Device and system having smart directional conferencing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9368117-B2
Application number	US-201213725938-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 21, 2012
Priority date	Nov 14, 2012
Publication date	Jun 14, 2016
Grant date	Jun 14, 2016

Abstract

Some implementations provide a method for identifying a speaker. The method determines position and orientation of a second device based on data from a first device that is for capturing the position and orientation of the second device. The second device includes several microphones for capturing sound. The second device has movable position and movable orientation. The method assigns an object as a representation of a known user. The object has a moveable position. The method receives a position of the object. The position of the object corresponds to a position of the known user. The method processes the captured sound to identify a sound originating from the direction of the object. The direction of the object is relative to the position and the orientation of the second device. The method identifies the sound originating from the direction of the object as belonging to the known user.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus for identifying a speaker, the apparatus comprising:
a first device, comprising a touch sensitive screen, for capturing a position and an orientation of a second device, the second device comprising a plurality of microphones for capturing sound, wherein the second device has a movable position and a movable orientation on the touch sensitive screen, the touch sensitive screen capturing the position and the orientation of the second device on the touch sensitive screen; and
at least one processor configured to:
determine the position and orientation of the second device based on data from the first device;
assign an object as a representation of a first user from among a plurality of users each being represented by a corresponding object, wherein the object comprises a graphical user interface element in a graphical user interface presented on the touch sensitive screen, and wherein the graphical user interface element is displayed within the graphical user interface in a location independent from a position of the first user and is movable within the graphical user interface via user interaction with the touch sensitive screen displaying the graphical user interface;
receive a position of the object from the touch sensitive screen, wherein the position of the object and the position of the second device on the touch sensitive screen determine a direction of the object with respect to the second device;
process the captured sound to identify sound originating from the direction of the object; and
associate the identified sound originating from the direction of the object as belonging to the first user being represented on the graphical user interface by the object.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the second device comprises a first inductive component and a second inductive component, the touch sensitive screen capturing the position and the orientation of the second device by capturing where the first and second inductive components are coupled to the touch sensitive screen.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 , wherein the first inductive component has a different size than the second inductive component.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the touch sensitive screen is included within a surface table.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises a mobile device.

6. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the mobile device comprises one or more of a handset, a tablet, a phone, a smart phone, a portable electronic device, an electronic notepad, and/or a personal digital assistant (PDA).

7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first device comprises an image capturing screen.

8. The apparatus of claim 7 , wherein the second device comprises at least one visual marker, the image capturing screen for capturing the position and the orientation of the second device by capturing the position and orientation of the at least one visual marker of the second device.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the position of the object is moved via the user interaction with the touch sensitive screen in order to represent a movement in the position of the first user.

10. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first user is proximate to the touch sensitive screen.

11. A method for identifying a speaker, the method comprising:
determining a position and orientation of a second device based on data from a first device comprising a touch sensitive screen, the first device for capturing the position and orientation of the second device, the second device comprising a plurality of microphones for capturing sound, wherein the second device has a movable position and a movable orientation on the touch sensitive screen, the touch sensitive screen capturing the position and the orientation of the second device on the touch sensitive screen;
assigning an object as a representation of a first user, wherein the object comprises a graphical user interface element in a graphical user interface presented on the touch sensitive screen, and wherein the graphical user interface element is displayed within the graphical user interface in a location independent from a position of the first user and is movable within the graphical user interface via user interaction with the touch sensitive screen displaying the graphical user interface;
receiving a position of the object from the touch sensitive screen, wherein the position of the object and the position of the second device on the touch sensitive screen determine a direction of the object with respect to the second device;
processing the captured sound to identify sound originating from the direction of the object; and
associate the identified sound originating from the direction of the object as belonging to the first user being represented on the graphical user interface by the object.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the second device comprises a first inductive component and a second inductive component, the touch sensitive screen capturing the position and the orientation of the second device by capturing where the first and second inductive components are coupled to the touch sensitive screen.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first inductive component has a different size than the second inductive component.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the touch sensitive screen is included within a surface table.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first device comprises a mobile device.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the mobile device comprises one or more of a handset, a tablet, a phone, a smart phone, a portable electronic device, an electronic notepad, and a personal digital assistant (PDA).

17. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first device comprises an image capturing screen.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the second device comprises at least one visual marker, the image capturing screen for capturing the position and the orientation of the second device by capturing the position and orientation of the at least one visual marker of the second device.

19. The method of claim 11 , wherein the position of the object is moved via the user interaction with the touch sensitive screen in order to represent a movement in the position of the first user.

20. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first user is proximate to the touch sensitive screen.

21. An apparatus for identifying a speaker, the apparatus comprising:
means for determining a position and orientation of a second device based on data from a first device comprising a touch sensitive screen, the first device for capturing the position and orientation of the second device, the second device comprising a plurality of microphones for capturing sound, wherein the second device has a movable position and a movable orientation on the touch sensitive screen, the touch sensitive screen capturing the position and the orientation of the second device on the touch sensitive screen;
means for assigning an object as a representation of a first user from among a plurality of users each being represented by a corresponding object, wherein the object comprises a graphical user interface element in a graphical user interface presented on the touch sensitive screen, and wherein the graphical user interface element is displayed within the graphical user interface in a location independent from a position of the first user and is movable within the graphical user interface via user interaction with the touch sensitive screen displaying the graphical user inter

Assignees

• Qualcomm Inc

Inventors

• Liu Kexi
• Xiang Pei

Classifications

• H04R3/005

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

• G06F3/167

  Audio in a user interface, e.g. using voice commands for navigating, audio feedback · CPC title

• H04S7/303

  Tracking of listener position or orientation · CPC title

• G06F3/0485

  Scrolling or panning · CPC title

• H04R29/002 Primary

  Loudspeaker arrays · CPC title