irradiated location, an audio characteristic of the irradiated location; and

when the audio characteristic is acceptable, assigning an electromagnetic microphone to collect audio information from radiation output by the electromagnetic microphone and reflected by the object at the irradiated location.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor causes plural locations to be irradiated, determines a respective audio characteristic for each of the irradiated locations, compares the determined respective audio characteristics with one another, and assigns the electromagnetic microphone to the location having the superior respective audio characteristic for collection of audio information.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor selects the location to be irradiated for audio information collection based on one or more of lip movement of a participant and gaze direction of a participant.

11. The system of claim 8, wherein the processor determines, during irradiation of the location, whether a line-of-sight between the electromagnetic emitter and the location is at least partially blocked and, when the line-of-sight is at least partially blocked, selects a different location for irradiation having line-of-sight with the electromagnetic emitter.

12. The system of claim 8, wherein the selected object is one or more of a wall, mirror, window, screen, picture, item of furniture, ceiling, vase, drinking utensil, window cover, and floor, wherein the radiation is one of light outside of the visible spectrum and microwave radiation, wherein the electromagnetic microphone comprises an electromagnetic emitter and a detector to detect reflected radiation, and wherein the processor controls the pan and tilt of the electromagnetic microphone to direct the electromagnetic microphone to the irradiated location to collect audio information.

13. The system of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic microphone comprises an electromagnetic emitter and a detector to detect reflected radiation, wherein the electromagnetic emitter is part of the electromagnetic microphone, wherein the audio characteristic is a signal-to-noise ratio of a signal output by the detector describing a sound pressure wave contacting the irradiated location, and wherein the processor controls the pan and tilt of the electromagnetic microphone to direct the electromagnetic microphone to the location to irradiate the location to determine the respective audio characteristic.

14. The system of claim 8, wherein the electromagnetic emitter is separate from an electromagnetic emitter in the electromagnetic microphone, wherein the radiation emitted by the electromagnetic emitter has a wavelength the same as a wavelength of the radiation output by the electromagnetic microphone, and wherein the audio characteristic is an irradiated spot size or radiation intensity at the location.

15. In a video conference call system, a method comprising:

causing, by a processor, an electromagnetic emitter to irradiate a location on a selected object in proximity to a speaker;

determining, by the processor from radiation reflected by the selected object at the irradiated location, a respective audio characteristic of the irradiated location; and

when the respective audio characteristic is acceptable, assigning, by the processor, an electromagnetic microphone to collect audio information from radiation reflected by the selected object at the irradiated location.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the processor causes plural locations to be irradiated, determines the respective audio characteristic for each of the irradiated locations, compares the respective audio characteristics with one another, and assigns the electromagnetic microphone to the location having the superior respective audio characteristic for collection of audio information.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

selecting, by the processor, the location to be irradiated for audio information collection based on one or more of lip movement of a participant and gaze direction of a participant.

18. The method of claim 15, further comprising:

determining, by the processor, during irradiation of the location, whether a line-of-sight between the electromagnetic emitter and the location is at least partially blocked; and

when the line-of-sight is at least partially blocked, selecting, by the processor, a different location for irradiation having line-of-sight with the electromagnetic emitter.

19. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected object is one or more of a wall, mirror, window, screen, picture, item of furniture, ceiling, vase, drinking utensil, window cover, and floor, wherein the radiation is one of light outside of the visible spectrum and microwave radiation, wherein the electromagnetic microphone comprises an electromagnetic emitter and a detector to detect reflected radiation, wherein the electromagnetic emitter is part of the electromagnetic microphone, wherein the processor controls the pan and tilt of the electromagnetic microphone to direct the electromagnetic microphone to the irradiated location to collect the audio characteristic and audio information, wherein the audio characteristic is a signal-to-noise ratio of a signal output by the detector describing a sound pressure wave contacting the irradiated location, and wherein the processor controls the pan and tilt of the electromagnetic microphone to direct the electromagnetic microphone to the location to irradiate the location to determine the audio characteristic.

20. The method of claim 15, wherein the selected object is one or more of a wall, mirror, window, screen, picture, item of furniture, ceiling, vase, drinking utensil, window cover, and floor, wherein the radiation is one of light outside of the visible spectrum and microwave radiation, wherein the electromagnetic emitter is separate from an electromagnetic emitter in the electromagnetic microphone, wherein the radiation emitted by the electromagnetic emitter has a wavelength different from a wavelength of the radiation output by the electromagnetic microphone, wherein the audio characteristic is an irradiated spot size or radiation intensity at the location, and wherein the processor controls the pan and tilt of the electromagnetic microphone to direct the electromagnetic microphone to the irradiated location to collect audio information.

21. A video conferencing system, comprising:

a processor;

a media input, coupled to the processor, to collect image information of one or more local participants to a communication session;

a media output, coupled to the processor, to provide, in a selected layout, image information of one or more remote participants to the communication session;

an audio output, coupled to the processor, to provide audio information from the one or more remote participants; and

an audio input, coupled to the processor, to collect audio information from the one or more local participants, wherein the audio input comprises an array of electromagnetic microphones, each electromagnetic microphone comprising an electromagnetic emitter to irradiate a location on a selected object in proximity to the one or more local participants and a detector to collect radiation reflected by the selected object at the irradiated location and wherein the processor determines the audio information from the reflected radiation collected by each electromagnetic microphone in the array.