Microphone operations based on voice characteristics

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11114115-B2
Application number	US-201716075612-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 15, 2017
Priority date	Feb 15, 2017
Publication date	Sep 7, 2021
Grant date	Sep 7, 2021

Abstract

In an example implementation according to aspects of the present disclosure, a method may include identifying, via a first microphone of a device, when a user registered to use the device is speaking, and comparing a voice characteristic of the user, as detected by the first microphone, against a threshold value. If the voice characteristic exceeds the threshold value, the method may include unmuting a second microphone of the device for the user to participate in a teleconference.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method comprising:
identifying, via a first microphone of a device, when a user registered to use the device is speaking;
comparing a voice characteristic of the user, as detected by the first microphone, against a threshold value;
if the voice characteristic exceeds the threshold value, unmuting a second microphone of the device for the user to participate in a teleconference;
learning, via the first microphone, the voice characteristic of the user during the teleconference; and
adjusting the threshold value of the voice characteristic over time based on voice characteristics determined during the teleconference.

2. The method of claim 1 , comprising:
upon detecting when the voice characteristic is to fall below the threshold value, muting the second microphone, for the user to be muted from participating in the teleconference.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein identifying when the user registered to use the device is speaking comprises matching audio collected by the first microphone with a voice pattern registered to the user.

4. The method of claim 3 , comprising:
training the device, via the first microphone, to identify a voice associated with the user, wherein the training comprises:
learning the voice pattern associated with the user;
registering the voice pattern to the user; and
learning the voice characteristic of the user, when the user is to speak into the first microphone.

5. The method of claim 4 , comprising:
uploading the voice pattern and voice characteristic of the user to a cloud service, that is accessible to other devices registered to the user.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the voice characteristic of the user comprises a sending loudness rating (SLR) of the user or a frequency response of the user, used alone or in combination when comparing against the threshold value.

7. A device comprising:
a first microphone;
a second microphone;
a database; and
a processor to:
learn, via the first microphone, a voice pattern associated with a user;
store the voice pattern in the database;
identify, via the first microphone, when the user is speaking, wherein identifying comprises matching audio collected by the first microphone with the stored voice pattern;
compare a voice characteristic of the user, as detected by the first microphone, against a threshold value;
if the voice characteristic exceeds the threshold value, unmute the second microphone for the user to participate in a teleconference;
learn, via the first microphone, additional voice characteristic of the user during the teleconference; and
adjust the threshold value of the voice characteristic over time based on additional voice characteristics determined during the teleconference.

8. The device of claim 7 , wherein, upon detecting when the voice characteristic is to fall below the threshold value, the processor is to mute the second microphone, for the user to be muted from participating in the teleconference.

9. The device of claim 7 , wherein the processor to learn the voice pattern comprises learning the voice characteristic, when the user is to speak into the first microphone.

10. The device of claim 7 , wherein the voice characteristic of the user comprises a sending loudness rating (SLR) of the user or a frequency response of the user, used alone or in combination when comparing against the threshold value.

11. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising program instructions which, when executed by a processor, to cause the processor to:
identify, via a first microphone of a device, when a user registered to use the device is speaking;
compare a voice characteristic of the user, as detected by the first microphone, against a threshold value;
if the voice characteristic is greater than or equal to the threshold value, unmute a second microphone of the device for the user to participate in a teleconference;
if the voice characteristic is less than the threshold value, mute the second microphone, for the user to be muted from participating in the teleconference;
learn, via the first microphone, additional voice characteristic of the user during the teleconference; and
adjust the threshold value of the voice characteristic over time based on additional voice characteristics determined during the teleconference.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the instructions to cause the processor to identify when the user registered to use the device is speaking comprises instructions to cause the processor to match audio collected by the first microphone with a voice pattern registered to the user.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11 , wherein the voice characteristic of the user comprises a sending loudness rating (SLR) of the user or a frequency response of the user, used alone or in combination when comparing against the threshold value.

Assignees

• Hewlett Packard Development Co
• Hewlett Packard Deveopment Company L P

Inventors

• Gupta Mohit

Classifications

• G10L2025/783

  based on threshold decision · CPC title

• G10L25/78 Primary

  Detection of presence or absence of voice signals (switching of direction of transmission by voice frequency in two-way loud-speaking telephone systems H04M9/10) · CPC title

• H04R2430/01

  Aspects of volume control, not necessarily automatic, in sound systems · CPC title

• H04R3/005

  for combining the signals of two or more microphones (specially adapted for hearing aids H04R25/407) · CPC title