Electronic device including a microphone array

• US 9,820,041 B2
• Filed: 09/01/2015
• Issued: 11/14/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/01/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Original Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.
• Inventors: Kum, Jong Mo, Bae, Min Ho, An, Jung Yeol, Kim, Gang Youl, Kim, Jun Tai, Yang, Jae Mo, Lee, Nam Il, Hwang, Ho Chul
• Primary Examiner(s): Holder, Regina N.
• Application Number:
  US14/841,929
• Publication Number:
  US 20160066091A1
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• 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

An electronic device comprising: a microphone array including at least three microphones; and at least one processor configured to: identify a kind of an application that is executed; activate one or more of the microphones in the array based on each microphone'"'"'s respective position within the electronic device and the type of the application; and capture audio using the activated microphones.

Claims

1. An electronic device comprising:

a microphone array including at least three microphones; and

at least one processor configured to;

identify a kind of an application that is executed;

activate one or more of the microphones in the array based on each microphone'"'"'s respective position within the electronic device and the kind of the application;

execute at least one of an audio zoom function, a noise suppression function, and an active noise cancellation function in a hands-free state if there are a first number of activated one or more microphones and a handset state if there are a second number of activated one or more microphones; and

capture audio using the activated microphones.

2. The device of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure having a lower sidewall and an upper sidewall opposite the lower sidewall, wherein the microphone array comprises a first microphone and a second microphone disposed at the lower sidewall, and a third microphone disposed at the upper sidewall.

3. The device of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure having a lower sidewall and an upper sidewall opposite the lower sidewall, wherein the microphone array comprises a first microphone and a second microphone disposed at the lower sidewall, and a third microphone and a fourth microphone disposed at the upper sidewall.

4. The device of claim 3, wherein:

the enclosure comprises a top surface and a bottom surface;

the lower sidewall extends between the top surface and the bottom surface; and

the first microphone is disposed at a top portion of the sidewall, the top portion being adjacent to the top surface; and

the second microphone is disposed at a bottom portion of the sidewall, the bottom portion being adjacent to the bottom portion.

5. The device of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure having a lower sidewall, an upper sidewall facing the lower sidewall, a top surface, and a bottom surface facing the top surface, wherein the microphone array is arranged in accordance with one of:

(i) a first arrangement in which a first microphone is disposed at the lower sidewall, and a second and third microphones are disposed at the upper sidewall;

(ii) a second arrangement in which a first microphone is disposed at the lower sidewall, a second microphone is disposed at the upper sidewall, and a third microphone is disposed at the top surface; and

(iii) a third arrangement in which a first microphone is disposed at the lower sidewall, a second microphone is disposed at the upper sidewall, and a third microphone is disposed at the bottom surface.

6. The device of claim 1, further comprising an enclosure having a lower sidewall, an upper sidewall facing the lower sidewall, a top surface, and a bottom surface facing the top surface, wherein the microphone array is arranged in accordance with one of:

(i) a first arrangement in which a first and second microphones are disposed on the lower sidewall, a third microphone is disposed at the top surface, and a fourth microphone is disposed at the bottom surface,

(ii) a second arrangement in which a first and second microphones are disposed on the lower sidewall, a third microphone is disposed at the bottom surface, and a fourth microphone is disposed at the upper sidewall, and

(iii) a third arrangement in which a first and second microphones are disposed on the lower sidewall, a third microphone is disposed at the top surface, and a fourth microphone is disposed at the upper sidewall.

7. The device of claim 1, further comprising displaying a display, wherein the processor is further configured to present on the display an interface for activating additional microphones, and activate at least one additional microphone from the array in response to an input to the interface.

8. The device of claim 1, further comprising a display, wherein the processor is further configured to present on the display an indication of an incident direction of sound that is currently being recorded.

9. A method comprising:

identifying a kind of an application that is executed by an electronic device having a microphone array;

activating one or more of the microphones in the array based on each microphone'"'"'s respective position within the electronic device and the kind of the application;

executing at least one of an audio zoom function, a noise suppression function, and an active noise cancellation function in a hands-free state if there are a first number of activated one or more microphones and a handset state if there are a second number of activated one or more microphones; and

capturing audio using the activated one or more microphones.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising presenting an interface for activating additional microphones, and activating at least one additional microphone from the array in response to an input to the interface.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising identifying a plurality of distinct directions based on signals from the microphone array, wherein a number of the directions in the plurality is based on a count of microphones from the array that are activated.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising displaying a plurality of indications of direction, each indication of direction corresponding to a different available sound source.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising highlighting one of the indications of direction based on the indication of direction being associated with a sound source that is currently being recorded.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein

the electronic device comprises an enclosure having a lower sidewall and an upper sidewall opposite the lower sidewall, a top surface, and a bottom surface facing the top surface;

the lower sidewall extends between the top surface and the bottom surface;

a first microphone is disposed at a top portion of the sidewall, the top portion being adjacent to the top surface; and

a second microphone is disposed at a bottom portion of the sidewall, the bottom portion being adjacent to the bottom portion.

15. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a plurality of microphones;

a memory;

a processor configured to;

performing a voice recording function using the plurality of microphones;

recording a first voice signal of a first user and a second voice signal of a second user; and

displaying on the display of the electronic device a first direction icon identifying a first location of the first user with respect to the electronic device and a second direction icon identifying a second location of the second user with respect to the electronic device in relation to recording.

16. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

changing at least one of color and form of the first direction icon while the first user is speaking.

17. The device of claim 15, wherein the processor is further configured to:

displaying temporarily the first direction icon while the first user is speaking.

18. An electronic device comprising:

a display;

a plurality of microphones;

a memory to store a first voice signal from a first user at a first location with respect to the electronic device and a second voice signal from a second user at a second location with respect to the electronic device using the plurality of microphones;

a processor configured to;

reproduce the first voice signal and the second voice signal; and

display on the display a first direction icon identifying the first location and a second direction icon identifying the second location in relation to reproducing.

19. The device of claim 18, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receiving a user input of selecting of a first direction icon;

reproduce selectively the first voice signal in response to the selection of the first direction icon.