Automatic microphone switching

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10051396-B2
Application number	US-201214425137-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 10, 2012
Priority date	Sep 10, 2012
Publication date	Aug 14, 2018
Grant date	Aug 14, 2018

Abstract

A method and apparatus are provided that are configured to initiate a sound capture event within an apparatus and to receive at least two audio signals during the sound capture event. The at least two audio signals are provided by at least two microphones associated with the apparatus. The method and apparatus are also configured to determine at least one microphone operational parameter based on the received at least two audio signals; and to control the sound capture event such that at least one of the at least two audio signals is processed based on the at least one microphone operational parameter.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
initiating a sound capture event;
receiving at least two audio signals during the sound capture event, wherein the at least two audio signals are provided by at least two microphones including first and second microphones associated with first and second microphone ports, respectively, of an electronic device;
determining at least one microphone operational parameter indicative of at least the first microphone being at least partially blocked, shadowed or faulty based upon determining information indicative of an object that blocks or is proximate to at least the first microphone port; and
controlling the sound capture event by selecting the audio signals received by the second microphone via the second microphone port of the electronic device to be processed while eliminating reliance upon audio signals received by the first microphone via the first microphone port of the electronic device with respect to the sound capture event based on the at least one microphone operational parameter.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining at least one microphone operational parameter based on the received at least two audio signals comprises at least one of:
determining at least one of the at least two microphones are at least partially blocked;
determining at least one of the at least two microphones are faulty;
determining at least one of the at least two microphones are shadowed;
determining an orientation of the electronic device comprising the at least two microphones; or
determining a capture mode for the at least two audio signals from the at least two microphones.

3. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein determining at least one of the at least two microphones are at least partially blocked or determining at least one of the at least two microphones are shadowed comprises:
determining at least one object is proximate to the at least one of the at least two microphones; or
defining the at least one microphone as at least partially blocked or shadowed.

4. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein determining at least one object is proximate to the at least one of the at least two microphones comprises at least one of:
determining at least one touch position is proximate to the at least one of the at least two microphones; or
determining an at least partially enveloping object is proximate to the at least one of the at least two microphones.

5. The method as claimed in claim 3 , wherein determining at least one object is proximate to the at least one of the at least two microphones comprises:
defining at least two regions from the at least one of the at least two microphones; and
determining the at least one object is within at least one of the at least two regions.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein controlling the sound capture event comprises:
determining at least one processing parameter where the at least one object is located within a farther of the at least two regions; and
applying the at least one processing parameter to process the at least one of the at least two audio signals where the at least one object is located within a nearer of the at least two regions.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein determining at least one microphone operational parameter comprises determining whether at least one of the at least two microphones are at least partially blocked by:
determining the at least one microphone operational parameter using a first determining method performed at a first frequency in an instance in which at least one object is located within a farther of at least two regions from the electronic device; and
determining the at least one microphone operational parameter using a second determining method performed at a second frequency, the second frequency being greater than the first frequency, in an instance in which the at least one object is located within a nearer of the at least two regions.

8. The method as claimed in claim 2 , wherein determining the capture mode for the at least two audio signals from the at least two microphones comprises determining an output audio signal format comprising at least one channel audio signal.

9. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein controlling the sound capture event comprises at least one of:
controlling switching an additional microphone on;
controlling switching the first microphone associated with the audio signal off; or
controlling splitting an audio signal received by the second microphone into at least two channels.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , further comprising processing the at least one of the at least two audio signals based on the at least one parameter, wherein processing the at least one of the at least two audio signals based on the at least one parameter comprises at least one of:
switching an additional microphone on;
switching the first microphone associated with the audio signal off; or
splitting an audio signal received by the second microphone into at least two channels.

11. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising determining a processing parameter associated with the processing of the at least two audio signals based on the at least one microphone operational parameter, wherein the processing parameter comprises at least one of:
at least one position of the second microphone associated with the processed at least one audio signal;
at least one orientation of the second microphone associated with the processed at least one audio signal; or
at least one distance between the second microphone associated with the processed at least one audio signal and a datum defined on the electronic device wherein the datum comprises the location of at least one further selected microphone.

12. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising displaying the at least one microphone operational parameter on a display of the electronic device.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein displaying the at least one microphone operation parameter on a display of the electronic device comprises:
generating a graphical representation associated with the microphone operational parameter; and
determining a location associated with at least one of the first or second microphones on the display to display the graphical representation.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein generating the graphical representation associated with the microphone operational parameter comprises at least one of:
generating a graphical representation of a functioning microphone for a fully functional microphone;
generating a graphical representation of a faulty microphone for a faulty microphone;
generating a graphical representation of a blocked microphone for a partially blocked microphone; or
generating a graphical representation of a shadowed microphone for a shadowed microphone.

15. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein determining the location associated with at least one of the first or second microphones on the display to display the graphical representation comprises determining a display location adjacent to at least one of the first or second microphones of the microphone operational parameter.

16. An apparatus comprising:
a controller configured to initiate a sound capture event;
at least two microphones including first and second microphones configured to capture at least two audio signals for the sound capture event via first and second microphone ports, respectively, of an electronic device;
a detector configured to determine at least one microphone operational

Assignees

• Virolainen Jussi
• Ylikoski Arto
• Nokia Technologies Oy

Inventors

• Virolainen Jussi
• Ylikoski Arto

Classifications

• G10K11/16

  Methods or devices for protecting against, or for damping, noise or other acoustic waves in general (G10K11/36 takes precedence) · CPC title

• H04R2410/03

  Reduction of intrinsic noise in microphones · CPC title

• H04R3/00

  Circuits for transducers (arrangements for producing a reverberation or echo sound G10K15/08; amplifiers H03F) · CPC title

• H04S7/00

  Indicating arrangements; Control arrangements, e.g. balance control · CPC title

• H04R5/04

  Circuit arrangements, {e.g. for selective connection of amplifier inputs/outputs to loudspeakers, for loudspeaker detection, or for adaptation of settings to personal preferences or hearing impairments (combinations of amplifiers H03F3/68; stereophonic systems H04S)} · CPC title