Determining audio event based on location information

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10134422-B2
Application number	US-201514956212-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 1, 2015
Priority date	Dec 1, 2015
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A method of determining, by an electronic device, an audio event is disclosed. The method may include receiving an input sound from a sound source by a plurality of sound sensors. The method may also extracting, by a processor, at least one sound feature from the received input sound, determining, by the processor, location information of the sound source based on the input sound received by the sound sensors, determining, by the processor, the audio event indicative of the input sound based on the at least one sound feature and the location information, and transmitting, by a communication unit, a notification of the audio event to an external electronic device.

First claim

What is claimed:

1. A method of determining, by an electronic device, one or more audio events, the method comprising:
receiving, by a plurality of sound sensors, an input sound from a sound source;
extracting, by a processor, at least one sound feature from the input sound;
determining, by the processor, location information of the sound source based on the input sound received by the plurality of sound sensors;
identifying, by the processor, at least one object associated with the location information of the sound source based on environmental information, wherein the environmental information includes location data of the at least one object, wherein the location data of the at least one object indicates a position of the at least one object relative to one or more sound sensors of the plurality of sound sensors, and wherein the at least one object is distinct from the plurality of sound sensors;
determining, by the processor, an audio event indicative of the input sound based on the location information of the sound source, the at least one object associated with the location information of the sound source, and the at least one sound feature; and
transmitting, by a communication unit, a notification of the audio event to an external electronic device.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information of the sound source indicates a position of the sound source relative to the one or more sound sensors of the plurality of sound sensors, wherein the environmental information further includes room type identification information, historical data of previously determined audio events near the position indicated by the location information, or a combination thereof, and wherein the position of the at least one object indicated by the location data is located near the position of the sound source indicated by the location information of the sound source.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein determining the audio event comprises:
modifying a detection model associated with the audio event based on the at least one object associated with the location information of the sound source; and
determining the audio event based on the modified detection model.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one location near the plurality of sound sensors is associated with one or more types of audio events, and wherein transmitting the notification of the audio event comprises transmitting the notification of the audio event responsive to determining that the audio event corresponds to a particular type of audio event of the one or more types of audio events associated with a position indicated by the location information.

5. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
adjusting a direction of an image sensor towards the sound source based on the location information; and
capturing, by the image sensor, at least one image, wherein the at least one object is identified further based on the at least one image.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location information of the sound source includes at least one of a direction of the sound source or a position of the sound source relative to the one or more sound sensors of the plurality of sound sensors.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least one sound sensor of the plurality of sound sensors is located in a room, wherein the at least one object is located in the room, and wherein the position of the at least one object indicated by the location data further indicates a particular position in the room where the at least one object is located.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of sound sensors are located in a plurality of rooms, wherein the environmental information further includes room identification information of each room of the plurality of rooms, and wherein the room identification information for each of the rooms includes room location information and a type of the room.

9. An electronic device comprising:
a plurality of sound sensors configured to receive an input sound from a sound source;
a feature extractor configured to extract at least one sound feature from the input sound;
a location determination unit configured to determine location information of the sound source based on the input sound received by the plurality of sound sensors; and
an audio event determination unit configured to:
identify at least one object associated with the location information of the sound source based on environmental information, wherein the environmental information includes location data of the at least one object, wherein the location data of the at least one object indicates a position of the at least one object relative to one or more sound sensors of the plurality of sound sensors, and wherein the at least one object is distinct from the plurality of sound sensors; and
determine an audio event indicative of the input sound based on the location information of the sound source, the at least one object associated with the location information of the sound source, and the at least one sound feature.

10. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the audio event determination unit is configured to:
modify a detection model associated with the audio event based on the location information and the environmental information; and
determine the audio event based further on the modified detection model.

11. The electronic device of claim 9 , further comprising a notification generating unit configured to generate a notification of the audio event responsive to determining that the audio event is an audio event type or audio event class associated with a position indicated by the location information.

12. The electronic device of claim 9 , wherein the plurality of sound sensors are located in at least one room, and wherein the location data of the at least one object is associated with the at least one room.

13. An electronic device comprising:
means for receiving an input sound from a sound source;
means for extracting at least one sound feature from the input sound;
means for determining location information of the sound source based on the input sound received by the means for receiving an input sound;
means for identifying at least one object associated with the location information of the sound source based on environmental information, wherein the environmental information includes location data of the at least one object, wherein the location data of the at least one object indicates a position of the at least one object relative to the means for receiving, and wherein the at least one object is distinct from the means for receiving; and
means for determining an audio event indicative of the input sound based on the location information of the sound source, the at least one object associated with the location information of the sound source, and the at least one sound feature.

14. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the environmental information further includes historical data indicating prior occurrences of the audio event at a position indicated by the location information.

15. The electronic device of claim 13 , wherein the means for determining the audio event is configured to:
determine a detection probability of the audio event based on the at least one sound feature;
modify the detection probability based on the location information and the environmental information; and
determine the audio event based on the modified detection probability.

16. The electronic device of claim 13 , further comprising means for generating a notification of the audio event responsive to determining that a score ass

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Hwang Kyu Woong
• Cho Yongwoo
• Cho Jun-Cheol
• Moon Sunkuk

Classifications

• G01S5/22 Primary

  Position of source determined by co-ordinating a plurality of position lines defined by path-difference measurements (G01S5/28 takes precedence) · CPC title

• G06K9/00711

  Physics · mapped topic

• G01S5/20

  Position of source determined by a plurality of spaced direction-finders · CPC title

• G06K9/00771

  Physics · mapped topic

• G10L21/028

  using properties of sound source · CPC title