Microphone array for a camera speakerphone

• US 8,526,632 B2
• Filed: 06/28/2007
• Issued: 09/03/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 06/28/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cutler, Ross G.
• Primary Examiner(s): Chin, Vivian
• Assistant Examiner(s): Zhang, Leshui
• Application Number:
  US11/770,713
• Publication Number:
  US 20090002476A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,259 Days
• Field of Search: 381/26, 381/66, 381/91, 381/92, 381/111, 381/122, 381/336, 381/355, 381/358, 381/357, 381/375, 381/379, 381/184, 381/186, 381/387, 381/361, 381/363, 381/365, 381/366, 381/93, 381/94.1, 381/94.7, 381/95, 381/300, 381/304, 348/211.12, 348/14.08, 348/14.09, 348/14.1, 348/423.1, 348/14.16, 348143-160, 348/115, 348/14.01, 348/14.11, 348/14.12, 348/14.13
• US Class Current: 381/92
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/142 Constructional details of the terminal equipment, e.g. arrangements of the camera and the display
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/15 Conference systems
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 2201/401 2D or 3D arrays of transducers
• CPC Class Codes: H04R 3/005 for combining the signals of two or more microphones specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407

Abstract

A camera speakerphone having a microphone array may be used for videoconferencing. Example microphone array designs described herein may be used to perform Sound Source Localization (SSL) and improve audio quality of captured audio. In one example, an omni-directional camera speakerphone includes a base having a speaker and at least one microphone. A neck is coupled to the base which is coupled to a head. The head includes an omni-directional camera and at least one microphone.

Claims

1. An apparatus, comprising:

a first microphone array in a first horizontal plane comprising more than two microphones equally spaced around a perimeter of a base of the apparatus;

a curved neck that includes a bottom portion that is coupled to the base and off a center from the base and a top portion that is coupled to a head, wherein the curved neck extends and curves upward from the base toward a centerline extending perpendicularly from the center of the base; and

a second microphone array in a second horizontal plane that is part of the head, wherein the first horizontal plane is different from the second horizontal plane; and

a camera included in the head that is pointed upwards and captures images reflected off from a reflective surface on the head and the reflective surface on the head is located above the camera.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 wherein the bottom portion is coupled near an edge of the base.

3. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the camera comprises five cameras.

4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the base includes a speaker.

5. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second microphone array includes an omni-directional microphone.

6. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second microphone is part of a planar microphone array positioned on the head.

7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second microphone is part of a radial microphone array positioned on the head.

8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second microphone is part of a hemispherical microphone array positioned on the head.

9. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second microphone is part of a spherical microphone array positioned on the head.

10. An omni-directional camera speakerphone, comprising:

a base including a speaker and at least one microphone array having microphones equally positioned around the base;

a neck that includes a bottom portion that is coupled to the base and off a center from the base and a top portion that is coupled to a head, wherein the neck extends and curves upward from the base toward a centerline extending perpendicularly from the center of the base;

the head coupled to the neck, the head including at least one microphone at the head and a camera that is pointed upwards and captures images reflected off of from a reflective surface on the head and the reflective surface on the head is located above the camera.

11. The omni-directional camera speakerphone of claim 10 wherein the at least one microphone at the head includes an omni-directional microphone.

12. The omni-directional camera speakerphone of claim 10 wherein the at least one microphone at the head includes a planar microphone array.

13. The omni-directional camera speakerphone of claim 10 wherein the at least one microphone at the head includes a radial microphone array.

14. The omni-directional camera speakerphone of claim 10 wherein the at least one microphone at the head includes a hemispherical microphone array.

15. The omni-directional camera speakerphone of claim 10 wherein the at least one microphone at the head includes a spherical microphone array.

16. The omni-directional camera speakerphone of claim 10 wherein the at least one microphone at the base and the at least one microphone at the head to capture audio for use in sound source localization.

17. The omni-directional camera speakerphone of claim 10 wherein the at least one microphone at the head to capture audio for use in sound source localization only.

18. A system, comprising:

an omni-directional camera speakerphone, comprising;

a base including a speaker and at least one microphone array having microphones equally positioned around the base;

a neck that includes a bottom portion that is coupled to the base and off a center from the base and a top portion that is coupled to a head, wherein the neck extends and curves upward from the base toward a centerline extending perpendicularly from the center of the base;

the head coupled to the neck, the head including a camera that is pointed upwards and captures images reflected off from a reflective surface on the head and the reflective surface on the head is located above the camera; and

a computing device coupled to the omni-directional camera speakerphone, the computing device having stored computer readable instructions that when executed perform operations comprising;

receiving audio data at the computing device associated with audio captured by the omni-directional camera speakerphone; and

performing sound source localization using the audio data.

19. The system of claim 18 wherein a portion of the audio data is used for sound source localization only.

20. The system of claim 18 wherein the computer readable instructions when executed further perform operations comprising:

performing audio quality enhancement using the audio data.