Cluster of first-order microphones and method of operation for stereo input of videoconferencing system
First Claim
1. A method of operating a cluster of at least three microphones for at least two channel inputs of an audio system, each of the microphones being an Nth-order microphone where N≧
- 1, the cluster being positionable in an arbitrary orientation relative to the audio system, the method comprising;
storing a plurality of stored orientations for the cluster;
processing calibration signal inputs received from each of the microphones in response to audio emitted with the audio system by using each of the stored orientations;
comparing each of the processed calibration signal inputs with each other;
automatically determining the arbitrary orientation of the cluster with respect to the audio system by selecting one of the stored orientations based on the comparison;
determining first and second weightings to be applied to operational signal input generated by each microphone, the first weightings corresponding to the determined arbitrary orientation relative to a first of the at least two channel inputs of the audio system;
the second weightings corresponding to the determined arbitrary orientation relative to a second of the at least two channel inputs of the audio system;
producing first channel input for the audio system by;
weighting the operational signal input generated by each microphone by its correspondingfirst weighting, andcombining the first weighted signal inputs of the microphones; and
producing second channel input for the audio system by;
weighting the operational signal input generated by each microphone by its correspondingsecond weighting, andcombining the second weighted signal inputs of the microphones.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An arbitrarily positioned cluster of three microphones can be used for stereo input of a videoconferencing system. To produce stereo input, right and left weightings for signal inputs from each of the microphones are determined. The right and left weightings correspond to preferred directive patterns for stereo input of the system. The determined right weightings are applied to the signal inputs from each of the microphones, and the weighted inputs are summed to product the right input. The same is done for the left input using the determined left weightings. The three microphones are preferably first-order, cardioid microphone capsules spaced close together in an audio unit, where each faces radially outward at 120-degrees. The orientation of the arbitrarily positioned cluster relative to the system can be determined by directly detecting the orientation or by using stored arrangements.
66 Citations
24 Claims
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1. A method of operating a cluster of at least three microphones for at least two channel inputs of an audio system, each of the microphones being an Nth-order microphone where N≧
- 1, the cluster being positionable in an arbitrary orientation relative to the audio system, the method comprising;
storing a plurality of stored orientations for the cluster; processing calibration signal inputs received from each of the microphones in response to audio emitted with the audio system by using each of the stored orientations; comparing each of the processed calibration signal inputs with each other; automatically determining the arbitrary orientation of the cluster with respect to the audio system by selecting one of the stored orientations based on the comparison; determining first and second weightings to be applied to operational signal input generated by each microphone, the first weightings corresponding to the determined arbitrary orientation relative to a first of the at least two channel inputs of the audio system; the second weightings corresponding to the determined arbitrary orientation relative to a second of the at least two channel inputs of the audio system; producing first channel input for the audio system by; weighting the operational signal input generated by each microphone by its corresponding first weighting, and combining the first weighted signal inputs of the microphones; and
producing second channel input for the audio system by;weighting the operational signal input generated by each microphone by its corresponding second weighting, and combining the second weighted signal inputs of the microphones. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 11)
- 1, the cluster being positionable in an arbitrary orientation relative to the audio system, the method comprising;
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10. The method of 1, wherein processing the processed calibration signal inputs using each of the stored orientations comprises:
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weighting the processed calibration signal inputs using weightings for each microphone, the weightings associated with each of the stored orientations relative to the at least two channel inputs of the audio system, and combining the weighted calibration signal inputs for a stored orientation to produce the processed calibration signal input for that stored orientation.
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12. An audio system, comprising:
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an audio unit comprising at least three microphones, each of the microphones being an Nth-order microphone where N≧
1, the audio unit being arbitrarily oriented with respect to the audio system; anda control unit coupled to the audio unit and configured to; store a plurality of stored orientations for the audio unit; use each of the stored orientations to process calibration signal inputs received from each of the microphones in response to audio emitted with the audio system; compare each of the processed calibration signal inputs with each other; select one of the stored orientations based on the comparison to automatically determine the arbitrary orientation of the audio unit with respect to the audio system; determine at least two channel weightings for each microphone as a function of the determined arbitrary orientation of the audio unit, combine, for each of the at least two channels, the corresponding determined weighting applied to operational signal input generated by each microphone, and generate at least two channel input signals for the audio system using the corresponding combined operational signal inputs. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 24)
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23. The audio system of 12, wherein to process the calibration signal inputs using each of the stored orientations, the control unit is operable to:
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weight the calibration signal inputs using multi-channel weightings for each microphone, the multi-channel weightings associated with each of the stored orientations relative to the at least two channel inputs of the audio system, and combine the weighted calibration signal inputs for a stored orientation to produce the processed calibration signal input for that stored orientation.
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Specification